Muggaccinos Pedlars Sunday Cyclists - The Bullsheet

[Directions to Hornsby car park - Drive north, turning right off Pacific Highway at Hornsby into Station St. which veers left and leads into Jersey St. Park 100 metres north of Railway Hotel on the north/west side of Hornsby train station.]

Our first pit stop is after 37kms at Mt White Village Store around 9am. Cycling north from the Bikie Hangout by 9:30am, we pull in fleetingly at the Midcoast Petroleum at Peats Ridge by 10:35am. Around 11:30am we descend Bumble Hill and cycle back up Bumble to the 2^nd KOM, before re-descending for a 50 min lunch stop from 12:30pm at Yarramalong Manor. We move on by 1:20pm for the 23kms flat/fast stretch into Wyong, arriving by 2:30pm. An express train departs at 2:37pm, however, these are usually crowded with locals who like walking between the carriages, which is a pain if you are perched with your treadley next to the carriage artery doors. The more tranquil "all-stops" [Tuggerah, Ourimbah, Lisarow, Niagara Park, including Cowan etc. – 15 stops] departs Wyong at 2.45pm returning to Hornsby at 3.55pm. If you miss it, the next express is 3.37pm with an all-stops at 3.55pm. $6.40 fare, and an almost passenger free ride on the all-stops, enables you to grab a 70 minute kip back to Hornsby and marvel just how far you rode.

• Longer Ride - Cinque Montagnes [115kms]
  Arrive Turramurra car park [North/East side of station] by 7am for a 7:15am departure cycling in/out of Bobbin Head, arriving at Kalkari Reserve breather-stop after 14kms around 8am for a brief breather. Heading for Galston Gorge, via Hornsby Heights, we take a left [at the stop sign corner] around Asquith Golf Course into Belmont Pde joining Pac. Highway after crossing over railway line at Asquith train station where we continue south and shortly take a right into Galston Rd and pedal twds Hornsby Heights.
  
• Shorter Rides - Two Hills [50kms] or Three Hills with Brooklyn leg [76kms]
  Arrive at Hornsby car-park [100 metres Nth/West of the Railway Hotel in Jersey St] by 7:40am for a 7:50am roll out cycling north up Jersey St, with a left after 500 metres, followed by a right 60 metres later [at traffic lights] on to Old Pacific Highway for about 1km where you turn left at lights at Galston Rd twds Hornsby Heights.

A few clicks later you descend to Galston Gorge and climb 3kms back out. Our initial caffeine fix/grub load, with two of the five climbs completed [from Turra’] and 32kms done is at Green Shades Nursery Café at Galston [9653.1500ph] from 8:45am – the restaurant management allows us to leave our bikes inside the green metal doors.

Around 9:15am, after crossing thru the familiar roundabout just outside the nursery, we pedal north for about 700 metres and throw a left at Sallaway Rd [where there is a sign to Glenorie] and about 1.4 kilometres later we turn right onto Mid Dural Rd and 500 metres later, we take a right onto Old Northern Rd where we continue due north for about 3 clicks before turning right into Wylds Rd which returns us to Arcadia Rd where we proceed as normal to pastoral Berrilee, descending to picturesque Berowra Waters for the ride on the punt. After another enjoyable climb, we throw a left from Berowra Waters Rd. on the Pacific H'way cycling through Cowan, then descending Breathtaking Brooklyn. [If you’ve had enough, you can stop at "Two Hills" by turning right and return to either Hornsby [50kms] or Turra’ [76kms] car parks]. We then turn right into Brooklyn Rd [about 150 metres shy of the old Brooklyn Bridge] where we cycle about 5kms into Brooklyn for brunch at the Red Herring Fish Shop on the Pier from around 11am.

Around 11:30am we commence our 4^th climb back up to Pie in the Sky [9985.7018ph] arriving around midday after 79 kms for meat pies with real meat. If its sunny, the ambience from the garden seating at The Pie in the Sky, looking back out over Brooklyn can be hard to leave. Alas, a tad after 12:30 we commence the 35kms ride to Turra’ car-park via our 5^th and final climb when we escalate Bobbin Head from the easy side. Our ETR is 2:30pm, with 115kms on the computer and five hills on the ledger. The ride is about 86kms from Hornsby with only three hills - expected back by 2pm.

Simmo, PJ, Ann and Brenda have indicated a willingness to take Tues, 17 Oct, off work for a mid-week Fitz's "tune-up", probably from Turra' to Peats Ridge and back - 140kms. More details next issue.

"Greetings from the old world.

We just spent a week of walking in Italy, walking the hills and mountains of 'Cinque Terre'

Helga is doing remarkably well, we have been doing approx. 20km every day 'per pedes' walking up and down these hills but in true Muggaccino fashion there is a coffee shop around every corner. Now we're back is Austria for another week of cycling (weather permitting) and spending time with family and relo's before we start our return track to the great land of Oz.

The Olympics and in particular Sydney have been receiving fantastic comments everywhere we went. TV's were locked to the Olympic broadcast even in the smallest of villages."

Dieter,

"Good to hear from you and more importantly, good to hear that Helga is regaining her old confidence.

c u soon."

Phil,

The Scribe - 4 Rocktober 2000 - johnstph@cba.com.au