Park in Hornsby train station car park by 7:10am opposite Browsery Pottery - 75 metres north of Railway Hotel - north west of rail line - 7:15am rollout. Or pick up the caravan around 7:40am at Cowan train station. The Bikie Hangout at Mt White [37 kms] is our first pit stop around 9am, followed by Bellbrook Café Peats Ridge or 50 metres further on familiar MidCoast Petroleum Peats Ridge around 10:30 am [57 kms]. About 2kms after departing Peats Ridge, rather than taking a left to central mangrove, we veer right remaining on Peats Ridge Rd and head due east then south/east twds the coast via Somersby to the pleasant dulcetones of "pinging", Bellbirds, where after about 18kms from Peats Ridge we turn right [2 kms south of the Shell Garage at Kariong] and pedal the "Scenic Route" back to Mt White [90 kms] arriving around 12:50 pm for a 15 min break. Our next stop is Pie In The Sky around 1:50pm for another 15 min break, returning to Hornsby [122 kms] around 3:20 pm. The ride may be shortened by continuing north east from Somersby to the Shell Garage at Kariong and then turning right for 12 kms down hill to Woy Woy and catching an all stops Iron Horse at Woy Woy [six stations back to Hornsby] at 1:26 pm, 2:26 pm and 3:16 pm. Express trains, which take 34 minutes to arrive at Hornsby depart from Woy Woy at 1:02 pm, 2:02 pm and 3:02 pm. Alternatively, climb aboard at Hawkesbury River Station in Brooklyn [101 kms] at 2:40 pm or 3:30 pm or at Cowan [104 kms] 2:52 pm or 3:42 pm.

Then again you can turnaround at Mt White for a 74kms round trip from Hornsby.

Unsure if it was the Gong Ride attracted all the enthusiasts, or a few rain showers detered the all the laggards, however, last Sunday's ride only attracted 2½ starters, and that is only if Brenda's appearance at the familiar Sun Rise Café, Warriewood constitutes half a cyclist. In any event, PJ and Joe followed the advertised route to Warriewood [39.6kms] and were blessed by overcast, but rain free skies - well almost.

 

3. Following Sunday, 3 Dec - Tour de Windsor, Wilberforce, Ebenezer, Sackville with Iron Horse from Richmond to Marayong - starting from Turra' via M2 - 135kms (best guess) with no hills

    

   We rollout of Turra' at 7:15am descending Kissing Point Rd. to M2 to Riverstone, Mulgrave, Windsor [46.5kms] for our initial pit stop around 9:15am at recently discovered Kate's Place Café George St Windsor, before taking the Old Windsor Bridge to Wilberforce, Ebenezer & Sackville, where we catch another ferry, then back to Windsor via the Tizzana Rd loop for a 2^nd Pit Stop at Windsor - ETR of 11:30am. [For the culture lovers, we pass a lily farm just south of Sackville.] Around midday we remount heading west thru nearby Clarendon to Richmond where we catch a train at 12:48pm [1:48pm or 2:48pm] thereby avoiding traffic which is busier on these roads after church is out. The Old Rattler carries us thru eight stations to Marayong, whereupon we disembark around 1:18pm [or 2:18pm] and cycle along Vardy's Rd, into Johnson Rd and take a left into Abbot Rd where we re-enter the M2 for a fast 15kms before exiting at Macq Uni exit, thence a further 6kms uphill from Brown's Waterhole and Kissing Point Rd. to Turra' where our ETR is 2:40pm [3:40pm depending which train we catch from Richmond]. Ride route and maps distributed on the day.

4. E-mails from expat Muggs

Below are extracts from Jamie Hedgire's e-mail to PJ from Vietnam of Tues, 14 Nov 7:24 pm after PJ requested him to e-mail a jpg file [photo] suggesting it might reveal Jamie had gone to rack and ruin with a balding red mane and a fat gut.

Below is an extract of the exciting part from from Frank McLoughlin's e-mail to PJ et al from India of 16 Nov at 17:48hrs:

Below is an extract of PJ's response to Frank:

5. Following Sunday, 10 Dec, Cinque Montagnes anti-clockwise

Commencing from Turra' [100.6kms] at 7:15am or Hornsby [72kms] at 7:40am with initial Nosh Stop at Pie in the Sky at 9:15am.