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Muggaccinos Pedlars Sunday Cyclists – The Bullsheet This Sunday, 4 November: ¨ "Quatre Montagnes Plus" - from Turra’ – 93.2km ¨ “Duo Montagnes Plus” – from Hornsby – 59.2km
Snapshot:
Detailed Spec: ¨
Longer route from Turra’
- Quatre Montagnes
[93.2km] ¨
Shorter route from Hornsby
- Duo Montagnes [59.2km] Route is now common for both start points. After a couple of clicks pedaling Nth we R at lights into Somerville Rd for a 3km out & 3km back, along top of Galston ridge - smooth, undulating, surface with bike lanes on both sides. Around 8:40am we return into Galston Rd and immediately after passing the familiar bus commence 3km descent to Galston Gorge. After climbing from the Gorge at the KOM (Cnr Crosslands Rd and Galston Rd) we R and pedal 3km down Crosslands Rd (rural scenery is superb - back to nature stuff) - and "U" turn and return to Galston Rd, whereupon we pedal 1.1km ahead shortly to R to 1st and only Nosh Stop (35 min) at Green Shades Café, Galston [9653.1500ph] (10% surcharge) approaching 9:20am after 44.5km (Turra’) or 25.6km (Hornsby). At 9:55am, we commence the 5.6km adjunct N/W into Glenorie which provides two testing climbs: ¨ L heading W along Galston Rd for 400m ¨ R heading NWW along Mid-Dural Rd for 1.4km ¨ R heading N along Old Northern Rd for 2km ¨ R heading E along Wylds Rd for 1.8km Thence, we L and pedal N along Arcadia Rd - changes to Bay Rd at pastoral Berrilee, where we descend to picturesque Berowra Waters for our 2nd Sag Stop (10 min) on the ride on the punt. After a 3.6km enjoyable climb around 11am, we take a 3rd Sag Stop (10 min) [66.3km from Turra’ or 47.4km from Hornsby) at the familiar "closed/abandoned" Health Food Store, before re-entering the Old Pacific H'way by taking a R from Berowra Waters Rd. and cycling S – ¨ to Hornsby - ETR 11:15pm - 59.2km; or ¨ turning L at entrance to Bobbin Head for Turramurra - ETR 12:20pm – 93.2km. The
Scribe's rap-up
of Muggs’ annual weekend pilgrimage
to 150km Fitz’s Challenge, Canberra Occasional Mugg, Gareth aka The Welsh Whiz, was first to return at 1:45pm – net time of 6h 15m @ 24 km/h. With a 23 the lowest cog on the rear, Whiz reckons he’ll be looking for a 26 cog next year in pursuit of 6½hrs. The Whippet, attempting his maiden Fitz’s, turned in a super-human effort returning 2nd at 2:05pm looking a little worse for wear, with a net ride time of 6h 25m @ 23.4. Another Mugg irregular, Ardent Andrew, who excelled at last Jan’s Audax, came in 3rd from within group returning at approx. 2:15pm. Siggy eclipsed 90km hammering down Fitz’s in his own personal battle to again Tame the Monster. However, with The Flash trailing just behind, The Scribe, almost Came a Cropper twice during his decent of Fitz’s. Approaching the first corner in the mid-70s, Bank Teller experienced his front fork “quivering all over the place”, which rendered him “shaking in his boots” - bracing himself to hit the pavement, but somehow he stayed aboard. A few seconds later he again found the next Fitz’s angle on top of him and running out of road to hold it with his front fork wobbling everywhere. He still doesn’t know how he stayed on board. Ian, who was trailing a few hundred metres back, couldn’t understand why, Dirty Cheat had mysteriously slowed to a crawl by the time he got to the bottom of Fitz’s. ‘Twasn’t ’till later that he learned The Cheat was still shaken all-over from a meet-up with Fitz's with his jalopy behaving strange. Initially, Dirty Cheat figured he'd taken the two corners too fast and then “braked” too much on the front break, but post-ride he gleaned a large bulge in his front Vittoria tyre - both Vittoria tyres which came with his newish Mongoose bike had similarly fatigued under strain, with the 1st one herniating. Give him Michelin, Panracer, Specialised, Continental, but never another Vittoria. And our luck, or lack of it, didn’t stop there, as a section of Sig’s rear tyre disintegrated on his decent to Cotter, rendering him a passenger for the remainder of the journey. If it had disjointed 90 mins earlier when Smiling Assassin was throttling down Fitz’s at +90km p/h, we’d ‘ve needed Paint Scrappers 'n Blotters to get Helmut Hun off that 10.40 gradient. But let’s go back a bit, for as regular as clockwork at Eight Bells on Fitz’s eve, a troop of Muggs’ Masochists had the Nose Bags on at one of the horde of fine restaurants at Kingston Square for the annual pre-ride Last Supper. The crew was 13 and the Nosh Up was Figero’s Italiano Restaurante which provided a most enjoyable repast, notwithstanding a deficit of the elixir usually liberally quaffed when the crew parties. Present were: The Flash, ToothFairy, The Whiz, The Navigator, Smiling Assassin, Bank Teller, Caroline S, Annie Oakley, Ardent Andrew, Whippet, Southside Maria, Papa Bear and a regular visitor from parts south, Jonno the Affable Attorney. The next morn’ following the familiar 20 min drive W along Cotter Rd, with similar precision from 6:20am, cars commenced congregating at a chilly Eucumbene Drive under a clearing sky. Smack on 7am Ride Director, Greg Cunningham, who had burnt a lot of Midnight Oil during recent months to ensure a faultless ride preparation, after a salient reminder that “Fitz’s isn’t a race”, set the field approaching 190 off - bound for Tidbinbilla, via Cotter, and the first checkpoint after 45km at Tharwa. An even larger field in excess of 200 were flagged away at 8am for the 90km Tharwa Challenge which included Siggy and Annie. As mentioned above, Sig, notwithstanding a recently busted collarbone from, you guessed it from a bike bingle, couldn’t pass up the challenge to again conquer the Dreaded Fitz’s. Navigator had the first of a spat of flats on the route to Rendezvous Creek, via Naas, Fitz’s, Namadgi National Park. Bank Teller punctured twice shortly after climbing out of Tharwa - the 2nd he attributed to using the wrong glue when doing a cheap ‘n nasty, bodgie repair job on an old tube the day before. Apart from Whippet’s Herculean effort of a 2:05pm finish, Papa Bear displayed rare early season form, an under-prepared The Flash challenged his own PB, genial Caroline, albeit more used to the track beat-out a solid effort, as did ToothFairy and Navigator. Bank Teller eventually finished. Another rookie, Southside Maria, saw a lot of the route, and according to The Whiz had to contend with a Red Belly Black Snake, whilst Annie Get Your Gun and Navigator only had to circumvent Brown Snakes, and wanted to make a big deal out of 'em. Gees they won't kill you, however Fitz's could. OK, for the record, Navigator's brown snake encounter was stretched across Fitz's, but twds the end of the downhill. Annie was understandably chuffed at her 90km Tharwa hit-out. Muggs’ record of DNFs, fortunately still sits at a solitary numero uno - but Peloton had other qualities adept at talking the talk, not to mention a popular girlfriend, now wife, in Sibyl. Alas, due to a mass exodus post-ride, only three crew, Affable Attorney, Annie Oakley and Scribe were able to enjoy a Red or Ten under a setting sun when all the work was done, at Vasco’s Portuguese Restaurant. Fitz’s Ride Director, Greg Cunningham, joined us for the meal and inter alia, we re-iterated Muggs’ high regard for Pedal Power ACT’s wonderful annual challenge. Couldn’t finish off another Fitz’s rap-up, without mentioning the friendly service again provided by Graham and Lee-Anne, who after six years of operating Victor Lodge under lease, recently purchased the freehold. Postscript:
The Scribe 'n The Whippet - 30 Oct 2001 |
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