Muggaccinos Pedlars Sunday Cyclists – The Bullsheet

 This Sunday, 16 Dec:

¨        "Cinque Montagnes " - clockwise from 
Turra’ @ 7am – 103km

¨        “Trois Montagnes” – clockwise from 
Hornsby @ 7:45am – 73km

q      Ride Leaders:

    *    Phil J - 9312.3319 wk or w'end
*    Brian Willis 9807.6439 hm

q      Hardcopy these instructions and bring on Sunday

q      Cyclists from the primary/longer departure point of Turramurra do not pass the shorter Hornsby departure spot - usually meet them ascending Galston Rd just before GreenShades Nursery Café 1st Nosh Stop.

q      If you might be commencing from Hornsby and haven’t started from there before, ‘phone or e-mail PJ.

Snapshot:

Detailed Spec:

¨                   Longer Ride - Cinque Montagnes [103km]
Arrive Turramurra car park [N/E side of station] by 6:50am for an 7am rollout in/out of Bobbin Head, arriving at Kalkari Reserve for our 1^st Sag Stop (10 min) after 14km around 7:40am.  Heading for Galston Gorge, via Hornsby Heights, we take a left into Belmont Pde. [becomes Royston Rd] hugging Asquith Golf Course on LHS.  We join Pac. Highway after making R into Baldwin St and crossing over railway line at Asquith train station where after veering R at traffic lights we continue SW and shortly take a R into Galston Rd and pedal twds Hornsby Heights.

¨                   Shorter Ride - Trois Montagnes [73km]
Arrive at Hornsby car-park [100 metres Nth/West of the Railway Hotel in Jersey St] by 7:35m for an 7:45am roll out cycling north up Jersey St for 300m, where we L and proceed 40m to lights at Old Pacific H’way where we R and pedal 800m and L at lights at Galston Rd and cycle twds Hornsby Heights.

The route now becomes common for both start spots as riders cycle N/W thru Hornsby Heights to descend to Galston Gorge and climb 3km to 1st Nosh Stop (30 min) at Green Shades Café Galston [9653.1500ph] (10% surcharge) arriving around 8:30am after 30.2km (Turra’).  

At 9:05am, we commence a new 5.6km adjunct N/W into Glenorie which provides two testing climbs:

¨                   turn L heading W along Galston Rd - changes to Mid-Dural Rd for 1.8km

¨                   turn R heading N along Old Northern Rd for 2km

¨                   turn R heading E along Wylds Rd for 1.8km

Thence, we turn L and pedal north along the well-pedalled Arcadia Rd that changes to Bay Rd at pastoral Berrilee, where a few km later after passing the familiar Koppers Log KOM we descend to picturesque Berowra Waters for our 2^nd Sag Stop (10 min) - ride on the punt.  After another enjoyable climb, we take a 3^rd @ Sag Stop (10 min) at the former Health Food store, now a thriving Pool Shop, before re-entering the Old Pacific H'way from Berowra Waters Rd. (5.5km from Turra’) at 10:10am and cycle N past Cowan station and Pie in the Sky before descending to make a U turn at Brooklyn Rd before climbing 3.9km back to Pie in the Sky at 11am (68.5km) for our 2^nd Nosh Stop (30 min).

Around 11:30pm we commence the return home -

¨                   enter Bobbin Head onto Turra' - ETR 1:10pm – 103km; 

¨                   or continue onto Hornsby - ETR 12:20pm - 73km.

Bank Teller's rap-up of Sunday, 9 Dec, "Brunch at Brooklyn" - 82km

Unsure if it was the cool late-Spring morn’ or the prospect of a lazy, short ride.  However, they seemingly came out of the woodwork with 14 gathering around an extended table at Brooklyn Pier at our 1^st Nosh Stop on schedule approaching 9am:

¨                   From Turra’ at 7:15am- ToothFairy, Caroline S, Annie Oakley, Catherine S, Pacific Pete, BigGears, The Scribe, The Publican.

¨                   From Hornsby at 7:45am - Widget, Claud aka Neon Lights, Whippet, Jan ‘n Toby H, & Simmo aka The Enforcer, although Widget ‘n Neon choofed-off early and met the Turra’ contingent at Kalkari [see pic at Kalkari].

‘Twasn’t much latter, in fact only 9km, that we again had the Nose Bags On at our 2^nd Nosh Stop at Pie in the Sky, with the Segafredo Zanetti a big improvement on the Red Herring’s brew, albeit snags, eggs ‘n bacon had proved popular at The Pier, just ask Simmo.  [See pic of Simmo where the camera kindly focused on his upper torso, as he had a big plate of “all things greasy” immediately in front of him, and Nicki was assumably at home thinking The Enforcer was doing it tough.]

At the pie shop, Bank Teller canvassed whether anyone was interested in returning via Galston, but apathy was contagious.  Hence, it was an Early Shower for all, but no one was complaining, least of all Caroline who scored a flat tyre on the return route to Turra’, ‘cause at one stage it was a case of The Blind Leading The Blind, until a few males showed up to change her rear tyre [see pic of ToothFairy, Widget and Caroline pondering how to change a tyre].   

Sunday, 23 Dec, 6:45am - from St Ives 
"Café Brunch at Warriewood" - 54km to 96km - ETR 12:35pm

Suicide Blonde's way to spend a wet Saturday with her betrothed

We don't see Marea England all that often, 'cause off-road mountain biking is also her passion.  But after reading Marea's below account of a very wet 88km of mud, sand 'n slush, last Saturday, she can have it.  And to think, you got to spend 15 mins cleaning your bike after every ride:

    "Started at Ingleside - road down McCarrs and across Centre Track – headed out towards West Head - turned off (it stopped raining here) and we rode down to the Basin.  That is one steep mother of a downhill. Steve overheated his rim (brakes) and popped a tube. And we missed the ferry by 15 minutes.  Darn it, next one isn't for another 45 minutes and it's started raining again – bucketing down.  Found some cover and changed Steve's tire whilst we chomped down soggy toasted sandwiches and participated in big group hugs with some other cyclists to keep warm.

    Got on the boat and headed to Palm Beach.  Departed the punt and made straight for the lighthouse.  Had to leave our bikes at the bottom and run up to the top - choosing the shorter but steeper option.  Trip and flop back down to the bottom and head towards Newport Arms for the next control.  Got it.  Now on to down the coast to Long Reef point.  We tried to ride along the beach with no success and opted for the longer shortcut through the golf course.  Back on the road and down to find The Duke at Harbord.

    We made a bad call and decided that we had enough time to  continue down to Shelly Beach and ride back to Ingleside.  We did it anyway and made like pigeons (leaving Steve with the map) towards Narrabeen Lake for the short swim to the last control on a small island.  Now back to the finish, hoping to pick Steve up on the way.

    It wasn't long before we found him as we commenced the climb up Elanora Road.  Now that is one mother of a steep incline.  Granny gear all the way.  Steve needed much encouragement to get up that one and make the final leg up to the Temple.  From here it was almost all downhill with a nasty uphill kick at the end.

    Golly gosh what a ride.  In all we covered about 88 kms in conditions which could only be described as less than comfortable.  I'm glad the weather was a little kinder on Sunday.”

The Scribe 't  - 10 Dec 2001