Muggaccinos Pedlars Sunday Cyclists - The Bullsheet

Sunday, 17 March, 7:15am Brunch at Bayview Marina – 54km to 93km

Ride contacts:
*     Phil Johnston    9498.3684 hm or 9312.3319 wk.
*     Brian Willis       9807.6439 hm  

Hardcopy these directions and bring on Sunday

Detailed ride spec:
After cycling E along Mona Vale Rd, at 6.2km we L [opposite Forest Way - at Mona Vale Fruit Barn] into Myoora Rd and take a fleeting 1^st Sag Stop (3 min).  We then cycle 3km along Myoor Larool Rd.  About 70m before Booralie Rd L into Tepko Rd (75m short of Booralie Rd) and 400m later a L into Booralie Rd, then pedal like "shit out of Shanghai" 6.7km flat/fast stretch past Terrey Hills Golf Course and rifle range to Duffys Forest (amidst real pigs, goats, horses 'n cows).  "U"- turn at the dead-end of Cow Corner – if you are dragging the chain, cut the corner - and return via same route and pull up 30m short of Terrey Hills neighbourhood shopping centre for a 2^nd Sag Stop [3 min].  Thence, around 8:15am we enter Ku’ring’gai Chase National Park via Dandenong Rd and Beltana Ave to McCarrs Creek Rd.  At the V (dual entrances to the park) take anti-clock [R fork] and descend turning L at McCarrs Creek bridge.  After cycling 2km uphill pause approx. 8:32am for a 3^rd Sag Stop (3 min) at T juncture (Akuna Bay Marina is 4km downhill on LHS).  Following a quick re-group, we commence a 45min 12km pedal along West Hd Rd to The Headland.  Pack nibbles, ‘cause we take our 1st Nosh Stop (15 min) from 9:06am [41km] for a snack and a gawk at the majestic, shimmering peninsula - Pittwater/Lion Island.

Approx. 9:20am we retrace to McCarrs Creek bridge and hook a L at 9:50am [53.5km] into McCarrs Creek Rd continuing on past Church Point [59km] at 10:09am, thence to Bayview Marina Café 2^nd Nosh Stop [61km] 9979.5782ph at 10:20am (for 35min) returning from 10:55am.

Over brunch we will ascertain, who is cycling -

• straight back up McCarrs Creek Rd and onto St Ives; and

• to McCarrs Creek, then taking a R looping Akuna Bay anti-clock, with a 3rd Nosh Stop at Akuna Bay at 11:40am [82.4km], returning to St Ives [93km] - ETR 1:15pm.

Scribe’s rap-up of "Loop the Lake" Macq. last w'end
Exiting Sydney on Sat. in time to get Bum on Saddle that arvo in "God's Own Country" wasn't as big a hotch potch as it has been in previous w'end sorties to Lake Macq.  So much so that about 6 Muggs [some seated on the far table at the Old Oak Factory mid-arvo] had earlier linked-up with Kiama BUG [seated near camera] and from 1:45pm pedaled a frenetic 36km from our digs at the Wangi Hotel to Morisett, thence onto Lindy Chamberlain country at Cooranbong, then NW twds Freeman's Waterhole.  With Briony, Whiz and Whippet in the field, coupled with a few Kiama crew, who could hammer just as hard, there'd been no respite in pace.

Much to the delight Smurf led us on a short-cut home via Toronto for a fast 'n furious 58km workout in ample time for Scribe to grab a Power-Nap before din dins.  About 6:30pm it was time for pre-dinner drinks in the beer garden.  That's putting a good spin on "the garden bit", but for twenty bucks a head, no one was complaining about our lodgings, especially in the sleepy hollow of Wangi, seemingly immune from the hundreds of transients attending the Surf Club State Titles at Blacksmith Beach.

Bank Teller even de-mothballed a T shirt the British Lions choir gave him for bellowing his lungs out, together with a myriad of other pseudo chorister, at the centre of the hallowed turf at Olympic Stadium Homebush prior to the 2nd Rugby Test last June.

With the prospect of "L the L" the following morn', we capped our intake of a pleasant Upper Hunter verdhello to four bots.  

Briony [far R]  was either camera shy, or had the Nose Bag On.

Ride morning was a case of "old home week" bumping into Sig 'n PapaBear, then Wendy from Wollongong, Rolf and Graeme from Bike Nth and others.  After having hammered non-stop over the arduous 105km Tour de Hills circuit from Dural a week earlier, some of us, Bank Teller, Widget 'n Pacific, were happy to "smell the flowers 'n soak up the ambience" a week later.

Post ride, Teller, Brenda 'n Pete were chuffed to return with an ave of 24.3km/h, albeit they had a final caffeine pit stop at Swansea to re-charge the batteries.  However, Whiz, Whippet, Smurf, 'n Briony clobbered that time to bits, returning much earlier.  In fact, by the time the three stalwarts had returned from their Caffeine Crawl, Whiz, who averaged 31.05km/h, had bolted for Sydney for afternoon tennis.  Oakley's 21.2km/h ave over the 85km circuit was a solid effort, particularly as her bike ain't the lightest.

After gobbling down the complimentary Sanger Sambo a few of us adjourned to lake's edge to "shoot the breeze".  Apologies for PJ blotting out Trevor Cupitt in the below pic, but trying to find a passer-by to "take a happy snap" isn't always easy.  Hence, having secured one, Bank Teller ran back into picture range, but obliterated Trev.

As evidenced in the below snap and nearly all pics in Bullsheets, attempting to get a crew of reprobate Muggs to Smile at the Dicky Bird is often well-nigh impossible, especially when they are comatose after a hard ride, except, of course, for perpetual motion of the jawbone.  Some of 'em, Widget 'n Whippet for starters, could still "talk under wet concrete with a mouthful of marbles", even after the rest of their respective bods had seized-up from an exhaustive workout.

All-in-all, a fun w'end, with our cheapo digs at Wangi Wangi proving a delightful sleepy retreat.  On the drive back to the big-smoke, we shared the road with a trillion cars dragging surf boats, surf skies, surf boards, and all sorts of Toys for Boys, testimony that Wangi, nestled on the SW of Lake Macq was a good call.

Sunday, 24 March:

¨    "Quatre Montagnes Plus" - 7am from Turra’ – 93km

¨    “Duo Montagnes Plus” – 7:45am from Hornsby – 59km

Scribe 'n Whippet   12 March '02