Muggaccinos Pedlars Sunday Cyclists - The Bullsheet

Monday, 1 April, 7am from St Ives “Whale Beach Restaurant for Brekkie” – 74 km

Ride contacts:
*         Phil Johnston        9498.3684 hm
*         Brian Willis           9807.6439 hm

Hardcopy these directions and bring on Sunday

Detailed ride spec:
Cycle E along Mona Vale Rd.  After 6.2km we L [opposite Forest Way - at Mona Vale Fruit Barn] into Myoora Rd and take a 1^st Sag Stop (3 min).  3.2km along Myoor Larool Rd and R into Booralie Rd and 20m later L into Dandenong Rd and R into Beltana Ave and L to McCarrs Creek Rd and descend into the park.  At the V (dual entrances to the park) take anti-clock [R fork] and descend McCarrs Rd to the bridge and on to Church Point [20.3km] at 7:45am 2^nd Sag Stop (3 min).  We then pedal twds Mona Vale with road becoming Pittwater Rd past Cabbage Tree Rd (on RHS).  500m short of Mona Vale shops turn L into Darley St and pull up 40m along 3^rd Sag Stop (3 min).

Darley St is 700m and leads us on to busy Barrenjoey Rd which we remain on for 7km of glorious views of the Blue Pacific past Bungan Beach thru Newport, Bilgola, Avalon.  At around 8:30am about 200m past North Avalon Rd we R into Whale Beach Rd and ascend/descend for 2km to The Strand for Brekkie 1^st Nosh Stop (40 min) at 8:40am [37km] at Whale Beach Restaurant 9974.4009 ph on the water’s edge [formerly de Beers].

Around 9:20am we retrace our path, however, as we pass Avalon Golf Course on the RHS, we L into The Serpentine which is a 3km adjunct into/out of Bilgola Beach which provides a stunning view south 4^thSag Stop (10 min) at 9:40am and avoids a tight section of Barrenjoey Rd.

Around 10:10am after climbing a short humdinger in Newport hill, and passing Bungan Beach on LHS, as we approach Mona Vale we R back into Darley St and R into Pittwater Rd and return to Church Point for 2^nd Nosh Stop (20 min) at 10:35am [54km].

At 10:55am we commence the 20.3km final leg back up McCarrs Creek Rd to St. Ives – ETR 11:55am – 74km.
After climbing to the apex of McCarrs Creek Rd, please retrace along Myoor Larool Rd to the Mona Vale Fruit Barn, rather than cycling Mona Vale Rd as it can be difficult getting across to the L lane on Mona Vale Rd, even with the traffic lights, as some motorists coming from the coast can be doing 70+ clicks and aren't affected by the traffic lights granting us access to Mona Vale Rd.

Scribe's rap-up of Good Friday 29 March, Tour de Royal National Park - 86km

7 cyclists assembled at Sutherland Leisure Centre at 7:50am on a muggy o'cast morn - Navigator, Whippet, ToothFairy, Bank Teller and a former work mate of The Teller, Bob Nagy, who brought along two of his Southside cycling buddies - Col and Pete.

Above happy snap taken at cnr Sir Bertram Stevens Drive and Bundeena turnoff, as Bob and his two local cohorts had to vamoose pronto, so that Bob could take his Wee Nipper to soccer training.

On the leg from Bundeena "T" to "Otford Apple Pie Shop", The Scribe noticed a set of tyre leavers on the roadway and snaffled 'em into his kick, if for no other reason than to point out to Harold Steptoe aka Whippet that he'd missed spotting some more junk on the trail.  [Brian is notorious for gathering trash, and often asking Navigator to drive it home for him.]  Whereupon arriving at Otford, Scribe displayed his new found booty and slung-off that Brian must be losing his Eagle Eye scrooge touch.  But low 'n behold, Whippet immediately announced that the tyre leavers were, in fact, his.  Alas, Terry cooberated that Brian had left his rear pack open and had been lamenting the loss of his leavers.  Hardly enthralling dialogue, but it brought a chuckle, especially as the normally marvelous blue panoramic ocean vista looked like a gunky grey glue pot.  But what the heck, it hadn't rained, the forest's verdant re-growth was appealing and Otford's bacon 'n egg rolls and caffeine were scrumptious, after all, "an army can't march with an empty breadbasket".

Our 36½km return route due N was a tough slog with three arduous climbs to the Garie "T", Flat Rock to Gibraltar, and finally from Audley Weir to the tollbooth.  The duties were shared around with Navigator providing stubborn resistance to Whippet on the 1st and 3rd climbs, and Scribe exhibiting a rare burst of speed from Flat Rock to Audley, but it poleaxed him for the final climb where he turned in a Limp Duck effort.  Not unsurprisingly, Whippet retained le maillot jaune with an awesome ave - 24.2km/h over 86km, followed by Navigator one km less.  ToothFairy could be excused for a less than enthralling effort, having expended most of the last few weeks either on planes, or at conferences in the Old Dart, but she's bound to be better for the gallop.