www.Muggaccinos.com   The Bullsheet

Sunday, 15 June, Ferry Boat to Patonga & Iron Horse from Woy Woy to Brooklyn
* Turra’ by 8:50am - 96.5km –  ETR  4:10pm; or
* Hornsby by 9:25am - 65.5km –  ETR  3:20pm

• Trains are not running from Cowan to Hornsby, which shouldn't matter 'cause we alight at Brooklyn 

• Ride Leader  Phil Johnston - 9498.3684 hm

• Hardcopy these directions and bring on Sunday

• Cycle two abreast at own risk.  Keep well to LHS

• Get off the road at Sag Stops

• Maintain your membership of Bicycle NSW for Public Liability cover in case another Mugg sues you for riding negligence

• When passing a fellow Mugg, always provide a metre clearance.  If you can't, or are passing on the inside, you MUST call out loudly eg. "passing inside tight" etc

1st Legs: either Turra' 41.5km or Hornsby 26.3km - to Brooklyn

Due to the 11am Brooklyn ferry departure, arrive -

• Turramurra car park [N/E side of station in Rohini St] by 8:40am; or

• Hornsby station car-park [75m Nth of Railway Hotel in Jersey St] by 9:15am.

Details for Turra' start:

Rollout by 8:50am in/out of Bobbin Head, arriving at Kalkari Reserve after 13.5km Sag Stop (3 min).  4.4km later (immediately after passing Asquith Golf Course on LHS) -

• R into Belmont Rd for 150m;

• L for 30m to lights at Old Pacific H'way;

• R onto H'way heading Nth for 20.6km; and

• R into Brooklyn Rd for 2.7km around 10:30am.

Details for Hornsby start:

Rollout by 9:25am -

• N for 600m up Jersey St;

• L for 20m to traffic lights;

• R onto H'way heading Nth for 22.5km; and

• R into Brooklyn Rd for 2.7km around 10:30am.

Arrive by 10:40am at Red Herring, Brooklyn Pier or the other cafe on the RHS, in time to buy a snack and assemble at ferry by 10:55am for 1^st Nosh Stop (30min ) on 11am ferry to Patonga (fare incl bike $10).

2nd Leg: Patonga to Woy Woy - 14km
After 35 min crossing the delightful/majestic/blue Brooklyn Waters at 11:40am, cycle -

• 5.3km up Patonga Drive to Pearl Beach Drive;

• Ahead for 3.2km past the Umina Beach 180^o "U"-turn (during the descent) where road changes to Mt Ettalong Rd, then thru Ettalong to SW Woy Woy;

• R into Hobart for 200m;

• L into Sydney Ave for 150m Sag Stop (5 min) outside petrol station just prior to Ocean Beach Rd and GET COMPLETELY OFF THE ROAD;

• Ahead crossing Ocean Beach Rd and along West St for 400m;

• L into Trafalgar Ave for 2.9km;

• R into McMasters Rd for 450m; and

• L into Blackwall Rd for 750m to 2nd Nosh Stop (30 min lunch) from 12:40pm [Turra' 55.5km - Hornsby 40.5km] in the sunny courtyard outside the Grouse House (3/5 Blackwall Rd - 4340.2300ph) where “Mamma Maria” serves yummy burgers.

At 1.26pm [or 2.26pm] we pedal 100m further NNW along Blackwall Rd and cross Railway St (at traffic lights) to Woy Woy station and catch the all-stops train [$3 fare] arriving at Hawkesbury River station 14 min later at 1:41pm [or 2.41pm].  [Alternatively, at 1:02pm or 2:02pm catch an Express train from Woy Woy arriving Hornsby 34 min later - ride distance starting from Hornsby is 40.3km.] 

3rd Leg: Brooklyn to Pie in the Sky - 7.5km
Cycle 3.6km West along Brooklyn Rd and climb 3.9km Nth for 3^rd Nosh Stop (20 min) at Pie in the Sky from 2:15pm.  

4th Leg: Pie in the Sky to Hornsby - 18.7km or Turra' - 34km

Around 2:35pm commence final leg, either -

• Sth to Hornsby for 18.7km - 65.5km - ETR 3:15pm [an hour later if you miss the 1:26pm from Woy Woy]; or

• Sth for 15.7km, then L into Bobbin Head for 16.8km -  ETR Turra' 94.5km - 4:10pm [an hour later if you miss the 1:26pm].

Bank Teller's rap-up of Sun 8 June, Cinque Montagnes - 100km

A further splendid early Winter's morn' evidence 18 Muggs' marshalled around 10:10am in the rustic grassy knoll at PitS.  On an absolute Corker of a morn', the gang was deep in Sunday morn' societal intercourse.  With two tough climbs completed and 41km all done, there was time to shoot the breeze, 'n suck on some drugs.  Especially satisfied should have been Kitchen Sink who won the KOM to PitS in a veritable canter.  And BigGears, who we ain't seen for yonks, but came back "fresh after a long spell".

Around 10:30am we bade farewell to Greenie, Rummager, Samurai who were heading further Nth.  Somewhere thereafter we lost Kitchen Sink.  And Malvern Star said tar tahs at Berowra Waters Rd.

A reduced contingent of 11 [Pacific Pete, ToothFairy, Rocket Ros, Katrina, Simon, Koala Bear, BigGears, Whippet, Publican, Louise] rolled into Crumpie's around 11am after 65.7km.

Approaching midday we re-gathered at the Nth Hornsby bus shelter following a 3.15km climb from Galston Gorge (76.7km).  Whereupon all aside from Publican (and dutiful buddy, Louise) opted for the 5.4km short-cut back to Turra' along the east side of the rail line from Leonard St, Hornsby.  

'Twas a pleasant 86km four hills outing for most of us, with Louise the only one to complete Cinque Montagnes, 'cause Tony had missed the climb from PitS as he supported Pacific Pete whilst Pete changed a "big mother of a nail puncture" on his new Trek Lamond.

With Navigator, Arno, Sputnik, Marcel, Yamaha 'n Tornado AWOL for various reasons, 'n Whippet recovering from a bingle at Wisemans, the maillot jaune got taken out by three sheilas - Louise, Katrina and Roslyn.

(The popular pie shop has just changed hands.  The new owners are opening PitS 7 x 9 x 52)  

The abridged rap-up of Muggs' inaugural Wisemans Ferry sojourn now contain two pages of jpg pics.

When Samurai delivers a CD chockers full of more pics from Wisemans, Scribe will ejaculate 'em into cyberspace. 

INVITATION TO DRINKS & DINNER, FRIDAY 4TH JULY" TO SAY:

• ‘AU REVOIR’ TO ANNIE BEFORE SHE HEADS OFF TO FOLLOW THE ‘TOUR DE FRANCE’; & 

• ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY’ TO KIWI JULIE, WHO TURNS 21 AGAIN!! 

WE MEET AT THE CARGO BAR, KING STREET WHARF, FOR DRINKS FROM 6:30PM.

THENCE, ONTO DINNER AT CHINTA RIA, COCKLE BAY WHARF (BYO WINE ONLY) WHEN WE GET A TABLE! 

RSVP: KAREN WARD 0425 266.540

Message from an expat - Dieter

A few of the Senior Cits within Muggs would recall with fondness Dieter and Helga cycling with us on many a Sunday morn' during the late 90s.  On a Muggs' ride in mid-Dec '00, Helga got smashed completely under a car by a negligent driver on Barrenjoey Rd and lived to cycle again, such has been the Blonde Bombshell's enormous courage and resolve.   Alas, a while back Dieter succumbed to the allure of the big bucks dangled by his employer Phillips and moved House 'n Home, and dutiful Helga, to Singapore.  Below is an update from Dieter of cycling capers in Singers.

"Phil, 
Things are slowly settling back to normal again after the SARS outbreak is contained or over now.

A brief report follows of cycling in S’pore.

Since we purchased our MTB’s we have done a few tours around the island.   Traffic on the main roads is hectic at times with all the public transport - buses stopping every few km in front of you and then overtaking you at the next opportunity.  But we are gradually sussing out the side-streets and by-ways thereby avoiding the busy main-drags and enabling us to see the sights without getting clobbered.

Last weekend we did a very enjoyable tour, though challenging, around the lake (water reserve) located in the centre of the island, surrounded mainly by bushland, two golf courses and a country club.

The route was a combination of off-road tracks (MTB), side-streets, Nature reserves etc. but no coffee shops in sight.

From our near Orchard Rd residence we headed north via a short climb aptly named Mt. Pleasant to the McRitchie Reserve (NO CYCLING signs there everywhere, you probably get shot for even lesser offences) this reserve was revisited for an extended walk later.

From there we headed further north to the Lower Pierces Reservoir Reserve, we ventured into the residential area in the hope to find a connecting road to the next destination but had to revert back to the main street for a few clicks before it went along a quiet side street to the Upper Pierces Reservoir Reserve, a nice ride in and out of the Park with monkeys lining the street trying for a free feed (no feeding monkeys signs everywhere).

Then we spotted Hans’ Coffee & Patisserie Shop, but to our disappointment was only a “Greasy (Joe) Wong” shop and no Espresso of any sort.

So the ‘Seven Eleven’ next door was the only alternative with a ‘Delifrance’ franchise.  After a short stop and deliberation if we are to return the same way back, Helga suggested to push forward in the c-c/w direction around the lake as this had to bring us back to our starting point as long as we kept left.

The road took us along a very picturesque part with views down to the lake (reservoir) until we hit the PIE (Pan Island Expressway), panic at first until we noticed a walk- come cycleway parallel with the expressway which took us to the access road of the Singapore Zoo, just as we where overtaken by two young guys heading into a side road from there, so we chased them, caught up with them and asked for directions.

They mentioned an off-road track and had a questionable look at our slick tires on our MTB and mentioned about a climb a few K’s ahead.

I remembered reading about the Bukit Timah Mountain bike trail and this was it.

Apart from one section with stairs it was great fun and rewarding to negotiate this trail, and best of all, no cars, buses or trucks to compete with.

Unfortunately all good things come to an end and we are back on the busy main road for a few km until we are in familiar territory again and the local knowledge of the side streets to take us home.

After nearly 4 hours of riding in the tropical heat we are back home without even a map to guide us, just by gut feel a limited bit local knowledge.

Unfortunately, in all the excitement I forgot to take any pictures with my latest digital toy.

There are a couple of islands just off the coast which are on our pending agenda.

Cheers ‘til next time, from Dieter & Helga Greiter.

Glenn Druery, who rides a recumbent e-mailed me the following note about Tuesday night training rides at Homebush.

“Every Tuesday night many cyclists ride (some race) around the Olympic precinct  Homebush from about 6-7pm.  With the large number of riders on the road quite a few bunches form, allowing cyclists to train from slow - very hard.  However these rides are basically training rides.

Riders start fronting up from late afternoon-early evening and ride until about 8-8.30 on the roads around the Olympic stadium.

Some race, some just potter and some do a bit of both.

The area is well lit and almost car free from about 6.30  but you will need a front (flashing is OK) and rear light.

A group of us meet on the south eastern side of the station near the bus  shelter, you will know our group because we often have a recumbent or 2  turning up.

Sometimes we re-form again at 8.30pm and grab a caffeine  hit..........................”

The Scribe      11 June '03