Muggaccinos.com      The Bullsheet

• 9 cyclists have thus far committed to this beaut ride with the best cafe, Cobbitty Café Patisserie, on the entire Muggs' circuit:    Andrew aka TugBoat, Anthony aka Froggy, Angelo aka Red Fox, Greg P and Bank Teller, Pimpernel, Lawrence aka Tyro and Michael Mescher.

• Click on: Risk Warnings which warns of the dangers of cycling on public roads with motor cars, potholes and over bridges with vertical timber planks with gaps

• Ride Organiser;:   Phil Johnston  9513.9532

• Hardcopy these directions and bring on Sunday

• Ride single file on single lane roads which have an unbroken centre line, 'cause a RedNeck might clip ya!

Early on a Sunday morn' Campbelltown is only 50min drive from Gordon via Homebush Bay Drive, about 1km past big Roselands sign on RHS turn right onto M5.  Exit M5 at 2nd Campbelltown Rd. and keep to the right hand lane on the exit ramp. Follow directions to Narellan heading NWW along Narellan Rd for 2½km. 400m after passing Mount Annan Drive on LHS turn Left into the "ramp" to Waterworth Drive.  250m later  Left into Wellings Drive.  220m later Right into Fitzpatrick Rd.  150m later Right into O'Brien Rd carpark in Birriwa Reserve. 

1st Leg: Birriwa Reserve Mount Annan carpark to Simply Delicious Cafe, 135 Argyle St. Picton - 33.4km - 88 min

7:45am cycle -

Arrive at Historic Picton at 9:14am for 1st Nosh Stop - 30 min at Simply Delicious Cafe 135 Argyle St, Picton on LHS.

(Reduce 2nd Leg by 11km by taking a short cut by turning Left at 'The Oaks' and heading Sth into Montpelier Drive rather than ahead into Burragorang Rd.  Montpelier Drive links back into Barkers Lodge Rd which leads to Picton.)

2nd Leg: Picton to Cobbitty Café Patisserie, Cobbitty  - 46km - 120 min

Saddle-up 9:44am:

2nd Nosh Stop (30 min) Cobbitty Café Patisserie, Cobbitty owned by Elsa and Herve Lamy from 11:46am.  Herve is a Frenchman who knows how to bake pastries. Dead-set the cakes 'n tarts are scrumptious.  You won't want to re-mount.

3rd Leg: Cobbitty to Mt Annan - 31km - 80 min

 Remount 12:16pm:

Return to Birriwa Reserve, "Mount Annan" at 1:40pm.

Bank Teller's rap-up of Sunday 8 Oct, Tour de Pearl Beach - 106km - 12 starters

12 cyclists gathered at Mt White from 9:20am  Architect, Scribe, DishPig and Samurai rolled out of Turra' a tad after seven bells followed by a late-running Pimpernel.  We picked up Arno and met rumbustious Eric aka PapaBear who is another who earned his nom de plume after he'd been in a good paddock for too long, but has subsequently displayed an austere determination to avoid "parties" for the cold solace of his bike.  As we were to learn at Mt White, Eric has kept the weight off by training for the horrendous 210km Fitz's Epic on 22 Oct.  Princess Caroline, Hugh, Adam ' Ann-Marie and Ross aka Superannuation Guru (ie Financial Planner) started from Hornsby.  Todd S, another IT Nerd, commenced from his digs at Asquith.

The tables at Road Warrior's Cafe have been re-arranged to garner more shade, and we weren't complaining 'cause it was stifling at 9:30am.

Upper pic - a seriously under-nourished PapaBear "holding court" at Mt White this morn'.  Arno is patently bemused.  Samurai and DishPig are more circumspect.  New chum, Todd (RHS), who is keen to tackle 158km Fitz's Challenge in 2 weeks, marvels how the Old Krout can exhibit such enthusiasm to again embark upon another torturous 210km Fitz's Epic.

Todd, Adam, Ross, Ann-Marie 'n Architect perched on the grassy knoll at Pearl Beach today with the Nose Bags on.

The female passenger who Scribe had asked to take this pic muttered that she thought she hadn't got everyone it, and she was right.  Can you find Adam's rib?  And Bank Teller half missed out, even though he urged our volunteer to point the camera more twds him.

Finally, Scribe took a few pics of our Nth Turra carpark to help Martin find it next time.

Footnote:  The 6½km section from Mt White to Calga predominately has an unbroken centre line because the road is single lane and the view ahead is poor.  Alas yesterday, a few of the gang rode two abreast along that section no doubt shooting the breeze about all sorts of stuff that couldn't wait until the next Nosh Stop.  20 mths ago, Ian aka Flash was knocked off his bike by a motor biker, and was carted-off in an ambulance.  More than a few of the 14 fellow cyclists present that Sunday in December thought the motor biker was grossly negligent, bordering on patent contempt.  Scribe has spoken with some motor bikers who think that many cyclists are selfish in hogging the road at speeds too slow for traffic.  Ambulances generally take an hour or so to arrive and collect, and some of them can't also take your bike, so please avoid cycling 2 abreast, which is a veritable No No over the section to Calga.  The current liability laws for a "volunteer inviting members of the public to participate in a dangerous activity", necessitate the above request.  The writer makes just as many cycling faux pass on a bike than the rest.

Scribe   8 Oct 2006