Muggaccinos Pedlars Sunday Cyclists - The Bullsheet

Tuesday, 1 Jan, Brunch at Bayview Marina – 65km

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

Hardcopy these directions and bring on Tuesday

Snapshot
St Ives car park Mona Vale Rd [opposite Pattisons Patisserie and Stanley St. junction] from 7:45am for 8am rollout.  After cycling Duffy's Forest our 1st Nosh Stop is Akuna Bay from 9:30am, thence down to Bayview Marina for 2nd Nosh Stop from 10:45am.  Return to St Ives - 12:30pm - 65km.

Detailed ride spec:
Rollout at 8am and 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 1st 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 2nd Sag Stop [3 min].  Thence, around 9am 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 clockwise [L fork] which veers R we pass Cottage Point turn-off and descend to Illawong Bay and pull in at Akuna Bay cafe for 1st Nosh Stop (30min) around 9:30am.

Around 10am we cycle 2km uphill and turn R at "T" juncture and descend to McCarrs Creek bridge and hook a L at 10:20am into McCarrs Creek Rd.  Continue past Church Point, thence our 2nd Nosh Stop [45km] is Bayview Marina at 10:45am (30 min) returning from 11:15am.

ETR 12:30pm where Pattisons' Patisserie is closed to 5 Jan.

Bank Teller's rap-up of a smoky Pie in the Sky

11 crew rolled out of Turra' car-park bound for our initial Sag Stop at Kalkari Reserve which didn't come without incident. 

At 7:25am when we were about half way up, five of us were stretched out over about 30 metres.  Caroline was at the rear and called out the familiar "car-back" and assumably most of us veered to their L, incl this little brown bunny.  But it didn't stop the L mirror on a mid-blue Holden, circa late '90s, Rego TH026, clipping PJ's right handle bar as he passed him.  Those four cyclists all heard the bump and those at PJ's rear, incl Ian, evidenced how dangerously close the driver opted to pass him.   The driver slowed for a short while and was greeted by PJ giving him the one finger "Royal Salute".  The driver then took off.  When PJ arrived at Kalkari he mentioned to Terry that a driver had clipped him, to which The Navigator retorted, "It didn't happen to be a blue Holden as one came too close to me."  

Shortly after The Publican arrived, and upon hearing about Phil's close-call, Tony responded.  It wasn't a blue car was it, 'cause he came too close to me.  PJ will see if the local police are prepared to arrange for PJ to meet the driver, as I am sure that we would all like the driver of a mid-blue Holden, circa late '90s, TH026, ascending Bobbin Head at 7:25am on Sunday, 30 Dec 2001, to be familiar with the following extract from pg 125 of the Road User's Handbook "Sharing the road with bicycle riders":

When overtaking, give bicycle riders a safe amount of clearance, at least 1 metre in 60 km/h zones...... Bicycle riders are affected by rough road edges, gravel, parked cars ..... and other things to a greater extent than other vehicles; this is why they travel away from the curb.  Remember they are entitled to a whole lane and can also travel two-abreast (side by side) in a lane provided they ride more than 1.5 metres apart."

A team shot at an unusually dusty/smoky Kalkari Reserve

Din dins at Pie in the Sky after scaling the familiar 3.9km ascent, which was even more smoky due to the Spencer bushfire.  RockSolid and PapaBear had joined the contingent.  Ian and Scribe said howdy to Dieter and Blonde Bombshell on the route to Brooklyn, and the crew tagged up with Milko Joe at the Pie Shop, who had already been via Wiseman's Ferry.

Not being in any hurry, we pulled up fleetingly at Bobbin Head on the return leg, after James had won the descent.  Fortunately, Whippet prudently resisted the inclination to pick up the cudgel, and didn't try to contest the descent, after James had thrown down the gauntlet early in the freefall.

Around 11:15am we bade PapaBear adieu on the outskirts of St Ives, and returned to our jalopies. 

The Scribe 'n The Whippet   30 Dec '01