Rap-Up of Sunday, 10 Feb, Brunch at Warriewood café - 91km
With the weather finally resembling late Summer, albeit fortuitously mild, 13 crew enjoyed a "local" 91km hit-out.  However, it wasn't without a few cock-ups, but what can you expect when Muggs lower the hurdle accommodating someone who toiled to graduate the 6^th grade pre-WW2 at Plunket St. Reformatory in Cardiff, Wales, and today struggled with a fundamental ride change.

'Cos pre-ride at St Ives at seven bells we agreed to ride via Akuna Bay, in lieu of West Head, due to BiciSport Cycle Club conducting an inter-club ride attracting +60 with a time trial along Duffys Forest from Sparrow Fart, followed by a mass-start ride from 8:30am out to West Hd.

Hence, after successfully negotiating the 14km out/back to Duffys and descending McCarrs Creek anti-clock as planned, around 8:15am Muggs marshalled at the Akuna Bay/West Hd "T" intent on circumventing the Headland by a visit to Akuna.  
    "All present and accounted for."  "No wait, where is Widget?"  

Three other guys who had just climbed from The Bay had pulled-up near us, and overheard that we were "one shy at rollcall":
    "We just climbed from Akuna Bay, and didn't see a woman going the other way, in fact didn't see anyone."

Bank Teller retorted: 
    "That's stretching it.  You wouldn't describe her as a woman.  More a Grommet.  Man if you saw Widget cycling twds you, you'd drop your head and hope-like-hell that she kept rollin' on past!"

Scribe contended that he'd told Widget about the re-route.  But with the rest of the gang assuming Brenda must've stuck to the original ride plan, and cognisant that 60 or so "speed-merchants" would soon be "up our bums", a dozen of us or thereabouts, high-tailed it out to West Head.

Around 9:50am, after 55km, having successfully negotiated the familiar 24.4km lumpy "out 'n back" to The Headland, we re-grouped for a fleeting Sag Stop at McCarrs Creek.  After we bade farewell to Pacific Pete and Publican, we choofed on down to Church Pt, Bayview and past the Mona Vale cemetery.  After 71km at 10:45am we rolled into that glorious Warriewood view of the Blue Pacific to be greeted by a cozy, make that relaxed, Ardent Andrew and Widget, who'd already blended into the 20 or more Sunday morn' caffeine sucking Northern Beaches' Lay-abouts.  The latter, whilst ordering her second Flat White with Skim, proffered some incongreguous raison d'être for miscuing a rudimentary change to the ride plan.  But there'd be no mileage in relying on logic to pursue that discussion.  Besides, there was food to be golloped, and LaVazza coffee to be swigged.

Muggs with the Nose Bags On at Warriewood where Sunrise Café got the nod over the nearby Nautilus Café

Women may have advanced to lofty heights in many management spheres previously the province of the male gender.  However, "navigation" ain't been one of 'em, and little wonder after two Broads led us on a merry chase twds Powder Works Rd, a veritable "long-cut", of nooks 'n crannies, via 40,000 
RedNeck shopping motorists at Warriewood Plaza, not all of 'em enamored with cyclists.

It all stated at Sunrise Café when Oakley suggested that we could avoid cycling busy Pittwater Rd by re-tracing a few clicks of our route, thence cutting S/W past Flower Power across to Powder Works Rd.  After successfully negotiating the "All traffic L" at the traffic lights on the main drag, it might've worked had Widget not usurped Annie's authority.  Cos after a click of "Annie at the helm", Brenda offered her Welsh threepence worth, which shortly evidenced us travailing a convoluted labyrinth of Warriewood backroads.  Oakley professing she wasn't familiar with Widget's route, wisely disassociated herself from her partner in crime, and for the legal "record" didn't abrogated her responsibility, merely bowed to someone who gave all accounts of knowing her way.  Did I describe that right counsellor Oakley?

Not far from the Mecca of all Shopping Malls, our group was confronted by a Stop sign whereupon Widget beckoned we turn R.  One small problem, what about the endless stream of on-coming Sunday morn' shopper" traffic turning in front of us.  We all looked at Widget for guidance, pondering what do we do now.  The scene appeared like Laurel floundering whilst Hardy twiddling his tie muttering, "Well Stanley, now look what a fine mess you've got us into."  Fortunately  a break in the traffic evidenced us steal a march, prompting subsequent traffic to allow us thru.

Unsure why it was all smiles in the above pic, as some of us had just scaled Powder Works Rd twice, incl that 30m 15^o "ball-terror" at the end, in search of Rocket Ros, who we subsequently established had snared a flat.  Ros is the babe with the Buckie Beaver smile showing the camera her bestest side!

Around midday after 91km, incl a fast downhill from The Ba'hai Temple, and a taxing slog up Tumble Down Dick, we returned to St Ives, glad for the outing.

Do you want to ride at Cowra this Easter?
Over the last 6 years, Muggs has gone cycling en masse on either the June or Rocktober long w’end – visiting The Lower Hunter 3 times, Gloucester, Mudgee and Bundanoon.  All bar Bundanoon which was SSW where 20 of us froze our buns off, were NW in Wine Country.  Three years ago we stayed at Thistle Hill Winery in Mudgee – 3½ hrs drive NWW of Sydney where the weather was balmy.  In addition, last April we also pedalled to Dungog for Linger ‘n Die. 

Muggs would be aware that Pacific Pete has arranged a 12 day ride in Victoria from 7 to 18 April.  Several cyclists which Pete has ridden with previously on such extended sorties are again attending.  Hence, we’ve left Linger ‘n Die on-the-back-burner ‘til Sept.

Last Easter, Bike North led a contingent of 20 or so to Cowra - another wine region, SW of Mudgee.  Bike North has similar numbers attending Cowra this Easter [Good Friday 29 March to Easter Monday 1 April], again under the stewardship of Keith Griffin, member of Sydney Conservatorium of Music and a gun cyclist to boot.