Muggaccinos Pedlars Sunday Cyclists - The Bullsheet

Sunday, 7am 24 Feb, Hornsby to Yarramalong Manor for lunch and onto Wyong - "Iron Horse” home - 93km
q      Ride Leaders:
    *    Phil Johnston  9312.3319
    *    Brian Willis  9807.6439
q      Hardcopy this and bring on Sunday

Snapshot:
With no track work on the Wyong line, park at Hornsby 
station car-park [80m Nth of Railway Hotel in Jersey St - N/W side of Hornsby station] by 6:50am to rollout by 7am to cycle a delightful 93km, with only 1 hill, and Nosh Stops at Mt White, Peats Ridge and Yarramalong Manor, to catch a train home from Wyong at 12:37pm or 12:55pm - returns to Hornsby at 1:36pm or 2:06pm, respectively.  We head due N up the old Pacific H’way, so if you're slow, start from 6:50am.


Our 1st Nosh Stop (25 mins) after 36kms at Mt White Village Store from 8:25am.  Cycling N from the Bikie Hangout by 8:50am, we take a Sag Stop (10 mins) at Midcoast Petroleum, Peats Ridge from 9:50am after a steady, continuous, gradual climb. 
After re-mounting at 10am, we continue to pedal N along Peats Ridge Rd for 400m then take the L fork into George Downs Drive, crossing Wisemans Ferry Rd, at Central Mangrove, and continuing 6.4km N 'til Springs Rd for a fleeting Sag Stop (5 mins) where we R twds Bumble Hill.  Springs  Rd (2.5km) becomes Greta Rd (2km), then Bumble Hill Rd.  After 5.5km of ups 'n downs, but bigger ups, at around 10:40am we descend Bumble Hill and R for 60m to our 2nd Nosh Stop (55 mins) for brunch from 10:50am at delightful, serene, stately Yarramalong Manor. 
By 11:45am we commence a 20km flat/fast hit-out E into Wyong, arriving by 12:30pm to catch ($6.80 fare) –

  • 12:37 Express (or 1:37pm or 2:45pm) - Hornsby 1:36pm (or 2:36pm or 3:37pm); or 

  • 12:55pm all-stops (or 1:55pm) - Hornsby 2:06pm (or 3:06pm).

 

Bank Teller's rap-up of Sunday, 17 Feb, "Windsor via the mulga" - 21 crew - 115km from Turra'

If "the camera don't lie", then Bank Teller, apart from hiding a receding hair line, has something askew with his left eye, 'cause it didn't look too flash in this pic at Turra', pre-ride. 

On a day that attracted mega cyclists, we only had 4 takers for the long haul, and one of 'em, ToothFairy, took the easy-out at GreenShades.  New chum, David, the young dude on the left with shares in Shimano/Avanti, was another to recently conquer the Audax Alpine Classic from Bright Vic. on Oz Day.  Within a couple of clicks, Bazza and Whiz had joined us en route.


Our ride thru The Gorge was evidenced by debris from the previous night's SloshFest, a dozen circa '60s n '70s Lotus sports cars passing us (doing the "toffy" car rally thing), and that mysterious 'thin blue line' on the ascent.


Could be excused for thinking we were living in the tropics, with all the Verdant Vegetation, but Sydney in Feb at GreenShades isn't a lot different.

Must be a 'hydrating' lot, 'cause there are yonks more bidon bottles than coffee cups when a nearby guest snapped these pics.

On cue at 11:20am, with 67.5km from Turra', and after seemingly passing an array of dog pounds along Pitt Town Rd, we settled into the Bridge Café in Historic Thompson's' Square, Macq St Windsor, for grits 'n slops.  But, alas, we were one shy, with The Flash not "present and accounted for".  Fortunately, Ian arrived shortly thereafter, however, our Ride Organisers 've got to shoot the breeze on how we regrettably lost him, so it don't happen again, especially on perhaps our most complex ride route.

With the weather a warmin', our return route to Galston, via Cattai Ridge Rd, was a tough slog, particularly up that short/sharp ball-terror from the creek.  Whereupon a few of the more agile/younger amongst us, carried on twds The Gorge, whilst the rest of us, having sussed that cafés are in short supply at Galston, took refuge at GreenShades.

Unsure why Widget beckoned us to join her can-can routine in the below flick at the "familiar bus shelter", as some of us had a hundred clicks on the dial, it was early arvo, as humid as hell, and we'd all just climbed from The Gorge and were resuscitating when Brenda wanted to relive The Golden Years of Hollywood.

This is the 3rd route Muggs have used to visit Windsor:

(i)    Out from Turra' [134km] via Brown's Waterhole, M2, Marayong, Mulgrave, Riverstone, Vineyard, Windsor, then Wilberforce/Sackville loop.  Return - train from East Richmond to Marayong, M2,

(ii)    Same route Out from Turra' [133km], then Wilberforce/Sackville loop.  Return - via Cattai Ridge Rd and Galston Gorge.

(iii)    Out from Turra' [113km] or Hornsby [95km] via Galston, Kenthurst Rd, Pitt Town Rd.  Return - via Cattai Ridge Rd and Galston Gorge.

 

Sunday, 3 March, Castle Hill Rotary Club 7th annual "Tour de Hills Cycle Classic” from Dural Country Club – 105km or 70km
Single Entry $30, incl sit down din dins at Dural Country Club post ride, if entry is faxed by 28 Feb - $35 thereafter.

9/10 March, Loop the Lake Macquarie weekend
Unlike last year, when booking digs was easy, there is a surf carnival (State titles) at nearby Blacksmiths Beach. All the digs near the beaches are chockers, but Bank Teller has booked 3 @ twin rooms at Wangi Hotel Motel, Watkins Rd, Wangi Wangi (02) 4975.1411 @ $40 per room ($20 each - "cheap as chips").  Wangi is 11km off the Freeway after taking the Morisset off-ramp. Widget 'n Oakley have ear-marked one.  Let me know if you want a room, otherwise I'll cancel it.

Schedule:  50km touristy ride from 2pm Sat, restaurante that evening, 'n 85km 'around the pond' on Sunday morn'.  

 

The Scribe ‘n Whippet     20 Feb 2002