www.Muggaccinos.com  The Bullsheet

Weekend, 8/9 Mar, Loop the Lake  – 50km Sat and 85km Sun

Loop the Lake 85km ride is advertised on page 13 in Push On Mag - see entry form.

Below is an extract from bi-mthly Push On Mag for Feb/Mar:

“Date: Sat. 9 March and Sunday 10 March – Loop the Lake weekend

Rides: Sat. 55km from Warners Bay at 1pm.  Sun. 85km Loop the Lake from Speers Point at 8am

Grade: H  Group: Bike North.  Contact: Phil Johnston 9312.3319 for B&B, restaurante  for Sat evening.

12 months ago about 8 Muggs linked-up with other Bike North members at a restauranté in Warners Bay on the Sat evening.  We cycled a leisurely 55km on the Sat. arvo and 85km Loop the Lake on the Sunday morn', before driving home well satisfied.

Unlike last year when booking digs was easy, a surf carnival (State titles) at nearby Blacksmiths Beach has snaffled all lodgings near the beaches. Bank Teller has booked 3 @ twin rooms at sleepy Wangi Hotel Motel, Watkins Rd, Wangi Wangi  (02) 4975.1411 @ $40 per room ($20 each - "cheap as chips").  Wangi is 12km off the Freeway after taking the Morisset off-ramp.  Widget 'n Oakley have ear-marked one.  Whippet and Teller another.  The Whiz has grabbed the 3rd and Smurph booked another.

This year, interested Muggs are driving up the freeway from Sydney from 10am on Sat. 9 March for 2¼ hrs to Wangi Wangi [middle of Lake Macquarie].  We take the Morisset off-road and drive NE another 12km approx to our hotel booking.

(a)       by 1pm we check-into Wangi Hotel Motel, Watkins Rd, Wangi Wangi  (02) 4975.1411. 

(b)       1:30pm - 50km easyish ride.

(c)       7pm – dine at restaurant to be advised. 

(d)       7am Sunday drive 10km further N to Speers Point start for 8am start of 85km “Loop the Lake”.

If you are interested in joining Annie, The Whiz, Widget, Dirty Cheat, Smurph and Whippet and perhaps some other Bike Northers for the above w'end, let Brenda or PJ know pronto.

Scribe's rap-up of Sunday 2 Mar, Rotary Club’s 8^th annual "Tour de Hills” from Dural C. C. – 105km
On a cloudy early Autumn morn', with a hint of a nip in the air, 11 or thereabouts Muggs mustered at Dural C.C. car-park from 7:30am.

Cyclist must suffer from "hearing disorder", 'cause the ride marshall repeatedly articulated that "it isn't a race".  Yet when we finally got underway from 8:10am, everyone went "hell-for-leather" in a nip 'n tuck affair over the predominantly rural route.

The initial 7km leg N on “the sometimes scary” Old Northern Rd thru Glenorie greeted us with a short, sharp shower, whereupon we took a L into Cattai Ridge Rd for a 7km leg of pastoral pedaling taking us R into Halcrows Rd.  About 5km later, the anti-clockwise route veered S/W along Wisemans Ferry Rd/Cattai Rd.  Somewhere shortly thereafter, perhaps on Saunders Rd. just after passing thru sugarcane fields or whatever, a lumpy, bumpy, pot-holey section followed which wouldn’t win any accolades for local council. 

The three layered climb up Glenhaven was a dog, particularly the 2nd time around, as we shared the road with Sunday Drivers returning from church - Hills District must be a religious lot.

The additional 35km condensed loop offered more of the same only compressed – steeper hills and sharp turns.

Back at the Auditorium post ride, Bank Teller was pleased with his 23.5km ave speed, only to find that he was the slowest Mugg - Whippet 25.8km/h, ToothFairy 24.19, Publican 24.15km, Caroline aka Princess Monaco 24.10.  Alas, didn't get Pacific's ave, but understand it was around ToothFairy's ave.

All in all, an enjoyable and successful Tour de Hills supported by a myriad of volunteers that were gratefully appreciated.  And the plethora of "clean-up Oz" volunteers provided moral support. 

The Scribe  - 5 March 2002