-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> Horse” home from Wyong:

*    7am - Hornsby - 93km - ETR 2:06pm

*    7:25am - Berowra - 81.5km - ETR 1:55pm

*    Or cycle back from Mt White - 71km - ETR 10:40am

 

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 passing Berowra station at 7:25am.  Nosh Stops at Mt White, Peats Ridge and Yarramalong Manor, to catch an All Stops train home from Wyong at 12:55pm (1:55pm) - ETR 2:06pm (3:06pm).  Or an Express at 12:37pm (1:37pm) returns to Hornsby at 12:36pm (1:36pm).  
Route is due N up the Old Pacific H’way, so if you're slow, start from 6:50am.

 

1st Leg:  Hornsby to Mt White - 35.5km - 82 min

Park in Hornsby street side car-park 80m Nth of Railway Hotel in Jersey St - N/W side of Hornsby station. 

Rollout by 7am, -

 

2nd Leg:  Mt White to Peats Ridge - 21km - 57 min

Depart Bikie Hangout by 8:50am -

 

3rd Leg:  Peats Ridge to Yarramalong Manor - 17km - 55 min

After re-mounting at 10:15am, -

 

4th Leg: Yarramalong Manor to Wyong station - 18.8km - 50 min
By 11:50am 18.8km flat/fast hit-out E along Yarramalong Rd into Wyong, arriving by 12:50pm to catch ($7.80 fare) –

 

Whippet’s rap-up of “Turra, M2 - Windsor and back via Cattai Ridge Rd”, Sunday 24th Nov - 98km

 

Twelve Muggs’ departed Turra at 7:20am, on a hot late-Spring morn’, initially along the glide down Kissing Point Rd to Browns Water Hole.  Never seen the creek so dry!  And that short, sharp, nasty little, cement path climb to the M2 caught a few of the rookies by surprise, as is that hill’s want.  Awaiting the main Peloton at the M2 entrance gate were Whippet, Navigator, Rocket, Widget ‘et al’.  In an instant, or so it seemed, 18 crew were going ‘hell for leather’ West along the 15km black tarmac M2 in pursuit of Abbott Rd, and the Johnson Ave right turn, for a fleeting Sag Stop off the road surface.  There were bikes of all shapes and sizes, incl Tyro, Glenn, in a low hung Swiss built, two-wheel recumbent that picked-up the pace and led towards Old Windsor Rd, before his rear wheel snared-up a staple.  Richard, aka Wayfarer, followed shortly thereafter with a another flat.

With Glenn ‘pit-stopped’, Navigator, Tornado, Whippet and Dickey Knee (on his upright Canondale mountain bike with slicks) found ‘emselves front-runners.  The pace was rapid-fire, averaging 34km p/h over the 15km gun-barrel straight hit-out. 

‘Confusion was in control’ when two Frauleins continued west along Abbott Rd, in search of a hill or two (Seven Hills) on our otherwise flat ride to Windsor.  Our run along the Western rail-line provided a fleeting respite until Tornado, and the two temporarily AWOL, 'returned' Frauleins, sought to further increase our tempo, seemingly rendering that bright orange ball 93 million miles off, closer, brighter ‘n hotter.

At Windsor we caught-up with Bike Nth stalwart, Kin-Yat, together with Pacific Pete & others from the Dural start.  During the Hot Season perhaps there are more amenable amenities than Kate's Place on the sheltered east-side of Macquarie St.

Five clicks into our return route, along a stretch of landscape that probably hasn't changed in 40 years, evidenced us ducking ‘n weaving across a quilted patchwork of blobs of bitumen.  Seemingly the RTA, or Windsor Council, has a cheap ‘n nasty road maintenance policy.  Cause there is a potpourri of quick-fixes where 'sploges' of hotmix have been bung in potholes on old roads that maybe don’t see a lot of action apart from meandering Sunday cyclists.

Our first climb, after 50+ clicks, was from Cattai Creek up the Cattai Ridge to the familiar Halcrows Rd where on the annual Tour de Hills ride [coming from Dural C.C.] takes a Right turn twds the river turf farms.  At a breather in the shade, we learnt that Brenda and Pete had lacked discipline, opting for a splash ‘n saunter in the cool, moist creek.  Perchance upon hearing that a few of the seasoned campaigners had strayed, others too may have pondered “What are we doing on this seriously hot day in the outer west where the temperatures are always higher?”  “Shouldn't we too stop for a drink and a similar 'therapy aberration' to dull the pain?”  Me mused that my brain had become blurred, fogged and distracted, out there with a large contingent of like-minded pedalers on their Sunday cycling fix, during conditions that no one would describe as optimal.

At the Old Northern Rd 're-group', most elected for the softer option to the sleepy village of Galston, by taking a left into Mid Dural Rd, where we sought a well-earned respite in the Green Shades solarium, sauna, hotbox, cooker or whatever.  Green Shades Café has proven a wonderful Nosh Stop on a myriad of Muggs' rides.  However, those have predominately been early morn’, and usually when there has been a nip in the air.  Sadly, it doesn’t offer the same appeal early arvo when it is as hot as all hell!  Perhaps we should explore a basic Milk Bar at Galston, and a shady tree, for future Nosh Stops over this route during Summer.

The down hill run into The Gorge was fast 'n furious until we took the sharp left across the lumpy, bumpy, riveted old wooden bridge.  Our climb to the familiar bus stop was a torrid, hard fought encounter, as notwithstanding the stifling, oppressive conditions, no one, and I mean no one, would back-off.  Egos still seem to prevail, even when the conditions are at there most extreme!  Glenn, in his recumbent, snatched the lead and took the KOM, showing those funny low hung coffin style bikes are also fast up hills.

Last Sunday ‘twas again a lot of fun, but golly gosh I wish it would rain big-time, and for a long while, even if Muggs’ missed-out on a Sunday ride, or two, or three.  Or whatever it takes to cool down and freshen-up our scorched earth!

 

Raconteur's rap-up of Sunday, 24 Nov, Tour de Windsor - 98km

 

Another fine morn' with the prospect of temps approaching the mid-30s out West, didn't deter a record 22 marshalling at historic Thompsons' Square Windsor from 9:25am for our 1st Nosh Stop at Kate's Place.  Whilst the West side of Macquarie St [Kate's Place] is sought-after in mid-Winter, 'cause it snares the Winter sun, the string of cafes immediately after entering Thompsons' Square on the LHS which are sheltered from the morn' sun, provide immeasurably more room on the East side. And it is a dam site cooler!  Hence, the East side may be more comfortable if it gets any hotter.  Holy Smoke, it was hot enough!

 

 

Most had commenced at Turra', or the edge of the M2.  However, a few incl Kin-Yat and Pacific had started from the Dural Info Centre, and taken the circuitous route, thru the toffy part of Dural to Pitt Town Rd.

 

 

Muggs' 3 different Windsor ride routes seem to evidence more faux pass than the norm.  Today was no exception with a few of the crew over shooting the runway a couple of times, although in the case of the R into Johnson's Ave at the end of Abbot Rd after 15km on the M2, me conjures that the Ride Leader gave some bad mail, when he announced the R was at a "T" intersection.  However, there weren't no "T", as Nurse Karen and Katrina found-out when they sailed-on further West.  Thanks go out to Whippet and Tornado for sending out search parties - the latter being successful.

 

 

Our 31.8km 2nd leg from Windsor to Galston, via Cattai Ridge, proved arduous twds the end as the temp continued to mount, and little hills seemed like mountains.  Two of the more seasoned crew, Welsh Widget and Pacific, who patently should know better, sought respite from the searing heat in Cattai Creek.  See further jpgs at "Extra pics of Sunday, 23 Nov, Tour de Windsor" which include a pic of a Black Snake [who'd seen better days] on the river bank, which Brenda had cautioned Scribe to "watch out for", as Scribe positioned himself to take Happy Snaps of a couple of crew who, alas, are displaying increasing signs of dementia and disassociation.

 

 

Shortly thereafter, upon scaling to the apex of the ridge, Bank Teller, justly incurred the wrath of Rocket Ros, when he pulled up at an impromptu Sag Stop and failed to 'get off the God-dam road'.  Ros didn't hold back in telling Scribe to practice what he preaches.  As may be gleaned from the SIN REGISTER at the tail of this account, Teller clocked-up 2 Black Marks for committing a Venial Sin.  Why only a Venial Sin?  Cause whilst it is easy to litigate yourself for negligence for doing something dumb which results in YOU getting seriously smashed-up by another Red Neck of the type we evidenced at that juncture.  However, if you win the case, which you obviously should, you don't derive any pecuniary benefit, rather merely run-up legal costs.  Whereas, if your negligence results in a 3rd party/Ride Participant being badly injured, the costs 'against the Ride Organiser' can be substantial and detrimental (to the Ride Organiser).  A material error in judgment by a Ride Organiser, or a Participant(s), which result in another Participant or 3rd party becoming seriously injured, is a Mortal Sin.

 

 

The familiar bus shelter at the apex of the climb from Galston Gorge, where the air was hot, oppressive 'n stifling.  Man, were we all feeling stuffed!

 

 

Back at Turra' approaching 2pm after 98 hard fought clicks, we were saying toddles, and enquiring where we were riding to next w'end - Tour de Wyong "Iron Horse" - 7am from Hornsby.

 

 

SIN REGISTER:  Phil Johnston - Mortal Sin [5 black marks], Venial Sin [2], Misdemeanor [1].

 

Whippet's belated rap-up of Muggs’ 2nd “Linger & Die” rap-up of Muggs’ 2nd “Linger & Die” - 13 to 15 Nov

 

9 Muggs' (including 3 Frauleins) cycled from Berowra to Wollombi on Day 1.  Day 2 evidenced us pedalling further north across delightful, albeit parched, countryside thru Cessnock, Maitland, Morpeth to Paterson.

 

On Sunday, 17 Nov, our final day, we rode south to Morisset under sunny skies venturing thru Maitland, Kurri Kurri, Awaba State Forest to Freemans Waterhole, Dora Creek to Morisset where we jumped the train home. 

 

Over 3 days we aggregated 270km ‘in toto’, with a few of the “guns” averaging 27.5km p/h, which included a steep climb up Wallarobba Mtn about 7km shy of Paterson.

 

Alas, we again didn’t make it twds Stroud to challenge that precipitous “Linger ‘n Die Hill” which, as folklore has it, brought bullock trains unstuck last century. 

 

Focusing on route suitability, our three day journey to the Upper Hunter, was, not unsurprisingly through sun burnt country, where fires had blackened the already parched landscape.  Drooped wet leaves from a fleeting shower of rain past Kulnura on the first day seemingly cooled our over worked bodies, but it proved a Highland Mist at most. 

 

Our remaining two days were through glorious ‘on-road’ cycling terrain with light cloud dissipating to bright sunshine.  Around midday on Sunday, after a speedy 70km from Paterson, we re-grouped in the grassy courtyard at Nibbles Café [just nth of Morisset train station].  Alas, our fun three days of hammering in the saddle were over.

 

The Scribe    26 Nov 2002