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www.Muggaccinos.com The Bullsheet Sunday, 4 May, Bike North's 2nd "Century Challenge" 103km course or 166km long course q Bike North Bicycle User Group has expended bulk planning to host its 3rd annual challenging team ride q Teams are 3 or 4 cyclists of same speed q Two alternate circular routes [Northern Circle 103.4km (detailed below) and Southern Circle 63.2km (maps provided on Sunday)]. Hence, a 103km course with 8:30am rollout, or combining both circles for the 166km long course with 8am rollout q Open to all Bike North members. If you are not a Bike North member, you can fill in a membership form and a team registration form and pay (on the day) $25 cheque for annual membership, and thereby experience cycle camaraderie amongst its +250 members q Whippet, Tornado, Yamaha and Navigator have teamed for the 166km long course. q Sputnik, RapidFire, Arno the MapMan are looking for a 4th thoroughbred as they are intent on being the 1st Muggs team to finish the long course. Speedy Milko Joe may be a starter. q Publican, LabRat, Gracinda, Maria T and MudGuards are seeking to be grouped in teams of comparable speed for the 103km circuit. q Mark, Bazza, Bruce and Scribe represent the "Gentlemen from Verona" team over 103km. q Route maps and ride details are provided on Sunday to all BN members upon completing a team registration form. q Times in the following suggested schedule are based on an ave 103km ride speed of 22.5km/h
Snapshot of Northern Circle [103.37km]:
1st
Leg:
Wahroonga to Berowra Waters - 25.4km - 72 min
2nd
Leg:
Berowra Waters to Pie in the Sky - 27.4km - 88 min
3rd Leg: Pie in the Sky to Nth Turra' shops (via Bobbin Hd) - 28.4km - 70 min By 12:20am pedal:
4th Leg: Nth Turra' shops to Wahroonga (via St Ives) - 21.4km - 54 min By 1:45am pedal:
Rap-up of last w'end's Tour de Wiseman's Ferry - 229km - 29 participants
More folksy, Mamma's apple
pie post ride, smultzy rap-up follows: After 70km from Berowra station and only one real climb to Mt. White, our Peloton rolled into Spencer “The Hub of the Universe”, twds midday where we shared our patronage between – (i) the café on the corner, “The Hub”; and (ii) the yellow, prefab feature wall, art deco atmosphere-less noshery next door. But we didn’t care, ‘cause under a vivid blue sky, the ambience of the glistening Hawkesbury River was delightful, with marvellous weather in the early 20s – we’ve made two visits to Spencer and the conditions treated to us on both occasions have been fab - must be something in the water in Redneck Country. 5km into our final leg, most of us walked a scary timber bridge with 30mm crevices waiting to devour a skinny racing wheel. Our final 29km leg into Wiseman’s ended with a ferry ride, whereupon we shortly arrived at NSW Ski Gardens Camp Gnd, where those camping weren’t disappointed at the sight of a lush, verdant grassy field. But the 11 Sardines who’d booked into the two tiny pigeon-hole cabins might have had second thoughts. Bank Teller found a freezer to chill his bots of 9½% Ball Terror in time for pre-dinner drinks approaching Six Bells. But not before several of us had to assemble our tents. Watching some crew fiddle with the poles ‘n pegs, painstakingly pondering each next step, could cause you to ponder how they held down a day job; Scribe in particular. There is something therapeutic about watching grown adults seemingly take forever to assemble a tent which is as basic as your backside. Spanner and Flaxen ‘et al’ kindly provided lots of snacks to soak-up our aperitifs before we walked to town under an almost moonless sky for din dins at the pub. Steve and Glenn acted as head scouts on Sunday morn’ for our sortie south into the heartland of Deliverance Country, where the panoramic views of the Hawkesbury River were spectacular. No one anticipating a Cappuccino at Cliftonville after 21km was fazed to be told, “We only serve Instant”, ‘cause the serene water views were a handsome trade-off. Ian, Lynda, Nerida and others opted for the safer/longer return along the river bank to completed 71km journey. Whereupon Ian/Lynda “upped-stumps” ‘cause chores were a beckoning back in Sydney. Sunday night was more of the same with pre-dinner drinks amidst a balmy sunset before again adjourning to the Wiseman’s Ferry Inn, where a strategically located leaky handbag under our table mitigated our Red wine bill, t’wasn’t the fountain of youth, but it proved to be the spring of life, and sure kept our booze bill down. We tackled the 2.5km Killer Climb to Hawkins Lookout from 9:25am Monday on another marvelous morn’. Bank Teller copped a verbal tirade, a veritable shellacking from Kaza and others ‘cause he had overstated the ride leg to the Stone House Café by four clicks, ‘causing Kelly and Lesley to overshoot. Perhaps Kaza was getting her own back after Scribe had prudently/tactfully pointed out in the mildest tone the folly of Kaza cycling one-out in the Death Seat, what with so many RedNeck Derros thundering by in their shabby 20 year old V8s, always in a hurry going no where, with many exhibiting scant regard for cyclists. They're the accommodating ones, as others display blatant contempt intent upon showing those pedal pushers a lesson "they'll never forget." Mid-arvo after lunch at Grumpy’s Café on "Arcadia Rd" (as Flaxen rightly pointed out) we pedaled the 9km to our final ferry ride, and a further 6km back to our cars at Berowra. NB: That night Scribe repaired a few typos and mis-directions in the Tour de WF Ride Description, and would welcome hearing from anyone who will prepare Ride Descriptions for the two rides from the choice of 3 rides penciled-in for Tour de Macarthur on 5/6 June.
Bank Teller has booked the entire 8 rooms at George IV Hotel Picton for the Sat night (see Bullsheet), where -
(i) Brenda 'n Berglund have taken a twin room; and (ii) Johnston has snared one of the small double rooms for himself. Tornado, Yamaha 'n Kaza are cycling to Picton on the Friday and staying an additional night at the George IV.
The Scribe - 27 Apr 2004 |
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