www.Muggaccinos.com   The Bullsheet

Sunday, 27 July - Tour de Windsor, Wilberforce, Ebenezer, Sackville:

i)                Turramurra @ 8:30am via M2, Riverstone, Vineyard Iron Horse from Clarendon station to Marayong station, thence home along M2, Browns Waterhole - 116km - ETR 4pm; or 

ii)               Dural @ 9:10am via Kenthurst, Maraylya, Windsor, Maraylya, Glenorie, Dural – 103km - ETR 2:50pm

Separate Turra' and Dural start routes meet at Windsor at 10:40am

 

Ø   Ride Leader: Brian Willis  9807.6439 hm

Ø   Hardcopy these directions and bring on Sunday

Ø  Expend 10 mins studying your UBD/Gregory's to familiarize with the below 'cause this is a complex route

Ø  Bring a mobile if you have one, 'cause we invariably experience cyclists going AWOL on our sorties into Deliverance Country

Ø  Ride two abreast on single lane roads, particularly during Sackville loop, at own peril

Ø  Get off the road at Sag Stops

Ø  Cycling without Public Liability cover is as asinine as driving without 3rd Party - join Bicycle NSW for PL insurance, so that all Muggs are better protected

Ø  When passing a fellow Mugg, always provide a metre clearance.  If you can't, or are passing on the inside, you MUST call out loudly eg. "passing inside tight" etc

a)    Cycling to Windsor

i)      from Turramurra station car-park – 48.5km to Windsor:

Snapshot Turra' to Windsor:  Rollout 8:30am descend Kissing Point Rd to Browns Water Hole, M2 to Marayong, following the Western Train Line past Riverstone to Windsor where we meet cyclists that started from Dural for our 1st Nosh Stop (40 min) from 10:40am at Aldos' Pizza Café on LHS as you enter historic Thompson Square off George St. Windsor or Kate's Place on RHS.

 

Detailed instructions of Turra' to Windsor:
Cycle 60m up Rohini St to the H'way and R at lights.  50m later L at lights into Kissing Point Rd and commence step descent shortly crossing Comenarra Parkway at lights and proceed to end  of Kissing Point Rd.  Take R fork onto cycleway path to Browns Water Hole (caution steep decent with sharp turns, causeway may flood) followed by a short steep climb.  Turn R and pass through a narrow 20m tunnel and L to gate entrance to M2 Sag Stop (3 min) before joining M2.
Passing 2 on and 2 off roads, cycle 15km to where Old Windsor Rd meets Abbott Rd and continue straight along Abbott Road to its end.  R at lights into Johnson Avenue for Sag Stop (5 min).  1.1km later L into Vardys Rd at roundabout, continue heading W eventually crossing Sunnyholt Rd at the lights and cycle past industrial areas to Marayong Station. 
Cycle under railway bridge and L at roundabout shortly followed by a second L to climb onto Railway Road bridge, effectively heading N beside the railway line until Quakers Hill station where, after we reach the Give Way sign, L, then a R and R again, to take you onto the bridge over the railway line onto Quakers Hill Parkway.  A few hundred metres on L onto Hambledon Rd.  Soon L again onto Walker Street (through housing estate) at "T" junction L onto Burdekin Rd and follow this around - it becomes Railway Terrace.  Follow railway line to Schofields and continue to Riverstone along Railway Tce. 
At Riverstone station do a quick R and L and follow the railway line on your LHS.  Riverstone Parade will take us to Vineyard Station.  (Clear land on the left used to be Riverstone abattoirs.)   At Vineyard station road veers to the R. Take Wallace Rd - the first street immediately to your L. 
Follow the railway along and Wallace Rd will end at a "T" intersection.  Cycle over a level railway crossing on your L, and take Railway Rd first on your R and remain on it until Mulgrave Station where we R onto Mulgrave Rd and follow until you reach Windsor Rd.  Turn L onto Windsor Rd, and follow it 3km to Windsor keeping well to the LHS and take cycle path for last 1km.

 

ii)       from “Hills Tourist Info Centre” car-park - 656B Old Northern Rd Dural – UBD 131 (on LHS just after Porter Scenic Lookout and before Dural Country Club) – 35km to Windsor:

9:10am - 

  • L Nth up Old Northern Rd for 1.2km,

  • L into Wyoming Rd for 700m,

  • L into Langford Rd/Davey Rd for 1.6km,

  • L into Derriwong Rd for 500m,

  • R into Wirrabara Rd for 600m,

  • R into Pellit Rd which soon veers L for 130m,

  • R into Kenthurst Rd for 4½km,

  • L into Pitt Town Rd for 12.9km,

  • Ahead into Neich Rd for 700m,

  • L into Scheyville Rd for 4½km,

  • L into Stock Route Rd for 2km,

  • R into Wolseley Rd for 1.2km,

  • L into Havelock Rd for 500m,

  • R into Old Hawkesbury Rd for 400m,

  • L into Pitt Town Rd for 700m, 

  • R into Windsor Rd for 1.6km to Windsor keeping well to the LHS and take cycle path,

where we meet the Turra’ contingent after 35km at 10:40am for our 1st Nosh Stop (35 min) Aldo's Pizza Café on LHS or Kate' Place Cafe on RHS in historic Thompson Square off George St. Windsor.
 

Précis of remainder of ride

At 11:20am both groups ride 37km to/thru Wilberforce, Ebenezer Sackville anti-clockwise loop – Nth of Windsor as detailed in b) below.  Upon returning to Windsor at 11:55am, we adjourn for a 2nd Nosh Stop (lunch - 30 min) in another of Windsor’s cafés.

Turra’ starters then cycle to Clarendon station for a 2nd Nosh Stop (20 min) to board the Old Rattler at 12:52pm to Marayong as detailed in c) i) below.

Dural contingent takes 2nd Nosh Stop (30 min) then return a partially different route along Cattai Ridge Rd, as detailed in c) ii) below

 

b)    Wilberforce, Ebenezer, Sackville anti-clock loop – 37km:

At 11:15am both groups descend and cross the adjacent Old Windsor Bridge heading N along Wilberforce Rd for 7km to Wilberforce - taking the bike lane with views of river flat vegetable farming. 

R off Wilberforce Rd at a slight incline into King Rd for 5.4km after passing thru Ebenezer becomes Sackville Rd.  

R into Tizzana Rd for 8.9km which leads to Sackville as we wind anti-clockwise NW, then fleetingly W then SW, then S, passing the Tizzana Winery and a lily farm opposite.  As we commence heading S there is approx. 1.3km of unsealed road.

Upon arriving at “T” intersection where Tizzana Rd meets Sackville Rd - R for 200m and re-group off-road Sag Stop (2 min) above Sackville Ferry entrance.]   After collecting the stragglers, we return 16.6km back along Sackville Rd, King Rd and Wilberforce Rd passing thru Ebenezer, Wilberforce to Windsor.

 

c)     Returning to starting points

i)        Turra’ crew pedals 3.8km to Clarendon station for 2nd Nosh Stop and then catch train section back to Marayong station and pedal 7km to M2 – 33.8km

Approx. 12:55pm R into The  Terrace (immediately after crossing Windsor Bridge) and Sag Stop (10 min) - take care to get away from passing traffic. 

Cycle S along The Terrace / Moses St for 1.8km passing the oldest church in mainland Oz [Anglican].  

R into busy Richmond Rd for 2km (care busy corner).  

L into quaint, rustic Clarendon train station for 2nd Nosh Stop (15 min) at the adjoining café before catching the Choo Choo at 12:52pm [or 1:52pm] to Marayong.  (If we are delayed, skip the 3.8km leg to Clarendon and catch train from Windsor 3 min later - ie. 12:55pm or 1:55pm.)

 

During a 28 min ride the Turra’ crew pass six stations to Marayong, and disembarks around 1:20pm [or 2:20pm] and cycle along Vardy's Rd, taking a R into Johnson Rd and a L into Abbot Rd to re-enter the M2 for 15.1km.  Exit at Macq. Uni "light tower" Sag Stop (10 min), thence a further 5.5km uphill from Brown's Waterhole and Kissing Point Rd. to Turra'. ETR 4pm. [4pm if you miss the 12:52pm from Clarendon] [116km route].

 

ii)    Dural contingent’s different route back to Dural – 31km 
Return to Macquarie St. Windsor at 12:55pm for 2nd Nosh Stop (30 min).

1:25pm return to Dural, -

S along Windsor Rd for 1.6km, 

L into Pitt Town Rd for 700m,

R into Old Hawkesbury Rd for 400m,

L into Havelock Rd for 500m,

R into Wolseley Rd for 1.2km,

L into Stock Route Rd for 2km,

R into Scheyville Rd for 5km (don't R at Neich Rd, rather R 700m further),

R into Dural Rd/Cattai Ridge Rd for 13.5km,

R into Old Northern Rd cycling S for 4.5km.

ETR of 2:50pm at Dural Tourist Info Centre [103km route].

Whippet’s rap-up of Sunday 20 July ’03 "Tour de Royal National Park via Bundeena Beach and Otford Pie Shop” – 86km

On this overcast morn’ with a customary Winter’s nip in the air, a large group had mustered at "Sutherland Leisure Centre" Waratah Park.  A tad before 8:30am we received a ‘phone message from four of the team who had opted to ride from the Northside to our Sutherland start point - Samurai, Rummager, Martin B, Greenie.  We learnt that the Karen aka Grey Nurse had picked-up a foreign body, causing a flat tyre. 

Hence, our scheduled start was temporarily on-hold pending the arrival of our intrepid journeymen.  Overnight rain had cleared, however, the road surface remained wet.  Our forced delay would help a little with the drying process, although pools of water on straight flat stretches provided wheel-spray for close formation riding.  Our largest ever Sutherland Sortie of 16 fast, experienced riders were underway around 9am; Whippet led the group into the RNP, via Farnell Ave.  The downhill run to the Audley Causeway was fast ‘n furious, with the lead changing several times as the Big Guns took aim for the imposing “Artillery Hill".

From the Audley Causeway (5km) we’d bobbed ‘n weaved out-of-the-saddle, up seemingly one of Muggs’ most formidable climbs.  Our first Sag-Stop after 15km at the junction of Sir Bertram Stevens Dr. and Bundeena Rd. evidenced Rocket take-out the Green sprinters jersey, having fired-up her main engine to tracer bullet off the Gibraltar Rock launch pad and scurry along Flat  Rock, no doubt zeroed-in by her new cleats.  But the KOM crown to Gibraltar Rock went to Marcel aka Schooners, followed by Arno, Tornado, & Greenie.  Our following 12km section due east to the scenic coastline was a fast ‘n furious affair, initially undulating with a couple of ups, followed by a downward run to our first Nosh Stop at picturesque Bundeena Beach.  Alas, consensus hadn’t been reached over the preferred Nosh  House, so we pull into the Bounty Café, which as the name implies, charged like a wounded bull, where orders were mixed-up i.e. hot chocolate was $4.50 and cold.  Perhaps the café further down the road where the coffee was good and offered a view of pristine Bundeena  Beach may be a better option for our next Sortie South.

Our climb from Bundeena back to the road junction (35km all done) was slower with lots of ups.  Following a further regroup, longish, straight stretches thru scrubby re-growth of past fires [heading SW] on Sir Bertram Stevens Drive evidence the Peloton crank-up the tempo.  Arno, Marcel, Greenie, Tornado and Big Gears had surged ahead of the Peloton, in a break-away familiar to many of Muggs’ rides where egos take control. 

Naturally, each cyclist is responsible for his/her tyre problems, but mostly get help from other passing riders, to ensure that no rider is left behind.  Sarah experienced the group’s second puncture, but alas was at the rear of our brigade.  Hence, unbeknownst our Head Scouts arrived at the Otford Café (familiar to Gong riders) ordering-up big-time with yummy burgers, cheese and bacon rolls etc.  Barely a few minutes later, the second wave of Whippet, Pacific Pete, Rummager, Mark C, Simon O, Nurse Karen, Rocket, Pacific Pete T, Publican.  In hindsight it would have been better to have scheduled a Sag Stop at the junction of McKell Ave to Waterfall as Sarah was no where in sight.   Our resident Physio’s other half, Arno, alerted us that Sarah was AWOL and rode back in search.  They had to borrow a pump from another rider to get underway again.

Arno, with Sarah in tow, returned and replenished their ravenous tummies.  Lagging behind our scheduled ETR, a unanimous decision was reached that we would return along the freeway, as this route was faster, but about the same distance as a return back thru the park via McKell Ave to Waterfall.  

Over the years I’ve heard boasting yarns and braggadocio from young bucks who mostly had missed-out, but notwithstanding had bragged about alleged conquests over the fairer sex.  Today, outside the Otford Pie Shop one of our ladies proffered that she was too tired to throw her leg over (her bike).  Whereupon, offers immediately came from the male contingent to dutifully assist our flagging damsel.     

Following yet another merit worthy climb, our Peloton re-grouped at the Symbia roundabout on the inroad to the freeway where the pace had cranked-up behind "Tornado".  However, this was short lived as Trevor bailed-out with a puncture and caught the train back to Sutherland. The lead scouts overshot our carpark.

By 2:50pm our entire contingent had returned with 86km on the clock; well-satisfied with our venture south to the Royal National Park.  Hats-off to Samurai ‘n Rummager for shoring-up a platform of interested starters a few week’s ago, ‘cause our previous forays to one of Sydney’s best National Parks had been solitary affairs.  And after a long lay off attending to family stuff, it was good to again hear the grind of Big Gears big chain ring powering up the climbs.

The Scribe  -  23 July 2003