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Saturday, 26 June – Cinque Montagnes (anti-clockwise) from -
*    Nth Turramurra shops    8:30am    93km    ETR 2:20pm; or 
*    Hornsby station                9am          68km    ETR 1:35pm

•       Cyclists commencing at Turra' do not pass Hornsby start point, rather usually catch those departing from Hornsby when approaching Pie in the Sky

•       Ride Leader:  Phil Johnston  9498.3684 hm 

•       Hardcopy these ride directions and bring on Sunday

Both below ride start points to arrive at initial Nosh Stop -  Pie in the Sky for Brunch approaching 9:45am:

¨        Longer Ride - Cinque Montagnes [100km]
Rollout Nth Turramurra shops on Bobbin Head Rd at 8:30am in/out of Bobbin Head, arriving at Kalkari Reserve 1st Sag Stop (5 min) after 10.5km from 8:55am.  We take a R onto Pac Highway at lights after passing Asquith Golf Course. Then due N to the Hawkesbury.

¨       Shorter Ride - Three Hills [72km]
Arrive at Hornsby car-park [100m Nth/West of Railway Hotel in Jersey St] for 9am roll out cycling 500m Nth up Jersey St and turn L and 60m later turn R [at traffic lights] onto Old Pacific Highway for the 26km ride to the Pie Shop, after descending to Brooklyn Rd, and climbing back up to PitS.

Both groups pass Cowan station from 9:25am.  After passing Pie in the Sky and descend to water level, we U turn at Brooklyn Rd around 9:50am for the hard fought slog back up to the pie shop for 1st Nosh Stop (25 min) at Pie in the Sky approaching 10am (skip the climb from Brooklyn Rd if you're slow).

10:25am return S for about 8.2km and R into Berowra Waters Rd for flattish section before descending to picturesque Berowra Waters for 2nd Sag Stop (15 min) from 11:15am whilst riding on the punt. 

[Or continue south and return to either Hornsby [46km] or Turra’ [71km] car parks]. 

After cycling thru rural Berrilee and Arcadia we take 2nd Nosh Stop (30 min) - in Galston Park outside Green Shades Nursery Café Galston from 12:30pm.

Commence return home via Galston George at 1pm pulling in at the familiar Hornsby Heights' bus shelter at 1:20pm for 3rd Sag Stop (5 min).

Continue 2½km to Hookham's Corner and either -
¨       R   1km to Hornsby; or

¨       L    2.5km thru backstreets of Asquith and R into Bobbin Head Rd for 15km to Nth Turra' shops on Bobbin Head Rd.

ETR -
¨      Hornsby    1:35pm  - 67km - 3 hills

¨      Nth Turra' 2:20pm - 93km - 5 hills

Bank Teller's rap-up of 'Palm Beach ferry to Ettalong, Iron Horse from Gosford' - 101km

15 commenced at St Ives on a fine, albeit chilly late June morn'.  Whippet was Butcher's Hook, but one of his 'sparing-partners', Navigator, cycled from Ryde to join us to McCarrs Creek.  Princess Caroline stayed with us 'til Church Pt.  Tornado, Flaxen, Samurai, Leslie, and Kaza cut-out at Palm Beach, 'cause 'church was a calling'. 

A 'leaner team', incl Mark, Yamaha/Linda, Heineken, Adam 'n Eve, Scribe 'n Rick jumped aboard the 10:30am ferry from the bay-side of Palm Beach.  We lost Simon aka Engineer shortly after alighting at Ettalong, last seen cycling twds Woy Woy.

A new recruit joined us this morn' and this Palooka has a lot to offer.  Not only can Rick monster the hills (12 min flat up to PitS when Scribe took 17).  But Rick can match-it with any of us in the Banter Stakes.   This dude, who is equally at home on a mountain bike, when opining on cycle parlance can out-talk the likes of Kaza.  Dead-set Rick was running separate conversations with Yamaha, Adam and Heineken.  And as each was taking a breath, Rick was engaged in heavy deliberations on 'important cycle stuff', albeit mostly off-road, with the other two.  This bastard will never take a backward step.

As mentioned above, Rick blitzed-up to Pie in the Sky in '12 flat'.  But with only a 39/24, let's see how he goes in early July, when we tackle awesome, precipitous, nasty Bowen Mountain and Bellbird Hill in Kurrajong.  That ride starts from Turra' station car-park at 8:30am or Dural at 9am.

Back to today's sortie to the Central Coast; the Pacific coastline from Newport to Palm Beach was milk pond mild and pristine blue.  And looking awesomely beaut, brill and bonza.  Our ferry ride to the Lower Central Coast was magic.  And our train trip which nestles around the nooks 'n crannies of the lower Hawkesbury is always special.  But today t'was serene.  The Subway fast food outlet 200m before Gosford train station is exceptionally good value.

Under a blue sky, Pie in the Sky was a welcome Nosh Stop, albeit we'd only done 7½ clicks from the train station, finishing with the 'most familiarist' 3.85km to PitS, where some of us know every blade of bitumen from Brooklyn Rd to the pie shop. 

Approaching three bells PitS became noticeably coolish, so we high-tailed it.  But with little left in the tank for Bank Teller 'twas a slow haul back to Snives - 101km arriving 4:20pm. 

Due to lower traffic the above ride is restricted to Winter.  Hopefully we'll revisit the 10:30am ferry in Sept.  But we will alight at the first wharf, being Wagstaffe, rather than Ettalong wharf, 'cause the route from that tiny hamlet via Wards Hill Rd to Empire Bay Drive is much quieter.

The Scribe - 20 June 2004