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Wednesday, 26 Jan '06 - Australia Day, 7am from Cowan for "Ride into Deliverance Country - Spencer Re-visited - catching Iron Horse from Wyong" - 126km -  ETR Cowan 3:37pm

Shorten to 94km by commencing at Mt White by 8am and returning to Mt White - ETR 1:45pm

Or start from Hornsby at 6:40am and cycle back from:
Mt White          - 71km - ETR 11:15am; or
Peats Ridge   - 111km - ETR 1:45pm; or

Spencer         - 164km - ETR 3:30pm

• No trackwork on Wyong to Hornsby line

• A train departs Hornsby at 6:25am arriving Cowan at 6:41am.

• Access 126 at "Ride Calendar 2004 - Oct to Dec" for detailed Ride Description and hardcopy and bring on Sunday

• Ride Organiser/Leader:  Phil Johnston - 9498.3684 hm

• Bring ya plastic talk box, if ya got one

• Hardcopy these directions and bring on Sunday

• Cycle two abreast at own risk.  Keep well to LHS

• Get off the road at Sag Stops

• Maintain your membership of Bicycle NSW for $20m Public Liability cover, in case you cause a nasty accident and a seriously injured cyclist, or 3rd party, wants to sue your arse to empty your pockets

 

Snapshot: Park at Cowan station to rollout by 7am.  Nosh Stops at Mt White, Spencer and Yarramalong to catch - *       Express train home from Wyong 2:37pm arrive Hornsby 3:36pm; or *       All Stops 2:40pm alighting Cowan 3:37pm.

1st Leg:  Cowan to Mt White - 20km - 50 min

Park adjacent Cowan station to rollout by 7am cycling Nth up Old Pacific H'way passing Pie in the Sky, crossing the Old Hawkesbury River bridge arriving Mt White "Road Warriors Cafe" from 7:50am for 1st Sag Stop (10 min).

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

Depart Bikie Hangout by 8:05am -

• Nth along Old Pacific H'way for 6.2km;

• L into Peats Ridge Rd for 15km continuous, gradual climb for Nosh Stop (25 min) at Midcoast Petroleum, Peats Ridge from 9:05m.

3rd Leg:  Peats Ridge to Spencer - 26km -  66 min

Re-mount 9:30am -

• L 200m Nth into George Downs Drive thence NNW for 3½km to Central Mangrove;

• L  SW  into Wisemans Ferry Rd at Central Mangrove descending thru Mangrove Mountain, Lower Mangrove following the river 26km to Spencer for 2nd Nosh Stop after 67km (40min) from 10:45am.

4th Leg:  Spencer to Yarramalong Manor - 40km - 125 min

Re-mount 11:25am -

• retrace 22km up Wiseman's Ferry Rd 

• L into George Downs Drive for 4.5km;

• R into Springs Rd for a Sign Post (3 min), thence 2.5km East twds Bumble Hill, it becomes Greta Rd for 2km up Bumble Hill, then 3.4km descend Bumble Hill cautiously;

• R for 60m to 3rd Nosh Stop (30 min) for brunch from 1:30pm at General Store before Yarramalong Manor.

5th Leg: Yarramalong to Wyong station - 18.8km - 55 min
By 1:50pm commence 18.8km flat/fast hit-out E along Yarramalong Rd into Wyong, arriving by 2:40pm to catch ($8 fare):

• 2:37pm Express 59 min direct to Hornsby 3:36pm; or

• 2:40pm All-stops 57 min to Cowan 3:37pm; or

• 3:38pm Express 59 min direct to Hornsby 4:37pm; or 

• 3:55pm All-stops 57 min to Cowan 4:52pm.

Déjà vu - Scribe used to put more effort into ride rap-ups before jpeg pics - see below rap-up of this ride in '96.

Below is an extract from a Bullsheet captioned “Proletariat Pushies “of this ride 8 years ago, 15 Sept 1996, into an eerie/bazaar neck of the woods which wafted of in-breeding, sensed from pedaling along the swamp, critter creaking, bug-infested, river lined route to in-bred Spencer, which leads on to Wiseman's Ferry.   

“By 8:15am, Sara, Silvia, Brenda & Vicki, the fairer sex contingent, and Siggy, Bruce, Steve, Phil and Ian, fearless male warriors, were “on their bikes” headed for Peats Ridge.  Ian scored his customary “flat” during the steep decent into Spencer.  We discovered “Thelma & Louise” in Kathy and Jan, the proprietors of the “Riverbend Café” at Spencer on the river, who prepared no shortage of sandwiches and fresh plunger coffee.  The “cow” looked a tad suss, until one of our hostesses assured us that “we always warm the milk”.  Music by Vivaldi circa 1928 gramophone.  PJ got the phone # of the “Riverbend Cafe” [043-771280] as Kathy/Jan promised to prepare “skunk’s head soup and grits” for our next visit to “Deliverance”.   Alas, 1:15pm and Siggy had us back in the saddle.  The climb out of Spencer couldn’t have been that bad, ‘cause we all made it.  At the top, Sylvia demonstrated a skill with a knife on a bucket of oranges that made you think twice about upsetting her if there was a switch-blade between you and your intended egress.  Someone must have spiked Phil J’s sambo’s with ginger, ‘cause he went like “s_ _t out of Shanghai” to Yarramalong Manor, where the team “pigged out” on scones, lost in lashings of jam & cream. 

It was on again over the final 22 clicks to Wyong train station, although some of the chaps stole a jump on Brenda and Sylvia by breaking at the start.  Sig won the yellow jersey, although Phil tried to “pip him on the post” with an indiscretion.  Sylvia and Brenda ripped into the bus driver at Wyong - fortunately it worked as they let us bring our bikes onto the buses back to Hornsby  - otherwise we would have had 2 buses carrying 7 riders 30k to Gosford - think of the taxpayer’s money the brazen lasses saved! - Siggy’s forecast finishing time of 4:30 proved 10 minutes shy, however, he was near to the mark with the 132kms from Hornsby to Wyong via Spencer.”

The rap-ups “red-neck”, “sleep with your gun by your side” slant is testimony to the authentic narrations The Scribe espoused in that circa, which, alas, evoked a whiff of bulldust in the nostrils of a then cynical cycle crew. 

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