www.Muggaccinos.com  The Bullsheet

Wed, 9 Nov to Sunday 13 Nov '05 - 2nd annual Tour de Bong Bong in Illawarra & Southern Highlands:

• Rap-up and pics of last year's Tour de Bong from 10 to 15 Nov '04

• Tornado's pics from 1st Tour de Bong Bong

• 2005 Bong Bong Picnic Races

• Draft promo for 2006 Berry Ball-Tearer

Risk Warning:  The ride schedule between Wed and Sunday entails climbing and therefore descending 11 marvellous KOM Climbs.  The greatest danger of injury is easily during the descents, particularly as most cyclists are unfamiliar with the terrain.  So take the descents slowly, even if the cyclist upfront is ripping down the mountain, as one badly taken corner in concert with a motorist coming the other way, could result in a bad accident...............for you.

Muggaccinos invites you to 2nd Tour de Bong Bong staying in the quaint, pristine township of Berry, from Wed, 9 Nov, to Sunday, 13 Nov 2005 camping in the Berry Showground which adjoins the 20m Berry Swimming Pool for $6 p/n with warm shower  -

(i)         to attend the annual cult Bong Bong Picnic Races on Wed, 9 Nov, (if you don't want to go to the races, there is a 52km hilly bike ride); and

(ii)        for five 50km / 70km Day Rides (Wed to Sunday inclusive) in the Mecca of scenic cycling country, namely the Southern Highlands, which include all 13 KOM Climbs in the Illawarra Climb Region.  Cyclists are encouraged to log a Climb Time at www.KOMpm.com.  Each day's ride head NW twds Kangaroo Valley / Fitzroy Falls.  Our rides avoid the South Coast which would entail cycling on the busy Princes Highway.  On three of the five morns' we catch trains from Berry station to nearby -

            *        Bombaderry station to climb Cambewarra Mountain;
*        Kiama station to climb Saddleback Mountain up both Saddleback Mountain Rd and Fountaindale Rd; and

            *        Albion Park station to climb Macquarie Pass and Jamberoo Pass.

            If you aren't up to serious climbing, shorter / flatter routes are available between Berry and Bombaderry on a recently re-furbished road.

LAST YEAR'S INAUGURAL "TOUR DE BONG BONG" ATTRACTED 28 ARDENT HILL CLIMBERS WHO TACKLED 13 HUMONGOUS 'KOM CLIMBS' IN KIAMA AND SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS.  THIS NOVEMBER, WE DO IT ALL AGAIN, WITH A VISIT TO THE "BONG BONG ANNUAL PICNIC RACES" ON WED 9 NOV, FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN NATURE 'N FASHION "NATURE 'N FASHION"

Saturday ride:
Our Sat ride commences from Albion Park Rail at 9:10am which is 30km Nth of Berry and 1hr:40min drive from Harbour Bridge early on Sat morn'.
So those who can only attend for the w'end drive from Sydney at Sparrow Fart on Sat morn' for the w'end only rides/climbs 'n revelry have a shorter drive to Albion Park Rail. 
Drive over the Harbour Bridge by 7am so you are ready to roll out of Albion Park Rail station at 9.10am.  This will synchronise trains post-ride to pick up cars and get back to Berry after the rides.
Saturday's ride finishes at Kiama at 2pm enabling those already lodged in Berry to catch the 2:10pm train south to Berry.  Those who drive down on Sat morn' and leave their wheels at Albion Park Rail can catch the train Nth from Kiama station to Albion Park Rail (to collect their cars).  Trains depart Kiama at 2:03 and 2:51, arriving at Albion Park 19 mins later, with more trains at 4:03 and 4:51. 
Or we can probably find a driver to drive you the 20km from Kiama to Albion Park Rail.

Directions to Berry:

Take roads to Sydney Airport, thence remain on Princes Highway twds Wollongong.
After descending Mt Ousley, veer right to Nowra, remaining on Princes Highway.  Albion Park Rail is about 10km Nth of Kiama.  Berry is approx. 20km past Kiama.

The Berry Showground and adjoining 25 yard swimming pool are on S/E of township - approx 1 min drive Left of main street. 
Pick a camp site in a hollow 'cause they are lush, verdant and soft, and it never rains in the Southern Highlands, and assemble your trusty tent.

Tour de Bong Bong estimated attendance schedule presently has +20 names of cyclists with probability estimates of attendance.  There are still a lot of uncommitted potential participants.  Bank Teller or Brenda would welcome any further indications of participation so we can update this schedule.

Cause the train can't hold many bikes, we will likely have to drive some cyclists to the below Start points, with drivers catching the train back to Bombaderry, Kiama and Albion Park stations to collect their jalopies post ride.

Detailed Ride Descriptions for the following Day Rides are accessible in "Rides Calendar 2005 - Oct to Dec" at a URL under the distance eg '52.0' in the 'km' column for the particular date, or in the 'km' column below:

Download Bank Teller's spreadsheet which tabulated the above Ride Schedule.

Inter alia, it contains the following broadsheets:

(i)         Day Rides Calendar

(ii)        Day Rides Summary

(iii)       Above 5 Ride Descriptions

(iv)       Train timetables for South Coast - Central to/from Bombaderry:
             (a)       in case anyone wants to catch a train from Sydney to Berry, and
             (b)       on 3 days we catch a train from Berry to commence from Bombaderry, Kiama and Albion Park.  Due to the local train being short, we will drive a few cars with bike racks to Bomaderry , Kiama and Albion Park stations, and catch the trains back there after the rides to pick-up the cars.

A BYO wine only restaurant will be selected each night from the following 'et al' for those wanting to toff-it:

      B bop's of Berry  4464.3037 ph
      Caffe Guido, Berry  4464.3065 ph
      Pavilion Bar & Brassiere, Berry  4464.2930 ph
      Great Southern Bistro, Berry  4464.1799 ph
      The Postman's Ghost Cafe Restaurant, Berry  4464.3379 ph
      23, Berry  4464.2323 ph

Accommodation:

If the weather remains fine, camp in the Berry Showground which adjoins the 20m Berry Swimming Pool for $6 p/n with warm shower.  If the weather turns sour, then -

*        Historic Berry Hotel,  4464.1011ph - Publican Geoff says "10 Rooms - $30 per person, 6 nights a week, and $65 on Sat night which includes breakfast on Sunday morn'."
*        Great Southern Hotel, Berry  4464.1009 ph - Assistant Sky says "8 Double Rooms which include Buffet Continental b'fast -  Single room $44, Double room $80, Triple room $105, Quadruple room $120, and we'll 'cut an appealing deal' for volume"
*        Berry Village Boutique Motel, Berry  4464.3570 ph - Grant says "double rooms Sunday/Thurs $125, Friday $150, Saturday night $190 incl breakfast for 2.  An additional $45 for 3rd person in a room"; or
 

Muggs will approach Kiama Bicycle Group (Brenda Baldwin and Greg Warwick), BiciSport Cycle Club (Mike O'Reilly), Doug Bathersby Hawkesbury Valley BUG, Big Foot (Paul Darvodelsky and David Hatley) and Cyclops (Hoss) to find out if others would like to Climb the 13 KOM Climbs in the Southern Highlands.

Bank Teller expects -

(i)        >30 hill climbers will participate at some time over the 5 days from Wed 9 to Sunday 13 Nov; and

(ii)       a few cyclists will Climb the 13 arduous, spectacular KOM Climbs in the Illawarra Climb Region and log their Climb Times in www.KOMpm.com .

The Climb Reports menu available in www.KOMpm.com include 'Climb Region Reports' for each 'Age Division', so the website displays 'Climber Rankings' for the Illawarra Climb Region.  

Bank Teller is providing a $100 cash prize to one of the cyclists who logs a Climb Time during Tour de Bong Bong for each of the 13 KOM Climbs.  A raffle will be drawn on Sunday arvo, 13 Nov, (or Monday arvo if a Ride Day is washed-out) from the names of all cyclists who log a Climb Time for all 13 KOM Climbs, with the Winner pocketing $100 from Bank Teller's PiggyBank. 

NB:    The opening Day Ride on Wed, 9 Nov, takes cyclists over Woodhill Mountain, so cyclists who are attending Bong Bong Picnic Races will either have to climb Woodhill Mtn early that morn', or climb it after one of our shorter Ride Days, if they wish to be in the draw for the $100 raffle prize.

If you want to attend the Bong Bong Picnic Race Day, you have to notify Bank Teller ScribePJ@tpg.com.au or Brenda brendab@bigpond.net.au 4464.1606 by end-Oct and pay $50 before end-Oct, because Bank Teller has to arrange membership thru the Bong Bong Racing Club, where each member may invite a guest, with 2nd year membership optional (providing admission for 2) only $32, if you want to attend in conjunction with our 2nd Tour de Bong Bong next year.

It doesn't cost you anything -

(i)        to indicate your interest; or

(ii)       if you have to bail-out at the 11th hour. 

We'd like to hear from you early, as it is disappointing when some crew display a penchant for sitting on the fence until others commit.  As, no guts, no glory!!!

Download below poster for Tour de Bong Bong and invite your bike shop to display it, because more good road cycling product will induce more road cyclists:

*        Word version

*        HTM version

Scribe's rap-up of Kurrajong, Mt Bowen, Bellbird Hill - 135km or 108km with two killer KOM Climbs

Hats-off to Andrew aka TugBoat for today completing 135km which included two of the toughest KOM Climbs on Muggs' annual itinerary, namely Bowen Mountain and Bellbird Hill. Scribe rode 27km less than TugBoat by catching the bus from Blacktown station to Windsor.  Don't thing Scribe is cheap 'cause he didn't have to pay a fare as when the trains are off due to trackwork, the buses are free.

Gene aka Koala Bear on LHS had a family lunch at Gross vale, so Gene cut-out after climbing Bowen Mountain.  Whippet 'n Publican returned from Windsor.

Scribe did his usual thing and handed out some Muggaccinos marketing cards to the above cyclists from Hawkesbury Valley.

Bank Teller     
5 Nov '05 - 9513.1075