www.Muggaccinos.com      The Bullsheet

Sunday, 17 Sept, by 7:30am from St Ives for “Whale Beach for Brekkie, Palm Beach loop, Akuna Bay cafe for Brunch” - ETR 12:55pm:
*        91.4km via the Roller Coaster from Hell; or
*        85km up flat main beach road - 20 mins faster leg, so take a longer Sag Stop at Church Point and a Sag Stop at Whale Beach Lookout before brunch at Whale Beach Café

  • Ride Organiser:  Phil Johnston - 9513.9532

  • Hardcopy this Ride Description and spend 5 min reviewing your UBD

  • Final section of our route to Whale Beach offers two options.  After Sag Stop at Church Point, via -
    *    hilly     Newport Arms/Clareville/Careel Bay.  This hilly route now avoids the 'killer' 600m 21.4o climb up Loombah St by turning R at Herbert Ave.  The peak gradient is now only 17.4o     in Cheryl Cres, but it remains a demanding ride leg requiring a triple or massive quads; or
    *    up main beach road by turning Left into Darley St and then Left into Barrenjoey Rd past Bungan Beach, Newport, Bilgola, Avalon and Right into Whale Beach Rd

  • Weaker riders, or those without a very low gears, may opt to ride on the main beach road which is much flatter, but busier.

  • Cycle two abreast on single lane roads at own risk, and never ride two abreast with a unbroken centre line

  • Keep well to LHS of the road and get off the road at Sag Stops

  • Don't cross 3 lanes of traffic at lights at McCarrs Creek Rd back onto Mona Vale Rd.  Rather return along Larool Rd, or use the tunnel under Mona Vale Rd

Snapshot:
 7:30am rollout from St Ives car park Mona Vale Rd [opposite Pattison's Patisserie and Stanley St.] L at Mona Vale Fruit Barn twds McCarrs Creek Rd, past Church Point twds Mona Vale. 
L into Mona St and L via Newport Arms Hotel / Clareville / Careel Bay for Brekkie 1st Nosh Stop at 9:30am [43km] at Whale Beach Café.  
[Or turn L (one road after Mona St) into Darley Rd and L 700m later into Barrenjoey Rd for 9km up main beach road and turn R into Whale Beach Rd - 35km] up to the Whale Beach lookout for 10 min gawk at Blue Pacific, then arriving at Whale Beach Café from 9:20am.
Return along Barrenjoey Rd to top of Avalon golf course, L for 3km back-road thru The Serpentine returning to Barrenjoey Rd at Sth Bilgola Beach with [64km] at Akuna Bay café at 11:05am - ETR St Ives 12:55pm.
 SagStops:
 1st:         Mona Vale Fruit Barn (3 min)
2nd:       Church Point (5 min)

3rd:        Whale Beach lookout (5 mins)
 4th:        Bilgola Beach lookout (10 min)
 NoshStops:
1st:        Whale Beach (35 min)
2nd:       Akuna Bay (30 min)
KOM Climb:
 TollBooth at Illawong Bay past Cottage Pt Rd to TollBooth at entrance

 

1st Leg:  St Ives to Church Point - 20km - 50 min
 7:30am cycle -

  • E along Mona Vale Rd for 6.6km;

  • L [opposite Forest Way - at Mona Vale Fruit Barn] into Myoora Rd and take a 1st Sag Stop (5 min) - don't cluster at Sag Stop, rather spread thin to get well to LHS of Myoora Rd;

  • Ahead along Myoora Rd for 300m;

  • Ahead into Larool Rd for 2.9km

  • R into Booralie Rd for 300m passing Terrey Hills shops and roundabout;

  • L to McCarrs Creek Rd descend 2.2km into the park - to the V (dual entrances to the park);

  • R fork and pedal 2.8km descending McCarrs Creek Rd to McCarrs Creek bridge;

  • Ahead 5.5km along McCarrs Creek Rd to Church Point [20km] at 8:20am 2nd Sag Stop (10 min if cycling 1st option below or 20 mins if cycling 2nd option below) - Be ready to roll out promptly if you are cycling the 1st option immediately below;

2nd Leg - 2 options from Church Point to Whale Beach:

*        1st option - 23.5km via the Roller Coaster from Hell, where you need a triple chain ring or humongous quads

*        2nd option - 15km flat route up the main beach road

1st option: Church Point to Whale Beach via the Roller Coaster from Hell - 23.5km - 75 min

8:30am:

  • East twds Mona Vale for 3½km - road becomes Pittwater Rd past Cabbage Tree Rd (on RHS) to Darley St - 500m short of Mona Vale shops;

  • Left into Mona St for 850m;

  • Right into Waterview St for 750m;

  • Left into Crescent Rd for 1.6km of ‘whirly burly’ ‘roller coaster’;

  • Left into Beaconsfield St for 400m;

  • Right into Kalinya St for 220m;

  • Right into Gladestone St for 200m;

  • Left into King St for 400m;

  • Left into Irrubel Rd for 700m;

  • Right into Prince Alfred Ave for 1km;

  • Right into Herbert Ave for 300m;

  • Right into Wallumatta Rd for 1.3km;

  • Left into Cheryl Cres for 1.1km;

  • Right into Raymond Rd for 300m;

  • Left into Terama St for 500m;

  • Left into Lower Plateau Rd for 1.8km;

  • Left into Wandeen Rd for 850m;

  • Right into Hudson Pde for 1.9km;

  • Left into Riverview Rd for 1.9km;

  • Right into Cabarita Rd/Patrick St for 1.7km;

  • Left into Elvina St for 50m;

  • Right into George St for 150m;

  • Left into Barrenjoey Rd for 800m; and

  • SignPost R into Whale Beach Rd and ascend/descend for 2.4km to The Strand Rd for 50m to Brekkie 1st Nosh Stop (30 min) from 9:45am [43.5km] at Whale Beach Café before descending Surf Rd to beach.

2nd option - Church Point to Whale Beach Lookout - 81km up flat main beach road Lookout for 10 min Sag Stop before descending to Whale Beach Café - 15.5km - 50 min

8:40am:

  • East twds Mona Vale for 3½km - road becomes Pittwater Rd past Cabbage Tree Rd (on RHS) to Darley St - 500m short of Mona Vale shops;

  • Left into Darley St for 700m;

  • Left into Barrenjoey Rd for 9km;

  • SignPost R into Whale Beach Rd and ascend/descend for 2.4km to The Strand Rd and up 300m to Lookout for Sag Stop (10 min) to admire the views; and

  • for 50m to Brekkie 1st Nosh Stop (40 min) from 9:35am [35.5km] at Whale Beach Café.

3rd Leg:  Whale Beach to Palm Beach to Akuna Bay Café - 28.7km - 75 min

10:15am

  • Nth on Whale Beach Rd/Florida Rd/PalmBeach Rd for 3km hugging the coastline to Palm Beach -

  • L Sth onto Barrenjoey Rd for 5.6km passing Avalon Golf Course on RHS;

  • SignPost  L into The Serpentine Lookout for 3km adjunct into/out of Bilgola Beach which avoids a tight section of Barrenjoey Rd and provides a stunning view south from Bilgola Beach lookout 4thSag Stop (10 min) from 10:35am;

  • Ahead along The Serpentine down to/up from Bilgola Beach;

  • L back onto Barrenjoey Rd for 2km passing Newport Beach and climb a short humdinger up Newport hill;

  • Ahead 1.5km and passing Bungan Beach on LHS, and approach Mona Vale;

  • R back into Darley St for 700m (wait until it is safe to cross over to R lane);

  • R into Pittwater Rd for 8.5km to Church Point to McCarrs Creek bridge;

  • R into West Head Rd for 1.5km to "T" intersection;

  • L into Liberator General San Martin Drive for 2.8km to Akuna Bay for 2nd Nosh Stop (30 min) from 11:25am.

4th Leg:  Akuna Bay to St Ives - 20.3km - 60 min

At 11:55am final leg -

  • West for 8.1km along Liberator General San Martin Drive passing Illawong Bay, Cottage Point Rd, park entrance toll-both to "V" juncture at McCarrs Creek Rd, 

  • Ahead for 2.2km to the apex of McCarrs Creek Rd;

  • R into Booralie Rd for 200m;

  • L into Myoora Rd for 3.3km;

  • R into Mona Vale Rd for 6.6km to St. Ives car-park – ETR 12:55pm – 89.4km or 81km

NOTE:  After climbing to the apex of McCarrs Creek Rd, either take the tunnel under Mona Vale Rd or retrace along Larool Rd to Terrey Hills Fruit Barn and R at lights onto Mona Vale Rd.  Recommend you don't enter Mona Vale Rd at lights at McCarrs Creek Rd, as motorists coming from the coast are doing 80+ clicks and aren't impeded by the traffic lights granting us access to Mona Vale Rd.

 

Bank Teller's rap-up of last w'end Tour de Warragamba Dam where 6 intrepid Muggs "completed the sloshfest mission", by humbly breaking the drought for the fine folk of Greater Sydney - 126km in toto

A torrent of cold rain didn't thwart 5 Muggaccinos RainMakers (Auckland, Steve aka TravelDoc, Annie aka Yes Minister, Scribe and ToothFairy) from cycling the 55km Sackville/Maroota loop on Saturday arvo where we passed by the oldest church in mainland Australia, St. Thomas Anglican Church at Ebenezer, and Steve and Phil went off-road thru Swallow Reach Walking Trail.  Around 4pm last Saturday, with the skies dumping cold moist stuff in torrents, we sought refuge at a winery at South Maroota which in its cellar has dinosaur footprints reputedly authenticated my two reputable museums as belonging to a dinosaur which roamed earth 2b years ago! 

Auckland, Yes Minister, 'n Scribe tagged-up with TugBoat to conquer Warragamba Dam on Sunday experiencing cold sheets of rain from Wallacia to The Dam.

Bank Teller, Auckland and Yes Minister on Sunday morn' at Richmond Park on the brightest part of our w'end.  After lots of rain on Saturday arvo, we were hopeful that the brighter skies were a portent of a finer day.  However, as we to soon find out more cold rain was in store further south where we were heading.

An hour later with 20km on the clock, we settled in at McChucks on Mulgoa Rd (opposite Panthers).  Heavy sheets of rain was only 20 mins away.  Annie, who had driven the Sag Wagon from Richmond we saddling up to ride with us the 23km up hill to The Dam which turned out to be seriously moist.  The 14km section along Mulgoa Rd from McChucks to Wallacia proved scary because there wasn't a shoulder on the single lane road, and notwithstanding the heavy rain, too many motorists were driving as though the road was dry.  Annie reckons that during her two ride days she counted 4 cars which went sliding out of control on the slippery surface.  At The Dam, we opted to return via Park Rd to Northern Rd which has a dedicated cycle shoulder which proved much safer, coupled with the fact that the howling southerly which we had battled on the way out was up our arse once we hit the 16km stretch along Northern Rd.

 

John Langley aka Auckland and Bank Teller on the road Sth to Penrith before the skies re-opened

 

                                                 A rear shot of John 'n PJ                                        Sucking on the cheapest think in McChucks - 0.30c cone

The 6 intrepid Muggaccinos, who despite atrociously cold, bleak wet conditions, have saved Greater Sydney from the worst drought this century; performing their heroic feat with all the humble humility and dignified decorum of childhood super heroes such as The Lone Ranger, Hopalong Cassidy and Sergeant Preston of the Yukon who all similarly shunned recognition of their equally marvellous life saving feats.  Our Sunday ride was only 71km, but we were all glad to return to McChucks (opposite Panthers) and the refuge of Annie's Sag Wagon out of the sloshfest.  Annie's new bike is much lighter than the ship's anchor she used to ride.  However, having not been on her bike for 8 weeks, after peeling off the 55 clicks on Sat arvo Yes Minister had to dig deep on Sunday by tackling the uphill section to The Dam only to get seriously dumped on.
Scribe  -  10 Sept 2006