Muggaccinos.com     The Bullsheet

New Year's Day, Tues, 1 Jan '08, 7:35am from Sutherland Leisure Centre - Tour de Wollongong, thence catching Iron Horse from Nth Wollongong back to Waterfall, drop down McKell Ave to cycle up thru RNP to Sutherland - 88.5km – ETR 2:30pm

Shorten ride to 60km by staying on the train all the way back to Sutherland station

Jean aka DishPig, TugBoat, BigBusDriver, PacificPete, ToothFairy, Scribe, PapaBear are confirmed starters

Ø   No trackwork on the Illawarra Line

Ø   Ride Organiser: Phil Johnston  9114.6689  or 0412 045 224

Ø   Hardcopy these directions and bring on Sunday

Ø   Don't ride two abreast on single lane roads with an unbroken centre line

Ø   Cycling without Public Liability cover is as silly as driving without 3rd Party -
join Bicycle NSW or Bike Vic for PL insurance, or upgrade your household policy to include PL beyond your front fence, so that all Muggs are better protected, 'cause if you cause a serious accident it could cost you upwards of $1m in PL claims by the injured party

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

Snap Shot:
At sparrow fart on a Sunday morn' it is only 45 minutes drive from Chatswood [38km] to the Sutherland Leisure Centre at Waratah Park off Rawson Ave (approx 1km south of Sutherland shopping centre).  Park in middle of largish open-air carpark outside the swimming complex.  Rollout 7:35am sharp down the Princess H'way past Waterfall and left into Lawrence Hargraves Drive and right into Lawrence Hargraves Drive to Austinmer Café 1st Nosh Stop (35 min). 
Thence south to Wollongong Harbour 2nd Nosh Stop (30 min).  3km to Nth Wollongong to catch train to Waterfall. Drop down McKell Ave for 3rd Nosh Stop (10 min), thence 5km to Waratah Park - ETR 2:30pm.
Nosh Stops:
 Beachside Cafe, Austinmer                                         from  9:15am           35 min
 LeVendi's Seafood, Wollongong Harbour                  from 10:35am          30 min
Audley Weir cafe                                                       from 2pm                10 mins
 Sag Stops:
100m into Lawrence Hargraves Drive off-ramp          from 8:35am             5 min

 

Directions from North Shore, either –

Ø         Homebush Bay Drive / Centenary Drive / Roberts Rd / Wiley Ave / King George's Rd / Princess H’way; or

Ø         Pacific Highway over Harbour Bridge onto Princess H’way at Broadway, remaining on Princess H’way crossing George’s River Bridge and passing thru Sylvania and Gymea. 
Then -

    (a)      continue straight into The Grand Pde (when most of the traffic turns L into Arcadia Rd.)

    (b)      250m later veer L into Old Princess H'way which 250m later, after passing President Ave on LHS, becomes Rawson Ave.

    (c)      150m later L into carpark at Waratah Park and park down the bottom on RHS in front of the Swimming Centre. 

1st Leg: Sutherland via Princess H'way to Austinmer Café -  37km - 100 min

7:35am:

Left South along Rawson Ave for 1.1km;

Ahead South down Princess H'way for 21km;

Left after 22km immediately after passing "Sambio Animal Gardens" sign up off-ramp into Lawrence Hargraves Drive for 100m for 1st Sag Stop (5 min) to ensure slower cyclists don't continue down the Princess H'way;

Ahead due E for 3.1km to Bald Hill (juncture of Lawrence Hargraves Drive and Lady Wakehurst Drive) [25km];
Right 2.7km Sth descending from Stanwell Tops descending to Stanwell Park continuing along Lawrence Hargraves Drive crossing new Bridge, passing thru Coalcliff, Clifton, Cape Horn, Scarborough, Wombarra, Coledale, arriving from 9:20am for 1st Nosh Stop (35 min) at Beachside Cafe, Austinmer.

 

2nd Leg: Austinmer Cafe to LeVendi Seafood, Wollongong Harbour - 19km (agg 56km)

10am Sth past Thirroul, Bulli, Woonona Beach to Wollongong Harbour around 10:35am 2nd Nosh Stop (30 min).

A

Lawrence Hargraves Dr.

3.0

McCauley St

~

SW

42

L

McCauley St

0.7

Surfers Pde.

~

SE

43

L

Surfers Pde.

0.2

Craig St

~

E

43

R

Craig St

0.1

Hamilton Rd

~

S

43

L

Hamilton Rd

0.3

Cycleway

~

S

44

A

Cycleway

2.2

Farrell Rd

~

S

46

A

Cycleway

4.7

Murray Rd

~

S

50

R

Murray Rd

0.5

Cawley St

~

E

51

L

Cawley St

0.3

Cycleway

~

S

51

A

Cycleway

4.7

Wollongong Harbour

~

S

56

Arrive LeVendi Seafood, Wollongong Harbour at 10:35am after 56km

 

3rd Leg: Wollongong Harbour to North Wollongong station -  1.9km (agg 57.9km)

11:05am -

4th Leg: Waterfall train station to Audley Weir 25.4km (agg 83km)

After 57.9km drop 4.7km down McKell Ave and cross concrete bridge.

Left into Sir Bertram Stevens Drive for 5.5km Nth to Garie Beach Rd.

Ahead for 5.5km for further fleeting 3rd Sag Stop (3 min) at intersection of Bundeena Drive. 

Continue NW another 9.8km for a 3rd Nosh Stop (10 min) from 2pm at Audley Kiosk 50m before Audley Weir - excellent coffee 'n maggot sacks.

CARE: Keep well to LHS along the final legs from Bundeena to Audley Weir.  If a cue of cars is behind you, pull over to side of road and allow 'em to pass.

5th Leg: Audley Weir to Waratah Park -  5.5km (agg 88.5km)

2:10pm cross the weir and up precipitous Farnell Ave to Princess H'way and R onto Princess H'way, shortly pass Loftus Oval on RHS.  1km after traffic lights at Rawson Ave turn R into Sutherland Leisure Centre - ETR 2:30pm.

Scribe's rap-up of Tour de Wiseman's Ferry - 6 cyclists - DishPig rode 180km leaving Balmain at 5:15am, PapaBear rode 130km before his front wheel gave-out, whereupon he grabbed his heavy hybrid and rode another 71km to cap 200km, Scribe and ToothFairy  99km and Dieter 'n Helga 77km

 

 

Check out the palatial Gone With The Wind mansion at back in Glenorie.  Dieter was fiddling with his Garmin donk to see if his GPS could find the joint.

 

 

 

Upon his arrival at Wiseman's Ferry, after pedaling from St Ives, PapaBear discovered he had 2 broken spokes on his front wheel.
fortuitously for Eric Dieter aka ElectricMan knew a lot more how to remove the 2 spokes and rebalance his wheel to compensate for the 2 missing twigs.

 

 

 

 

The below view of the majestic Hawkesbury River is something special after the 10.7km scenic route from Wiseman's Ferry. 
Alas, we still had to scale a killer 1km section on the 7km climb from sea level up to Wiseman's Ferry Rd

 

 

 

Eric was worried about earth quakes or a faulty veranda roof or maybe didn't know to remove your hat when you sit with ya friends

 

Bank Teller's rap-up of Boxing Day Cinque Montagnes clockwise - 94km - 12 crew

 

 

 

 

Paul, our host at Andy's Cafe Arcadia, prepared some yummy Indian food

 

 

A large Peloton on the earlier ferry.  Dead set, until we arrived at the Old Pacific H'way, we had seen more road cyclists than motor cyclists.

 

 

 

Matt aka Printer and Grant aka BeanCounter deep in conversation over somethin', with Jean aka DishPig happy to cool his heels

 

 

 

Today's annual Boxing Day Cinque Montagnes clockwise was hallowed by a cool, crisp morn', whereupon the pace was on and dudes like DishPig and PapaBear were intent on another long ride.  It also evidenced the return of a lean Stephen R who rode with Muggs about 8 years ago.  Hopefully, we will see more of Stephen, 'cause he can get along.

Pic on LHS is ToothFairy taking a breather at the water fountain at crest of KOM Climb from Bobbin Head to Nth Turramurra toll Gates, with a magnificent Christmas tree in Ann's background.

 

Scribe   26 Dec '07