Richmond Springwood Mitchells Pass

Sunday, 26 July '09 - Tour de Windsor, Richmond, Hawkesbury Heights, Springwood, Mitchell Pass

8:20am Turramurra station carpark for 124km route via Browns Water Hole, (8:35am from Vimiera Rd, Marsfield), Epping Rd, Pembroke St, M2, M7 exiting at Quakers Hill Parkway and follow rail line to Windsor to meet any cyclists who commenced from Hornsby or Dural and cycled via Galston Gorge and Cattai Ridge Rd for 1st Nosh Stop (35 min) from 10:40am -
9:05am Turramurra station carpark for 91km route via M2 to Seven Hills train station to aboard 10:20am train arriving Windsor at 10:52am (reducing 1st Leg to Windsor by 27km) (Let Scribe know if you want to ride this abridged route, otherwise you might be the only cyclist in Turra' carpark approaching 9am)

Then at 11:15am onto Richmond, up Yarramundi to Springwood to 2nd Nosh Stop at Springwood, thence descend Mitchells Pass to -
* Emu Plains train to Blacktown station; or
* Penrith train to Seven Hills

Thence M2, Browns Water Hole, Kissing Point Rd - ETR Turramurra 3:45pm

Ø If driving from Inner West, park at most Northerly Point in Vimiera Rd Marsfield to join ride

Ø Ride Organiser: Phil Johnston 9114.6689 or 0434 715.861,

Ø BankTeller, CampyAficionado and Jane aka Neo-Luddite are starting at 8:20am from Turra' station, and meeting PacificPete at Northern end of Vimiera Rd at 8:35am and Jean aka ChiliDog at Cnr Epping Rd and Vimiera Rd at 8:40am. Harry aka KayakMan is linking-in at the Pennant Hills Rd "On-Ramp" around 9:10am

Ø Hardcopy these directions, expend 10 min studying the street map to familiarize with the below and bring on Sunday

Snapshot:

Long Route: Start 8:20am from Turramurra station carpark and cycle to Windsor via 3.7km on Kissing Point Rd, 1.45km thru Browns Water Hole (8:35am from Vimiera Rd, Marsfield), Epping Rd, Pembroke St, M2 onto M7, exiting at Quakers Hill Parkway and follow Western rail line to Windsor.
Shorter Route to Windsor using train: Start Turramurra station between 9:05am for 24km to Seven Hills station (3.7km on Kissing Point Rd, 1.45km thru Browns Water Hole, Vimiera Rd, Epping Rd, Pembroke St, 17km on M2/Abbott Rd/Prospect Highway) to climb aboard 9:20am train arriving Windsor at 9:52am.
2nd Leg is Challenging 31km to Richmond, SW up Hawkesbury Heights to Yarramundi for 2nd Nosh Stop at Springwood.
3rd Leg descends mountain incorporating scenic Mitchells Pass to Emu Plains station to catch train back to Blacktown station (or Penrith station to Seven Hills) followed by 24km cycle back to Turra' station - ETR 3:45pm.
Nosh Stops:
(i)(a) Macquarie Square, Windsor (30 min) from 10:40am for the 7:20am START ie. Longer Route cyclists.
(i)(b) On train for the 9:00am START ie. the Shorter Route cyclists.
(ii) Aroma Cafe Springwood (35 min)
(iii) Train from Emu Plains to Blacktown station for 19 mins or train from Penrith station to Seven Hills station for 25 mins

KOM Climbs:
Shaws Creek Bridge to veer R sign approaching Hawkesbury Heights Lookout 4.1km
Shaws Creek Bridge to 'Old Stone Cottage' at crest of Hawkesbury Heights 2.6km

a) Longer Route cycling from Turramurra station Rohini St car park via M2, M7, Quaker Hills Pky thence follow rail line to Windsor – 49km - 2 hrs 10 min
Rollout 8:20am:

*   R            Sth 200m up Rohini St to traffic lights on Pacific H'way
*   R            200m W on Pacific Highway to traffic lights
*   L            Sth down Kissing Point Rd for 3km - very steep early
*   Ahead    SW thru Browns Water Hole for 700m - caution steep decent with sharp turns
*   R            W thru 30m tunnel under the M2
*   L            SW into Vimiera Rd for 20m to meet-up with other cyclists who parked at Vimiera Rd Sag Stop (3 min).
*   Ahead    SSW along Vimiera Rd for 700m
*   R            W into Epping Rd for 1.3km
*   Ahead    W into Pembroke St for 100m
*   R            NW into Essex St for 300m
*   L            W into Chester St for 150m
*   R            N into Cambridge St and follow signs into/thru Beecroft Rd bus/rail underpass
*   Ahead    on new cycle path along Beecroft Rd to the M2
*   L            at intersection of Beecroft Rd and M2 to enter M2 breakdown lane.
*   Ahead    along M2 for 11km

Continue ahead onto M7 for 9.7km to Quakers Hill Parkway where we Left at off ramp and turn R at lights onto Hambledon Rd. 750m later L into Bali Drive (through housing estate) R at "T" junction into Walker St and 600m L into Burdekin Rd and follow this for 600m when it becomes Railway Terrace. Follow railway line to Schofields and continue to Riverstone along Railway Tce.
Where Riverstone station level crossing is on your LHS, turn R then immediately L and follow the railway line on your LHS. Riverstone Parade take us to Vineyard Station. At Vineyard station road veers to the R. Turn L into Wallace Rd after 50m.
Follow railway line along where Wallace Rd ends at a "T" intersection. Turn L and cycle over a level railway crossing, and turn R into Railway Rd and remain on it for about 1k to Mulgrave Station where we R onto Mulgrave Rd and follow until you reach Windsor Rd. Turn L into Windsor Rd, and follow it 3km to Windsor for 1st Nosh Stop (35 min) from approx 10:25am at Macquarie Square Windsor.

Shorter Route catching train from Seven Hills station:
Turramurra station Rohini St car park via above explained new access onto M2 to Seven Hills station, thence train to Windsor station – 22.4km - 70 mins:

Rollout 9:05am and follow above directions in blue background but rather than veer r onto M7, hook L and straighten for another 3km to where the M2 becomes Abbott Rd which is at traffic lights with Johnson Ave.

Continue ahead 700m along Prospect Highway to Seven Hills station on LHS, enter via Terminus Rd. Quickly buy a snack and catch 10:20am train for 29 min journey to Windsor arriving 10:49am and exit Windsor station to meet cyclists (by 11am) who cycled all the way to Windsor.

2nd Leg: Windsor to Richmond, Yarramundi, Springwood - 31km - 85 min

11:05am:

R	Windsor	5.0	~	NWW	Richmond
R	Market St	0.1	~	NWW	March St
L	March St	0.6	~	SSW	Bosworth St
R	Bosworth St	0.3	~	SWW	Castlereagh Rd
R	Castlereagh Rd	4.0	~	SWW	Springwood Rd
L	Springwood Rd	11.4	/	SWW	Hawkesbury Heights Lookout 10 min Sag Stop
R	Hawkesbury Rd	9.1	~	SWW	Macquarie Rd
R	Macquarie Rd	0.2	~	W	Raymond Rd
L	Raymond Rd	0.1	~	S	Aroma Café, Springwood

Arrive at Springwood at 12:30pm for 2nd Nosh Stop (30 min) at Aroma Cafe.

3rd Leg: Springwood, Mitchell Pass, Emu Plains station - 16.2km (30 mins) or Seven Hills station - 18km (35 mins)

Remount 1pm and descend the mountain avoiding Great Western H'way except for 800m section when we cross it, including a beaut one-way descent along Mitchells Pass to -
* Emu Plains station for hourly train at 33 min past hour - arriving Blacktown station 52 mins past hour; or
* Penrith station for half hourly train at 19 min and 49 min past hour - arriving Seven Hills station 17 and 47 mins past hour:

L	Raymond Rd	0.1	~	N	Macquarie Rd
R	Macquarie Rd	0.2	~	SEE	Hawkesbury Road
R	Green Pde/Macq. Rd	4.0	~	SEE	Green Pde/Macquarie Rd
R	Great Western Highway	0.8	~	SEE	Great Western Highway
L	Wilson/Railway Pde	4.4	~	SEE	Wilson/Railway Pde
L	Mitchells Pass	4.3	\	E	Great Western Highway
L	Great Western Highway	2.3	~	NE	Station St
A	Station St	0.1	~	N	Emu Plains station

4th Leg: Alight train at Blacktown station at 2:52pm and cycle to Turramurra station carpark - 27km - 70 min

(If your train stops at Seven Hills station, exit at Seven Hills station at , because you are immediately on Prospect H'way/Abbott Rd/M2 - 25km - 65 min)

Ahead into Boys Ave 200m,
R into Second Ave for 400m,
L into Sunnyholt Rd for 800m,
R into Sackville Rd for 1.2km
Ahead in Lucas Rd for 1.4km
L into Prospect H'way for 400m
Ahead at Johnson Ave traffic lights into Abbott Rd/M2 (take extreme car as lots of traffic proceed leftish along the Prospect H'way, and one of those Red Necks could wallop ya!) for 15.6km,
L at Optus Tower at crest (1.6km after passing thru 400m tunnel) down/up Brown's Waterhole for 1.8km,
Ahead up Kissing Point Rd for 3.7km
R into Pacific H'way for 250m
Left into Rohini St for 200m
Left into Turramurra station carpark.

ETR Turramurra station 3:45pm.

Risk Warning
Take the early steep descent of Kissing Point Rd slowly, as one lass who rode with Peloton Racing Club had a very nasty bingle 5 years ago, and David Hatley aka Radar broke two collar bones, and wrote-off his carbon bike, when a lady backed-out, and Radar's radar couldn't react in time to avoid a nasty rear-end whack

Some forms of cycling are dangerous. An ave of 36 Australian cyclists have been killed annually since 2000. 95% of these fatalities occur on the road.

Other cyclists in Australia break bones and incur nerve impairment from falling off their bikes in accidents.

A cyclist could fall from his/her bike, inter alia, due to -
(i) being hit by a car or another cyclist; or
(ii) encountering a pothole;

(iii) cycling too fast on a wet downhill where the coefficient of friction is much less, particularly at corners; or
(iv) getting their bicycle wheel caught in a gap in a timber bridge.

A negligent cyclist could -

(a) be litigated by a seriously injured cyclist, or 3rd party (ie. a woman pushing a pram on a footpath or a car driver) under common law where the damages could exceed $500,000; and

(b) lose his/her home if he/she did not have public liability insurance which covers their negligence whilst on a push bike.

A negligent cyclist who did not have personal injury insurance (ie self-employed without income protection cover) could struggle to meet regular outgo commitments.

A seriously injured cyclist could be awarded damages which a negligent cyclist could not afford to pay if the negligent cyclist -
(I) did not have public liability insurance cover; and/or
(II) did not possess valuable assets.

Ø Cycling without Public Liability cover is as silly as driving without 3rd Party -
join Bicycle NSW for PL insurance, so that all Muggs are better protected

Ø Click on: Risk Management which warns of 'inter alia', the dangers of cycling on public roads with motor cars, potholes and over bridges with vertical timber planks with gaps

Ø Cycling with Muggs is predicated upon notifying Bank Teller if you materially disagree with any clause(s) in Muggaccinos' "Ride Participants Liability Acknowledgment"

Rap-up of Tour de Wisemans Ferry - 7 cyclists - 115km from Hornsby

Pigging-out amidst glorious sunshine at the cheap 'n cheerful General Store at Wisemans Ferry après 49.6km from Hornsby, and 38.2km from Galston where most of us started.