Sunday, 20 Dec '09 -  Tour de Windsor, Richmond, Hawkesbury Heights, Springwood, Mitchell Pass; or

Return via Pitt Town Rd to Hornsby 50.1km or Turramurra 55.9km

• 6:45am Turramurra station carpark 200m before bottom of Kissing Point Rd for 124km route via Browns Water Hole, (7:20am 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 9:00am -

•  7:15am Turramurra station carpark for 91km route with 22.4km via M2 to Seven Hills train station to aboard 8:19am train arriving Windsor at 8:41am (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 7:15am)

•  7am Hornsby station carpark via Galston Gorge and Cattai Ridge Rd to Windsor - see bottom Ø below

Then at 9:35am 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 1:50pm

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

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

WHO, WHEN, WHERE

Ø     Ride Organiser: Phil Johnston 9114.6689 or 0434 715.861

Ø     BakerBoy is cycling from Hornsby station at 6:35am down the Pac Highway and turning right at 6:50am into Kissing Point Rd

Ø     BankTeller and PapaBear are starting at 6:45am from Turramurra station carpark. 

Ø     Justine aka Trumpeter is starting 300m from the bottom of Kissing Point Rd at 7am. 

Ø     PacificPete might be at Northern end of Vimiera Rd at 7:10am. 

Ø     Jean aka ChiliDog will be waiting in the bus shelter at Cnr Epping Rd and Vimiera Rd at 7:15am. 

Ø     Harry aka KayakMan is linking-in at the Pennant Hills Rd "On-Ramp" around 7:45am

Ø     Arno aka The Kaiser is cycling from his Mt Ku'ring'gai home at 7am to Hookham Corner (Cnr. Galston Rd and Old Pacific H'way) to meet Matt aka Printer and Bazza at 7:10am to ride to Windsor via Galston Gorge and Cattai Ridge Rd.  If you want to join 'em 'phone Arno tonight on 9940.3235 or 0418 552 656 and park at Hornsby station carpark by 7am and phone Matt 0409 888.046 if ya can't find him

Snapshot:

Long Route:  Start 6:45am from Turramurra station carpark 200m before bottom of Kissing Point Rd and cycle to Windsor via 3.7km on Kissing Point Rd, 1.45km thru Browns Water Hole (7:15am 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 7:15am 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 catch Seven Hills train at 8:19am arriving Windsor at 8:41am.  Then pedal 1km to Macq Place.
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 2:45pm.
Nosh Stops:
(i)      Macquarie Square, Windsor (35 min) from 9:00am
(ii)     Aroma Cafe Springwood (30 min)
(iii)    Train from Emu Plains to Blacktown station for 19 min or train from Penrith station to Seven Hills station for 25 min

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

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 - 65 min:

Rollout 7:15am 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 8:41am train for 29 min journey to Windsor arriving 9:12am and exit Windsor station and pedal 1km to Macq Place to meet cyclists who cycled all the way to Windsor.

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

9:35am:

• 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 11:00am for 2nd Nosh Stop (30 min) at Aroma Cafe.

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

Remount 11:30am 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 half hourly train at 0 min and 30 min past hour - arriving Blacktown station 14 min; or
*        Penrith station for regular trains to Seven Hills station:

• 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 around 11:50pm and cycle to Turramurra station carpark - 27km - 80 min  -  ETR Turramurra station 1:50pm

• 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 1:50pm.

(If your train stops at Seven Hills station, exit at Seven Hills station because you are immediately on Prospect H'way/Abbott Rd/M2 - 25km - 70 min) -  ETR Turramurra station 1:45pm

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"

Scribe's rap-up of Hornsby to Wyee - 108km - 14 cyclists

Rex aka MediaMan made a successful comeback ride.  However, he did incur the wrath of Bank Teller for abandoning his proclaimed 'game-plan' to pedal within himself, because he was 'out of his skin' over the 6.9km climb to Mt White. But he proved with his two tumbles in late Winter that ya don't need bark.

Paul, Pete 'n Mick at Mt White after 35.5km from Hornsby

Grahame, Navigator, PrincessCaroline 'n Whippet heavily in chat over somethin'.

The Calga Turnaround 6.5 clicks Nth of Mt White, where the wosses were the 2nd 'n 4th above

PacificPete and BakerBoy sussing out the menu at Yarramalong Manor - Dec 2009

John aka Cairns, Justine aka Trumpeter  PacificPete and BakerBoy eating-out at Yarramalong Manor

Justine aka Trumpeter  from the front 'n behind

There are some world renowned train stations across the globe, incl Grand Central Station Manhattan, Berlin, Trafalgar Square.  But none rival Wyee Station for sheer majesty. 
Golly, the crew who opted to take the short-cut to Wyong station don't know what they missed out on.

Scribe   14 Dec '09