Old Bathurst Rd Springwood Richmond

Muggaccinos.com The Bullsheet

Xmas Eve, Friday 24 Dec '10 - 4th Annual "Tour de Old Bathurst Rd, Blaxland, Springwood, Yarramundi, Richmond" Remain on train to Blaxland if you don't like scaling a very steep, albeit shortish, hill which an "underdone" Martin aka Architect might opt to do

(i) Turramurra station carpark rollout 6:30am via Browns Water Hole, (or park at Vimiera Rd carpark, Marsfield for 6:40am pick-up), Epping Rd, M2 to Blacktown station to catch 7:58am train arriving 8:16am at Emu Plains station, then ride to N/E up Old Bathurst Rd, Blaxland, Springwood, NE along Hawkesbury Rd, Springwood Rd, thru Yarramundi to Richmond to catch train to Riverstone or Seven Hills and ride M2, Browns Waterhole - 93km - ETR 1pm

(i)(a) Avoid very steep 2.33km Old Bathurst Rd by catching 7:58am train from Blacktown (don't alight at Emu Plains) for 3 more stops and alighting at Blaxland station at 8:31am for 9km flattish ride to Springwood Nosh Stop; or

ii) Dural by 6:45am via Old Northern Rd, Seven Hills Rd to meet Turra' starters at Seven Hills station for 7:39am train or Blacktown station for 7:44am train. Eventually returning to Riverstone station to cycle via Annangrove Rd – 88km - ETR 12:30pm

Separate Turra' and Dural start routes meet at Blacktown station for 7:58am train on the Western Line arriving Emu Plains at 8:16am.

If you want a longer route, ride back from Windsor for 120km route

Print explicit street directions for both start spots at URL for Distance by clicking on 92.8km or 91km

WHO, WHEN, WHERE:

Ride Organiser: Phil aka BankTeller 0434 715.861, Matt aka Printer and Eric aka PapaBear (and maybe also Nurse Kaza) are starting at 6:30am from Turramurra station carpark. Martin aka Architect is starting at top of Vimiera Rd - 100m south of M2 at 6:40am. Bill aka Glasgow is hopeful of joining us at Pennant Hills Rd on-ramp around 7am "provided it isn't raining". Andrew aka TugBoat and George aka EnglishMan are meeting us at Emu Plains station at 8:16am. Peter aka AnotherBeanCounter and Ron aka Draughtsman may also be starters.

If you think you are >80% of joining us, can you e-mail Scribe, and he will add ya.

1st leg: Start 6:30am in Rohini Street carpark NE side of Turramurra station to Blacktown station - 23km - 60 min
Cycle 200m up Rohini St to Pac H'way, R for 100m, L down Kissing Point Rd, to Browns Water Hole and Vimiera Rd entrance by 6:35am. Or park at Vimiera Rd carpark, Marsfield for 6:40am pick-up.
Ride West along Epping Rd for 1km to Epping street front shopping centre onto M2 for 14.4km, 1.4km along Abbott Rd passing Johnson Ave on RHS where road ahead becomes Prospect H'way,

Right after 450m off Prospect H'way at traffic lights into Lucas Rd for off-road Sag Stop [5 min] at Children Crossing sign outside Seven Hills Primary School immediately on LHS or Left into Morris St 400m later and walk back on footpath twds Cnr so subsequent cyclists can see the Right turn into Lucas Rd;

Ahead on Lucas Rd for 2.2km;

Ahead into Sackville Rd for 1.4km;

Left into Sunnyholt Rd for 800m;

Right into George St for 200m to Blacktown station arriving 7:45am for 12 min wait for train to Emu Plains departing at 7:58am arriving Emu Plains at 8:16am.

1st leg (alternate): Start 6:45am Porter Scenic Lookout carpark before Dural Country Club to Blacktown station - 60 min - 23km

Right down Old Northern Rd for 11.5km

Right into Seven Hills Rd for 6.5km

Ahead into Prospect Highway for 450m;

Right after 450m into Lucas Ave for off-road Sag Stop [5 min] outside Seven Hills Primary School

Ahead Morris St Cnr along Lucas Ave for 2.2km;

Ahead into Sackville Rd for 1.5km;

Left into Prince Rd for 800m;

Right George St for 200m to Blacktown station arriving 7:45am for 13 min wait for train to Emu Plains departing at 7:58am arriving Emu Plains at 8:16am.

Two 2nd Leg options:

* Hard 2nd Leg: 17km from Emu Plains station up mega precipitous Old Bathurst Rd to Blaxland station, thence Warrimoo and on to Springwood for Nosh Stop at Aroma Cafe in Raymond Rd on LHS of Macquarie Rd or The Subway

Alight train at Emu Plains station at 8:16am on southern side and take path under rail line entering Old Bathurst Rd from Mackellar St for a level 2km stretch to a short but really steep KOM Climb starting 15m past traffic lights at Bus Stop sign and ending 2.05km later at Bowaga Ave.

* Or Easy 2nd Leg: Blaxland station thru Warrimoo and on to Springwood for Nosh Stop at Aroma Cafe in Raymond Rd on LHS of Macquarie Rd - 9km
Alight train three stations later at Blaxland station at 8.16am and wait for cyclists in Wilson Way (300m after we turn Right from Old Bathurst Rd) on our route to Warrimoo and Springwood. Thence on roads which hug the Great Western H'way to Springwood arriving 9am for 1st Nosh Stop [30 min] at Aroma Cafe 300m down Raymond Rd on LHS of Macquarie Rd after 41.2km.

3rd Leg: 26km from Springwood to Richmond station alighting at either Seven Hills or Riverstone station - 70 min

9:30am re-trace 250m back down Macquarie Rd;

Left following signs NE to Richmond, along Hawkesbury Rd, Springwood Rd, thru Yarramundi pulling-up at Hawkesbury Heights Lookout on RHS after about 12km for 5 min Sag Stop whilst gawking at the awesome view. Thence descend from the Hawkesbury Heights Lookout to Richmond to catch train half hourly service at 10:40am, or 11:10am or 11:40am for 41 min trip to Seven Hills station arriving 11:21am, 11:51am or 12:21pm.

4th Leg: 25km from Seven Hills station to Turramurra station - 70 min - ETR 12:50pm

Alight at Seven Hills station at 11:51am -

Left into Terminus Rd for 300m

Left into Prospect Highway for 700m (care two lanes but no shoulder, so try and cycle with another cyclist beside you to occupy the entire lane);

Right into Abbott Rd/M2 for 15.6km being careful as some traffic roars up Seven Hills Rd;

Left at Light Tower into Browns Waterhole for 1.45km;

Ahead up Kissing Point Red for 3.7km with a 65m section just before the apex which is killer;

Right onto Pacific Highway for 200m; and

Left into Rohini St for 250m to carpark - ETR 1:01pm.

4th Leg (alternate): Riverstone station to Dural - 23.7km - 65 min - ETR 12:30pm

Alight at Riverstone station at 11:33am -

NE along Garfield Rd East for 3.2km,

R into Windsor Rd for 2.2km,

L into Annangrove Rd for 10.5km,

R into Kenthurst Rd for 1km,

L into Pellit Lane which soon veers R for 180m,

L into Wirrabara Rd for 600m,

L into Derriwong Rd for 500m,

R into Langford Rd/Davey Rd for 1.9km,

R into Wyoming Rd for 850km

R into Old Northern Rd for 1.2km to Porter Scenic Lookout - ETR 12:40pm.

Risk Warning

Ø Do not cycle over the metal girders on the ramp at the Berowra Waters ferry, if you opt to cycle off the ferry, 'cause you will come down hard, like many before you.

Ø Hardcopy these directions and bring on Sunday

Ø Expend 5 min studying your street directory for this route, if you haven't ridden it before

Ø Don't ride two abreast on single lane roads with an unbroken centre line and descend corners on wet roads as though you are skating on ice

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" etc

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"