Sunday, 4 Nov '12 Cinque or Trois Montagnes clockwise  -  1st Nosh Stop Andy's Cafe, Arcadia from 8:20am 

¨     "Cinque Montagnes" - clockwise from Nth Turra’ by 6:50am – 94km     ETR 12:20pm

¨     “Trois Montagnes” –   clockwise from Hornsby    by 7:35am – 65km     ETR 11:45am

Cyclists from the longer departure point of Nth Turramurra do not pass the shorter Hornsby departure spot - usually meet after ascent of Galston Rd just before Andy's Cafe, Arcadia

1st Leg: Nth Turra' 31km (80 min) or Hornsby 16km (45 min) to Andy's Cafe, Arcadia

¨        Longer Ride - Cinque Montagnes [94km] - 31km 1st Leg
Park in Valley Park Cres carpark on LHS (700m past Burns Rd) in Bobbin Head Rd Nth Turramurra to rollout by 6:50am from outside the Corner Cafe, for down/up Bobbin Head, arriving 1st Sag Stop (5 min) Kalkari Reserve after 9.9km.  Thence 4km along Bobbin Head Rd. 
Left into Belmont Pde. [becomes Royston Rd] hugging Asquith Golf Course on LHS. 
Join Pacific Highway after R into Baldwin St and cross over railway line at Asquith train station, then veer R at traffic lights continue SW on Pacific Highway and shortly R into Galston Rd and pedal twds Hornsby Heights.

¨        Shorter Ride - Trois Montagnes [65km] - 16km 1st Leg
Rollout 7:35am Hornsby car-park [100m Nth/West of Railway Hotel in Jersey St] -
*    Nth up Jersey St for 500m, 
*    L into Bridge Rd 40m to lights at Old Pacific H’way, 
*    R and pedal 700m Nth; and 
*    L at lights at Galston Rd and cycle twds Hornsby Heights.

Route now becomes common for both start points.  NNW thru Hornsby Heights and descend to Galston Gorge and climb 3km to Crosslands Rd. Then left for 1.1km and Right at roundabout into Arcadia Rd for 4km to Wylds Rd and 100m further on Andy's Cafe, Arcadia for 1st Nosh Stop (30 min) arriving from 8:20am. 

2nd Leg: Andy's Cafe, Arcadia  to  Pie in the Sky - 30km (90 min)

8:50am pedal Nth along Galston Rd/Arcadia Rd which changes to Bay Rd at pastoral Berrilee, where a few km later after passing the familiar Koppers Log KOM descend to picturesque Berowra Waters for our 2^nd Sag Stop (10 min) - ride on the punt. 
After another familiar climb, take a 3^rd Sag Stop (10 min) under cover at Former Pool Shop, before re-entering the Old Pacific H'way from Berowra Waters Rd. at 9am and cycle N past Cowan station and Pie in the Sky before descending to 'U' turn at Brooklyn Rd before climbing 3.85km back to Pie in the Sky at 10:20am for our 2^nd Nosh Stop (30 min).

3rd Leg: Pie in the Sky to Hornsby 19km (55 min) or Nth Turra' shops - 31km (90 min)

10:50am commence return home Sth down Old Pacific H'way -

¨        enter Bobbin Head to Nth Turra' shops - ETR 12:20pm; or

¨        continue Sth onto Hornsby - ETR 11:45am.

Jane aka NeoLuddite completed the 165.5km Fitz's Challenge in Canberra last Sunday ascending over 2,300 vertical metres

Jane rode with a friend of 10 years, younger and strong.  Less than 24 hours later, Jane thinks she may even go back next year - must be a bit of masochism in her.  Jane drove back after the ride last night and reports feeling surprisingly good, so the adrenaline is still running.  Some very nasty inclines at the Dreaded Fitz's Hill and up to Rendezvous Creek

Bank Teller is planning a Muggs' visit to Canberra, around March, again staying at the hostel, Victor Lodge, and riding the above route, but starting/finishing from Cotter Reserve to knock it down to a 130km out 'n back.

The article "Abbott gets his karma in bike ride" didn't mention Jane aka NeoLuddite's Herculian feat.  Nor did it snap a pic of her crossing the finish line at Stromlo Forest Park.  Talk about biased reporting.

Scribe's rap-up of Hornsby to Windsor, Richmond train to Riverstone, then G.G. back home  -  107km -  10 crew

A Corker of a ride route with four crew opting to skip the scheduled 12km train ride from Richmond to Riverstone station, thereby clocking up >120km.  Again, no 'bingles' which is the most important 'measurement' of a Muggs ride, 'cause road cycling is infinitely more dangerous than nearly all sports, particularly ocean swimming, where the big fishes are a lot less aggressive than some of Sydney's drivers. 

Scott aka PatternMaker  took a nasty fall after a motorist passed him last Friday arvo whilst commuting home from his work.  Upon passing Scott, the driver turned left squeezing Scott into nowhere, whereupon Scott came down.

Scott was starting his usual commute home down Epping Road when a Commodore turned left in front of him. He skidded, but couldn’t stop, so he tried to squeeze past the LHS of the Commodore, hoping that the driver would correct.  Scott nearly made it, but run out of room.  Scott glanced the Commodore's front left quarter panel which launched & somersaulted him down the road.

This Strava link shows the metrics. http://app.strava.com/rides/26246511 

·         Click on performance.

·         Turn off elevation & Heart rate.

·         Turn on speed.

·         Then click from 3:39 hold & drag to 4:48.

The above URL shows in that segment that Scott was doing 49.7 km/h when he hit the brakes. It showed poor deceleration from skidding for four seconds (a J curve) before he struck the car at 30.3 km/h. Another two seconds later his bike was stationary, but likely Scott was still rolling.

The ambos wouldn’t let Scott carry his bike in the ambulance with him, so he indulged upon the Coppers to take it back to his work for him. Maybe rules have tightened about carrying bikes in ambulances since Scribe's Mongoose scored a lift several year's ago.

Scott came out of it surprisingly well, but his bike got bumped-up, so Scott is off to the bike shop to get a few quotes, where Bank Teller will assist Scott prepare a 'Letter of Demand'.  If that is ignored by the driver, and Scott doesn't believe that it will be, then a 'Statement of Claim' follows by launching a civil action at his local courthouse.  Bank Teller has a 'checkered past', and spent an inordinate amount of time in local courtrooms defending or leading actions, not limited to defending assault.  He also administered a lot of complex financial docs for a plethora of very large infrastructure projects dealing with about 60 different global banks, occasionally akin to 'herding cats'.  Hence, chasing money due to negligence or deceit has been common place for Bank Teller.

                   About to role out from Hornsby carpark for the Easy Peasy  43km 1st Leg to Macq Place Windsor, where we 'put on the Nose Bag'.

The mare was a tad 'on edge' with Scribe trying to get his pic.  Wonder why?

Pete aka CampyAficinado was keen to take this pic at the Hornsby Heights Bus Shelter Sag Stop, cause he reckoned there was something unusual about Phil's bike.  Perhaps Bank Teller has picked-up Whippet's penchant for collecting other people's trash.