New Year's Day, Tues, 1 Jan '13, 7:30am 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 2:25pm

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

Snap Shot:
At sparrow fart on a Sunday morn' it is only 55 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 descend Bal Hill even right into Lawrence Hargraves Drive to Ruby's Cafe on Bulli Beach 1st Nosh Stop (35 min). 
Thence south to Wollongong Harbour 2nd Nosh Stop (30 min).  2km 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:
Ruby's Cafe on Bulli Beach                                          from  9:25am           35 min
LeVendi's Seafood, Wollongong Harbour                  from 10:40am           30 min
Audley Weir cafe                                                         from 1:50pm           10 min
Sag Stops:
100m into Lawrence Hargraves Drive off-ramp            from 8:40am            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. 

WHO, WHEN, WHERE:

Ride Organiser, Phil Johnston aka BankTeller 0434 715.861, Ann aka ToothFairy, Syd aka MotorMechanic, Terry aka Navigator, Siggy aka SmilingAssassin, Eliz aka NotNormalNonna,  Lois aka LoisLane and Eric aka PapaBear are starting at 7:30am from Sutherland Leisure Centre.

APOLOGIES:

Jean aka ChiliDog is driving buses.  Matt aka Printer is working.  Pete aka Pelvis is still holidaying in 'native' Adelaide.

If you are >80% confident of joining us, contingent upon a fine morn', please e-mail Scribe and he will add ya in the above

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 a car without Third 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

Ø   No trackwork on the South Coast Line

1st Leg:  Sutherland Leisure Centre via Princess H'way to Ruby's Cafe on Bulli Beach -  44km - 135 min

7:30am:

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) from 8:40am 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 9:45am for 1st Nosh Stop (30 min) at Ruby's Cafe on Bulli Beach.

2nd Leg:  Ruby's Cafe on Bulli Beach to LeVendi Seafood, Wollongong Harbour - 15km - 40 min (agg 56km)

10:15am Sth past Thirroul, Bulli, Woonona Beach to Wollongong Harbour around 11:05am.

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 10:40am after 56km for 2nd Nosh Stop (30 min).

3rd Leg:  Wollongong Harbour to North Wollongong station -  2.4km - 7 min (agg 57.9km)

11:10am -

• Nth retracing up Cliff Rd for 1km;

• L into Bourke St for 600m;

• R into Princes H'way for 200m;

• L into station St for 25m;

• L into Stafford St 50m to Nth Wollongong station arriving at 11:17am to catch 11:30am train to Waterfall station for 63 min arriving Waterfall at 12:33pm.  Or remain on train to arrive at Sutherland station at 12:44.

4th Leg: Waterfall train station to Audley Weir 25.4km - 75 min (agg 83km)

At 12:35pm 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 1:50pm 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 - 25 min (agg 88.5km)

2:00pm 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 2:25pm.

Muggs' toughest annual ride - Porters Lookout Dural to Richmond, Kurrajong to climb Bowen Mtn 'n Bellbird Hill and return  -  7 cyclists  -  114km

Strava measures max gradient 28.7% on Bowen Mtn and 22.5% at top of Warks Rd at very end of Bellbird Hill

Ron aka DraughtsMan, Pete aka AnotherBeanCounter, Eric aka PapaBear and Pete aka CampyAficinado at Porters Lookout, Dural pre-ride.  John aka BakerBoy met us about 10 mins later after cycling from the train at Hornsby

Three of the four victors of Bowen Mtn standing at the spot where the glorious Bunyp Pine formerly stood.  The phototaker, Bank Teller, wasn't allowed to be in this pic (and had to stand back in the below pic at crest of Bellbird Hill), because he wasn't attired in official uniform on an annual sacred climb day.

If they look 'knackered' it is 'cause they was after climbing the 6.1km Bellbird Hill 'n Warks Hill Rd

A few minutes later, the four happy victors of Bellbird Hill 'n Warks Hill Rd with the evidence on the street sign

The above pic taken as we returned from Kurrajong doesn't do justice to the marvelous countryside ridden thru today

Hornsby to Mt White 'n back on Fri 28th Dec  -  70km  -  3 cyclists

Pete aka CampyAficinado, Grahame aka AnotherRuddyLawyer and BankTeller at Mt White on a glorious blue sky morn' which was heating up