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Rollout 8:25am Sunday, 30 Apr '23 - Hornsby station Jersey St carpark or opposite Berowra station 8:52am arriving Mt White Village Store, Mt White from 10:15am.
Return via Cowan General Store & Cafe to Hornsby  -  ETR 12:55pm  -  70km

WHO, WHEN, WHERE:

Pete aka CampyAficinado [2nd Acceptor],  [4th Acceptor], Eric aka PapaBear [3rd Acceptor], are starting from Hornsby station Jersey St carpark at 7:30am.

Phil Johnston aka Bank Teller [1st Acceptor] is starting from opposite Berowra station at 8:36am after alighting RedRattler at 8:34am.  After boarding at Artarmon 7:50am.

David aka TreeHugger [4th Acceptor], Ron aka Draughtsman, AnotherBeanCounter], Jean aka ChiliDog  Terry aka Navigator  ,John aka L'Etape, George aka Englishman, Jane aka Neo-Luddite Bill aka Glasgow, John aka Auckland , David aka  Once an IronMan


APOLOGIES:
 Ann aka ToothFairy is in the UK to avoid winter chills.
 If you are >80% confident of joining us, contingent upon being greeted by a fine morn', can you e-mail Scribe, and he will add ya moniker above.  If an 11th hour impediment 'pops-up', No Worries.

Nosh Stops:
1st       Mt White Village Store, Mt White, Mt White       
2nd      Cowan General Store & Cafe

1st Leg:  Hornsby station Jersey St carpark N/W side of station due Nth to Mt White Village Store - 35km -  110 min

8:25am rollout Hornsby or 8:50am Berowra for 1st Nosh Stop (30 min) from 10:15am. 

2nd Leg:  Mt White to Cowan General Store & Cafe  -  16.3km - 50 min (agg 39km)

10:45am South down Old Pacific H'way to Cowan General Store & Cafe for 2nd Nosh Stop (25 min) from 11:35am.

3rd Leg:  Cowan General Store & Cafe to Hornsby station carpark - 18.7km - 55 min (agg 70km)

12pm South down Old Pacific Highway for 19km to Hornsby.  - ETR 12:55pm.

Risk Warning

Ø   Motorbike aficionados regularly station cameraman and/or camerawomen at the acute left hand bend about half way up the ascent to Pie in the Sky to photograph motor bikers on extreme angles whilst taking that corner.  Motor bikers often become affected by the hubris of riding rapidly thru that corner, in the company of their motor bike hombres, and continue to break the 60km p/h speed limit all the way to the Pie in the Sky apex.  Too often, too many motor bikers pass road cyclists within the 1 metre rule.  The likelihood of being hit by a motor biker travelling at 80km ph or faster is relatively high.

Ø   Do not cycle over the metal girders on the ramp at the Berowra Waters ferry, 'cause you will come down hard, like many before you if you try to cycle over any of the longitudinal steel beams.

Ø   Descend Les Montagnes real slow on wet or damp roads.

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.

Ř    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

Ř    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

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

Sunday, 25 Sept 22, Ayres Rd, Nth St Ives to Flying Fox Cafe, Mona Vale and back - 43km - three regulars and a New Young Chum  -  43km

Click on above 'Relive' image to view last Sunday's Nth St. Ives to Flying Fox Cafe, Mona Vale and back in Google Earth.

Then click on the 'Right Arrow' therein.  Then click on:  View interactive route > and drag the route with your mouse to evidence a further application of Google Earth 
As Gomer Pyle would say, Garsh, Sha-zam, Gall-lee!!!

Sunday, 29 May, Tallawong light rail station visit to Windsor, Kurrajong, Richmond, back to Windsor and Tallawong - 62km.  The backroads were dry, but the damage to them is real bad.  To view this ride route from Tallawong light rail station in Google Earth, click on 'Relive'.  Then click on the 'Right Arrow' therein.  Then click on:  View interactive route >

Chris aka RecalcitrantBankTeller and George aka Englishman joined us at The Bridge Cafe, Macquarie Square Windsor under sunny skies.  (Some of the pics in The Bridge Cafe are 20 years old.)

This is where we crossed the creek which was a tad precarious for aging BankTeller, as skipping across dry odd shaped rocks midstream was almost beyond him. 
Fortunately, David carried BankTeller's bicycle over the flowing stream.

We had to jump three fences like this one.

David aka OnceAnIronMan and BankTeller took up 'Residency' yesterday at rural Cornwallis by crossing three road closures to return from Richmond to Windsor

Prior to recent floods, we used to cycle WestSouWest across the road above from Windsor twds Kurrajong/Richmond that is no more.  Now there is a massive land fall. Hard to believe, but alas true.  Hawkesbury Council doesn't have the funds to repair this, especially when similar damage is likely 'just around the corner'.

Subject: RE: Pete's weekly Oyster ride!...Friday 12/3/2021
 Well yesterday was an interesting day! ….the rain showers only came while we had coffee at Mt White  so we did not get wet !! The day proved humid and warm!  Our planned visit to Australian Reptile Park at Somersby was well worth it.  I liked the Komodo dragon and platypus while Peter checked out the reptile show and snakes ….. and the fat tailed dunnarts (a nocturnal Australian marsupial) was rather cute.   Of course there were koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, cassowary, emus and dingoes too!..... all set in lovely Australian bush and shrubs!  I am glad to say there were quite a lot of visitors!  
To our surprise, we learnt that Eric had a part-time job at Australian Reptile Park leading suspecting prey on a crocodile walk, where you might end up as a reptile's dinner.
Of course we had usual delicious oysters and fresh prawn rolls at Woy Woy Fisherman's Wharf before catching the train back to our Berowra start!
Next Friday I will be in Kiama for the L’Etape ride, but Pete anticipates riding….. the following Friday some of us will be in Corryong and/or Mt Beauty on the annual Victorian ride!!
Happy cycling!
Cheers Ann


Backpacker Eric has lost a foot' so be wary that you don't lose even a bit more if going on a 'Nature Walk' with so much "Nature", 'cause lots of those reptiles have innate primal instincts to feed their kids!

Last Sunday, Nth St Ives, Fruit Barn, Duffy's Forest, Akuna Bay, Illawong Bay, Nth St Ives - 50km

The refurbed cafe at Akuna Bay

Two pics from ToothFairy at impressive Illawong Bay

 

Sunday, Galston, Halcrows rd, Sackville Ferry ride, Wilberforce, Windsor, Annangrove Rd back to Galston - 83km - 3 riders

Click on above 'Relive' image to view last Sunday's Galston, Halcrows rd, Sackville Ferry, Wilberforce, Windsor, Annangrove Rd, to Galston - 83km in Google Earth.

Then click on the 'Right Arrow' therein.  Then click on:  View interactive route > to evidence a further application of Google earth 
As Gomer Pyle would say, Goooolly !!!

Above two pics were snapped by Muggs back-up photographer, ToothFairy

Sunday St Ives, Duffy's Forest, Bayview Marina, back up McCarrs Creek Rd to St Ives - 58km - 4 riders

Sunday St Ives carpark for "Brekkie at Bayview Marina - optional Brunch at Akuna Bay" -  92.6km  -  3 riders

ToothFairy, Trumpeter and BankTeller down at Bayview Marina on a veritable corker of a morn'

St Ives, Illawong Bay, Akuna Bay, West Head, Church Point 'n back  -  74km -  7 riders

Kevin aka TexDubbo, Justine aka Trumpeter Alan aka PharLap  Bill aka Glasgow, Pete aka CampyAficinado, Ann aka ToothFairy and Bank Teller

The lass who took these pics warned that they would be glary due to the bright sunshine behind.  BankTeller suggested that she take a pic from the second branch behind, but she wasn't enthused.

 

St Ives, West Head, Church Point 'n back  -  51km -  8 riders

Bank Teller  took the below four pics of the carpark opposite Pattisons Patisserie at St Ives at midday last Sunday, 25th June, following Muggs' abbreviated ride to West Head and Church Point.  These pics evidence that the recently extended carpark off Mona Vale Rd, St Ives, had four cars parked in it.  30 of the 34 car spaces were vacant.  Why so empty, when on a Sunday morning over recent years, you couldn't previously get a parking spot in there after 8am in Winter and earlier in Summer?  Because prior to the recent redevelopment by Ku'ring'gai Council, there was no time limit on parking in this carpark on Sundays. Nowadays, following the renovations and minor extension that occurred three months ago, perhaps because the local shops complained about road cyclists clogging up the carpark on Sundays, parking is now restricted to 2 hours after 9am on Sundays. Hence, road cyclists that invariably filled it up prior to the recent refurb, cannot park their vehicle there, if their Sunday morning bicycle ride will not finish prior to 11am. 

On Sunday mornings, Bank Teller parks his Berlingo 'baguette van' in Stanley St (opposite), and evidences a lot of cars, with bicycle clamp racks fitted, similarly parked in Stanley St. and nearby Lynbara Ave.  What is the economic rational for Ku'ring'gai Council to recently extend the size of this carpark and then force road cyclists to park in nearby streets by setting a 2 hour maximum stay after 9am on Sundays?  Surely, Council could remove/amend the time limit signs on all car spaces (for Sundays), except the 10 spaces that directly affront Mona Vale Rd. 

One ponders -

(a)        the methodology that Council applied to impose the two hour time limit on Sundays after 9am for the entire 34 car spaces, because a useful off-road carpark is now largely unused after 11am on Sundays.  Because the majority of road cyclists do not finish their Sunday ride until well after 11am.  Many road cyclists' vehicles that used to park off-the-road, now park on roadways outside houses as evident in the below pics; and 

(b)        whether when expending rate-payers monies to increase the capacity of a social utility, whether Council subsequently monitored the patronage of this utility after restricting parking on Sundays to two hours post 9am.

Bank Teller has observed this carpark (post ride between 12:15pm and 1:30pm) on the four occasions that Muggs cyclists have commenced their Sunday bicycle ride from St. Ives since the recent carpark refurb - from early April.  He has never seen more than seven vehicles in it.  On one Sunday two tow trucks were parked in it.

One of the two tow trucks referred to above in front, with the other nestled in the background

Above and below pics of two SUVs (with bicycle racks aloft) parked in Stanley St around midday on a Sunday when most of the road cyclists have finished their Sunday morning ride and vamoosed

Bank Teller  took the below ten pics (from 8:35am on Sunday, 16th July in Stanley Street) of predominantly road cyclists' vehicles that previously parked in the Mona Vale Rd carpark (opp. Pattisons Patisserie) which now has a two hour parking limit after 9am.

Bank Teller   17 July '17