*  Goulburn to Camden Classic - September 12

BiciSport starters - James Swadling

*  Sydney Winter Track Champs (DGV) - September 18

BiciSport starters - Mike Popplewell, Alan Townsend, Mike Lawson, Michelle Crawford 

*  Masters Southern Hemisphere Cup - September 19

BiciSport starters - Mike O`Brien 

National Snapshot - This Week

Cyclo Sportive Snapshot - This Week

Masters Snapshot 

BiciSport Recommended Services & Contacts  

Military Road Clinical Massage is at 884 Military Rd, Mosman. Contact is Trina Steer on 9969 4914. The Clinical Massage centre operates 5 days per week (closed on Sunday and Monday). Operating hours are 10am to 6pm.

*  Great Coffee 

*  Fresh Juice Bar

at Shop 1, North Steyne Manly (just near the roller blade shop). Jacinta Mitchard and her friendly team feed the BiciSport gruppetto every Saturday morning from 9am.  

*  Cafe Piemonte (beside Hills Nursery) .. Park `n Ride

just off Mona Vale Road (south of Bonds Nursery by some 500m). Cafe Piemonte (Jo & Colin Fisher are the owners) now has bike friendly racks to hang your latest carbon fibre steed. This is the popular Saturday coffee stop for the BiciSport gruppetto after the Akuna Bay loop from 9.00am every Saturday, and has a framed BiciSport jersey on the cafe wall (just like home). An ideal place to `park & ride` - park your car in the carpark, straight into Akuna Bay, and back for coffee. Website is www.piemonte.com.au

*  Timber Flooring

Austins Timber Flooring

A family business with over 20 years in the flooring trade. Austin`s Timber can supply and lay all types of timber & laminate flooring. Experience in both domestic & commericial. Austin`s use quality products & pride themselves in their work. Contact Jayson Austin on 0438 557 874. Jayson is a BiciSport Master cyclist, and has won a World Championship at the Masters level (Track - Pointscore)

Northside Traffic BlackSpots - The places to avoid

Red traffic lights & cycling accident statistics  

The issues with ignoring red traffic lights as a cyclist are simple - you`ll get killed eventually (that is a certainty), and the period before you get killed gives all the motorists a really poor public relations experience. The additional downside - all done while wearing your sponsors team clothing. In short, its a dumb thing to do.

Some recent government statistics on cycling fatalities -

* 60% of fatalities are deemed the cyclists fault

* most fatalities are between 3-6pm

* most dangerous day is Wednesday

* 30% of fatalities occur at intersections                

NSW School Terms (and those important traffic flow peaks)

... when school is in, the traffic is heavier ...

2010 School Terms ... Schools resume July 19  

School Terms

T3 .. July 19 to Sept 24

T4 .. Oct 11 to Dec 17   

Northside BlackSpots at September 1

please email bicisportcycling@westnet.com.au with the latest Northside BlackSpots

NORTHERN BEACHES

`The Saturday Traffic Crush` ...

The Sydney Morning Herald quoted -`Saturday - Sydney`s one big car park`, the article went on to analyse the Saturday traffic crush. The RTA statistics indicated what cyclists have known for some time -

* the Saturday morning peak starts at approximately 8.30am, and is in full swing by 9am

* was consistently high all day Saturday (unlike mid week days)

* nearly 50% of Saturday trips were for visits, entertainment or sport

* Saturday car trips along Military Rd (through Mosman) now exceed mid week numbers !

* the Saturday cycling strategy - get out & back as early as possible to maximise the enjoyment. Certainly, any return journey after 9am will become something less than pleasant. 

Pittwater Rd (Mona Vale to Seaforth)

the Saturday experience is best served before 8.30am, as the Saturday traffic crush through Collaroy, Dee Why and Brookvale becomes very heavy from 9am.

It is suggested you start the Saturday or Sunday ride as early as possible (maybe meet the Supreme Cycles group at 7am at Narrabeen ?). 

The recommended McCarrs Creek loop is - Pittwater Rd going north, then veer left onto McCarrs Creek Rd at Mona Vale, through Church Point, and return via Forest Way and Allambie Heights Rd (down to Manly Vale). The new SupaCentre Complex at the corner of Forest Way/Mona Vale Rd attracts considerable traffic on a Saturday after 9.00am, and Forest Way is most unpleasant near the Warringah Rd interchange after 9.00am. 

Alternatives to Pittwater Road include -

* Collaroy Plateau Loop (if going north) - use South Creek Road towards Cromer, onto the Rose Avenue climb to the top of Collaroy Plateau. Caution needs to be exercised on the Veterans Parade descent towards Narrabeen.  

* Ocean Street Narrabeen Loop (if going north or south) - use Ocean Street along the Narrabeen Peninsula, across Narrabeen Lakes bridge, then Sydney Road towards Mona Vale Hospital.

The traffic congestion between Narrabeen Bridge & Powderworks Road is heavy (in both directions) in the morning & afternoon peak, and the Ocean Street Loop is the best alternative during these peak times.   

* Dee Why Beach Loop (if going south) - turn left into Howard Street, then Griffin Road, over the Dee Why Beach climb, then beside Curl Curl Beach, Carrington Parade, then Harbord Diggers Club and Freshwater Beach. Avoid the Warringah Mall area at all costs.

Spit Bridge descent (Seaforth side) ... then there`s Miltary Rd Mosman  

Alternatives to Spit Bridge include using Battle Boulevarde (via the Seaforth shops), and use the western footpath across the Spit Bridge (note - the Bridge footpath itself can be very very slippery when damp or wet when you`re heading south - so don`t jump on the front brakes, as a crash will result).

Military Rd through Mosman is unpleasant in a car on Saturday after 8.30am, let alone on a bike. There are several parallel route alternatives to Military Rd, especially on the eastern side of Military Rd. Recent RTA statistics confirm more car trips along Military Rd through Mosman on a Saturday than mid week. The Saturday strategy seems to be - get out early, and be home before 9.30am at the latest.      

Forest Way-Warringah Road-Allambie Heights Road area

Without doubt the most dangerous bit of cycling real estate on the northside. Warringah Road (in either direction), from Forest Way to Allambie Heights Road, is a total no go zone at all times.

Alternatives to Warringah Road include -

* Ray White Real Estate Northern Footpath - When going south along Forest Way towards the major Warringah Road interchange, the safe alternative is to use the northern footpath commencing at the Ray White Real Estate carpark, running parallel to Warringah Rd itself (adjacent to the High School). Its narrow, but totally safe.

* Warringah Aquatic Centre Loop - using Aquatic Drive towards the Warringah Swimming Centre, turn right through the Aquatic Centre carpark, along a narrow pedestrian footway over the Wakehurst Parkway footbridge, then turn right into Bantry Bay Rd, left into Fitzpatrick Ave, right into Karingal Cres, right into a tiny footpath opposite Akora Street, and then over the Warringah Rd footbridge (and onto Forest Way itself)

* Morgan Road Loop - cut across Warringah Road at the Government Road intersection, then use Oxford Falls Road, briefly onto Wakehurst Parkway going north, before turning left onto Oxford Falls Rd again, past the Optus Earth Station, climbing the steep Morgan Road climb to Forest Way.      

Wakehurst Parkway (Narrabeen to Frenchs Forest)

Wakehurst Parkway looks reasonably safe for cycling (with a wide side verge), but the Parkway has serious car accidents on a regular basis near the Deep Creek area (just near the narrow bridge). The Parkway from Narrabeen to Frenchs Forest is best avoided at all times, and despite Pittwater Rd carrying a lot of traffic, the Pittwater Rd alternative is generally considered a safer option.

Wakehurst Parkway (Frenchs Forest to Seaforth)

Comparatively safer for training rides, and is a popular training route. When going south along the Wakehurst Parkway towards Seaforth, a good option is to take the first left when you approach Seaforth suburbia at Kirkwood Street, then loop through the back of Seaforth, using Judith & Manning Streets, past the Wakehurst Golf Club, onto North Balgowlah and towards Manly (crossing over the Burnt Creek Deviation at Kitchener Street)    

Finally, the other total "no go zones" are Mona Vale Rd (from Terrey Hills to Mona Vale) past the Bahai Temple, and either side of Roseville Bridge. Both are major arterial roads carrying excessive amounts of traffic.

NATIONAL PARK ZONE

Akuna Bay descents

The (steeper) Cottage Point Inn side has seen numerous crashes, especially on the bumpy, straight section of road 500m before the Cottage Point Inn turnoff - extreme caution is required at all times on what looks like a totally innocent straight stretch of road. This dangerous Cottage Point Inn area now has had some of the bumps `smoothed` and `caution` signs erected on the left hand side of the road. However, the road surface near the Cottage Point Inn turnoff remains of very poor quality. 

The right hand corner half way down the descent (with the rock wall on the left) has claimed numerous victims especially in the wet.   

The (flatter) descent into Akuna Bay is from the West Head side - the road is bumpy in parts, with one right hand corner half way down requiring particular caution.

Bobbin Head descents (both Mt Colah & Turramurra sides)

This popular training road looks pretty straight forward, but the road edges of both descents have degenerated considerably over recent years.

Riders regularly go "rubber side up" on the steeper Mt Colah side, and more so than ever there seems to be `just one proper line through the corners`. The last left hand corner into Bobbin Head itself is particularly dangerous (especially if damp). Local "boaties" regularly drop oil on the road from towing their boats, and the road is often littered with branches after a heavy wind.

The descent on the Turramurra side is comparatively safer than the Mt Colah side, but the road is still very bumpy in parts, especially through the corners, and the road edges are poor.        

West Head Road

The West Head Rd was resurfaced in August 2009, and the loop is just 14k each way (28k back to the Akuna Bay road intersection), with 11 climbs in total - 5 climbs each way plus the steep Commodore Heights climb. This is possibly the best cycling real estate in Sydney, especially after the new road surface has gone down.

The very end of the West Head loop is the only serious traffic blackspot - the steep descent into Commodore Heights is greeted with a near impossibly sharp right hand bend with no camber ... the descent into Commodore Heights is incredibly quick, but the road narrows and the right hand bend has absolutely no camber. This right hand corner has claimed numerous victims over the years, and the steep descent needs to be taken under `full brakes` or a major accident is a certainty at the right hand corner. Northside club racing events avoid this nasty right hand corner altogether (club races do a u-turn at the NP&WS Rangers Station at the Resolute recreation area). Mobile phone reception on the West Head Rd is very poor & be mindful of wallabies & kangaroo`s crossing the road.    

Church Point/McCarrs Creek area

McCarrs Creek Rd is hugely popular with cyclists, especially on weekends. The McCarrs Creek descent towards Church Point is not particularly dangerous, but can be narrow in parts. When descending towards Church Point, be mindful of oncoming motor vehicle traffic moving out to overtake cyclists climbing back the other way - especially Saturday & Sunday mornings. The road surfaces & edges east of Bayview are sub standard, with numerous potholes & uneven surfaces

OTHER NORTHSIDE AREAS  

Galston Gorge-Berowra Waters Ferry descents

Galston Gorge is best avoided at all times except for early on a Sunday morning. Neither side of the Gorge is particularly dangerous but heavy traffic (especially during mid week peak hours and Saturday) ensures the road  should be best avoided - best option is to go via Berowra Waters Ferry from the Berowra side. The Berowra Waters descent from the Berrilee side requires care, especially after the road narrows approximately 2 kilometres from the top.

Calga Area

Three rock quarries operate `6 days per week` near the Calga interchange at Jones Road, Peats Ridge shops and at Kulnurra (5k west of Peats Ridge towards Wollombi). The quarry trucks can pose a serious safety issue if you are training on the Calga-Peats Ridge Road, and nearby Wisemans Ferry Rd at Somersby, especially from Monday to Saturday. Sunday is the best day by far.

Motorcyclists on the Old Pacific Highway

(from Cowan to Calga) are a major safety issue, especially on Sunday`s after 8.30am. To improve road safety the Old Pacific Highway is now a 60k speed limit zone (much to the frustration of motorcyclists), but this doesn`t stop random acts of total motorcycle stupidity (several white crosses along the Highway verges are testimony to the behaviour). Police regularly patrol this stretch of road from Cowan to Mt White. The Old Pacific Highway through the small Cowan village has been reduced to one lane each way, and a cycle lane has been provided.