Dulwich Hill Bicycle Club

With all the wet weather of late I’m keen to stretch the legs a bit on a longer ride.

The Otford pie shop round trip is very scenic and is about 110kms.

Last time I did it with Philip and James it took a bit less than 4 hours – 30kph average.

Not a club sanctioned ride but if you come along you must be carrying a valid licence with emergency contact details and working front and rear lights.

I’ll be leaving from the cafe at 6am on Sunday if anyone is interested in joining me. There’s lots of climbing and descending – middies pace.

Add your name to a list if you’re keen.

I'm a strong maybe

Daylight saving ends this Sun and you shouldn't need lights at 6am.

Daylight saving ends this Sun and you shouldn't need lights at 6am.

Are you sure? My employer, the NSW Govt, has a differing view:

"Daylight Saving will end again in New South Wales on Sunday 7 April 2013 at 3:00 am, when clocks are put back one hour."

Are you sure? My employer, the NSW Govt, has a differing view:

"Daylight Saving will end again in New South Wales on Sunday 7 April 2013 at 3:00 am, when clocks are put back one hour."

Oh! I was going with what's on my electronic diary. Sounds like you have the better source. If so, I retract my comments, bring you 500 lumen front and tail lights!

Double checked, I was looking at my US diary entry. I thought it was a tad early as sunrise is still just 6:45am these days. You are right, 7 April is the NSW change over date.

Count me in. I like pies.

I'm in too as long as the weather is kind.

In.

Will see if I can keep up.

Daylight saving ends this Sun and you shouldn't need lights at 6am.

I ride with both lights on all the time, dark or light .. I want to be seen

My cat's name is mittens.

My cat's name is mittens.

Mittens Mattes, quite a mouthful.

Confirmed...
also, i'm happy to be dropped, so please feel free to gun it if you want. I'm all good to bring up the rear.
See you all at 6am

Sunday forecast looks to be good. I'm confirming my attendance.

6am start list:

1. John
2. Philip
3. Andrew
4. James
5. Noel

Thanks all for a great ride. I will be cautious to not miss the assumption that we indeed would ride via RNP.

And thanks to all with assisting me with my tyre blowout. I've added some new MacGuyver skills to my repertoire.

Cheers,
Noel

All those PRs in RNP mean you really enjoyed it, Noel... it's a great loop. Artillery Hill, The Wall, and the more rainforest-y parts of the national park really make the ride, methinks. I'm looking forward to doing it again... soon.

The mandatory group photo, fortunately this was shot before we decided to hit "The Wall" with bellies full of milkshakes. We weren't smiling so broadly after that.

Great ride guys.


This is what we looked like before we hit The Wall by Le Masurier, on Flickr

Wheel Men Wear Lycra

What 'goes' on the road stays on the road...

Ride report:

Another great day on the bike.

The start list indicated 5 but we had 9 starters show up at the café.

As it turned out John M was only going as far as Sutherland but he led the group out at a cracking pace.

Much huffing and puffing for many on the way out to Audley – I should have clarified that to get to Otford, we were going through RNP. A minor oversight, I feel.

We all hung on to descend together at Audley. The final stretch of the drop in is always sublime – beautiful road surface, nicely cambered, long seeping turns at high speed. The car traffic wasn’t too bad but the swarms of racing motorbikes were at times close for comfort.

Poor Colin wasn’t well equipped for any serious climbing efforts. And for him, things were about to get worse, a lot worse.

We all made it up to the lookout near Stanwell Tops for the mandatory group photo. We are so lucky to have a professional photographer in out midst.

Onto the ‘unique’ Otford Pie shop. They are an eclectic bunch there. The chap screams at anyone who lets the sprung loaded door slam – it’s a simple fix, but then he does it himself.

There’s a strange looking jar on the shelf jam packed with spiders, snakes, ticks, leaches – you name it. It’s probably the only café in Sydney to offer ‘mars bar pancakes’. If you do try one, please have a defibrillator and heart surgeon handy – I didn’t see any of these in the shop. I’ve never been even remotely interested in trying a pie there. In fact, I’m yet to see one. They’re not even on display. Empty foil trays stuck on the wall is really the only hint of size and what’s to come. I digress.

A ‘real banana smoothy’ later, (which strange brown bits in the bottom), I asked everyone how they would like to return home. Then I said it:
‘What about we return via THE WALL?’ Silence…. ‘Are you sure?’. The motion was carried. Some had done it before, some not.

I could see poor Colin’s heart sink. We suggested an alternative route but he was resigned to the pain.

We all managed that experience, and in the end it was probably less painful – the gradient is severe to start but it’s probably better than going through the park. Noel had a ripper of a flat which meant that Colin and James were off to get a head start – we never saw them again.

Onto Helensburgh, then a cracking paceline and sprint with Mark, Noel, Andrew and myself. Then onto Sutherland for a quick stop. Iain bailed at this point and we pushed it all the way home.

114kms, average speed 29kph. Not too shabby with a headwind home.

Thanks fellas – great weather, great vibe, and let’s do it all again soon.

John

Great ride. Great vibe. Great photos.

I might try for fresh legs next time.

Shame about the monkey.

At the risk of being habitual – I'm up for RNP this Sunday, usual time — but with an Otford option if any takers (no pie shop stop or accompanying banana smoothie; coffee break in Helensburgh if needed). Anyone else?

I'm somewhat keen. I've got a new tyre and all......

I probably need to be home by 9:30. So even tho I am keen, I am unlikely. Will post if I can make it.

Audley in or waterfall in?

Audley in or waterfall in?

Depends on whether we go to Otford and via The Wall again i guess......

If I go to bed early enough, I'll be there. Never ridden with the RNP bunch before, looking forward to meeting everyone.

Might be good to put this in the Sun RNP thread >> http://dhbc.org.au/forum/viewtopic.php? ... &hilit=rnp

Despite start of the week enthusiasm, I'm unlikely to be a starter tomorrow... will cross post in the RNP Sunday thread.