A very challenging day out. Over 8 hours on the bike, after an early (4am!) start. Wet roads after overnight rain made the going slippery to the start of the 'Gong Ride at St Peters. Met the Easyriders at Gordon 445am and set out for St Peters via Harbour Bridge and city. Arrived at start just before 6am. Good time to leave before the crowd builds up. Zlatko punctured at the start so I stopped to assist change of tube. From then on the battle was on the catch the group ahead. Not to be as they were clearly too fast. Arrived at the 'Gong finish 9.30am approx after puncturing at Woonona 10km from finish. Rode back, with Graham, Mark and three other ERs to Bulli Beach cafe for a much needed refill of coffee, bacon and egg rolls and fruit juice. Then off up Bulli Pass. "Killer" gradients at 14-15% with a nasty kick at the start and finish. Steady pace back along F6 Motorway and into Sutherland for a water stop and re-group. Chugged into Killara (Greengate Hotel) at about 4pm. Beers never tasted so good after a hot afternoon. Pics below. Garmin link here
Sydney to the 'Gong return also below is Mark Worrall's report
Well,
we did it! Dazy’s Dawdlers G2GGvTG virgins (well most of
us!).
Surprisingly,
when I started alongside Simba at St Peters, we looked at each other while
overtaking several non ER riders, and made a short term, but serious attempt to
catch the Dom Express a few km’s along Princes Hwy, only to realise that (at
least for me), I was going to blow up in 5kms let alone attempt to make 200+.
So we backed off (a set of red lights and a very ‘kind’ policeman made sure of
that!). We were joined along Brighton Le Sands by Captain, Ravi et al for about
30kms (plus the Captain’s equipment challenges across Tom Ugly’s bridge) until
the train started its own somewhat independent course to the Gong. I came
across Virgin and Graham Boyce at a drinks stop half way down the coast and
tried to hang on from there. It took me approx 3 hours 40 down to the finish –
and what a great ride through the National Park and across the Cliff Bridge road
and the coast! Stunning stuff! I can’t believe NNNNick did 2.15!
The
return journey, post a much needed (and delightful) bacon and egg roll and
banana smoothie at Bulli Beach Café (again sorry Dragon!), was not as
(initially) pleasant – given that we started with the climb up Bulli Pass. The
home team comprised of Graham Boyce, Peter Kemp, Scott Telfer and his son Matt
plus YHC. We did pass the Captain, B1 and his son (awesome effort on the tandem
guys – especially after hearing of all the chain issues!), and Ravi et al on
their way to the finish, while we were en route to ‘that’ hill. According to
Graham’s Strava, at it’s worst, the Bulli Pass gradient is 20%, and Sat Nav
reckons it averages 9.5% over what Strava says is a cat 2 climb. It was the
toughest climb I have ever experienced (previously Dead Horse gap from Corryong
to Thredbo was the toughest) and definitely needed at least two more ‘granny’
gears to make it more bearable. (Purchase coming up!). If we could have
zigzagged – might have made it without some walking (damn!). Peter K was just
amazing – powered up everything – no questions (but then much later in the day
over that well deserved beer, we discovered that earlier this year he did a
‘little’ ride in France comprising 9 cols plus Alpe d’Huez – just 1,100 kms and
22,000 meters vertical over 7 days!!). But we made it and reached the GG in 4
hours 40 mins interspersed with a few stops (Coke hits) en route home (see
attached) which were fundamental, as were the gels, Voltarins and
bananas!
According
to my odometer, a total of 209.45kms (back to the carpark at Gordon), over 8
hours and 20 mins at an average pace of 25.1kms per hour. Not too bad for some
old fellas. And I can tell you the beer at the GG has never tasted so sweet
(even when we did pay for it!). See photo. Now all we have to do is more
training (and more training), so we can do better next
year!
Thanks
to Graham, Peter, Scott and Matt (plus a friendly fellow in black and white from
Leichhardt who was part of the train home post meeting up Bulli) for all for
your encouragement and moral support on the way home.
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| early morning start at Gordon 445am |
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| ERs at Gordon |
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| St Peters 6am |
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| 'Gong finish Stuart Park Nth Wollongong |
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| Bulli Beach view from Cafe |
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| Waterfall (return group) coke stop |
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| rest stop Chippendale |
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| "Cheers" with Mark and Graham at Greengate |
