Galston Gorge - Berowra Waters - Bobbin Head
- Group:
- A
- Distance:
- 85km
- Route Description:
- On leaving Lane Cove, turn left onto Burns Bay road, follow the road and turn left onto Longueville Rd. Turn right onto Epping Road at the lights, and take the exit ramp to the Pacific Highway and turn left.
Follow the Pacific Highway through Chatswood, Lindfield, Killara, Gordon, Pymble, Turrarmurra and Wahroonga. At Pearce's Corner turn right and continue along the Pacific Highway. At the intersection of College Crescent, again turn right to continue along the Pacific Highway. In Hornsby, follow the road to the left to cross over the railway bridge, and then follow the road to the right.
At Galston Rd, turn left and then follow Galston Road through Galston Gorge, and out the western side. At the roundabout, turn right onto Arcadia Road.
Follow the twists and turns of Arcadia Rd as it passes through Arcadia. Arcadia Rd becomes Bay Rd and then passes through Berilee, descend down the hill into Berowra Waters. Cross on the Ferry.
Ascend the eastern side of Berowra Waters to Berowra Heights. At the top of the climb, turn right at the roundabout and continue along Berowra Waters Rd, at the second roundabout, turn left, then turn right at the lights onto the Pacific Highway.
Follow the Pacific Highway through Mount Kuring-Gai and into Mount Colah. At the intersection with Belmont Parade, turn left to head towards Bobbin Head. Cross the bridge, and then turn right. Then take the first left onto Ku Ring Gai Chase Rd. Follow this road through Bobbin Head, and out the south side, where it becomes Bobbin Head Rd.
Follow Bobbin Head Rd until the intersection with Bannockburn Rd, this is the second left after the traffic lights at Burns Rd. Take the first right to continue along Bannockburn Rd.
Follow Bannockburn Rd back to the Pacific Highway, there is a right then left along here just after the intersection with Pentecost Ave.
Turn left onto the Pacific Hwy, and follow it back through Pymble, Gordon, Killara, Lindfield and Chatswood. At Epping Rd, turn right, and then left into Longueville Rd. Take the first right into Birdwood Ave and follow this back to Renegade and the Cafe.
- Ride Description:
- This is a challenging Ride, it is 85km with three major climbs and plenty of smaller hills. The order of the major hills is hardest to easiest, so once past Galston, the climbs do become easier. Despite the difficulty of this ride, it has some spectacular riding through some of the really pretty areas of Northern Sydney. This in itself makes it worthwhile.
On the return leg down the Highway, it is possible to continue straight past the turn off for Bobbin Head if you are feeling tired.
The first shock to the system is Pymble Hill, this is a short sharp climb that will spread the bunch out a bit. It hits about 500m past the Mona Vale Rd intersection. The group does not stop here, but will slow down to ensure that all riders are able to rejoin the group.
After Honsby the route turns down Galston Rd, finally leaving behind the busier roads and starting to get towards the heartland of this ride. Soon the urban dwellings will be left behind as you descend into Galston Gorge.
This is one of the few places in Sydney where you can experience a descent with hairpin bends. There are 6 of them on the way down the hill. The first one can arrive a bit suddenly, it is about 30m past a sharp right hand corner. When you can see the sign "Berowra Waters Regional Park" you aren't far from this first hairpin. It is advisable to start slowing before this corner in preparation for this hairpin.
At the bottom, there is a classic timber planked bridge, it is a bit rough on a road bike, but as it was recently refurbished it is in good condition. It is only a single lane, and while you have right of way, there may be some impatient motorists coming the other way.
Once out of Galston Gorge, the ride takes in the urban rural fringe areas of Dural, Arcadia and Berilee. There are no traffic lights out here, and only light traffic. The road is a bit rough in a few places and there is the odd rolling hill, but for Sydney this is pretty much cycling nirvana. The road is only single file, so be courteous to the odd vehicle that catches up to the bunch and ride single file to let them pass.
The descent to Berowra Waters is speed limited to 40km/hr, but it is quite easy to go faster than this on the bike. There aren't any big surprises on this descent but the road isn't the smoothest. Take it at a pace that is comfortable to you. There is a Ferry Trip at the bottom and the group won't board until all riders have reached the bottom.
On reaching the bottom, make sure that your bike is in pretty much it's lowest gear. The hill on the other side starts straight away. It is an easy mistake to get off the Ferry and find that you are still in the 53-11 from the descent on the Western side.
After the climb out of Berowra Waters, the group will often stop at the Service Station just before the Pacific Highway to refill water bottles. After leaving Berowra behind, there are several rolling hills along this section of the Pacific Highway, but they aren't particularly long or steep.
Once the group has turned off onto Ku Ring Gai Chasi Rd, the pace will often lift as this is a fast section. Some of the faster riders may attempt to break away, they will wait on the other side of Bobbin Head so it isn't critical to chase them down. The descent into Bobbin Head is pretty straight forward, there are two tighter corners to be aware of, one just past the Kalkari Discovery Centre, and the other right at the bottom of the descent.
On the South side of the bridge, just before the ascent, there is a toilet block. This can be a good opportunity to lose some ballast before the ascent.
Once over the top, the route follows Bobbin Head Road, but will take the back way of Bannockburn Rd back to the Highway, if you are unsure of the exact route listen out for the calls.
Turn left onto the Pacific Hwy, and follow it back through Pymble, Gordon, Killara, Lindfield and Chatswood. At Epping Rd, turn right, and then left into Longueville Rd. Take the first right into Birdwood Ave and follow this back to Renegade and the Cafe.
