Church Point
- Group:
- B1
- Distance:
- 65km
- Route Description:
- Leave Lane Cove and head towards Epping Rd via Rosenthal Ave, Birdman Ave and Longueville Rd. Turn right on to Epping Rd and then turn left on the Pacific Highway.
Follow the Pacific Highway through Chatswood, Roseville, Lindfield, Killara and Gordon. At the Mona Vale Rd intersection turn right and ride up Mona Vale Rd to St Ives.
Follow Mona Vale Rd through St Ives and into Terrey Hills. At Terrey Hills, turn left onto McCarrs Creek Rd. Follow McCarrs Creek Rd past the first Akuna Bay turn off, and descend down the hill past West Head Rd and continue down to Church Point. Turn around at the Church Point wharf and ride back up McCarrs Creek Rd to Terrey Hills.
At the intersection of McCarrs Creek Rd and Mona Vale Rd, turn right and follow Mona Vale Rd back through St Ives to the intersection with the Pacific Hwy.
Turn left on the Pacific Highway, and follow it back through Gordon, Killara, Lindfield, Roseville and Chatswood. At the Epping Rd intersection, turn right and then turn left onto Longueville Rd, take the first right into Birdwood Ave, and follow this back to Burns Bay Rd, Renegade and the Cafe.
- Ride Description:
- After leaving Renegade, the group will head north up the Pacific Highway as so many of the rides do, at Mona Vale Rd, they will turn right and then ascend the hill that Mona Vale Rd welcomes you with. If the group has splintered on this climb, they will pull into the Caltex Service Station just past the Cowan Rd intersection for a brief regroup. If there are only small gaps in the bunch the front runners may just ease up to bring the group back together.
Just after the Richmond Rd intersection, there is a short descent followed by a short climb. On the approach to this descent, the group will claim the left hand lane due to rubbish and overhanging branches in the shoulder. After this descent, there is a climb out the other side, it is only short and the group will often take it easy to allow those who aren't mountain goats to rejoin once over the top.
The rest of the trip along Mona Vale Rd is pretty straight forward, there is a good shoulder with virtually no hills, expect a reasonable pace along here.
On turning into Terry Hills, the group may stop briefly at the Thai Restaurant if it is hot to top up water bottles as this is the last tap of drinkable water. Otherwise, they will keep riding along McCarrs Creek Rd. Follow McCarrs Creek Rd down into the National Park, this section is quite fast but care is needed if the road is damp from dew or rain. Continue on down past West Head Rd, taking care just after McCarrs Reserve as there is a tight left turn that can catch riders unaware. Continue on along the undulating of McCarrs Creek Rd until reaching Church Point.
Here you have a chance to rest up, grab a quick snack and a drink before heading back up McCarrs Creek Road. The climb out is fairly steady with a few short flats to gather your breath before tackling the next section. Ride out at your own pace and regroup at the Thai Restaurant before heading out for the Cafe.
Head back to Mona Vale Rd, turn right and head back along Mona Vale Rd. As this is slightly downhill, expect a reasonable pace, but as always in the busier areas, the group will be kept together, as always when riding along Mona Vale Rd, watch out for the short climb back up to St Ives.
After that, there is the heavier traffic to contend with through St Ives, and then the fast descent down to the Pacific Highway. At this point there is a mere 10km along the Highway before enjoying your much deserved coffee at the Cafe.
