Bobbin Head - Galston Gorge - Berowra Waters
- Group:
- B1
- Distance:
- 82km
- Route Description:
- Leave Lane Cove and head towards Epping Rd via Rosenthal Ave, Birdwood Ave and Longueville Rd. At Epping Rd, turn right and head towards the Pacific Highway. Turn left on to the Pacific Highway.
Follow the Pacific Highway through Chatswood, Roseville, Lindfield, Killara, Gordon & Pymble. Turn right onto Bobbin Head Rd and follow through North Turramurra and into the National Park.
Descend to Bobbin Head and ascend on the north side via Ku-Ring-Gai Chase Rd, following Ku-Ring-Gai Chase Rd until the northern National Park toll booth. Continue along Ku-Ring-Gai Chase Rd until Belmont Parade, turn right then left at the railway bridge to the Pacific Hwy.
Turn left at the Pacific Hwy and follow through Asquish to Galston Rd, turn right onto Galston Rd and follow through Hornsby Heights and descend into the Berowra Valley Regional Park, then ascend out on 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, Mount Colah and Asquith. At Asquith follow Jersey St North parallel to the rail line, turn left on Bridge Rd over the railway bridge and then right onto George St into Hornsby. Continue on George St unbtil it merges back into the Pacific Hwy. Follow the Pacific Hwy through Waitara, Wahroonga, Turrarmurra, 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:
- Like the majority of Renegade Rides, this follows the Pacific Highway north. This early in the morning there are few problems with traffic. Just after the Mona Vale Rd intersection, you will have to ascend Pymble Hill. Just past the top, is the right hand turn onto Bobbin Head Rd. Because of the hill and the traffic lights, it is possible for the stronger climbers to open a gap on the slower climbs. It may be necessary for these stronger riders to stop briefly at the top of the hill or soon after turning onto Bobbin Head Rd to allow the group to reform.
The descent into Bobbin Head is a nice fun descent, most of the corners are quite gentle, but there is the odd tighter corner. The road surface is reasonable but take care if it has been raining as there are water flows across the road in various places.
After climbing out on the North side and regrouping at the Toll Booth. Continue from the Toll Booth to the Pacific Hwy where you turn left and follow it back towards Hornsby. Turn right onto Galston Rd and will see that you are starting to leave the city behind due to the increasing amount of vegetation and open land, soon it will really hit home as you descend into Galston Gorge and Berowra Waters Regional Park.
This is a fun descent, the road isn't in the best condition, but there isn't much that an alert cyclists needs to fear. The best feature of this descent are the 6 hairpins. So pretend that you are descending an Alp in the Tour de France and have fun, just take care if it is wet or foggy.
The first hairpin can catch you unawares, as it is about 20m past a 90 degree right hand corner. When you see the sign for Berowra Waters Regional Park, the first hairpin is just around the corner.
Usually the group will stop briefly at the bottom of the climb in the small carpark to regroup before ascending out of the other side. 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 narrow 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 can be good fun. The road surface is quite poor on the top section but has been resurfaced part way down. There aren't any big surprises on this descent, just descend at a pace that is comfortable to you. There is a Ferry crossing 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 as the climb on the other side starts straight away. After the climb out of Berowra Waters, the group will often stop just after the roundabout at the top before heading back towards the Pacific Hwy.
After leaving Berowra behind, there are several rolling hills along this section of the Pacific Highway, but they aren't particularly long or steep. Ride through Mount Kuring-Gai, Mount Colah to Hornsby before rejoining the Pacific Hwy for the return to Lane Cove and the Cafe
Once back into Lane Cove, enjoy your Coffee at the Cafe after a good solid ride.
