Dulwich Hill Bicycle Club

For a while now, I've been thinking about doing Botany Bay in a day.
Actually, it should only take about 3.5 hours, probably less, according to this wee route I drew up. I imagine stopping for water at Cape Solander past Kurnell. No real hills. Lotsa flats. And pray for not much wind.
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Ar ... y-in-a-day
I reckon it could make a fine Australia Day ride, given the historical significance of Botany Bay.
T'would need a decent bunch, tho: the airport tunnel can be scary!

The map hasn't loaded for me yet, so I don't know your exact route. I assume that you would be doing La Peruse to Kurnell.

Ride along Wentworth Ave to the very end (Botany Rd), then turn right, and then first left, then right onto Qantas Drive (I think that it is called something else there).

Follow that to West Botany St, and then take the normal club route back to General Homes Drive.

On the north bound run, take the tunnel, but unless you are planning on taking Southern Cross Drive, turn left past the Service Station, then right onto the Service Rd. Follow that to the end, and then right and cross back to Botany Rd.

James

Riding through that tunnel in a decent size bunch is soo much fun. You can go so fast.

Looks good and is relevant for Australia Day. We should check the traffic situation around Kurnell for the day though.

I am interested but will have to wait till closer to the date before I'd know my schedule.

There is a strong chance that I will be in Sydney for Australia day so I would like to be counted in for this ride

Still thinking of doing this? I'd like to put my hand up for it.

I'm still planning to do this one. Anyone else want to join a ride into history? Kurnell looks free of road-obstructing festivities and no-one cares about La Perouse on Australia day!
I reckon we need at least 4 to make the run through the tunnel safe.

My schedule is still open for this ride.

Camilla says she'll come too - returning from the Apline Classic on Monday night.

what time are you planning on starting?

Weather forecast: 31 with a chance of a shower or thunderstorm. I guess we shouldn't start too late.

what say we to a 6:15 AM departure?

I think I'll be in as well. Make up for skippiung Sunday with the rain.

i'm sure this sounds like a very stupid question, but on the map is the distance measured from marrickville to kurnell via la perouse or marrickville to marrickville?

...on the map is the distance measured from marrickville to kurnell via la perouse or marrickville to marrickville?

Click through the ride points and you'll find it's Marrickville to Marrickville.

I'm keen to do this ride tomorrow.

I'm 75% committed.

I will only not be there if SWMBO plays the veto card.

(Or if it's píssing down.)

what say we to a 6:15 AM departure?

Sounds good!

What's the expected time of return? 10am or before?

Fingers crossed the rain will stay away.

Sounds good!

What's the expected time of return? 10am or before?

Fingers crossed the rain will stay away.

The route is mostly flat, so I figure 3:30-3:45 riding time is not stupid to assume for the 93km journey (I am wayyyy unfit having spent the last month chasing kids).

And I'm thinking anti-rain thoughts right now!

I'd like to come too. I'm not especially fast though - a slower slowy on the Waterfall ride.

Yes, lots of scary fast riders on the list! Remember guys, this is a traditional schooners and two-up Australia Day event.

@EMT - come along! This is a no-drop ride. You'll be taken care of!
S.

And now for some historical detail:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Perouse ... outh_Wales
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botany_Bay
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurnell,_New_South_Wales

I'd like to come too. I'm not especially fast though - a slower slowy on the Waterfall ride.

If you can handle Waterfall with the Cruisers, then this will be fine. We can make Cape Solander the KOM part of the ride.

I've also added this ride to our club diary (via Google Calendar).

And now for some historical detail:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Perouse ... outh_Wales
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botany_Bay
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurnell,_New_South_Wales

Who wants to be our historian on the ride and provide commentary along the way? Can Ted be the one even though we are not going to carry shovels?

Um, well, I could try, but I had sheepishly to consult Simon's links and learnt all sorts of interesting things. I could try to do a little research. What's a KOM? I only just discovered what a SWMBO is. Fortunately my SWMBO is so totally cycling-addled that there's no question of non-permission. I'd be flogged out the door at 6 if I tried to avoid this ride.

Who wants to be our historian on the ride and provide commentary along the way? Can Ted be the one even though we are not going to carry shovels?

I'm thinking of an early detour via. old Marrickville Police Station, which is quite a building for those who have not seen it!

Excellent - see you in the morning and what we don't know about the history, we can just make up

and I've got a good australia day story from 1988 that saw me (inadvertantly) knock out the same person twice within 24 hours.

KOM = King of (the) Mountain, which more colloqually means the bit where everyone (who wants to) tries to go up a hill as fast as possible, just for fun.

Okay, now I'm in.

That was a lot of fun. Glad the cloud stayed around until it was over though. Hope Toff found his way home.

I got home just fine. My mobile phone started ringing, and when I took it out of my back pocket, the plastic bag it was in ripped across the bottom, and dumped my phone, and wallet across the road. I picked up the pieces but decided to call back the person who had called me to make sure my phone still worked.

I could see everyone up ahead, but then everyone disappeared after going under the tunnel at the end of the cycleway. I rode back to the cafe as if it was any other Waterfall ride. When I hit the Princes Highway, and still couldn't see anyone I wondered if you had taken the bike path, but since I didn't know if I was behind everyone or in front of everyone I kept going.

When I got to the cafe, and it was closed, I just rode home.

Good ride. Looking forward to some pics!

Toff, we did wonder if you had been taken by aliens! Glad there was a more straightforward explanation

Thanks Simon for organising it. I did actually learn some history along the way! Pretty sure I won't be going to Cronulla on Australia Day again tho.

And here's the GPS output of the ride: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/23317861
For those who could not make it, please not the impressive* (27 vertical KMs) amount of climbing undertaken. Seeing as the ride was 95kms, that makes for an average gradient of around 30%. Now THAT's making history.












*The Garmin GPS I have uses a barmotetric altimeter that relies on air pressure to guess altitude. The high humidity yesterday probably borked it but good.

112kph max speed, now that's impressive

Toff, there must have been a small window of about 30 seconds when we rode through that tunnel and up Marsh Street before turning back for you: long enough for you to go through the tunnel and take off on the more traditional Waterfall route back home. I would have rung but my phone must have been squashed against something in my bag and ran itself out of batteries. Then the cafe was closed. Comedy of errors. Sorry.

Thanks Ted, but I was already running late, so I didn't mind scampering home without you guys.

Is there any way to get that Garmin data in SI units or SI unit derivatives? I wasn't born in the 1800s, so the information it gives is pretty meaningless.

Oh... just found the "View in Metric" button, so I partially answered my own question, although for some reason the estimation of energy used for the ride is referred to in calories, not kiloJoules, and I have no idea why imperial units are referred to as "Statute".

Far out it sounds like you had a good group to go for a ride with! and i took the day off instead!
Nice top speed

Wonky GPSes aside, I reckon this was a fine ride and the historical spots at Kurnell a bit of a highlight . I'm planning to do it next Australia Day, but in reverse, because Cronulla was a bit icky, coffee-wise. I reckon coffee at La Perouse could be more civilised, even if it is at around 80kms.

Late chipping in. The ride was great and thanks for the company of all and Simon in initiating it. Been too busy this week in getting any of the photo/video sorted but will try to attend to them over the weekend.

Coffee at La Perouse would be great but I the legs might go a bit soggy for the climb out.

Where are the pics???