Dulwich Hill Bicycle Club

Hi all,

I will be riding at a nice easy pace out to Kurnell on Sunday January 20, leaving the MRC at 6:30am to roll out with the C25 cruisers (or just behind them).

If you are thinking about making the step up from slowies or are getting back into riding, then this is the ride for you! It's a flat 60k return and we coffee at both Kurnell and back in Marrickville. You are also welcome to come along if you like a good catch-up gossip, have a loud voice to help make calls, are good with directions, efficient at changing flats or enjoy singing and a good yarn.

I will be at slowies the day before if you wanna chat

Look forward to seeing you there!

Jessica

A great idea and sounds like just the ride I have been looking for before trying Waterfall! Looking forward to it.

Fantastic to see this ride back for 2013 - thanks Jessica

If you're planning on joining this ride and haven't done much, or any bunch riding on major roads with traffic, then get acquainted with Bunch Riding skills, calls, procedures and safety by reading this fabulous and comprehensive guide from our friends at Sydney Cycling Club

I'm planning to do this, know the way very well, have a loud voice, love to sing on the bike and am a decent flat-changer.
For those who don't know the ride, Kurnell is a fine trip because once one leaves Taren Point Road and hits Captain Cook Drive, there are maybe two sets of traffic lights between there and Kurnell. That means about 15kms of time each way in the saddle with feet off the ground.
You don't get the climbing you get from a Waterfall, but do get a lot of time without the respite of a traffic light, which I find useful to build endurance as you get ready for a Waterfall.
If you don't want the mid-ride coffee, there's even a wee climb up to the cliffs, part of it on some half-inch aggregate that gives even a carbon frame's vibration-dampening credentials a real workout.
Come along - it'll be fun!

You don't get the climbing you get from a Waterfall, but do get a lot of time without the respite of a traffic light, which I find useful to build endurance as you get ready for a Waterfall.

There's a nice climb extension if you continue to Solander Pt via Solander Drive in the NP. It's a nice lookout and rest point.

Yay! This is one of my favorite rides (love no traffic lights). I'll be joining you over waterfall that day too. Thanks Jess.

I have a friend who is not a member of DHBC. She's interested in getting into road riding (she mainly rides off road). So, we'll join the ride if that's okay. I remember doing this ride a few years ago and feeling okay about tackling Waterfall in a group after that. Thanks for organising, Jess.
Alison

Alison, hello! Sounds good, would love to catch up!
Great to have a nice sized group along, Yay!

Two of my colleagues from IBM, Sunny & Kevin are keen to do this ride (I publicised it on our Sydney Cyclists Community page internally). Kevin is C28 pace rider and has done numerous longer rides, including one C28 Waterfall & Sunny is a true slowie I won't be there as I'm in Tassie then. Please make them welcome.

I like singing and am also tffw so I better come.

Hi Jess,

Sounds good, very interested in this ride. Getting back from Holiday the day before, so will see how I feel.

Thanks for organising this ride

Thanks
Paul

Hi Jess
Long time no speak! Michael my husband mentioned he saw you in Marrickville yesterday (Sat 12/1) and you suggested this Kurnell ride might be a good ride for me to come along to, to slowly get back into cycling. The last time I rode with the 'Slowies' group was August 2011 .... so 1.5 years ago. I can't believe it was that long ago... needless to say I need to rebuild my cycling fitness ...

So I'm going to bite the bullet and come along, count me in! Will dust the cobwebs off the bike and give it a go.

Cheers
Suzanne

P.S. Aoife is absolutely gorgeous, I love the Facebook updates!

Anyone interested in this ride should also check out the adventure ride thread as the next one on 3rd feb has an easy version that should appeal.

So great to be getting a good sized bunch along looking forward to meeting people and catching up with everyone too!
Also looking forward to the adventure ride, I may have organised childcare... stay tuned

Depending on the weather, I'll probably be there. Unless I get dragged into the C28s.

Also looking forward to the adventure ride, I may have organised childcare... stay tuned


trucker convoy????????????????????

I'll join the kurnell gang also.

We could also do the small climb up Solander Drive to the lookout

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Linda will be joining you too, but I'll be doing waterfall. 28s, John!

Great ride this morning with a HUGE bunch. Thanks to Jess, Geoff, Simon and Jeremy for getting us all there and back.

I'm sorry I missed it, I was meaning to go but woke up with a dodgy tummy. Hopefully the next one!

A big thanks (as big as the peloton) to Jessica, Geoff, Simon and Jeremy for making my first bunch ride (other than Saturday Slowies) a totally enjoyable experience this morning. Looking forward to the next one - next Sunday!?

Wondering what the etiquette or rules are for breaking away from the bunch? I am guilty(!?) of taking off on the run into Kurnell; couldn't resist putting some pain into my legs after seeing the long straight road ahead and 3 others break away. If guilty my apologies to the bunch.

I'm interested to know too, but I guess for the opposite reason what is the signal/etiquette if you want to leave the bunch I.e. 'drop' yourself out. How do you do that without disrupting or confusing the group?

Others more experienced than I might have a different opinion, but I think the key here is communication. If you are dropping off, let someone know so the group doesn't send out a search party 5 mins later. If people want to break off the front for a sprint, make sure the people around you know and where the planned regrouping point is.

Thanks Greg for the answer. So there is no special hand signal or voice command for dropping out?
I'm assuming that the onus on the dropper outer to perhaps manouver to the lane/space beside the bunch and then decelerate?

Hi Nikel

Communication is the key. tell everyone around you your intentions. Then safely pull out of the rank you are in. indicate to the rider behind you they should close the gap and NOT to follow you! drift to the back, then you can launch your attack or take a natural break, whatever your fancy is.

.

cheers dougie

Thanks Dougie
Nikki

Thanks Greg and Dougie. Let people know what you are doing seems fair enough. But drifting to the back from the front of the huge Kurnell bunch yesterday and then overtaking them would put a big dent energy-wise in a break away plan!

Hi All,
Thanks to all those who came along and made this a fantastic ride. I cannot believe we had 30 riders!!
I am definitely looking forward to putting this ride on again in future. I will post again when available.

With regards to giving your legs a spin and riding off of the front, usually I would think this ok but maybe not when we have a group of 30 with many new riders. I was told by 2 regular riders before the ride started that they were going to do this, however I noticed that other people wanted to have a go too. If there were to be a crash, the possibility of taking almost 30 people down could make for some serious injury. I have had a thought... as this is a step-up ride for those considering making the leap to a longer ride such as waterfall and for gaining bunch riding skills, what if those who wanted to burn off a bit more energy did so on the hill at Kurnell? I do agree with Dougie that those who wish to burn off excess energy should do this from the back as to not disrupt the paceline.

Great riding by all, wonderful meeting everyone and catching up with others. Looking forward to this ride again soon. Thanks to all those who helped out too!

Jessica

Thanks Greg and Dougie. Let people know what you are doing seems fair enough. But drifting to the back from the front of the huge Kurnell bunch yesterday and then overtaking them would put a big dent energy-wise in a break away plan!

Hey, it worked for Bjarne Riis (aka Mr 64%)

Doping references aside, if there's a big group and there's a logical spot for people to open up on the ride (I must admit I don't know the Kurnell route), just let everyone know pre-ride that's a bit of a sprint point and that everyone will regroup after the sprint. That way people are expecting it and will give others plenty of space. The same thing basically happens every Waterfall ride when people hit the mad mile.

I think Jessica's point about respecting the nature of the ride and group is also a good one.

I'm sure my friend wasn't the only rider new to bunch riding who was inspired after yesterday. Thanks very much for organising and the impressive job by Jess, Simon etc in keeping such a large group safe and on track!

That was fun. Good idea Jessica.

If any of you want another ride check out the adventure ride thread.
Compared to Kurnell the 65km version will be
* easier-the distance is about the same and it's flat but we will go a lot slower and have more stops.
*more scenic- we stop at beaches for a swim and ride through some national park
*much less traffic
*hardly any traffic lights
*no changing lanes
*no mercury poisoning
*more beer
*more stuffing around and general chitchat
or if you were comfortable with the pace and could have gone further there is a 95km option