Sydney CC Patonga Club Run

Sunday 17th November 2002
Sydney Cycling Club take an annual club ride to Patonga - on which I was lucky enough to join them. For a Pom this ride had it all: Sunshine, glorious views, sunshine, boats, sunshine and sunshine.

As usual the ride started from Centenial Park which is around 5km outside of Sydney's CBD. At a guess there were around 40 riders. This group planned to split into two. One group was to ride a shorter 60 mile route and the other a 100 mile route.

Since the route went north out of Sydney the first 20 miles went through the center of Sydney and over the Harbour bridge. Riding through central Sydney, even at 06:30 wasn't easy as the roads were peppered with pot holes and uneven surfaces. Unfortuntely a pot hole claimed a victim and although not badly injured suffered a mechanical which put pay to their day.

After the accident and a few words from club secretary George Schneller the group concentrated on the ride. This was needed as the highway out to north Sydney is not the most bicycle friendly road I've visited.

The first stop was at the Palm Beach pennisula for a quick cafe stop before catching a ferry across Broken Bay. On the map Palm Beach is on the eastern most pennisula north of Newport.)