Wentworth Falls to Penrith, Monday morning

[RideLikeTheWind]

I am planning to ride to Penrith monday morning, for anyone that is interested. I will be leaving here no later than 6. I plan to get to penrith in 1:45.00 and hope to be on a train back up the mountain (stuff riding up at this stage - I ned more endurance and uphill training first).

Anyway anyone interested in joining me, PM for details and I will let you know where to meet me.

This is also pending fine weather for the ride down.

Joe

[Bnej]

I think it will be raining on Monday, be careful if you do ride.

From Wentworth falls there's a decent low traffic ride on Railway Pde to Lawson.

[sandman]

Hi Joe

Good luck with your ride, you've got to start somewhere ! I might suggest avoiding the biggest hill then (Lapstone) and maybe get off a few stops before yours. Honestly, I rode Boddington this morning, its just not the terrible hill people think ! Once you're up through Boddington, next stop, your front door !

Dont let the hills deter you, thats what gears are for, have a go. Honestly I've been riding almost 3 months and I did my 2nd trip from Penrith to Mt VIC return today, just on 4:45 hours. I've done shorter ones to Katoomba and after doing Mt VIC, I now know where I can coast, relax or just plain knuckle down and push. In my view, the secret is, dont look up or the hill will mess with your head. Take plenty of fluids and dont hesitate to pull into a servo for a refill, I did that in Medlow Bath on the way out today. Take some food ie: Banana, jelly beans, frozen mars bar, sports bar....infact it was the first time I'd taken the Jelly beans, wow they make a difference, fast sugar hit in anticipation of hills.

Really good luck with the ride. Once you decide to tackle the hills and you get to the top, while having a good appreciation for the incline, its personal satisfaction you mastered it and when you go again and again, it just gets plain easier...

Cheers..Pete

[RideLikeTheWind]

Thanks pete. I think I will do it next time. I need a day I can do it without impacting on my study or family. i think if I plan for 2 weeks away, i can do it by leaving very early (like 5) and get back by 9 or so. I also plan to tae the back road to Lawson, as it worries me going through that area of the highway from WWF to bullaburra, as their is no shoulder there...

Good to hear you are doing well with your riding though pete. I am getting there and have plenty of strength, just dont have to confidence yet with big distances, but maybe soon I will. I will keep the jelly beans in mind (and the frozen mars bar is a good idea too!). Fruit is my main staple. Do you take a backpack or stuff it in the jersey and a wedge pack?

How did you go riding up to Mt Vic from Katoomba? That is a hard area to ride through with the lack of shoulder and the trucks coming through t +100k/hr.

Forecast is for cloud, but I am hoping it doesnt rain... Please hold off!

Joe

[sandman]

Thanks pete. I think I will do it next time. I need a day I can do it without impacting on my study or family. i think if I plan for 2 weeks away, i can do it by leaving very early (like 5) and get back by 9 or so. I also plan to tae the back road to Lawson, as it worries me going through that area of the highway from WWF to bullaburra, as their is no shoulder there...

Good to hear you are doing well with your riding though pete. I am getting there and have plenty of strength, just dont have to confidence yet with big distances, but maybe soon I will. I will keep the jelly beans in mind (and the frozen mars bar is a good idea too!). Fruit is my main staple. Do you take a backpack or stuff it in the jersey and a wedge pack?

How did you go riding up to Mt Vic from Katoomba? That is a hard area to ride through with the lack of shoulder and the trucks coming through t +100k/hr.

Forecast is for cloud, but I am hoping it doesnt rain... Please hold off!

Joe

Hey Joe

I must admitt, the road can be pretty jaring at times if you are always trying to stick to the shoulder. I've found that around Katoomba hospital with the roadworks I just sit out in the middle of the road as I dont intend to buckle a wheel. When I stuck to the shoulder, the rear cassette fell apart from the jaring.

I agree the lack of shoulder in some places is of real concern, like what were the engineers thinking.....just chop out the shoulder and the bikes will magically disappear !! There are lots of spots that come to mind however I've found some bits between Medlow Bath and Mt Vic can be very narrow and equally the last bit getting into Mt Vic. I sat outside the pub, on the bus seat chewing on some food and no less than 7 big white buses came roaring past, belching smoke with a very large truck in pursuit.

I really like the ride as its a personal goal however I might do some research and head over towards Kurrajong way, not sure as yet. I am really only speaking for myself and have no idea if its correct however I just dont think there is any substitue for climbing hills if you want to get good at it. IN saying that, I'm sure there are some sideroads alongside the highway in the mountains that would bend your head for climbing difficulty, I remember riding through Springwood and thinking I'll stick to a parrallel road, boy did that hurt....they try and make the highway as level as possible, not the side roads

Anyway, as my mate put it, if you break a bike or "blow up" (lost all energy and hit the wall), you only need to walk to the next train station to get home....thats the beauty of the Great Western...

Oh and your bike looks great too, saw your other post. Again a seasoned rider of 68 years of age said to me when I showed signs of not wanting to get it wet... "Mate, its only a bike"..

Hope to see you out on the road, look for the roadie with the "HP" logo all over his outfit.

Cheers..Pete

[RideLikeTheWind]

Well, I have done the ride!

It was great fun, not too hard and very downhill. There was a lot of debris on the road, mainly rocks and twigs. Couple of times I thought I had punctured a tyre, but all was good. The stats for the ride were:

Avg Speed 37.5km/hr
Max Speed 82.00km/hr (this feels really fast...)
Time 1:17.27
Distance 47.5km

I think my avg cadence was in the 70's, which is ok. At 82k's my cadence was around 110, which was really pushing it for me!

Other than that, I plan to do it again. I dont think the distance is long enough though. I still had heaps left by the time I got to penrith. I might make it to the city next time, not sure. Otherwise, I agree with Pete and will climb the hill back home! You are right, you have to climb them to train for them...

I have a picture of my actual bike somewhere too...


The only disappointing thing on the ride was the seat post was obviously not tight enough (I dont think the mech who put it together torqued it), so it slid down on the ride. Now, there are 3 scratch marks in the seatpost. Not deep ones, just surface scratches which I could get out if I wanted to... Oh well, I have tightened it up now and torqued it to the req'd amount, so I will see how that goes.

On a personal note, I did see two riders, one coming up the hill just before faulconbridge and one at blaxland. Any of you guys?

[sandman]

Not me today Joe. Did a recovery ride around the lakes today, 60km spinning at 90 on the cadence....

Great on your ride and nice "terminal velocity". Riding into the City, hmm, good luck as the lack of cyce paths will be of real concern. The M4 will be full of crap and you WILL most likely get punctures.

I'd stick to the mountains as you've got so much variety, there are some level places there somewhere, good downhills but I always think to myself, if I'm going to ride down then I am going to ride back up to "equal" the effort/enjoyment.

If you want and I drag my sorry butt out of bed early on Sunday morning, we can meet up at Wentworth Falls and you can tag along as far as you're comfortable to do so, towards Mt Vic or back to Penrith. Early Sunday mornings and I do mean early (I've learnt what early is from "Killerheadwind"), we can beat most of the tourist coaches.

Cheers..Pete

[RideLikeTheWind]

Hi Pete,

I can see your point about equaling the effort. I dont feel (although I can feel it in my legs) that I really did that much. I was going to ask what the M4 was like, and I guess it is pretty bad from what you are saying. I think next time is definitely a goer for back up the mountain (until I crash anyway, I might start from glenbrook and give the big one a miss first time round).

Would be happy to come for a ride with you - My problem is I work sundays (I get monday and tuesday off, and monday is best day for me). Maybe I will get one off so we can do the ride... What track do you do around the lake? Just sinclair/blaxland about 6 times? That would be one I am up for. I'll have to ask you about the other rides in the area...

Anyway, the ride was great, but I am going to get working on the uphill bit. I feel a bit slack!

Joe

[sandman]

HI Joe

By lakes I mean the "Penrith Regatta Center". I try to go up on Sundays to limit the amount of trucks I'm exposed to however there seem to be a never ending stream of Big White Buses full of tourists.

Anyway, if you want to hookup, drop me a line

Cheers..Pete

[Chester3]

I go to Penrith occasionally from the city, and the temptation is always there to keep going. Admittedly on Sundays. It must be a good ride up the moutains but I don't know if I could handle the hills too well after such a long journey out, and with the thought of the ride back. At least on the way back I usually, though not last time, get a tail wind.

I think I will try maybe Emu Plains or be really bold and try Lapstone to start?

[sandman]

Chester3

if you are a seasoned climber then I would ride out of the City and goto Springwood. If you're not, suggest catch the train to Penrith or Emu Plains and then come play in the hills

Cheers..Pete