North Shore - Northern Beaches

[Stickybeak]

I'm not a local to the north shore and Im trying to devise a ride that will get me to Chatswood on a Sunday morning at a particular time. The route has come to one bit i dont know much about: Roseville Bridge.
Any one got any ideas of gradients for the hill on the south side of the bridge?
How about room for a bike on the road/bridge?
Cheers

[familyguy]

Sunday morning should be OK on the road. It is 3 lanes, but sometimes the expansion joints open up a LONG way, so take care over them.

Heading south (from Forestville to Chatswood) its all down hill till 3/4 of the way over the bridge. Then it gets steep. I've seen people do it in peak hour, which is a bit silly really. If you want to avoid the roadway for whatever reason, you'll need to be on the western footpath before the divider, then go over the bridge on the path, and loop under the southern end. There's a short, sharp pinch that will get you to the street adjacent (Babbage Road). From there, head west towards Boundary St, or south to Eastern Valley Way/Smith St, then across to Chatswood.

Jim

[Stickybeak]

Thanks.
A little research on strava suggests that there are places where the hill is 17% - doesn't feel that driving up it

[familyguy]

Maybe not 17% on the roadway, but the steep pinch I referred to to get off the loop path to Babbage Road could definitely be 17%. Maybe its tracked that part? Certainly the last little rise at the top heading north is 11% on the Garmin.

Jim

[trailgumby]

If you're heading west towards Chatswood and feel intimidated by the prospect of riding the bridge deck witht he traffic, you have an option, although it is slower and will test your climbing legs.

The footpath westbound on the *northern* (ie, your right hand going west) side of the road from Crown of The Hill Cellars, where the footbridge goes over Warringah Road at the top of the descent, is a Shared Use Path.

That will take you across the bridge and approximately halfway up the other side. You then do a U-turn, swing back down and around under the bridge and pop up on the other side, to continue climbing up to Babbage Road .

Just be aware that the climb back up from under the bridge to street level is a 40% pinch climb for about 50 metres, according to my Garmin. Good for seeing where your riding legs are at

The thought of having buses and tradies up my backside at 60+km/hr closing speeds tends to guarantee I take this route on weekday mornings.

[Stickybeak]

It will be a weekend ride - but I'll be at least 80k's in so i think my "climbing" leg (which are dodgy at the best of times) are unlikely to be co-operative.....
maybe I'll have to reverse the ride and go through the spit to church point and down the pacific highway from pymble.....