Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

I rode the gorges for the first time on Sat and on the way up heading towards Arcadia, there was a stupid cager in a black Hilux single cab ute (plates started with a B but too buggered to look at the rest of the plate) honking at every rider even if there was room to fit another car next to me. I know it's to be expected with idiots anywhere but want to know if anyone has experienced this from this stupid cager.

You do get some 'special' types out that way. IIRC there was some radio shockjock recently saying cyclists should be banned from Galston gorge as presumably he had to wait 20sec to pass one once... May have had an extra effect on the ute toting local bogans. Not that they really need the encouragement!

Every now and again I get some moron doing stupid things in the gorge. Despite the big signs saying "No overtaking for the next 5km", drivers still do it anyway (including marked police cars). I don't mind them doing it if it is done safely, but not on blind corners with cyclists or cars coming the other way! On the very narrow sections of the climb up to Galston I will claim the lane and make them wait. 99% of drivers understand what I am doing. The other 1% tend to drive utes and think they are someone special.
speaking of morons in utes....the last time I did Galston Gorge, a ute had failed to negotiate a hairpin turn and had run straight into the rock face. I have also seen quite a few drivers that don't know how long 7.5m is as they try to take their 20m long truck down the gorge and then need extraction by crane!

queequeg wrote:The other 1% tend to drive utes and think they are someone special.

In my experience, they are very special.

I have gone through the gorge many times and never had a problem. Its 2 lanes wide so not hard to move over and let a car through when appropriate. Problem is some drivers are nervous to pass as it seems too narrow. I tend to give the car a wave through if they sit behind me for too long.
Great riding around there. If you want less traffic go to the climbs out of berowra ferry, guaranteed atleast 10 mins of car free climbing while the ferry is going back and forth

leximack wrote:If you want less traffic go to the climbs out of berowra ferry

I was yelled to 'get off the effen road' on the way out to berowra one time as I must have delayed a car by 10 seconds. Wasn't even the steep bit.
Anyway, still better than the slap on the bum out of a car window, and punch in the throat by a pedestrian that I've had riding my bike in seven hills.
Maybe I'm just 'lucky'.

coops wrote: still better than the slap on the bum out of a car window, and punch in the throat by a pedestrian that I've had riding my bike in seven hills.

coops wrote:

leximack wrote:If you want less traffic go to the climbs out of berowra ferry

I was yelled to 'get off the effen road' on the way out to berowra one time as I must have delayed a car by 10 seconds. Wasn't even the steep bit.
Anyway, still better than the slap on the bum out of a car window, and punch in the throat by a pedestrian that I've had riding my bike in seven hills.
Maybe I'm just 'lucky'.

Not had anything quite that bad, but yes, I find Berowra (the village and out to the Pac Hwy, rather than the climb) to the worst hot spot for motorist stupidity and attitude problems, at least on the northern side of town.

Kurty, a guy I ride with sometimes, has devoted part of his blog to the Berowra Phenomenon, here [Warning, probably not safe for work, but some good reading if you are, umm, broadminded]:

http://kurtycervelo.blogspot.com.au/201 ... ments.html

and here:

http://kurtycervelo.blogspot.com.au/201 ... log-1.html

I seem to recall a Facebook page was set up by local bogans ranting against cyclists riding Galston Gorge. While the moron drivers passing on blind bends or close shaving cyclists is dangerous enough, those breaking the speed limit around tight corners are my greater fear.

No issues the few times I've ridden... Although a cook at the bottom looked at me weird. Just kept riding.

Never had any real hassles in the gorge but has anyone else seen chickens at the bottom near the walking track?
Have a great ride.
Peter

humanbeing wrote:Never had any real hassles in the gorge but has anyone else seen chickens at the bottom near the walking track?
Have a great ride.
Peter

yes, there some large brown roosters that live down there. I see them most times I ride through there!

queequeg wrote:

humanbeing wrote:Never had any real hassles in the gorge but has anyone else seen chickens at the bottom near the walking track?
Have a great ride.
Peter

yes, there some large brown roosters that live down there. I see them most times I ride through there!

They're fond of my muesli bars!

Ah, I meant 'chook' not 'cook'... Or else I'd be yelling 'fix me a burger pronto' before the climb up Glad to know I wasn't hallucinating.

the chooks were stolen from glaston high school as a muck up day prank about 7 or 8 years ago!

george-bob wrote:the chooks were stolen from glaston high school as a muck up day prank about 7 or 8 years ago!

Well they're thriving
First time I saw them I was surprised to say the least.
Have a great ride,
Peter

it's 20 years since I was driving the gorge daily on the way to uni and the chooks were there back then

[quote="queequeg"]Every now and again I get some moron doing stupid things......Despite the big signs saying "No overtaking for the next 5km", drivers still do it anyway /quote]
Do you expect them to sit behind your bike for 5km??

You wanna ride the gorge. Do it early when it's quiet . The trip back up to galston isn't the greatest road. Narrow, slow blond corners etc.
berowra I've always found fine. Much less traffic and flow is limited to maybe 5 cars every 10-15 minutes due to the ferry.

Agree. I live in hornsby and have ridden both of these many times. Galston is much better early in the morning - cold in winter, though! Time the run up Berowra with the ferry and it's car free. I like to see how far I can get before the first car catches me.

scotto wrote:

queequeg wrote:Every now and again I get some moron doing stupid things......Despite the big signs saying "No overtaking for the next 5km", drivers still do it anyway /quote]
Do you expect them to sit behind your bike for 5km??

You wanna ride the gorge. Do it early when it's quiet . The trip back up to galston isn't the greatest road. Narrow, slow blond corners etc.
berowra I've always found fine. Much less traffic and flow is limited to maybe 5 cars every 10-15 minutes due to the ferry.

No, but I do expect them not to overtake when I am doing 50km/h on the way down, or on blind corners. In the narrow sections on the way up to Galston I will claim the lane until it is safe to move left.
Climbing to Hornsby is no issue as the road is fairly wide. I only ride the gorge outside busy periods.