Damn Prospect Dam

Hergest
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Damn Prospect Dam

Postby Hergest » Sun Mar 10, 2013 10:19 am

Beautiful morning here in Western Sydney so i went out at 6.30 for a good ride out to the M7 and around and back. My route from home in Guildford West is along the canal cycleway, up the back of Prospect Dam, follow the water supply channel cycleway until Horsley Drive then duck down there on the pavement to the M7. The gates to Prospect reservoir should be open at 6 a.m in March but when i got there at 6.45 they were still locked. I hung around until 7.05 and still no one came so i went back up through the new Boral Quarry industrial estate then back down the road to the reservoir to join the road up the back of the dam wall by the picnic area. That gate was locked to at the bottom of the road.

Buggered up my morning it did. I still managed a couple of hours but when your heart is set on a route it's a pain to do something different.

I understand the need to lock up the gates at nighttime as the water supply is of great importance but it would be good if the gates were opened up when they are supposed to be. I'd only come from 15 minutes down the road but i'm sure some people would have come from much further afield who got stuck at that point. The only contact number too is the RTA 131700 one which wasn't any help.
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g-boaf
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Re: Damn Prospect Dam

Postby g-boaf » Sun Mar 10, 2013 11:34 pm

It's annoying - and it'd be nice if there was a permanently open off road route to the M7 from your location. TimW posted a way around when the gates were locked in another message.

I was thinking at first you were referring to Zozza's damn fast time up the dam! Got to make up 4 seconds.. :mrgreen:

Hergest
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Re: Damn Prospect Dam

Postby Hergest » Mon Mar 11, 2013 4:06 pm

g-boaf wrote:It's annoying - and it'd be nice if there was a permanently open off road route to the M7 from your location. TimW posted a way around when the gates were locked in another message.

I was thinking at first you were referring to Zozza's damn fast time up the dam! Got to make up 4 seconds.. :mrgreen:
I've never thought of timing myself going up the dam, it's a project now though i think. What's the record?
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Re: Damn Prospect Dam

Postby TimW » Mon Mar 11, 2013 4:49 pm

Hergest wrote:
g-boaf wrote:It's annoying - and it'd be nice if there was a permanently open off road route to the M7 from your location. TimW posted a way around when the gates were locked in another message.

I was thinking at first you were referring to Zozza's damn fast time up the dam! Got to make up 4 seconds.. :mrgreen:
I've never thought of timing myself going up the dam, it's a project now though i think. What's the record?

http://app.strava.com/segments/847250" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://app.strava.com/segments/2715534" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

:mrgreen: :mrgreen:

and down the dam
http://app.strava.com/segments/1315582" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
:mrgreen: :mrgreen:
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Hergest
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Re: Damn Prospect Dam

Postby Hergest » Mon Mar 11, 2013 6:02 pm

TimW wrote:
Hergest wrote:
g-boaf wrote:It's annoying - and it'd be nice if there was a permanently open off road route to the M7 from your location. TimW posted a way around when the gates were locked in another message.

I was thinking at first you were referring to Zozza's damn fast time up the dam! Got to make up 4 seconds.. :mrgreen:
I've never thought of timing myself going up the dam, it's a project now though i think. What's the record?

http://app.strava.com/segments/847250" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://app.strava.com/segments/2715534" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

:mrgreen: :mrgreen:

and down the dam
http://app.strava.com/segments/1315582" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
:mrgreen: :mrgreen:

I say! That's all very exciting. I've been riding a bike since the late 60s (not the same one) but this is all new to me. I should follow the modern world a bit more closely i think. Thanks for posting the links.
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g-boaf
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Re: Damn Prospect Dam

Postby g-boaf » Mon Mar 11, 2013 9:07 pm

TimW wrote:
Hergest wrote:
g-boaf wrote:It's annoying - and it'd be nice if there was a permanently open off road route to the M7 from your location. TimW posted a way around when the gates were locked in another message.

I was thinking at first you were referring to Zozza's damn fast time up the dam! Got to make up 4 seconds.. :mrgreen:
I've never thought of timing myself going up the dam, it's a project now though i think. What's the record?

http://app.strava.com/segments/847250" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://app.strava.com/segments/2715534" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

:mrgreen: :mrgreen:

and down the dam
http://app.strava.com/segments/1315582" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
:mrgreen: :mrgreen:
I did have the record up there until someone took it, and then lost it to Zozza who went very fast up there. :mrgreen: That can't stand. :D I don't bother with the downhill, only uphill. ;) It's good fun going up there and no peds around.

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Re: Damn Prospect Dam

Postby TimW » Mon Mar 11, 2013 9:26 pm

Zozza allways keeps some in reserve, trust me, I am allways the bridesmaid lol. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
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g-boaf
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Re: Damn Prospect Dam

Postby g-boaf » Mon Mar 11, 2013 9:36 pm

TimW wrote:Zozza allways keeps some in reserve, trust me, I am allways the bridesmaid lol. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
I'll have fun trying to beat that. :mrgreen: Actually I've been rather struggling after the accident, heart rate going too high. Now it's getting back under control again - I'm feeling a lot better.
Hergest wrote:I say! That's all very exciting. I've been riding a bike since the late 60s (not the same one) but this is all new to me. I should follow the modern world a bit more closely i think. Thanks for posting the links.
It's a lot of fun. Strava is probably the best thing I ever signed up to - it gives you a target and it's a great way to see how you are doing. I've been trying to attack one of the other segments, a 5km one but it's now too dangerous to attempt that at speeds often exceeding 45km/h. I'll never know how G.S managed that time without getting interruptions.

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Re: Damn Prospect Dam

Postby TimW » Mon Mar 11, 2013 10:04 pm

He goes out early generally,very early. ;)
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Re: Damn Prospect Dam

Postby rogan » Thu Mar 14, 2013 2:15 pm

Some of his segments around there were set on Xmas Day. For me, going strava hunting on Xmas Day, even very early, is *totally* out of the question.
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Re: Damn Prospect Dam

Postby zozza » Thu Mar 14, 2013 3:38 pm

g-boaf wrote: I'll never know how G.S managed that time without getting interruptions.
G.S is ruining Strava for everyone :P

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Re: Damn Prospect Dam

Postby Hergest » Thu Mar 14, 2013 7:59 pm

I had a look at the first Strava link again ... http://app.strava.com/segments/847250" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and i see that this section starts down by the new road and you climb up the bank and then race across to the carpark. I'm curious as to what you all do at the bottom of that short bit of path that runs down the hill alongside the carpark as there's a really nasty raised bit of bitumen at the very end as you join the road. Do you, like me, hit the brakes hard just before and go slowly over there and then try to get some speed back before you go through the gates up the dam or do you do a bunny hop over it and then hit the brakes hard as you have to do a 90 degree turn to your right? I'm wondering of there's a way i've not thought of that doesn't kill your speed so much.

I suppose it could be considered a safety feature so you don't fly out in front of a water board truck if one's exiting the gate but it is a bit of a pain in the backside having it where it is. It resembles a bit of slack roadwork.
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TimW
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Re: Damn Prospect Dam

Postby TimW » Thu Mar 14, 2013 9:19 pm

I have down both the slow down and the bunny hop, just depends on what is around at the time.
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g-boaf
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Re: Damn Prospect Dam

Postby g-boaf » Thu Mar 14, 2013 10:47 pm

zozza wrote:
g-boaf wrote: I'll never know how G.S managed that time without getting interruptions.
G.S is ruining Strava for everyone :P
:lol: I know - he's too damn fast! But if it's a world-champion, then that's okay. Makes it more rewarding to get somewhere near those times. :)
Hergest wrote:Beautiful morning here in Western Sydney so i went out at 6.30 for a good ride out to the M7 and around and back. My route from home in Guildford West is along the canal cycleway, up the back of Prospect Dam, follow the water supply channel cycleway until Horsley Drive then duck down there on the pavement to the M7. The gates to Prospect reservoir should be open at 6 a.m in March but when i got there at 6.45 they were still locked. I hung around until 7.05 and still no one came so i went back up through the new Boral Quarry industrial estate then back down the road to the reservoir to join the road up the back of the dam wall by the picnic area. That gate was locked to at the bottom of the road.

Buggered up my morning it did. I still managed a couple of hours but when your heart is set on a route it's a pain to do something different.

I understand the need to lock up the gates at nighttime as the water supply is of great importance but it would be good if the gates were opened up when they are supposed to be. I'd only come from 15 minutes down the road but i'm sure some people would have come from much further afield who got stuck at that point. The only contact number too is the RTA 131700 one which wasn't any help.

Have a look at this site: http://www.bicycleinfo.nsw.gov.au/maps/ ... inder.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There is a way to get around the closed gates at Prospect. One of them is going down through the new road near the Quarry and then threading your way back up Chandos Road. There are possibly some others - perhaps going along the T-Way. I went along that way this afternoon, it's a bit stop start though. That will ultimately get you down to Western Sydney Regional park and then you could go up the hill there to get to the M7.... :twisted:

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Re: Damn Prospect Dam

Postby Hergest » Thu Apr 25, 2013 11:05 am

The gate was shut this morning. Not a complaint though as i was there early and now that daylight saving is over the gate isn't opened until 7 a.m. What i did was to go up the new Boral industrial estate, then turn left at the top along the road that goes past the Cricketers Arms and there's a new road (to me anyway) that goes through another industrial estate just being built. I think the road is named after Peter Brock(?) and from there you can join the road that goes around Eastern Creek raceway that smells of the tip and join the M7 at Chandos Road. It added about 9 kms to the route but was pretty easy on a lovely quiet morning. I don't know if i would be game to go that way later in the day on a saturday or weekday as i assume there's a huge amount of truck movements where the new waterslide park is being built by the Cricketers. Early in the morning or a sunday should be sweet though.
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Re: Damn Prospect Dam

Postby zozza » Thu Apr 25, 2013 9:37 pm

Theres a couple of good KOMs there to get your teeth into :twisted:

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Re: Damn Prospect Dam

Postby g-boaf » Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:19 pm

Hergest wrote:The gate was shut this morning. Not a complaint though as i was there early and now that daylight saving is over the gate isn't opened until 7 a.m. What i did was to go up the new Boral industrial estate, then turn left at the top along the road that goes past the Cricketers Arms and there's a new road (to me anyway) that goes through another industrial estate just being built. I think the road is named after Peter Brock(?) and from there you can join the road that goes around Eastern Creek raceway that smells of the tip and join the M7 at Chandos Road. It added about 9 kms to the route but was pretty easy on a lovely quiet morning. I don't know if i would be game to go that way later in the day on a saturday or weekday as i assume there's a huge amount of truck movements where the new waterslide park is being built by the Cricketers. Early in the morning or a sunday should be sweet though.
Have you got an example of route? I think I know the way, but not sure. You are going along Reconciliation Drive and then Reservoir Road, right? I see where Peter Brock Drive is, and then you are taking Ferrers Road?

I've already noticed a few new segments around that general area... 8) One I didn't even know about until it reckoned I had a KOM on it. So I just made sure to go a little bit faster, with some extra left in the tank in case it's needed. :twisted:
zozza wrote:Theres a couple of good KOMs there to get your teeth into :twisted:
Hmmm... :twisted: :lol:
Last edited by g-boaf on Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Hergest
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Re: Damn Prospect Dam

Postby Hergest » Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:43 pm

Here's the route starting roughly from where the cycleway crosses the new road at the bottom of the Boral estate where they should have put the bridge. Peter Brock Drive has made the route fairly straightforward as the last time i went that way it was just a dreadful road leading to that school for cycling that was mainly used as a dump and petered out into bushland.

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?saddr=Re ... 2&t=m&z=14" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Damn Prospect Dam

Postby g-boaf » Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:49 pm

Thanks. :) I might head out that way tomorrow morning.

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Re: Damn Prospect Dam

Postby g-boaf » Sat May 04, 2013 2:37 pm

Hergest wrote:I had a look at the first Strava link again ... http://app.strava.com/segments/847250" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and i see that this section starts down by the new road and you climb up the bank and then race across to the carpark. I'm curious as to what you all do at the bottom of that short bit of path that runs down the hill alongside the carpark as there's a really nasty raised bit of bitumen at the very end as you join the road. Do you, like me, hit the brakes hard just before and go slowly over there and then try to get some speed back before you go through the gates up the dam or do you do a bunny hop over it and then hit the brakes hard as you have to do a 90 degree turn to your right? I'm wondering of there's a way i've not thought of that doesn't kill your speed so much.

I suppose it could be considered a safety feature so you don't fly out in front of a water board truck if one's exiting the gate but it is a bit of a pain in the backside having it where it is. It resembles a bit of slack roadwork.
That irritating little bump is now replaced with a real speed-bump. I don't know when it was installed, but I noticed it when I went through there on the way down to the M7.

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Re: Damn Prospect Dam

Postby MoeJoe » Tue May 07, 2013 2:19 am

Hergest wrote:Here's the route starting roughly from where the cycleway crosses the new road at the bottom of the Boral estate where they should have put the bridge.
http://maps.google.com.au/maps?saddr=Re ... 2&t=m&z=14" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Ferrers road heading south, especially in the 80km/h zone just looks like a bad idea. I drive through there regularly and as tempting as it might be to ride there, I just think it is too risky and the shoulder of the road is bugger all on the 80km/h section.

Plus the smell of the tip can't help. Just keep your eyes opened if you ride there :shock:

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Re: Damn Prospect Dam

Postby Hergest » Tue May 07, 2013 1:27 pm

MoeJoe wrote:
Hergest wrote:Here's the route starting roughly from where the cycleway crosses the new road at the bottom of the Boral estate where they should have put the bridge.
http://maps.google.com.au/maps?saddr=Re ... 2&t=m&z=14" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Ferrers road heading south, especially in the 80km/h zone just looks like a bad idea. I drive through there regularly and as tempting as it might be to ride there, I just think it is too risky and the shoulder of the road is bugger all on the 80km/h section.

Plus the smell of the tip can't help. Just keep your eyes opened if you ride there :shock:
Early on a sunday morning it's fine but i would probably avoid it any other time. Remember, this is only a route for when the gates are closed. The tip stinks just as bad on the M7 cycleway when the wind is in the right (wrong) direction.
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Re: Damn Prospect Dam

Postby MoeJoe » Thu May 09, 2013 2:26 am

Hergest wrote:The tip stinks just as bad on the M7 cycleway when the wind is in the right (wrong) direction.
Absolutely, I've had a nose full of that at the worst of times like everyone else on the M7 :|

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Re: Damn Prospect Dam

Postby Shred931 » Thu May 09, 2013 10:35 am

Hergest wrote: Remember, this is only a route for when the gates are closed.
That's not actually true. You can turn left at Reconciliation Road, pass through the barriers and over the T-WAY, then make a right at Davis Road, take the bike path along the T-Way up to Victoria Street. Make a right and follow Victoria St all the way to Cowpasture Road. Victoria has a nice shoulder which turns into a bus lane, its bus lane only but i've never had a problem there. Once you get to cowpasture make a right at the roundabout and then left at Trivet Street which turns into Chandos.

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Re: Damn Prospect Dam

Postby Hergest » Thu May 09, 2013 4:50 pm

Shred931 wrote:
Hergest wrote: Remember, this is only a route for when the gates are closed.
That's not actually true. You can turn left at Reconciliation Road, pass through the barriers and over the T-WAY, then make a right at Davis Road, take the bike path along the T-Way up to Victoria Street. Make a right and follow Victoria St all the way to Cowpasture Road. Victoria has a nice shoulder which turns into a bus lane, its bus lane only but i've never had a problem there. Once you get to cowpasture make a right at the roundabout and then left at Trivet Street which turns into Chandos.
Er yeah, but again i said it was only a route for when the gates are closed not that it was the only route. I'm sure there are a few ways around of differing lengths. The one i took seemed the easiest and shortest for an early morning weekend ride out to the M7.
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