Sydney Night Owls?

[Syd_Nathan]

So its starting to warm up, and I'm getting keen to do some riding after I get home from work at 11pm.

So are there any night owl's around who are usually free (and awake) between say 11pm and 2am weeknights for a ride around the city or some night time XC?

The weather is getting lovely for riding at this time, and the roads are always empty.

I'd like to try and organize a roadie/fixed and a night time XC ride once a week.
Would cater for all fitness and abilities.

Say Road/Fixed on a Tuesday night from 11pm, and an XC ride on a Thursday between 11pm.

Also be good for the social aspect to go for food or a beer (even a longneck in a park somewhere) after the road/fixed ride if we find places that are open 24hours.

Thoughts?

[the grid]

Great Idea, wish I was in Sydney. I love riding after shift work.

[Schmenz]

and i thought getting home from the gym at 11pm was late!

sounds like fun but id advise doing it off the roads... knowing how i was when i finished work at midnight -2am.. I would not anticipate bikes on the road. I pretty much zombie drove home. be careful id also be too scared for my safety riding at the time.. goblins and ghosts come out.. (and scary men who hide in bushes and chase you down.. i think my parents were too successful at the dont talk to strangers scare tactics!)

[Syd_Nathan]

The roads are pretty safe depending on where you go. Anywhere within a 20km radius of the city is usually fine as motorists are starting become more aware of cyclists, and there's plenty of bike paths and cycleways around.

I do most of my fixed gear riding at night anyways, and providing there's a few of us, and we all have flashing lights etc there's rarely an issue with motorists and goblins.

3 of us did a 10pm fixed gear ride on Sunday night through the city, surry hills, newtown, haberfield, leichart, then around Iron Cove, back over anzac bridge, then around pyrmont by the harbour and casino and back over pyrmont bridge and into the city again. Was a top ride and hardly any traffic to bother us.

[Syd_Nathan]

Also I might add I'm hoping to organize a regular weekly XC night ride AND a weekly road/fixed ride.

The XC rides will be from 11pm on either monday or tuesday nights, and the road/fixed rides will be on a thursday night from 11pm.

[257LL]

I ride home from work anywhere between 12 and 3am a few times a week, find its pretty safe out of the city though friday and saturday nights are the worst. I have a fair few lights and a Hi Vis vest on and haven't encountered many probs. During the week find the rodes are pretty much all mine and its quick and peaceful, weekends pretty much the same just have to be aware of taxi drivers in the city randomly stopping. Oh and expect a few 'GO CADEL' from the drunks haha

[Syd_Nathan]

Ok, I posted this up on fixed.org and BMU and it seems there's enough interest for this.

So we're gonna kick off the road/fixed rides this Thursday night.
Still ironing details, but we'll either meet at around 11pm at Martin place and then roll out, or we can meet at a pub, or have a pre-ride beer in a park somewhere before rolling out.
2am post-ride beers are optional.

Then we'll kick off the midnight XC rides either Monday or Tuesday next week.

I'll post up the details here when I know them.

[Syd_Nathan]

Ok, for road/fixed ride.

The 'Midnight Mash' rides will kick off this Thursday night. Meet at Hyde Park Fountain at 11:30pm for a midnight roll out.

BYO pre-ride longneck while your waiting for everyone to turn up.

All skill and fitness levels welcome, and come on your roadie or fixed gear. Ride should be wrapped up by around 2am and there will be optional post ride beers somewhere.

Will post up details of the weekly Midnight XC ride in the next few days.

Started a new FB group to keep the thursday night rides organized. Go here for details/discussion. http://www.facebook.com/groups/270283813008816/

[Syd_Nathan]

Well the BOM says the weather should be OK tonight so we'll kick things off tonight with a relatively easy ride just to see where everyone's at in terms of pace etc.

So, meeting at Hyde Park Fountain at 11:30pm and rolling out at Midnight.
Destination will be Maroubra Beach followed by La Perouse.

We'll head out via Oxford St, Flinders, Alison Rd, then backstreets through to Randwick, then Malabar Rd down to Maroubra Beach. From here we'll head back to Anzac Pde and out to La Perouse, then come back to the city via Anzac Pde.

Directions/Route Map

We'll finish up at the Flinders Hotel for a beer afterwards (they're open till 3am)

I'll be on a black fixie with a spinergy on the front.

[257LL]

should be finishing work at 11 tonight, and heading that direction anyway, if i get out on time it would be rude not to join hopefully see you there

[Syd_Nathan]

Thought I might bump this up for anyone else interested.

These rides have been happening every Tuesday night now for the last couple of months.
Anywhere from 2 to 8 of us turn up each week, mostly on fixies but we've had a few guys and girls turn up on roadies or bmx's aswell.
The rides are usually medium paced and go for around 90minutes to a couple of hours including stops. I'm generally back home by 2am, although there's been a couple which have kicked on at a pub afterwards or we've gone for a swim somewhere where we've finished up a bit later.

Examples of rides have been from the city to Maroubra/La Perouse and back, Pyrmont Bridge/Anzac bridge/Iron Cove Bridge, then around the bay at Iron cove and back to the city. We've also headed out via Newtown through petersham, Stanmore and FiveDock, then done the Oron Cove loop and back via Anzac Bridge.
This week we rode some of the hills on the north side. Harbour Bridge, Luna Park, Lavendar Bay, Waverton, WolsonCraft, St Leonards, and then down to the Greenwich Baths for a (byo) beer and a swim, then back to the city.

If this is something you fancy, then head over to the facebook group to keep up to date, or else just turn up on Tuesday nights at 11:30pm by the fountain in the north end of Hyde Park.

I'm also keen to get some late night XC rides going if anyone's interested?