Gong Ride 2012

[burger]

You'll be fine. It's just a suburb of Sydney. Its not grand theft auto.

says the guy from the Nthn Beaches . . . .

[daniel.s]

I have a 7:30 start. bigfriendlyvegan that route is a little out of the way for me, so I might just ride to Chatswood and get the train.

So getting to / off at Redfern is going to be OK? Not so much worried about me, more so losing my bike!

Otherwise I'll just get off at Central and ride down.

You'll be fine. It's just a suburb of Sydney. Its not grand theft auto.

Haha.

Plus, most derros, regardless of where you are, aren't up at that time of the morning.

[familyguy]

I'll be starting about 7, despite my 6:30 time slip. I'm always late to Gong Ride starts for some reason...

If you see a tall guy on an XL Malvern Star C5 (probably with a BikeHub jersey on, but thats subject to change on the morning!), say hi.

Jim

[jimsheedy]

You'll be fine. It's just a suburb of Sydney. Its not grand theft auto.

says the guy from the Nthn Beaches . . . .

Don't worry I get around. I'll take redfern over the corso at night any day .

[meridaman]

Cossie Phil I am at Prestons, lazy arse but I'm training it in but then riding home.

[meridaman]

Coops have you decided on a return route? If you're still keen and up for the company I'm keen to pair up!

[jimsheedy]

im riding back. Heading back up to Stanwell park, turn left at Lawrence Hargrave Drive. Might take the old Princess highway to Waterfall then down hill for the run home.

[coops]

Coops have you decided on a return route? If you're still keen and up for the company I'm keen to pair up!

PM sent

[meridaman]

Thanks Coops, replied, the guys I'm with don't start till 6:30 and I think they plan on cruising down at about 25kmh avg so we'll see where we end up, surely I won't be the only one riding back...

[queequeg]

I'll be starting about 7, despite my 6:30 time slip. I'm always late to Gong Ride starts for some reason...

If you see a tall guy on an XL Malvern Star C5 (probably with a BikeHub jersey on, but thats subject to change on the morning!), say hi.

Jim

Our team is starting at 7am. I'll be the guy in the Powerade Riding Kit on the Merlot coloured Hillbrick. My official start time was 6:30am, but they stuffed up and gave me a Green Bib. We got our whole team moved to 7am because certain members of our team thought 6:30am was too hard for them. Even with a 7am start I have to be up at 4:15am, so dinner and early night for me!

[baralah]

Ladies, enjoy the cruisy ride tomorrow, stay safe and I'll see you on the road. My start time is 6:30, but would love to start early. I'm on the black CAAD tomorrow and black Rapha outfits. Would love to ride my Ti, but too risky.

Billy

[lump_a_charcoal]

Good luck to all - We are heading off at 6am, I'll be on a blue/black/white EMC 1.4, with a red,black and white jersey - say hi!

[Fresh]

Good ride! I was on a BMC RM01 with the BNA Corsa kit if anyone noticed! Those rolling hills & corners after the national park were awesome! Perfect weather for it too.

[Kuufu]

Yeah it was a little wet at the start but it cleared up pretty quick. No strong winds which is always a plus. Saw quite a few on the side of the road with flats.

[lump_a_charcoal]

Wow what a great ride!

Took us about 3.5 hrs rolling time, which I am happy with.

Glad the rain stayed away too.

[Dirk.s]

It was a great day out. Bit chilly at the start, and wet roads. But it didn't take too long before they dried out. Left just after 6, and had a good run after the usual hold ups before Brighton le Sands. Crazy how many people were pulled up with flats, I didn't think there was that much junk on the road, certainly less than I'm used to seeing on the roads around home.
Rolling time 2hrs 58min. Total of a couple of stops approx 45 mins.
Dirk

[jimsheedy]

A great ride for the part timers and bucket listers. Excellent to see loads of people pushing their limits and enjoying themselves. The ride down for me was pretty terrible. I've never gotten to waterfall before without breaking a sweat or raising my heart rate. The ride back was fun. Loved the climb up from stanwell although the head wind from Brighton into the city was pretty painfull. Still a good day out as I said great to see so many people doing something they normally wouldnt. Probably won't do it again. Will just donate instead.

[Mugglechops]

I broke 4 spokes just outside of Heathcote and trained it home from Waterfall

[lump_a_charcoal]

I broke 4 spokes just outside of Heathcote and trained it home from Waterfall

Bummer mate!

[familyguy]

I saw someone in BNA kit (the black one), but pretty sure the bike was orange. Might've been a BMC though. Kit looks pretty neat on the road.

3:25 rolling for the course for me, with 4:05 to crack the century back to my mates house in northern Wollongong.

Had a great day. There were a few morons, but you expect that. The highlight was the guy with the track pump in his backpack.

Jim

[crazyjose]

Started from Randwick and got all the way down to Kiama. For me it was the best syd to gong I have done, a shame my mate broke his bike but, I had to keep going on. This year I had prepped heaps for it and finally sorted my food and supplements intake to make the ride work for me, my knees gave me the irits but got through it pretty well. Every year that I have done it previously I have tended to come down with heat exhaustion along the seacliff bridge to north gong section, this year I smashed it, and finally got that blasted monkey off of my back. I found it funny how one mate was harping on about going all the way to Nowra, but was pretty much broken by Kiama, I was leaving him for dust on the hillclimbs on my 29er, but he was trying though. Needless to say I am going to leave the Gong on a high and this will be my last go at it, too expensive and for me I conquered a challenge that had beaten me for some time. Great times though, great times.

[le_quiet_uno]

Well done to all!! I think I might have seen some of you heading up Waterfall. If you start from 6:30am.

Just wondering does anyone know whether the riders were ok? I have heard a big stack on Brighton Le Sand..

[hannos]

I saw someone in BNA kit (the black one), but pretty sure the bike was orange. Might've been a BMC though. Kit looks pretty neat on the road.

Jim

If it was a red BMC then that was likely me. I left Gymea at about 8:15 forgetting the gong ride was on. Would have been at Waterfall by 8:45 where I turned around and headed for home.

[Brownster]

Awesome ride with all the MIA Peloton. We had around 27 riders. Our group started around 6am and got a good run thru and 3
of us managed 2hr 32m for the ride.

Weather turned out good after the light rain. Looking forward to next year already.

[lump_a_charcoal]

The highlight was the guy with the track pump in his backpack.

Jim

I saw him too! Ha ha...

DId anyone see if the tall blonde girl in the blue dress on the cruiser finished?

She looked amazing, and very fit, but I saw her pull over just past B-l-Sands, looking quite dejected.

Best bike award for me goes to the 8ft tall dude on the 5 ft tall, double cross bar yellow bike - Tallest man in the world!