Fernleigh cycling track

[bychosis]

Have browsed a couple of the articles. Makes my head want to explode. People are stupid. Speed humps (my kids would probably love some 'jumps'), rostered days? What a joke, it's a public shared path. The public need to SHARE it.

[newie]

Have you seen today's contributions?
One genius has suggested it could be made better if pedestrians were instructed to walk on the right!!
I can't help thinking that most the people posting in the comments don't actually use it all that often. I ride it all the time and it is nearly always uneventful, with everyone getting along just fine. Sure, you will get the occasional inconsiderate idiot, but no more than in any other sphere of life.

[breezer1]

well the video link at the herald just goes to show, what i said way back the fernleigh track is a pain in the a+++ for cyclists/walkers/ well everyone! it is so packed in mornings and weekends its inevitable there are going to be incidents with fast riders/slow riders/pedestrians that walk where they want/dogs/children that dont know when and where people are that use the pathway, i try and avoid it as much as possible in certain times of the day and weekends, why they didn't keep the train line tracks and use that for a walkway and have a separate track for cyclists, but then who's going to police that! ... its the same as our roads until there is a bad accident and someone gets killed that they may rethink there bikepaths strategies

[bychosis]

I ride the Warners Bay foreshore nearly every day. It can be a pain for a cyclist, but thems the breaks. If I didn't like it there is a road nearby.

[gorilla monsoon]

Warners Bay track is okay on weekdays but dreadful on weekends. That said, I try to stay away from the area between the Metcalf Street roundabout and the Eleebana end of the track and confine my riding to the western end. Far fewer pedestrians and if you want distance you just do reps between Speers Point Park and the rowing club.

Hey, Breezer, good to see you posting. Was thinking about you the other day for some reason or another. We should catch up.

[breezer1]

Warners Bay track is okay on weekdays but dreadful on weekends. That said, I try to stay away from the area between the Metcalf Street roundabout and the Eleebana end of the track and confine my riding to the western end. Far fewer pedestrians and if you want distance you just do reps between Speers Point Park and the rowing club.

Hey, Breezer, good to see you posting. Was thinking about you the other day for some reason or another. We should catch up.

yeah we will! just remember to pick a good time if its on our pathways You know what i mean i like the pelican to murrays beach path, park at the airport and return, it's a good quiet ride a little on the road, no where near as much traffic than the local cycleways ie .....wb/fernleigh

[madsmc]

I rode the track from Adamstown to Belmont and back twice on Saturday just gone. Lovely day and a great ride. The corrugated concrete section at Redhead was a bit of a pain, but other than that is was a top spot for a ride.

[gorilla monsoon]

Nice there yesterday morning. There was a 60km organised run happening but the orgaisers had signs up telling the runners to stay left and be aware of cyclists. Managed to chat to some of them. Everyone having a good time. It doesn't take much.
Also good to see that a lot of the faster riders are now calling-out when they are about to make a pass on either peds or other riders. Thanks guys, we slow guys really appreciated it, especialy those lead riders who told us how many were in their squadrons.
See, it IS possible to share and enjoy!

[newie]

Nice there yesterday morning. There was a 60km organised run happening but the orgaisers had signs up telling the runners to stay left and be aware of cyclists. Managed to chat to some of them. Everyone having a good time. It doesn't take much.
Also good to see that a lot of the faster riders are now calling-out when they are about to make a pass on either peds or other riders. Thanks guys, we slow guys really appreciated it, especialy those lead riders who told us how many were in their squadrons.
See, it IS possible to share and enjoy!

I was out yesterday morning too, it was a superb day for it and everyone seemed really cheerful. I was super impressed with the 60k runners - that is a serious distance by foot. I was almost inspired to do an extra lap, but was getting hungry by the end, so just the usual Sunday 3 for me.

[bychosis]

I was out there too. I must apologise for the little rat bags (my kids and their mates, 7&5yo) with me that wouldn't keep to the left. They were just out for a race and certainly don't yet have the spatial awareness to determine when it is safe to overtake. One bloke did say something about keeping left to which my rather frustrated reply was "I'm trying"

[gorilla monsoon]

Nice there yesterday morning. There was a 60km organised run happening but the orgaisers had signs up telling the runners to stay left and be aware of cyclists. Managed to chat to some of them. Everyone having a good time. It doesn't take much.
Also good to see that a lot of the faster riders are now calling-out when they are about to make a pass on either peds or other riders. Thanks guys, we slow guys really appreciated it, especialy those lead riders who told us how many were in their squadrons.
See, it IS possible to share and enjoy!

I was out yesterday morning too, it was a superb day for it and everyone seemed really cheerful. I was super impressed with the 60k runners - that is a serious distance by foot. I was almost inspired to do an extra lap, but was getting hungry by the end, so just the usual Sunday 3 for me.

Like many FT riders I can recommend Macquarie Cafe at Belmont for a feed and a good coffee after the Sunday ride.

[newie]

I hope this doesn't put people off using "the track". I've always felt safe there, probably because there's usually plenty of people around. It's much scarier coming home after dark through Raspberry Gully - I was jumping at every rustle in the bushes last night after reading about this.
http://www.theherald.com.au/story/32655 ... rt/?cs=305

[The Walrus]

Yes it's pretty sad but not surprising with some if the freaks I see in that area. I live in Adamstown and regularly walk some of it and cycle all if it, often alone.

I would not want my wife to use it alone! Maybe there could be a Facebook group for riders that don't want to ride alone? You log in and see who wants to ride, like the running group , mentioned in the story.

[gorilla monsoon]

Maybe Charlestown detective Ssrgeant Matthew Hemsworth could talk to his superiors about sending bike patrols along the track on a regular basis. That's be novel. Maybe Lake Macquarie and Newcastl council could do the same with rangers on bikes.

[The Walrus]

I was riding the track today and some kids were throwing water bombs. They just missed the disabled guy I was with in his recumbent!

I stopped and got verbally abused. I told them to come down for a chat but of course no takers...I appreciate that kids like to have fun but that could easily knock someone off their bike, and then any kind of injury is possible.

[gorilla monsoon]

Did you report that to the coppers, Walrus? Or ring a Newcastle Herald reporter?

[The Walrus]

No but I probably should

[mikesbytes]

If one was to venture to Newcastle to ride this track as a family ride, is the best option to ride it return? for example come by train and return back to the train station?

Would be nice to ride it in one direction, but there doesn't seem to be any transportation solutions

[Bunged Knee]

If one was to venture to Newcastle to ride this track as a family ride, is the best option to ride it return? for example come by train and return back to the train station?

Would be nice to ride it in one direction, but there doesn't seem to be any transportation solutions

Adamstown station is closer to Fernleigh track and it`s the best option to ride it return. As there`s no transport at the end of one way.
Return ride takes a little bit over 30km.

[OldBloke]

Yes, use Adamstown station. Depending on the age of your family, one option is to ride about halfway, say Whitebridge (mainly uphill) and return (mainly downhill [SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES]). There's also a little shopping village at Whitebridge.

OB

If I'm wrong blame Tapatalk!

[bychosis]

Sounds like a good day out for you. Adamstown station is immediately next to the end of the trail, in fact the cycleway goes along side, then crosses the tracks in front of the station.

Depending on you families riding ability/legs willl determine how far you can go. The climb up out of Adamstown is steeper, but the return leg is a longer climb from redhead. Whitebridge is kind of at the top if you wanted to shorten the ride, but the ride through the swamp lands to Belmont is very nice for different scenery.

[mikesbytes]

Sounds like Adamstown train station is the best start point. I don't think the little one is up to 30k yet but things change.

Just thought of another idea. Take the car and drop the family at a coffee shop and/or kids park at the Adamstown end, drive to the Belmont end and ride back. Then the family will only ride one way. At a guess the family would have to wait about an hour for me to drive down, get my act together and ride back

[gorilla monsoon]

Yep, that works. 15-20 minutes to drive from Addo to Belmont, 35-40 minutes (or maybe less) to ride back down to Addo.

[The Walrus]

Sounds like Adamstown train station is the best start point. I don't think the little one is up to 30k yet but things change.

Just thought of another idea. Take the car and drop the family at a coffee shop and/or kids park at the Adamstown end, drive to the Belmont end and ride back. Then the family will only ride one way. At a guess the family would have to wait about an hour for me to drive down, get my act together and ride back

The Fernleigh Cafe would be a good spot to leave the family while you head off to Belmont.

[mikesbytes]

I took the family down to Goulburn this weekend for the ITT and Road Race on the weekend and the little one really struggled been in the car for that long so now I'm leaning towards taking the train