100 km ride - Sydney Olympic Park & M7

[find_bruce]

I will have a rare weekend off for the June long weekend (8-10) SWMBO & the little boy will be in Melbourne, looks like I won't have to work & so am planning to get in a nice ride. It has been a long time since I did a 100km ride & I haven't ridden the M7 so I thought I could tick them both off.

What I was thinking of is this

While the route shows only 88 km, add in the 6 km ride from home & back & that's my 100.

Does anyone have improvements to what is suggested by google maps

[Ozkaban]

That would be a nice ride. I have a couple of improvements though.

There are a couple of nicer options around homebush. one is to stay on the north side of the river to meadowbank and cross the river on the pedestrian/cycle bridge. Then go through rhodes into Homebush. One of the cycleways spits you out on Benelong rd, which if you follow up to Hill Rd and rejoin the cycle way through the little car park there you can continue south on cycle ways and join up with your map near the M4.

Here's a link to Google Maps that explains it a bit better...

https://maps.google.com.au/maps?saddr=E ... 4&lci=bike" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[find_bruce]

Thanks Ozkaban, I am pretty familiar with SOP & the paths up and around Parramatta River and you make some good points.

The bits I have never ridden & was hoping for some advice on are getting from Fairfield to one end of the M7 at Prestons and at the other end from Bella Vista back to Parramatta.

In particular I am not that keen on using Windsor Road and Church St, but haven't been able to come up with a better route

[redcorpsjames]

There is a cycle path all the way along old Windsor rd and then into Parramatta

[Hergest]

Thanks Ozkaban, I am pretty familiar with SOP & the paths up and around Parramatta River and you make some good points.

The bits I have never ridden & was hoping for some advice on are getting from Fairfield to one end of the M7 at Prestons and at the other end from Bella Vista back to Parramatta.

In particular I am not that keen on using Windsor Road and Church St, but haven't been able to come up with a better route

Although it adds distance, as regards Fairfield to Prestons i would be tempted to do the Orphan School Creek path to the city farm and then the cycleway through the WSRP to Horsley Drive then join the M7 there. It means riding down the M7 cycleway to Prestons and back again but that section is the most scenic and it enables you to do the nice run down from Elizabeth Drive and then the long slog back up again.

Like this

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?saddr=Fa ... 5&lci=bike" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[find_bruce]

Thanks redcorpsjames - that looks like a much better option.

Your suggestion looks like a nice ride Hergest, I am just not sure whether I am up for adding an extra 20 km to the trip. If I wimp out this time, a loop along the Orphan School Creek path to Prospect Reservoir & back along the Prospect Creek Cyclepath looks like a great idea for the next ride.

[frailer5]

That is a great route. We did a chunk of that as the inaugural Retro Ride a few months back; and have done it several times prior. Lunch option/re-fuel Hai Duong Recommended.
Would be tempted (nay would) join you, but am in Blackheath on the longie.

[Hergest]

Yep, i've done that route many, many times, it's a good one.

[wombatK]

Although it adds distance, as regards Fairfield to Prestons i would be tempted to do the Orphan School Creek path to the city farm and then the cycleway through the WSRP to Horsley Drive then join the M7 there. It means riding down the M7 cycleway to Prestons and back again but that section is the most scenic and it enables you to do the nice run down from Elizabeth Drive and then the long slog back up again.

+1. I'm not familiar with the cycleway along Cabramatta Creek, but you've picked some nasty roads from the point where you get to the Cumberland Hwy south to picking up the M7 cycleway. It's the heart of bogan driver territory around there
and not likely to be much fun unless in the wee hours after sunrise. Also lots of B-doubles etc.,. (24x7).

If you opt for the Orphan School Creek route, you could limit how far south you go before turning back, just to keep
it within your 100k budget.

An easier to follow option would be to use the Prospect Canal Cycleway. If you ride during Dam opening hours, going through the Dam and either along Chandos St, or following the cycleway south to The Horsley Drive then west on
the shared path to M7 cycleway would be another option. Out of dam hours, you've got to take the Hyland Rd exit from
the Canal cycleway, and find your way around to The Horsley Drive.

Hope the weather is good for it, and good luck.

[find_bruce]

Thanks Wombatk - I just had a closer look at it & was surprised to see I had included Woodville Rd at one end & the Cumberland Highway & Hoxton Park Rd at the other You are right & no I won't be doing that!

There is supposedly a path on the eastern side of the rail line along the imaginatively named Railway St which the gument grandiosely refers to as the "Parramatta to Liverpool Rail Trail" & I was thinking I might see what it was like. To get there from the M4 I was thinking of continuing along the M4 to Fox St at Holroyd & then going to Merrylands Station

Rather than using Cabramatta Creek that would dump me in the middle of Liverpool, a better route would be to follow clear paddock creek (ie the start of what Hergest suggested) but turning south at King St rather than following Orphan School Creek. The path looks a bit narrow but beats fighting b-doubles any day of the week. That runs into the t-way at Bonnyrigg. This would leave me with a short stretch of Hoxton Park Rd & Jedda Rd past the Catholic Club to get to the M7.

Updated map taking into account the suggestions so far - doesn't add much extra distance & looks to be a nicer route.

Of course now frailer5 has me thinking of reversing the route so I can stop for lunch at hai duong in canley vale

[Hergest]

There is supposedly a path on the eastern side of the rail line along the imaginatively named Railway St which the gument grandiosely refers to as the "Parramatta to Liverpool Rail Trail" & I was thinking I might see what it was like. To get there from the M4 I was thinking of continuing along the M4 to Fox St at Holroyd & then going to Merrylands Station

I ride that every day as my commute from Guildford to Auburn. It's a little bit dodgy at Guildford station when a train arrives but otherwise is a nice wide marked pavement all the way through to Merrylands. You then have to do a little bit of backstreet riding to get to the Woodville Road and a short run on a narrow pavement and then you're on the M4/Duck River cycleway where i took a tumble this morning.

The path that follows the railway crosses over opposite the school on to Military Road which then follows the railway line through Yennora to Fairfield so it's a really easy run from Fairfield to Parramatta and onto Olympic park that way.

[TTar]

There is supposedly a path on the eastern side of the rail line along the imaginatively named Railway St which the gument grandiosely refers to as the "Parramatta to Liverpool Rail Trail" & I was thinking I might see what it was like. To get there from the M4 I was thinking of continuing along the M4 to Fox St at Holroyd & then going to Merrylands Station

I ride that every day as my commute from Guildford to Auburn. It's a little bit dodgy at Guildford station when a train arrives but otherwise is a nice wide marked pavement all the way through to Merrylands. You then have to do a little bit of backstreet riding to get to the Woodville Road and a short run on a narrow pavement and then you're on the M4/Duck River cycleway where i took a tumble this morning.

The path that follows the railway crosses over opposite the school on to Military Road which then follows the railway line through Yennora to Fairfield so it's a really easy run from Fairfield to Parramatta and onto Olympic park that way.

Hergey is a brave warrior so be aware he understates the dodginess of Guildford station; it's always dodgy. So is Cabramatta.

Your original route takes you on an unnecessarily long ride on Woodville rd, if you use Wallace st off Woodville rd you can link up with the railtrail through very quiet backstreets having endured only a couple of hundred metres of Woodville Rd footpath.

The railtrail theoretically goes all the way to Liverpool but sort of dissolves away into nothing after Warwick Farm, but if you ignore the Cabramatta Creek diversion and ride through Liverpool, (you can't stick to the railway, you have to go through Liverpool proper), you can avoid many of the nasty bits on your route.

Also, it's called Railway Terrace, not Street, which while it may not be imaginative, is a little evocative and therefore undeserving of your ridicule.

[gpz1100]

I live in Fairfield and ride these paths all the time.there are quiet few different cycle paths you could choose to arrivee at prestons,but the pick would have to be prospect dam,Fairfield city farm then go the m7 to prestons.there are a lot of different paths that take you to places you wouldn't normally go like around the creek and canals in caramar and chipping norton lakes.most paths are dead quiet.not much traffic at all.it was great exploring them all when I first discovered them and they are the reason I got back into cycling.
I think I am the only bogan around here because I never see them wilst out.there alot of people from different cultures that live around here and you rarely see the above mentioned hogans.there are some car hoons around though.

[moya]

Your latest version already incorporates all my suggestions so I don't have much to add, except to complain that the Parramatta Park to Bella Vista route is full of stops and starts through major intersections. Abbott Road is probably the worst because it takes 2 crossings to follow the path diagonally across the intersection. Quite a slow trip for the short distance, but I don't know a better alternative. It's a real shame they didn't put a bike path on the Tway.

The trip from SOP to the M7 has many more options, such as the Liverpool Tway, Prospect Canal, Orphan Creek, or Prospect Creek. If you were travelling anti clockwise (SOP - Bella Vista - M7 - Prestons) these various routes would offer opportunities to shorten the trip toward the end if necessary.

[QuangVuong]

Thanks redcorpsjames - that looks like a much better option.

Your suggestion looks like a nice ride Hergest, I am just not sure whether I am up for adding an extra 20 km to the trip. If I wimp out this time, a loop along the Orphan School Creek path to Prospect Reservoir & back along the Prospect Creek Cyclepath looks like a great idea for the next ride.

Wouldnt mind joining you on this course. ANd it does look similar to the first 2 retro rides.

When(time+day) are you doing the 100km ride and how fast do you ride? If I tag along, Id be able to help with Cabra/Canley areas.

[rheicel]

I want to join too, pls!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

[find_bruce]

Happy to have the company QuangVuong & rheicel & anyone else who wants to join in, whether at SOP or meet along the route - just send me a pm including your phone number & we can sort it out

I was thinking Saturday 8 June, leaving SOP at 7:30 am. I am old & fat & slow & the pace is probably going to be low 20s.

[frailer5]

It's a biggie, but a bottom-of-Sydney-Basin one,... relatively flat, so you should cover it OK. The M7 cycleway enables you to cover ground pretty quickly, too.
Pencil me in for a repeat sometime; though it's a rare-ish opportunity for you, find_bruce, by the sounds.
Have fun guys.

[Joe H]

Thanks for planning this out and opening it up to others Bruce,

I have a provisional kitchen pass on that day if the weather is nice. If the weather is bad I am on kid-duty. I would love to bring the Merckx out to SOP on Sat for the start at 7:30. I'll PM you as the week (and the kitchen pass) progress.

Joe

[gpz1100]

Ahh damn I have a family thing on that day.i wish I could tag along.this is my backyard.hope to join you guys another time.

[rheicel]

Looks like Bruce Ride is going to be a little group ride now.

[QuangVuong]

Ill be meeting up at the gates of Parra Park at 8-8:15am on my vintage carbon(Giant 980c).

[LM324]

Happy to have the company QuangVuong & rheicel & anyone else who wants to join in, whether at SOP or meet along the route - just send me a pm including your phone number & we can sort it out

I was thinking Saturday 8 June, leaving SOP at 7:30 am. I am old & fat & slow & the pace is probably going to be low 20s.

I will be riding at SOP on Satuday at around that time (providing that it doesn't rain). I'm not interested in joining your ride as I will be meeting another friend but if I see you guys around I will say HI.

[daacha]

I live in Fairfield and ride these paths all the time.there are quiet few different cycle paths you could choose to arrivee at prestons,but the pick would have to be prospect dam,Fairfield city farm then go the m7 to prestons.there are a lot of different paths that take you to places you wouldn't normally go like around the creek and canals in caramar and chipping norton lakes.most paths are dead quiet.not much traffic at all.it was great exploring them all when I first discovered them and they are the reason I got back into cycling.
I think I am the only bogan around here because I never see them wilst out.there alot of people from different cultures that live around here and you rarely see the above mentioned hogans.there are some car hoons around though.

Bruce Guildford Station to Prospect reservoir is a great piece of bike path. It takes you through the old aquaduct and from the top of Prospect Reservoir you can take Chandos? Rd to the M7 or continue on the path and turn right at Horsley Dr, where the bike continues to the M7 path. There is no need to go as far as the City Farm although the hills will get your heart started if you do. If you decide to cross Horsley drive and continue on the path into western Sydney Regional Park you can access the M7 via Moonrise, the sharpest hill i have ever had to climb but the view of the city skyline will be worth it.

daacha

[TTar]

If you decide to cross Horsley drive and continue on the path into western Sydney Regional Park you can access the M7 via Moonrise, the sharpest hill i have ever had to climb but the view of the city skyline will be worth it.

daacha

+1 Such views are extremely rare in this hilly city. I wouldn't be surprised if it's the only spot town offering that sort of view.

You might have to ride all three days of the long weekend to take it all in.