Charity Ride, Century Challenge at Kariong NSW 6/5/07

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I've done the previous 3 & IMO a very good event. Most of the way there is a good tarred/hotmix shoulder & not a lot of traffic. You can reasonably expect not to have to stop as there are few intersections, no stop signs or traffic lights to contend with. Info & entry details are available at http://www.rotaryerina.org.au/cycle.htm
Not trying to put you off but there is a short dirt road section [guessing 1 to 200m] near the start & finish. 20k or so of road which is a little bumpy in part but not to bad.
BTW there is also a 50k ride if 100k doesn't suit. I'd say there has only been a couple of hundred entrants in the 3 I've done so it's no Gong Ride as far as numbers go.
Any comments??

The reason it never gets much in the way of participants is that it is very badly advertised.

Hubby did it last year and thought it was great - we even had a friend come up from Melbourne to do it.

Same day as Dirtworks, damn it.

Sounds like a good ride. How are the hills?

Sounds like a good ride. How are the hills?Going up [or down] is all about perception, aka ability. One persons hill is another persons mountain. I still remember my first ride up a short hill near home 4 years ago, 28/32 at 10kph seated. I felt like having a chuck at the top.
Same hill now is standing in 39/19 at 19/20kph. Minus the chuck feeling :)
um..back to the question. The hilly bits are early on. One hill after about 30k for a couple of ks is the steepest & I suspect would have most using their lowest gear at some point on the climb. Sorry I don't know what % grade it is or have a profile of the course.
Any one else have any other details on this??

Going up [or down] is all about perception, aka ability. One persons hill is another persons mountain. I still remember my first ride up a short hill near home 4 years ago, 28/32 at 10kph seated. I felt like having a chuck at the top.
Same hill now is standing in 39/19 at 19/20kph. Minus the chuck feeling :)
um..back to the question. The hilly bits are early on. One hill after about 30k for a couple of ks is the steepest & I suspect would have most using their lowest gear at some point on the climb. Sorry I don't know what % grade it is or have a profile of the course.
Any one else have any other details on this??Thanks. Haven't tried this one before, but I was planning on giving it a go as it sounds like fun. I was hoping someone had some objective numbers or comparison (such as say like Bobbin head, or Bald Hill or whatever). I decided to do a rough plot on Bikely based on the rough sketch map on the website. Don't know how accurate it is, but be interested in your review.

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Central-Coast-Century-Ride

Thanks. Haven't tried this one before, but I was planning on giving it a go as it sounds like fun. I was hoping someone had some objective numbers or comparison (such as say like Bobbin head, or Bald Hill or whatever). I decided to do a rough plot on Bikely based on the rough sketch map on the website. Don't know how accurate it is, but be interested in your review.

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Central-Coast-Century-Ride
You'll have to zoom to the start on your Bikely map. You enter Kangoo Rd from The Parklands then left into Acacia, left at Debenham Rd, left at Gindurra, left at WF Rd then right onto the Pacific Hwy & then hit the first hill :)
In George Downs Dr the turn around is Greta Rd not Springs.
You enter WF Rd a couple of ks further along Peats Ridge Rd at the Somersby Overpass near Smiths Rd.
The finish is the reverse of the start, so enter Gindurra from WF Rd & so on.
I think that's it, see you there :)

ffs, must be 18 and over :mad:

ffs, must be 18 and over :mad:uum...the entry form & flyer which was sent to me about a month ago has a minimum 16 year age eligibility reference in 4 places. Must have changed it?? I don't think they check birth certificates.
BTW I'm not involved in any way with the organisers of this event. I'm just trying to get a few more riders to draft off :D

Thanks. Haven't tried this one before, but I was planning on giving it a go as it sounds like fun.
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Central-Coast-Century-Ride
A couple of posts were lost during the meltdown. In case there are any late comers I thought I'd give it a 'bump'. kslims' bikely map is accurate & gives you a good idea of the scenery. Any more takers, good weather predicted...TMTM :D

Edit btw I'll be riding an Avanti Blade [flat bar] with red tyres [cause there faster than black ones] Say hi if you see me :)

I'll be riding an Avanti Blade [flat bar] with red tyresAm coming. I looked at the 50k ride. Seems to be a lot easier: http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/33486:) (http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/33486)
So I might try the 100 but may turn around:o if it gets too steep for my poor little legs:eek:. Downloaded the entry form tonight. I hear the bit near Mangrove Mtn can be ugly, and the bottom part of the first loop is the worst. Not sure if its worse than Bald Hill though, hard to tell.

I hear the bit near Mangrove Mtn can be ugly, Parts of George Downs Drive & Wisemans Ferry Rd are a bit rough with little shoulder. Be brave :)

Well I did the 50k and I enjoyed myself. I found the climb out of Mooney Mooney Creek challenging but not impossible. Just before the first drinks stop I heard that Peter McDonald scored a new record on the time trial they were running on the oter side opf the road - 59 min average speed 43.8 - WOW:D:D:D.
After the Central Mangrove turn off it was great roaring down the hills I got up to 70kph.
But the roads were ROUGH!!:eek:

Did the 100km ride yesterday and kudos to the organisers - very well organised ride. All that fruit and cake at the stops !! Certainly didn't need to bring your own energy bars on this ride.

The ascent from the Hawkesbury being relatively gentle (admittedly I didn't really push it very hard). Some of the roads were a bit rough - more the bit approaching Central Mangrove and going on to Kulnura.

Great ride overall.

Did the 100km ride yesterday and kudos to the organisers - very well organised ride. All that fruit and cake at the stops !! Certainly didn't need to bring your own energy bars on this ride.

The ascent from the Hawkesbury being relatively gentle (admittedly I didn't really push it very hard). Some of the roads were a bit rough - more the bit approaching Central Mangrove and going on to Kulnura.

Great ride overall.
I survived on a couple of bananas & 2 full strength gatorades. No flats or other mishaps [except going cross country at the 2nd last turn after dodging some loose gravel] allowing me to ride without stopping. Glade you enjoyed, but surely you jest re relatively gentle :)

Funny how hindsight goes. I probably recall the climb as being gentle because I was expecting something a lot steeper, (you know the sort of thing with lots of switchbacks) and because I kept waiting for the steep bit to come, I was conscious of maintaining a speed and cadence well within my capacity (and no - I do not have a compact crank or triple).

The bit which got me was the "gentle undulations" and the rough surface on the road after that. Going to sound really wussy here, but my rear end pain is feeling pretty sore today.