New to Syd - comments on good clubs & rides?



Dini77

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Sep 21, 2005
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Hi All,

I'm moving to Syd in the near future from Melbourne. Haven't decided on where i'll be staying but would like an area that's favourable for riding or has good ride options available. I race as well (road, crit & open comps) so would like to know suggestions for strong clubs that run good races/comps and training, etc.

At this stage, the Eastern Suburbs or North Syd are possible areas i'm looking to stay in, but these may be **** for riding. Would love any feedback on this or other suggestions.

BTW - would appreciate any feedback from people who've made the move as well or can compare both cities in terms of riding options.

Thanks for the help
 
Hi Dini,

http://www.randwickbotanycc.com/ is pretty good. Apart from the road races they also run training at Tempe velodrome.
I wont recommend Sydney Cycling club as we have had a few run ins with these pretentious a***holes on the road and in Centenial Park.

There are a few places that have training rides on the weekends.
North in my books is a better area to ride from than the eastern suburbs.
There are lots of places to ride such as Pittwater Rd up to Monvale, Terry Hills. Wakehurst parkway. Bobbin Head. Westhead. Galston Gorge.

If you are in the eastern suburbs you would be handy to Centennial Park where a few clubs have training rides on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturday mornings. Rides tend to head out to Waterfall or somewhere in that direction.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

Geoff
 
By far the best place to ride in sydney is the Sutherland Shire. The Sutherland shire bicycle club is there. They run excellent criteriums on Friday nights during the summer and have good road racing during the winter. I think the racing at Sutherland tends to suit the road rider more. The racing is tougher, in that there are more hills. The best part is the cycling around the Shire. There are literally hundreds of riders around here. The Cronulla triathlon club is here. They have produced heaps of world class athletes. They run training rides every tuesday and thursday mornings at 5 am.
There are two bunches that go out. The first a strong group and the second a not so strong group. Great ride before work.

Sutherland cycling club have a club ride on Sundays. They head into town ride around the eastern suburbs and have coffee at centennial park. Then ride back.
There is also a Wednesday group that head down to wollongong and back. Generally I think this group is hardcore roadies or just have really "flexible" work hours.

The sutherland Shire borders the Royal National park. Great riding in the hills and is close enough to do some longer rides down to wollongong for some tough hill climbing.

The other post mentioned Randwick Botany Club. I used to race there every saturday afternoon in summer. They run criteriums. Not road races. From the Sutherland shire they are 25 kilometers away. I dont know if there still is, but there used to be a bunch of guys that would ride out there and race and then ride home. The racing there is fast and excellent if you are a sprinter. Lots of fun.

Living there I dont recommend. I personally think there is too much traffic.

In the Shire car drivers are used to bicyles and I think are a little more tolerant than in other parts of Sydney. But that is just my observation.


My recommendation is to come up try out different places first before settling for somewhere. My bet it will be the Shire. Probably Cronulla.

Good luck.
 
MPCRUSHER said:
By far the best place to ride in sydney is the Sutherland Shire.
Of course it is every one who lives in the shire loves it. Everyone who does not, can’t see the attraction. :D



North Syd is quite good, it's also only 15 K's from Centennial Park, and it's got quite good access to get up to Akuna bay and church point.....BIG hills and is not that far from the home bush Olympic site....wide open roads with nobody on them. Like geoffs said there are good rides up Pittwater Rd up to Monavale, Terry Hills. Wakehurst parkway. Bobbin Head. Westhead. Galston Gorge. Even Palm Beach if you want to get some big K's I'd go with what randwick guys. But either the eastern suburbs or North Syd is a good option
 
Riding around the Royal NP (not necessarily the Shire itself) is pretty good. The Shire is certainly handy for the Royal, but don't forget where Sylvania Waters is:cool:.
But the area around the Upper North Shore/ Broken Bay is at least as good.
 
Thanks for the comments guys. Very helpful. Now i just got to learn the roads around Syd. I guess i'll be doing some extra miles because i know i'm gonna get lost up there :D cheers
 
Iron Man said:
Of course it is every one who lives in the shire loves it. Everyone who does not, can’t see the attraction. :D

I know, I know. There is a "Shire" mentality that can be very annoying to people who don't live there, and believe me it gives me the ***** at times as well. On the other hand I think what people see as arrogance from "Shire folk" is sadly missing in many areas in Sydney. The people in the Shire are parochial. They are proud of the area in which they live. The australian tall poppy syndrome doesn't allow for this type of open endorsement of ones circumstances. Isn't it interesting though that this "Shire" mentality is known of throughout Sydney. I wonder why so many people have come to the same conclusion about an area in sydney, to the point where others that dont reside in that area have labelled them ("Shire" people) as somewhat arrogant. Could it be that all these people are right? You would have to live there to make an accurate judjement I think.

Anyways proof I am not championing the Shire because I live there is that I moved to wollongong from cronulla. The price of property was my reason to move. I have not regretted it once.

now had the post asked where the best place to ride in or around Sydney was, you would have received a different response.

When I say the Sutherland Shire is the best place for cycling in Sydney I am trying to be completely objective. No bias. I have ridden all over Sydney and having measured all things that cyclists appreciate the shire comes up trumps.

Good Traffic
Great Roads
Heaps of hills
great clubs
 
geoffs said:
Hi Dini,

http://www.randwickbotanycc.com/ is pretty good. Apart from the road races they also run training at Tempe velodrome.
I wont recommend Sydney Cycling club as we have had a few run ins with these pretentious a***holes on the road and in Centenial Park.

There are a few places that have training rides on the weekends.
North in my books is a better area to ride from than the eastern suburbs.
There are lots of places to ride such as Pittwater Rd up to Monvale, Terry Hills. Wakehurst parkway. Bobbin Head. Westhead. Galston Gorge.

If you are in the eastern suburbs you would be handy to Centennial Park where a few clubs have training rides on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturday mornings. Rides tend to head out to Waterfall or somewhere in that direction.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

Geoff
Hi Geoff, this is real helpful. I've been checking out the route online. What's the terrain like on some of these rides and what's the distance like? I'd guess the following:

Nth Syd up Pittwater Rd to Mona Vale - flat to rolling hills?
Nth Syd to Wakehurst Pkway - moderate hilly
Nth Syd to Bobbin Head - hilly
Nth Syd to Galston Gorge - moderate hilly

Are these fair guesses or am i way off?

cheers
 
Dini77 said:
Hi Geoff, this is real helpful. I've been checking out the route online. What's the terrain like on some of these rides and what's the distance like? I'd guess the following:

Nth Syd up Pittwater Rd to Mona Vale - flat to rolling hills?
Nth Syd to Wakehurst Pkway - moderate hilly
Nth Syd to Bobbin Head - hilly
Nth Syd to Galston Gorge - moderate hilly

Are these fair guesses or am i way off?

cheers
If you do a "Trois Montagnes" ride through Bobbin Head, Galston Gorge, Arcadia and Berowra Waters, then you'll be doing 1200-1300m ascent, depending on your home port in Sydney. Galston Gorge and Berowra Waters both offer steeper climbs than Bobbin Head, depending on which direction you're going in, but all three are very scenic.
 
artemidorus said:
If you do a "Trois Montagnes" ride through Bobbin Head, Galston Gorge, Arcadia and Berowra Waters, then you'll be doing 1200-1300m ascent, depending on your home port in Sydney. Galston Gorge and Berowra Waters both offer steeper climbs than Bobbin Head, depending on which direction you're going in, but all three are very scenic.
Thanks mate - sounds like a good ride.

The "Shire" sounds interesting (although the name conjures up an image in my head of the Lord of the Rings and town full of hobbits:p). Probably too far away from the city for my liking but may go for some rides down there.

Thanks for all the feedback.

cheers
 

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