The best place would be Woodbury park with plenty of parking, you just turn of the freeway at the tuggerah interchange and turn left there’s a park called Woodbury park about 4km down the road on the corner of old maitland and yaramalong road.i can post a link from google maps since they have updated google maps I didn’t notice the route link last night but I’ll have another look and post it up. Here’s an idea where the start point is
Thanks mate!
would anyone be keen on doing the convict 100? and has anyone on here done it before? I’m thinking about it but hesitant to do it alone.
or maybe even the 50km loop
May next year? Perfect timing. Almost enough time for me to get fit again.
Yeah that’s when the race is on, but I was thinking of doing the route before then, someone on my strava did it the other week and took just over 5 hours, sounds like a hard and fun ride, especially the single track sections.
Convict was last week. I’ve done it twice now, both times single speed. You struggle to do it in:
A)5 hours
B)there’s a bridge built and some private land so you with t be and to so the normal route normally
I’d be in for both, just riding the route and doing the race next year. Looks like fun and I wish I’d have known of it earlier.
Fixed that for you?
I was wondering about that “kayak bridge” on the map - I didn’t think there was any bridges over the river until you get to St Albans. Just looked it up:
I guess you could detour up to St Albans instead. Or maybe do a different loop - you could climb up Wollombi Rd to get to the top of the Great North Rd, for example.
Thanks, for fixing that, I was pretty drunk when I posted that last night.
Pretty much don’t go if your doing just the 50, you miss out on all the good bits. My favourite ride/track in Sydney is start at the wisemans ferry ferry, go up the great north road til you get to Clair’s (or Claire’s, I don’t know) bridge then return til you get to finch’s line (the most fun you’ll have with your clothes on) (bring a change of undies). That’s a touch over 50km and whole bunch of climbing.
Bonus round: if you want more Kay’s ride past finch’s line and down into shepards gully, climb back out up to finch’s line, descend via finch’s line. Probably adds 20km, maybe more (I can’t remember).
Double bonus round: when you’re at ten mile hollow (just before Claire’s bridge), there’s another track I cannot for the life of me remember the name off that goes down to a clearing (which I also cannot remember the name of) which will add another 10-15km’s on and a bunch of climbing, it’s not that interesting however.
Pro tips: Western Commisioners track is pretty boring but has some sweet views and is alternate on the return. The ride between shepards gully and the wiseman ferry ferry sucks. You’re not allowed to descend the first part of the great north road as it’s heritage listed and of historical importance (you are allowed to climb it though).
okay so this might be a little epic but its the highest mountain i could find close by.
think i’ll build up to this one.
…with camping gear?
yeah it would be a good two day ride, it would be a long hard day/night id say to do it in one go. there is a camping area at junction pools which is right near the very top.
heres a link to the camping info
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/NationalParks/parkCamping.aspx?id=N0002
Hey Cam, the singlespeed nationals are in dungog in September this year. Keep an eye on this page for details - always heaps of fun:
the link seems to be just taking me to my events page?? is there another link ?
okay so i scoped out half of this route today, from mogo creek road to the start of the old great north road.
the plan is to start at St Albans, which is a 20km ride to the start of the old great north road, then roughly 40km up the old great north road to the mogo creek camping area, then a cruisy down hill mostly flat gravel road roughly 30km back to st albans. 92km all up. highest point is around the 260m mark,
see image below with the elevation graph.
http://www.strava.com/routes/339687
the plan is to do it this sat or the following saturday, so if anyone would like to join that would be cool to have some company along the way.
cheers,
cam
heres a useful map of the area too,
http://nobmob.com/node/554/map
This Saturday nope sorry as I will be up riding in the Blue Mountains but the following one yes, sounds like a great ride. What kind of bike are you planning to ride? I’ll be on my CX with fat tires, what they call a Monstercross these days.
oh sweet yeah i was leaning towards next week, i’ll be on my FS 29er I’m sure a cx with fat tires will be fine there just a section of rock garden near the start after devines hill, on the no mob map link if you hover over the first section of the GNR it shows the section of rough stuff. from what I’ve researched after that its mostly single track and fire trail, then the last section is nice gravel road.
also there is a Buddhist temple (Wat Buddha Dhamma) 35km into the ride, they have fresh water on the side of the road in a barrel. maybe its blessed who knows 
Sounds perfect to me, just like the stuff my local rides look like.
The road back down to St Albans can be sandy at the top, but gets better on the way down. And consder the water a bonus not a given.
Have fun, it’s a great ride.