When will M2 reopen...

[queequeg]

So if you were to do 30 over the limit, it is just a fine (albeit expensive)? You cannot lose your drivers license as you would doing same in a car?

Actually, due to the low likelihood of a Bicycle speeding, the govt did not include any offences in the legislation for issuing TINs to cyclists. That means a police officer can't issue you a speeding fine, as there is no offence code for exceeding the speed limit on a bicycle.
The only way they can therefore ticket you is by issuing you a Field Court Attendance Notice, which then requires the officer to file lots of paperwork and attend court. Unless you are being a complete prat, I'd say it is pretty remote that you'll get an officer willing to go to court for speeding on a bicycle, given that it is highly unlikely to be hugely over the limit (unless you are bombing down a steep descent when school zones are operating).

I think this is also what was meant when a Senior Police Officer said that "there is technically no speeding offences on bicycles"

[vosadrian]

Good to know... it is possible to do over 80 down that hill... don't ask me how I know! But I need a bigger chain ring than the 52 to go for the KOM (or is that KOD for the descent!!)

Note that I would never go that fast down there at a busy time. There is a constant stream of cars out of IBM in the afternoons and they do not always see a bike coming down the hill. Fast runs done early weekend mornings.

[Boognoss]

Good to know... it is possible to do over 80 down that hill... don't ask me how I know! But I need a bigger chain ring than the 52 to go for the KOM (or is that KOD for the descent!!)

Note that I would never go that fast down there at a busy time. There is a constant stream of cars out of IBM in the afternoons and they do not always see a bike coming down the hill. Fast runs done early weekend mornings.

Get yourself a good leadout motor vehicle and they part the way the whole way down (unless you pick a shopper). Don't ask me how I know......

I need to shave 3 seconds off to reclaim the KOM - I know anyone can do fast downhill but that's all I've got You have 7 seconds to do it Mr Vos.....

[vosadrian]

Cars go too slow generally at the top. Maybe if you were lucky to time it right so you caught one as it flattens out. I actually live in the glade so normally turn off midway on that segment... have only done the full segment about 5 times despite doing the steep bit hundreds of times... might have to start a new segment!!

[queequeg]

Good to know... it is possible to do over 80 down that hill... don't ask me how I know! But I need a bigger chain ring than the 52 to go for the KOM (or is that KOD for the descent!!)

Note that I would never go that fast down there at a busy time. There is a constant stream of cars out of IBM in the afternoons and they do not always see a bike coming down the hill. Fast runs done early weekend mornings.

New Line Rd from Hungry Jacks to Hastings Rd....80km/h is slow. That's all I'm saying.

[vosadrian]

I'm second on that New Line Strava segment (max 72), but I go quicker than my top speed on that hill almost every time down Coonara. My fastest speed on a bike is on a descent out the back of Noosa... mid 90s but yet to break 100. Have gone pretty quick on the descent into gosford from Somersby (over 90).

Coonara is not the quickest descent around... but it aint slow!!

[AndrewCowley]

Was riding westbound on the M2 today. Exited at Pennant Hills road given the closure. But Say What there is no signage (not that I could see anyway) saying where to go. Is it right or left onto Pennant Hills road? And then where after that? I was appalled and frustrated at the lack of signage. Was returning home from a long ride and wasn't in the mood for this.

[Boognoss]

Was riding westbound on the M2 today. Exited at Pennant Hills road given the closure. But Say What there is no signage (not that I could see anyway) saying where to go. Is it right or left onto Pennant Hills road? And then where after that? I was appalled and frustrated at the lack of signage. Was returning home from a long ride and wasn't in the mood for this.

That sucks frankly - a standard cyclist Transurban experience for you then.......

The "official" detour turns left and uses the footpath (allegedly a shared path because of signs now) on the eastern side to the ped crossing past Murray Farm Rd. You cross there, use more path past the servo fighting with motorists exiting and not giving a toss about anyone else in the world and then left on to Murray Farm Rd.

I turn right so don't use the official detour currently at all.

[queequeg]

I'm second on that New Line Strava segment (max 72), but I go quicker than my top speed on that hill almost every time down Coonara. My fastest speed on a bike is on a descent out the back of Noosa... mid 90s but yet to break 100. Have gone pretty quick on the descent into gosford from Somersby (over 90).

Coonara is not the quickest descent around... but it aint slow!!

That section is in my privacy zone, so I have no idea where I would sit, but I have reached Hastings Rd a few times and noted a speed north of 85km/h. The only place I've gone quicker was at Fitz in October, tucked in behind a club mate going down Honeysuckle.

[queequeg]

Was riding westbound on the M2 today. Exited at Pennant Hills road given the closure. But Say What there is no signage (not that I could see anyway) saying where to go. Is it right or left onto Pennant Hills road? And then where after that? I was appalled and frustrated at the lack of signage. Was returning home from a long ride and wasn't in the mood for this.

Should have gone to SpecSavers lol

Here is a screen grab from the commute home yesterday



I was out driving today to pick up something in Winston hills and happened to be on the M2 detour bike route. Clearly nobody from TransUrban rides a bike, because those hills are nasty!

[queequeg]

Was riding westbound on the M2 today. Exited at Pennant Hills road given the closure. But Say What there is no signage (not that I could see anyway) saying where to go. Is it right or left onto Pennant Hills road? And then where after that? I was appalled and frustrated at the lack of signage. Was returning home from a long ride and wasn't in the mood for this.

That sucks frankly - a standard cyclist Transurban experience for you then.......

The "official" detour turns left and uses the footpath (allegedly a shared path because of signs now) on the eastern side to the ped crossing past Murray Farm Rd. You cross there, use more path past the servo fighting with motorists exiting and not giving a toss about anyone else in the world and then left on to Murray Farm Rd.

I turn right so don't use the official detour currently at all.

FYI the path on that side has always been a shared path, and goes up to a gap in the sound barrier that goes through to Murray Farm Rd on the eastern side of Pennant Hills Rd. Unless they extended it, technically you must exit through the fence, then do a little backtrack around to the path next to the roselea community centre.

[Boognoss]

Fair enough. You know what I think of RMS technical rules though

[DojoBuff]

FYI the path on that side has always been a shared path, and goes up to a gap in the sound barrier that goes through to Murray Farm Rd on the eastern side of Pennant Hills Rd. Unless they extended it, technically you must exit through the fence, then do a little backtrack around to the path next to the roselea community centre.

From memory, when I was going home to Epping, there is a M2 Detour sign directing you to the eastern side of Murray Farm Road through a small track, and then again at Keira Place, but I didn't go that way when I did the detour. I crossed on PHR.

[DojoBuff]

If you want to shave off the hill top, I turn left at the roundabout onto Cecil on commute mornings and rejoin Old Northern Rd near the servo/Dan Murphys intersection.

Good tip! Rode to Castle Hill this morning. Crane Rd is a rollercoaster, so I took Cecil Av and it gives me a breather and the climb to ONRd is more gradual with a nice merge into the pathway at the traffic lights.

Did a loop through Bernie Mullane Sports Complex via the cycleway in Fred Caterson Reserve. Made the mistake of trying it the first time in the dark and got completely lost! Tried again near sunrise. More dirt tracks than I expected and really overgrown shrubs. Pity because its a nice route.

[queequeg]

FYI the path on that side has always been a shared path, and goes up to a gap in the sound barrier that goes through to Murray Farm Rd on the eastern side of Pennant Hills Rd. Unless they extended it, technically you must exit through the fence, then do a little backtrack around to the path next to the roselea community centre.

From memory, when I was going home to Epping, there is a M2 Detour sign directing you to the eastern side of Murray Farm Road through a small track, and then again at Keira Place, but I didn't go that way when I did the detour. I crossed on PHR.

Looking on street view, I can see that in Sep '14 the M2 detour sign directed you straight ahead at the gap in the fence, and the path is shown as a shared path beyond the gap. In the May '15 view, the M2 detour sign is missing, but the path is still shown as shared.
Either way it is daft as you ride past Murray Farm up to the official signalled crossing at the community centre, then wait forever for the lights, then backtrack to Murray Farm Rd about 125m.

[Boognoss]

FYI the path on that side has always been a shared path, and goes up to a gap in the sound barrier that goes through to Murray Farm Rd on the eastern side of Pennant Hills Rd. Unless they extended it, technically you must exit through the fence, then do a little backtrack around to the path next to the roselea community centre.

From memory, when I was going home to Epping, there is a M2 Detour sign directing you to the eastern side of Murray Farm Road through a small track, and then again at Keira Place, but I didn't go that way when I did the detour. I crossed on PHR.

Looking on street view, I can see that in Sep '14 the M2 detour sign directed you straight ahead at the gap in the fence, and the path is shown as a shared path beyond the gap. In the May '15 view, the M2 detour sign is missing, but the path is still shown as shared.
Either way it is daft as you ride past Murray Farm up to the official signalled crossing at the community centre, then wait forever for the lights, then backtrack to Murray Farm Rd about 125m.

I probably posted on BNA ages ago but I actually phoned the then-RTA phone line and complained about that particular crossing during the complete closure. The bored-housewife sounding employee on the other end responded with "well you don't want all of the cars to be held up do you?". You can't fight stupid with stupid and sadly you should never go full retard.....

[caneye]

on Pennant Hills Road, south-bound, there's a right turn into Murray Farm (for "Buses Only").
i don't suppose any of you use that?

another option is just to cycle a couple of hundred metres up to PHR-North Rocks Rd intersection and make a u-turn back to Murray Farm road. the lights there are very regular and fast.

[hugh stone]

I've now done the detour a couple of times and after the off ramp have stayed in the left lane southbound on on PHR and then crossed over to use the bus turn right lane near where the left lane merges into two lanes.
Must be something to do with the light sequence or time of day but there's be hardly any traffic southbound so I've felt okay about using the road rather than the 'shared' path.

[wellington_street]

Was riding westbound on the M2 today. Exited at Pennant Hills road given the closure. But Say What there is no signage (not that I could see anyway) saying where to go. Is it right or left onto Pennant Hills road? And then where after that? I was appalled and frustrated at the lack of signage. Was returning home from a long ride and wasn't in the mood for this.

Should have gone to SpecSavers lol

Here is a screen grab from the commute home yesterday



I was out driving today to pick up something in Winston hills and happened to be on the M2 detour bike route. Clearly nobody from TransUrban rides a bike, because those hills are nasty!

There is a fairly comprehensive report online by GTA consultants (same senior guy who designed much of Clover's bike lanes) which sets out the reasons for using the detour route over other potential routes.

Cant seem to get a link so just google "northconnex bicycle detour report"

[jubaeg]

Thanks for the report wellington_street. Here is the link: http://northconnex.com.au/docs/ALL-LLB- ... rt-APU.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'm sure there will be many comments regarding this. Two observations that I had from my quick skim:
1) the analysis of strava heat maps appears to have been conducted in June 2015. I think the M2 bike lane was open again then? They should have probably considered conducting analysis during the time the M2 bike lane was closed to see the various routes that were taken

2) they haven't considered the crane/cranbrook paths as a reasonably significant shortcut to the northern route

[Boognoss]

Got my media on again in the past week.

M2 closure forces cyclists on the scenic route

[queequeg]

There is a fairly comprehensive report online by GTA consultants (same senior guy who designed much of Clover's bike lanes) which sets out the reasons for using the detour route over other potential routes.

Cant seem to get a link so just google "northconnex bicycle detour report"

Yep, I've read the report more than a few times, and there were better routes, which unfortunately involved spending money and taking time, and we couldn't have that could we./sarcasm

What I'd like to know is whether the GTA consultants actually got on a bicycle and rode the detour route themselves.

Out on an errand in Winston Hills, I found myself driving on some of the route and I was surprised how hilly it actually is. I know that a few people are already just using Barclay Rd and the Big Dipper as it is the most direct of all the proposed detour routes.

The Strava Heatmap completely contradicted the reports claims that hardly anyone uses the M2 (which you would expect in Winter when it's raining), as this is when they elected to do the bike count (a manual count I presume, as they missed people!).
Meanwhile, the Strava Heatmap has the M2 lit up like a Christmas tree.

[wellington_street]

There is a fairly comprehensive report online by GTA consultants (same senior guy who designed much of Clover's bike lanes) which sets out the reasons for using the detour route over other potential routes.

Cant seem to get a link so just google "northconnex bicycle detour report"

Yep, I've read the report more than a few times, and there were better routes, which unfortunately involved spending money and taking time, and we couldn't have that could we./sarcasm

What I'd like to know is whether the GTA consultants actually got on a bicycle and rode the detour route themselves.

Out on an errand in Winston Hills, I found myself driving on some of the route and I was surprised how hilly it actually is. I know that a few people are already just using Barclay Rd and the Big Dipper as it is the most direct of all the proposed detour routes.

The Strava Heatmap completely contradicted the reports claims that hardly anyone uses the M2 (which you would expect in Winter when it's raining), as this is when they elected to do the bike count (a manual count I presume, as they missed people!).
Meanwhile, the Strava Heatmap has the M2 lit up like a Christmas tree.

I would be very surprised if test rides were included in that report. That would be an OH&S issue wouldn't it

[2Wheeler]

Yes. Cecil Ave is waaaaaay easier. Now you can tackle the hill up to the roundabout rather than saving legs to reach the top of the hill.

[jubaeg]

Threaded the needle along PHR today and went the length of Castle Hill rd. Car behaviour was reasonable, a touch close at times, but not too bad. Interestingly, was the same pace as the cars that were on PHR turning onto CHR, in that I could catchup at lights and at the Northern rd lights was able to take the bus lane and so do some [very satisfying] leapfrogging.

Probably wouldn't recommend CHR if you're not comfortable with traffic as there isn't any shoulder or anything.