When will M2 reopen...

[Xplora]

NWSCC might have to join you Boog Galston/Bobbo of a morning would be awesome. Not much of a fan on Galston westbound when the traffic is heavy, but it's fine through the hairpins.

[Boognoss]

Agree. When the bank account is happier NWSCC won't be joining me. I'll just be one of the members .

[queequeg]

If Browns Waterhole is the entrance just past the tunnel, it's definitely not ready for use. Very close though!

Is that the entrance for going eastbound if you come down Kissing Point Road from Bobbin head?

So went through this afternoon (down Kissing Pt Rd), and the gate was open. There were workers in Vimiera Rd at the compound, and also down working on the embankment. There is a new gate (well, new as in not the one they had when it closed), but I saw them remove the "m2 closed to cyclists sign" between me going down Browns waterhole and coming back 2 hours later.

[queequeg]

NWSCC might have to join you Boog Galston/Bobbo of a morning would be awesome. Not much of a fan on Galston westbound when the traffic is heavy, but it's fine through the hairpins.

Count me in, as New Line Rd northbound in the early morning is not too bad. I have done the Berowra Waters/Bobbin Head loop a few times, then down the hwy or Kissing Pt Rd.
Galston Gorge can be a bit tricky in the morning as lots of people rat run to avoid New Line Rd/Boundary Rd, which is jammed from about 7am.

[queequeg]

Agree. When the bank account is happier NWSCC won't be joining me. I'll just be one of the members .

+1 hopefully next month. I am waiting for the kit to be available, and my bonus to come through.

[Boognoss]

Agree. When the bank account is happier NWSCC won't be joining me. I'll just be one of the members .

+1 hopefully next month. I am waiting for the kit to be available, and my bonus to come through.

End of Feb is bonus month at my work. Fingers crossed it'll cover existing bills and debt first .

[queequeg]

Agree. When the bank account is happier NWSCC won't be joining me. I'll just be one of the members .

+1 hopefully next month. I am waiting for the kit to be available, and my bonus to come through.

End of Feb is bonus month at my work. Fingers crossed it'll cover existing bills and debt first .

We got nothing last year as the company missed targets, and the two years prior to that were not much better.
This year they changed the bonus scheme so that 50% is based on your own performance and 50% is the company. So, I should be able to at least get something this year, but would good to get it all. Instead of pay rises I have been given incremental increases on the bonus %, which just runs salt into the wound when targets are not met.

[Boognoss]

+1 hopefully next month. I am waiting for the kit to be available, and my bonus to come through.

End of Feb is bonus month at my work. Fingers crossed it'll cover existing bills and debt first .

We got nothing last year as the company missed targets, and the two years prior to that were not much better.
This year they changed the bonus scheme so that 50% is based on your own performance and 50% is the company. So, I should be able to at least get something this year, but would good to get it all. Instead of pay rises I have been given incremental increases on the bonus %, which just runs salt into the wound when targets are not met.

Well that's a good change. I'm crossing fingers and toes but there's been no word from corporate about major changes to the bonus scheme. Getting a bit off topic but on topic, if I get a bonus I'll spend some of it on bike stuff .

[queequeg]

End of Feb is bonus month at my work. Fingers crossed it'll cover existing bills and debt first .

We got nothing last year as the company missed targets, and the two years prior to that were not much better.
This year they changed the bonus scheme so that 50% is based on your own performance and 50% is the company. So, I should be able to at least get something this year, but would good to get it all. Instead of pay rises I have been given incremental increases on the bonus %, which just runs salt into the wound when targets are not met.

Well that's a good change. I'm crossing fingers and toes but there's been no word from corporate about major changes to the bonus scheme. Getting a bit off topic but on topic, if I get a bonus I'll spend some of it on bike stuff .

Err, yes, I am hoping for a sneaky N+1 myself

[Boognoss]

Err, yes, I am hoping for a sneaky N+1 myself

Donate the Cooper to the Boognoss, not-enough-bonus-for-a-Lynskey fund and I'll keep it completely silent for you.

[Xplora]

I have seen the draft kit print and it looks good. The final product should be amazing.

We will need to pencil in some regular special commutes because there are a lot more guys in our situation than you would realise!

[queequeg]

I have seen the draft kit print and it looks good. The final product should be amazing.

We will need to pencil in some regular special commutes because there are a lot more guys in our situation than you would realise!

In club kit of course! I am told that my panniers are wonderful to draft behind, but I am not so great out front with only a 46T big ring on the commuter. Might have to double up on a "non-special" day and take the roadie, or start looking for N+1

[trek52]

love all the big talk online etc about the new NWSCC club and good on them, was going to join this year but on 2 occasions when I rode the opposite way to their "too cool" bunch and didnt get a nod or a wave from any of the 20-30 blokes I thought, here we go again.........same story different club. I joined Penrith instead who seem to have actually changed their attitude and are embracing cycling at all levels, not just a click that you need to be part of...

[rogan]

trek - that's a shame, and I am sure the NWSCC members will take note... BUT, I'd just simply note that there has not yet been a formal organised NWSCC ride, although the rides are starting soon. Nor has the NWSCC kit been issued yet. So it can't have been a Club ride - must have been another group.

Best of luck at Penrith, they are a good club, so I'm sure you'll be fine in any case.

[MVZOOM]

Road Eastbound this morning; no workmen or signs that there was any other work going on. Great ride - seems like ages since I've ridden the hill coming out of the Beecroft tunnel.

[AndrewCowley]

Road Eastbound this morning; no workmen or signs that there was any other work going on. Great ride - seems like ages since I've ridden the hill coming out of the Beecroft tunnel.

Is it 4 years?

[rogan]

As best as I can recall it was closed from January 2010, so a full five years. I haven't ridden it yet, I'd like the no bikes signs to come down first...

[Boognoss]

As best as I can recall it was closed from January 2010, so a full five years. I haven't ridden it yet, I'd like the no bikes signs to come down first...

Close but a year out. 19/1/11 was the last pre-roadworks M2 commute I did according to Bikejournal .

[rogan]

It just seems longer, somehow...

[Boognoss]

It just seems longer, somehow...

Completely agree. Had a touch of the forever feeling about it.

[trek52]

Don't forget we could ride west bound since about 05.

[Boognoss]

Don't forget we could ride west bound since about 05.

I started riding in 2007 so I never rode west until it reopened in 2013. My homeward commute time is much better now .

[Scott2468]

The irony behind that cycleway garbage is that people have been dragged off the M7 cycleway in ambulances without a car in sight. The vast, vast majority of riding is safe and fine, and accidents are not done on purpose. We wouldn't get out of bed if zero risk was the goal.

A bit of irony! I commute on the M2 every day for years. End of November I had about 8mm steel rod, 1 metre long wrapped around the front wheel. It had broken spokes and dug in and jammed in the hub.

Garmin showed it happened just before the tunnel. I was there for one hour. Apparently a car stopped and called an ambulance. I don't remember anything that day.

Got out of it pretty cheap. Dislocated clavicle, torn ligaments in shoulder, torn bicep. Broken wheels, damaged brifter, scraped saddle. Jersey and Knicks cut off me. Helmet cracked. Woke with bruised forehead and black eye, surprisingly small amount of scrapes. Headaches, vagueness and lethargy.

In saying this, I'm alive without major damage to me or the steed. People have asked if I'll commute again. I got to get back on the horse of course!

I'm back! After nearly three months I'm planning on getting back on the horse.

There was more damage to my steed than what I first thought. With some help from QV helping me with my shifters, today I got the Look rolling.

A test ride around the block was shaky. I thought I was going to swerve into a parked car and I was buggered when I got home. All is good, I couldn't get the grin off my dial.

Bring on the M2 Monday!

[Boognoss]

I'm back! After nearly three months I'm planning on getting back on the horse.

There was more damage to my steed than what I first thought. With some help from QV helping me with my shifters, today I got the Look rolling.

A test ride around the block was shaky. I thought I was going to swerve into a parked car and I was buggered when I got home. All is good, I couldn't get the grin off my dial.

Bring on the M2 Monday!

Good news!! Don't go crazy on the first week back. I know after any extended time off that I need to ease back in otherwise I just destroy myself. That said, not riding the crappy backstreets on the morning commute any more has made my average higher and ride a little easier.

[Scott2468]

Thankfully the M2 was about as clean as I've ever seen it. There was a strong south easter which kept my speed down quite a lot on the descents.

I must admit, that ride was the first time I've ever been intimidated on a bike. Good to get it out of the way.