This month’s ride is a safe, easy out and back cruise. The whole ride follows the ridgelines of Hornsby Heights. Flat bicycle rides in the vicinity of Galston and Glenorie are rare !
If visting Hornsby, park and ride from Carrington Road or Clarinda Street. Turn left onto the bicycle lane along Galston Road and enjoy cruising past pretty suburban homes and gardens. These cycle lanes are popular. There are also quite a few local school children using the footpaths to cycle to school and back. Consequently, cycling or walking along Galston Road East is actually a very social experience!
After riding past Rofe Park (where you can refill your waterbottle) there is a small incline up past the Caltex Garage. In next to no time you will need to prepare to merge lanes to turn right at the traffic lights into Somerville Road. This wide, quiet suburban road in Hornsby Heights is 4 – 6.5km one way, and a pleasure to ride. In about 15 minutes you will reach the bus turn around bay at Black Ash Trail. You’ll also see the Berowra National Park gate to Crosslands Reserve. Many cyclists do several repeats of Somerville Road to get more distance and/or simply practise some (bike) mindfulness therapy!
If it is an intense, but scenic hill climb you need (where nobody can hear you scream) hurtle all the way down to Crosslands Reserve, and ride back up. You’ll only be able to ride it all if your power to weight ratio is on point… mere mortals will have to get off and push their road bikes up the two extremely steep sections of this merciless 2.5km climb!
On the corner of Somerville and Galston Road is the Corner Café. This is a unique little suburban gem and they make excellent coffee and affordable breakfasts. Way better than having to ride in the busy traffic lanes of Peats Ferry Road, attempting to access the cafés around Hornsby town centre on a bicycle.
Somerville Road, Crosslands Reserve and Hornsby central have got a little something for every genre of road cyclist. Go ride it today!
OPTIONAL EXTRAS:
CROSSLANDS RESERVE: Toilets, kayaking, campsites, fishing, kiddies playground and cycle track, Great North Walk hiking trail and swimming in Berowra Creek. Why not cycle there and meet friends or family at Crosslands for a top notch, active picnic during school holidays?
MAGIC MURAL ART!
1) Hookams Corner Reservoir by Krimsone
2) Dural Lane by Hugues Sineux
3) Hornsby Park CWA and playground murals.
HORNSBY CENTRE: Weirdly- NO cycle lanes or safe shoulders on Peats Ferry Road! It’s stressful and dangerous if you decide to leave the car at home to access the Hornsby Station transit hub and facilities like Hornsby pool, TAFE, OMV mtb trail, cafes etc on a bicycle. The 40km speed limit through the centre does improve cyclist and pedestrian safety, however.
WATCH FOR: A boat trailer permanently parked in the cycle lane on the downhill return approach to the Caltex Garage, forcing cyclists into the traffic lane.
