50km; Medium Ride/ moderate Pace/ Some Traffic/ Significant Hills

Starts: 10.00AM;Picton Railway Station carpark. Undulating ride on mainly quiet rural roads with some significant hills.Enjoy rural scenery and orchard country as the ride takes in the towns of Picton, Thirlmere, Bargo and Tahmoor. Lunch at the Bargo Hotel.

5 of us set out for a great ride. The weather was gorgeous and Wollondilly looked it’s best. The route was a figure 8 encompassing Picton, Thirlmere, Couridjah, Bargo, Tahmoor, Thirlmere and back to Picton.

We stopped for a scrumptious lunch at Le Jardin Cafe in the delightful new Tahmoor Garden Centre ( Bargo) and ended with a drink at the historic Imperial Hotel, Picton. As a mum and keen cyclist I found this a very pleasant way to spend Mother’s Day – Thanks Phil.

23 of us met at Ye Olde Bicycle Cafe, Bundanoon at 9.45am and set off toward Penrose soon after 10am for a 65km return ride.
Bundanoon in full autumn display, then Penrose State forest with it’s beautiful silver trunked eucalypts was a glorious start to the ride. We were diverted across the railway, due to road closure, between Penrose and Wingello. The unsealed road was smooth (no trouble for road bikes) and passed some beautiful properties.  From Wingello to Tallong the road was a little more open with views across grazing land. Long Point Rd was great fun on the inward leg with the final 100 metres to the lookout being a steep track suitable for the mountain bikers, the rest of us walked. Long Point lookout provided an inspiring view of the meandering Shoalhaven river cut deep into a gorge.

What goes down must come up, the return leg on Long Pt Rd was a little more challenging!
We stopped for a wonderful lunch at Wingello Village Store. It has a small dining area and a lovely little lounge room with an open fire.  We were made to feel very welcome (despite rearranging all their furniture) and the food and coffee were excellent, especially he scrumptious little home-made marmalade tarts! They are even planning to install some bike racks! A great way to encourage cyclists. For more info contact David Bruggeman Ph: 02 4884 4340

It was a very successful ride in a beautiful area and I think most riders had a great day.

Scarecrow in Field at Tallon

Pony on Long Point Rd

Long Point Lookout Overlooking Shoalhaven River

Long Point Lookout

Cyclists at Wingello Village Store

Jim on Matt's Pedersen

Mulga Bill

Alf  Cantrell
Festival Coordinator writes:

I am writing to ensure that all our bicycle enthusiast friends are informed that the Annual Yeoval Country Energy Mulga Bill Bike Ride, sponsored by Darryl Grant Cycles of Orange, is now well into the planning stage for this year. Although many of you are unable to make the distance, we do hope that lots of your members will make a long weekend of it and travel to Yeoval for this exciting weekend of Festival.

This year we have worked very hard to ensure that a very good safety record is continued, and with the help of the RTA and both Cabonne and Wellington Councils,

The Ride has been split into two sections. Both sections are to be operated on asphalt roads and under closed Road Conditions. Both rides are on very quiet and picturesque routes, with the more professional, faster riders being on separate route to the mum and dad family groups, who are slower and tend to use up the whole road as they enjoy the experience

Both Rides will start and end in Yeoval with registration early, ready for a 10.30 am start. Light Breakfasts will be available and the start and finish will be in the Banjo Paterson Bush Park on the Wellington end of town. Here we have plenty of parking and the main festival is across the road at the Showground on the Sunday. The same cost as in previous years – $5 adults, $3 children, $10 Family. At the Start it will be more professionals to the right and mums dads and families to the left. The more professional will ride to Cumnock and back a return distance of some 52 kms. Mums Dads and Family Groups will ride over the new bridge on Buckinbah Creek and the on the RTA Bicycle pathway to the Bournewood Road, which will be closed to through traffic for the duration of the event. Every 3 kms they will pass through a town from the Paterson Mulga Bill Poem – Conroy’s Gap, Castlereagh, Eaglehawk, Walgett and the final turn around point will be Dead Mans Creek – a return distance of 30 kms, keeping in mind that the participants can turn around anywhere along the road, riding only the distance they feel comfortable with.

The Lucky rider of the day will be drawn and the beautiful new Bike donated by Darryl Grant Cycles of Orange will be their proud new possession. The Draw will be at the Festival at 2.30pm sharp and the winner will have to be present to collect. All riders receive a wristband and this not only covers them for insurance but also allows them free entry to the Festival.

Looking forward to seeing you at the Mulga Bill Festival as we endeavor to increase our number past the 630 riders we had last year. The website has all details:- www.mulgabillfestival.com.au