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iPome's picture

By iPome - Posted on 10 September 2012

Now that I have sold my car, i'm no longer able to get to Manly Dam easily from Neutral Bay (not too keen about riding on military road).

I'm looking for some alternative tracks that are accessible by train. I can quite easily get to North Sydney train station any time at the weekend, and am looking for something with a similar ride style to Manly dam.

Any ideas? I've been thinking about catching the train to Heathcote and riding in the national park. Bit of a hike though...

GAZZA's picture

Just ride the back streets/bike paths to the Dam. Nice quiet streets and once you've gone through the beautiful park near the spit bridge, cross the bridge on the footpath and turn left up Battle Boulevard to seaforth roundabout. Straight down the road from there and you join the Dam halfway up to the Golf course.
You get extra km's training and a good warmup before you go offroad.
Not to mention some awesome views when you come back down towards the spit on the way home.

p2tx8's picture

hey, what about this? If you are thinking in travelling for more than 1hr to Heathcote you can try this that is lees than 1 hr travel (Carlingford station)

You ca do as many K's as you wish with all the different tracks in the area and I think they are some bits more challenging than MD (IMO).
Cheers
Miguel

Winco's picture

My understanding is that only riding on fire trails is officially sanctioned now. Sniggle is out of bounds. Sad See http://nobmob.com/rides/lakeparramattareserve

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong here.

hawkeye's picture

Firstly, congrats on ditching the car.

Secondly, there are plenty of back street options between N-bay and Manly Dam Smiling

I commute Frenchs Forest to Darling Harbour and back 2-3 days a week, and never ride Military or Spit Roads ... unless it's school holidays, or after 7:30pm.

10-15km on the road is a great warm-up. Eye-wink Just keep up the carbs, starting in the first 15 minutes (and use the real stuff, not that supermarket table sugar crap like Gatorade/Staminate/et al) and continue throughout the ride. Your fitness will improve quite rapidly.

mrptl's picture

Did the same as you… but the opposite way: had no car and was catching the train — and I bought a car last January.

I prefer to do single tracks trails, and so I use to catch the:
• Ferry to Manly, +5km ride (Sydney Rd, Balgowlah Rd, Kitchener St etc…), and you can do Manly Damm
• Train to Campbelltown, +10km ride, and you can do Mt Annan Botanic Garden
• Train to Woodford, and you can do The Oaks.
• Train to Glenbrook, +2km ride, and you can do Knapsack Reserve.
• Train to Wyong, +6km ride, and you can do Ourimbah — that's the only one I never had motivation to go by train Smiling

Hopefully Lucas Heights is going to re-open sooner or later, and in Hornsby they constructing a trail at the moment which will be here (or check this facebook page).

iPome's picture

After taking a look again at the map, i'm keen to give the ride to Manly Dam a go via the back streets this weekend.

We'll see how it goes!

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