The Bobbo Gran Fondo Ride

August 27, 2019February 1, 2023
by Bike n Beers

March 2019

The Bobbin Head Cycle Classic is a charity ride held in late March around the picturesque northern suburbs of Sydney. The ride is mainly through the Ku-ring-gai National Park and includes Bobbin Head, West Head, and Akuna Bay. I have completed this charity ride a few times and it is always fun, safe and well attended. The charity ride aims to raise money for Lifeline to support their efforts in suicide prevention – Pedal to save lives.

March, 2019

Distance: 103km Elevation: 1,617m Time: 3:52

https://www.strava.com/The Bobbo

Another brilliantly warm Autumn day in Sydney. A start in the dark with lights on as we headed off, my brother-in-law David and good mate Mike, along with thousands of other riders.

Start of Cycle ride — A start in the dark

The first part of the ride is along suburban roads with police and marshals ensuring a clear run in the early morning traffic. Then comes the long downhill into Bobbin Head and a seemingly longer uphill out of Bobbin Head.

From the top of Bobbin Head the ride heads through the leafy suburbs of Turrumurra and St Ives then over to Terry Hills – mostly on back roads. Then comes the 13km out and back lumpy ride to West Head. To me this is the hardest part of the ride but it is also the most beautiful with stunning views of Barrenjoey and Broken Bay at the West head look-out.

Early morning sunrise over the ocean and headland — West Head lookout towards Barrenjoey Lighthouse

Out of West Head is a short but steep climb to one of the many feed stations along the route where we were able to have a break and re-fuel and rehydrate to take on the forty odd kilometers still to ride.

The last climb out of Akuna Bay is a really tough one. Many a rider has got off their bike and walked up this hill. We managed to get up the hill albeit at a bit of a snail’s pace.

From the top of Akuna Bay, it almost feels like you have finished but there is still over 20km to go, thankfully no big hills though.

The finish is back where we started some four hours earlier. It’s now much hotter so we were thankful for the early start and quite pleased with ourselves for finishing the ride once again.