Thank you to everyone for cycling Loop the Lake 2013.
Loop in the news
Here are a few photos from this year
If you would like to see lots more photos of all the cyclists and maybe even buy a photo, check out http://www.abbeydigital.com.au/index130310LL3.htm
Other Rotary club bike rides you might be interested in:
- Century Challenge - www.centurychallenge.com.au
- Newcastle to Dungog - www.newcastledungogbikeride.org.au
- Great Australian Bike Ride - www.greataustralianbikeride.org.au
- Banish the Black Dog - banishtheblackdog.org.au
- Perth Great Bike Ride - greatbikeride.com.au
- Rotary Rides Canberra - www.rotaryrides.org.au
- Bobbin Head Cycle Classic - www.bobbinheadcycleclassic.
com.au - The Mail Run - www.themailrun.org
Loop the Lake is not directly affiliated with these other rides but as fellow Rotarians we are happy to promote them.
it was my first of many rides to come, i took 5.5 hours and was very happy with that considering only took riding up six months ago for this event. im 47 and have not ridden a bike for over 25 years, thank you for a terrific event.
a very well run event
great organisation and excellent rider support
i thoroughly enjoyed the day
Great day well organized and a big thank you to all the volunteers. Special mention to all motorists no sign of agro or impatience.
Thanks once again for a well organised ride. Unfortunately the hills don’t seem to get any flatter from year to year but it is all good fun.
Special thank you to all the voluteers who do such a great job.
One suggestion re the finish. I found the move to ride beside the pool at the end and over rough terrain with people walking everywhere a little dangerous. Perhaps finish by riding along The Esplanade to left at Park Road and cross the line in the opposite direction to the way we started. See you all next year.
Thank you for your feedback, glad you enjoyed it. We are going to work out a better plan for the finish next year, possibly via the road but will consult with relevant authorities as to what they think will be safest. Unfortunately the council ripped out the scoop that was in the gutter where people have normally exited the esplanade for the past 10+ years (on the corner near the sailing club) a couple of days before Loop the Lake and we didn’t realise until the sunday morning when we were about to put the traffic cones near it. We are a bit disappointed because the exit was put in specifically for Loop the Lake many years ago and then suddenly it was removed right before the event.
This was my third official Loop the Lake. The weather was excellent, the support crew did a brilliant job and the motorists were (mostly) exceptionally behaved. I’ve also noticed a few less cowboys on bicycles than on previous years and this is the first time I did not see any cyclists run any red lights.
On another note there is some room for improvement. In narrower sections some riders insisted in riding two or three breast (not to overtake, just to chat) and some riders in single file didn’t know their right from their left which forced overtaking on the left or going right out into the car lane. Combine that with much faster riders overtaking + cars and it’s a recipe for an incident or accident. In addition, less than 20% of cyclists used hand signals for turns and stopping. So to tackle all of this I’d suggest that riders have seeded starts. Those who can do the route in less than 3 hours start from say 7am to 7:30am. Those that will do it in between 3 to 3 .5 hours start from 7:30am to 8am and everyone else starts from 8am onwards. This will at least mean a lot less overtaking. Perhaps some notes on the website and the entry form also highlighting the keep left rule, using hand signals and being more mindful of other road users too. If we can improve on these fronts I am confident that the local motorists will be even more accomodating and the ride will be safer for all.
Notwithstanding, of all the organised events I’ve ever entered into to, this years Loop the Lake was the best by a country mile, better still, make that a nautical mile…
Hi Peter
Thanks for your comments & praise of the event, we take all of the feed back serious, including if the riders are experiencing any problems as well the enjoyment of the ride first hand. Your recommendation of staggered starts certainly has some merrit & we will discuss this at our next meeting, the difficulty is controlling the time people wish to start, but we can mention it in our mail out letterthat we do with the bibs
Thanks again for another great year. Three years straight of fantastic weather. With the exception of the finish being less than ideal, there is nothing to really complain about that you guys can control.
Curse the Swansea bridge from being up when I came to it, would have smashed my PB even more if it wasn’t for that!
Definitely be back for another loop next year!
By the way, I saw someone above saying about how the hills aren’t getting any flater. My answer would be that a few more hills will quickly weed those people out. Whats say that next year kicks off with the option of a detour over the freeway and up Mt Sugarloaf?
BIG Thanks to all for all the work that must have been done to make this event so good.
On this occasion, we only rode from Speers Point, out via cycle way, to Belmont, return, via road, mostly.
I was still able to get the end of ride lunch, which was well received, and at an early hour !!!
I did enjoy the band too, so thanks again.
Edwin
I am 56 years old and new to cycling. I completed the 85k in just under 4 hours and was happy with that time. The best part was I only came off the bike twice, lol, so I’m counting my blessings.
Can’t wait to do more of these events. Thanks for such a well-organised day. Not sure how you managed the weather, but good job.
It’s the first time I’ve done Loop the Lake and found it so well organised and the fruit stop was the best with the freshest and sweetest of fruits available. This was really appreciated – thanks to all the volunteers!
Thanks again for another well run event. Great weather and cant add anything in terms of how to make it better.
Can I please stress one thing to other riders in particular the ones that can do the 85k in less than 3 hours? YOU MUST CALL WHEN PASSING! Your approach speeds are high therefore you have a higher duty of safety to others. I only heard one group call to me when they were passing.
This was my first attempt at loop the lake and with only 6 weeks to prepare I was a little nervous I was up for the challenge, thankfully all went well. Many thanks to the fantastic marshalls who pointed me in the right direction and the truly awesome volunteers who provided food, smiles and encouragement along the length of the course. Your time and effort is much appreciated! See you next year.
My second Loopthe Lake .Really enjoy riding around the beautiful Lake .Extra water stops this year good idea. Credit to the organisers and marshalls along the way to make it such a smooth operation. Muffin stop ,fruit stop and lunch on completion of ride most welcome . Well worth the trip down for the ride .I’ll be back.