Bakery Bunch

[Lucy]

Hi everyone:),

I still get super nervous doing a bunch for the first few times, haven't done the Bakery Bunch before and wanted to clarify a few things.

What time does it leave? Where does it finish and what time? What is it like, fast, surges, lots of sprints?

THanks:)

[bosworth*]

7am from bike shed phillip. 6.30am during daylight savings (summer). If you are late, the bunch goes down Adelaide Avenue, so just wait at one of the overpasses, and jump on the back.

The pace is slow Mens C, fast Mens D. nice and smooth.

there is a 'gallop' through gungahlin. This is Mens A pace. I don't know what happens after that! It is a mystery to me.

[SSSimon]

Lucy, it is a mental ride and NOT for the faint hearted! After the gallop at the bottom of Ngunnawal, the pace stays up for the rest of the ride, though the next roundabouts, TL at the lights, TR at the end onto Horse Park drive, then it's full speed with a spint at the bottom of the hill at the 80 kph sign for the 'sprinters' after which the climbers immediately attack for a KOM 'sprint' finishing under the Fed Highway bridge - that last sprint is usually down to 2 or 3 riders left, and if you need to shift into the small ring going up the hill you've already 'lost' - especially if you're riding compacts.
Personally, I would not recommend doing this sort of ride until you are at the pointy end of WB fitness wise and have the skills to match.
Riders who don't want to do the Gallop sections should ease up and move to the back of the bunch when it comes out and turns right onto the Barton Highway. The gallopers then turn left into Harcourt Hill, while riders NOT wanting to do the gallops can keep going straight ahead on the Barton highway shoulder.
The gallop finishes at Dobbo's Cafe in Civic - the Dobbo's across the road from the Sportsmans Warehouse.

[Vanessa]

Hey Lucy use to ride this a couple of years ago (when fit) & found the pace okay till the sprints - like Bossie had no idea where the ride went after! I stopped going due to concerns re: safety of the bunch but hear it's improved again now. Fitness wise, you are WA so should be fine.

[SimonD]

Yeah, Lucy, you'll be fine. The gallop is at the end and just splits into bits. For the rest, you'll have not a trouble, except for perhaps the little climb at the start of Gininderra. If you can, try to jump on at the front half where it'll be smooth, the riders will know what they're doing and you won't have to worry about traffic light splits.

[Lucy]

Does anyone know what time this roughly finishes?

[SSSimon]

Non daylight savings time, do the entire ride and be at Dobbo's by 8:30am, some pros miss coffee and do some Ainslie reps straight after. Others have coffee then do a Cotter-Uriarra loop.

[Driver]

Does anyone know what time this roughly finishes?

It ends the moment you get spat....

It's tough just making it to the Fed.

[Lucy]

Thought I'd finish up this thread so if anyone every reads it they know what I thought:).

So, after much avoidance and procrastination, I finally did the Bakery Bunch this morning!
There were only three other girls in the bunch, all of WA standard.
Was up in the top group from the start so nice and smooth as people said. Not as fast as I expected to start with, almost similar to Wed bunch.
The bunch has changed route recently but I think it is very similar, it still goes up Ade Ave if you are running late (unless you live very south like me!).

I got dropped on a longer uphill drag on Ginninderra Drive at about 30min in, caught back on when the bunch hit a flat section, got dropped again, but once again, managed to catch up. After this section the bunch seems to ease up slightly and doesn't really pick it up till around 40km.

Then I got dropped for the third time, and not surprising, couldn't get back on:blush:!

[SueP]

So how do you find the wed bunch (does it leave from Phillip bike shed at 6am?) not sure that tomorrow will be a goer though!

[SSSimon]

Onya Lucy.
The Gallop route has changed. Now after the Ngunnawal sprint the bunch goes straight on eventually riding along the GDE and onto Parkes Way and into Civic.

[Lucy]

So how do you find the wed bunch (does it leave from Phillip bike shed at 6am?) not sure that tomorrow will be a goer though!

Yes, Phillip Bike Shed 6am. Same time in winter as well. Finishes 7am in Yarrulumla. Once again goes along Ade Ave so you can hope on if you are running a bit late.

I find the Wed bunch good. Not too hard. I just get myself in the top six pairs of the bunch so don't know what it is like up the back.

Little bit of a hilly section towards the end through Red Hill. Most people find it okay and the bunch will wait for a bit for everyone to regroup:). Also goes past Red Hill right near the end if you ever have the need to do Red Hill extras.