Cycling Blackspots

Four Blackspots north of Sydney and some of the accidents which have occurred at each

1^st Blackspot

150m before West Head Lookout where the road is narrow and the camber flattens out as it veers clockwise, when ideally it should be banked and not become narrower. 

On Sat 29^th September ’07, the writer, Philip Johnston, saw an injured cyclist who would have needed about 70 stitches to reaffix the flesh around his knee cap after he spun off on the LHS.  He had lost that corner by going too fast and in careering over the low guardrail on his LHS unfortunately caught his knee on one of the vertical posts which are about 3m apart.  2 ambulances and a very large rescue van attended.

4 months ago a seasoned cyclist who occasionally cycles with Muggaccinos.com , Bruce Stump, came off on a midweek ride and had to get collected.  Bruce is still troubled by a shoulder injury.  The writer, Philip Johnston, was on that ride with Bruce Stump and saw the after-effects.

On 3 Sept 2003 Jhonnie Blampied, then Chairman and CEO of DDB Advertising Agency, came off at the same Blackspot when chasing two cycle mates. Jhonnie, who was collected by a Careflight Helicopter, remained in a coma for 3 months.  Jhonnie’s wife, ABC journalist, Ruth Ritchie, wrote about her experiences in Jhonnie’s lengthy rehabilitation in acclaimed novel, Life Matters.  It took Jhonnie Blampied 18 months to re-enter the workforce.

Westpac Lifesaver Helicopter salvaged a 30 year old push bike rider on 25 April 2006.  “A 30 y/o male push-bike rider with head injuries was treated on the scene at West Head and transported to Royal North Shore Hospital”  I have reason to believe that this accident also occurred at the same Blackspot.

 7 years ago a cyclist from Narrabeen on a Muggaccinos’ Sunday ride similarly lost that corner and had to be collected from there.  Philip Johnston was on that ride. I have old photos on Muggs’ site of the cyclist and his mangled bike.

Bicisport Cycling Club which conducts road races in West Head lists on its website that this bend is very dangerous.

“West Head Road - The West Head Rd loop is just on 14k each way (28k back to the Akuna Bay road intersection), with 11 climbs in total - 5 climbs each way plus the steep Commodore Heights climb.

The very end of the West Head loop is the only serious traffic blackspot - the steep descent into Commodore Heights is greeted with a near impossibly sharp right hand bend with little or no camber. This right hand corner has claimed numerous victims over the years, and for this reason northside club racing events avoid this nasty corner altogether (club races do a u-turn at the NP&WS Rangers Station, just at the start of the dangerous descent into Commodore Heights).”    

2^nd Blackspot

There are 2 entrances to Akuna Bay:
*       Clockwise past Cottage Point and Illawong Bay
*       Anti-clockwise via McCarrs Creek bridge

Cyclists who take the clockwise entrance are confronted by an acute Right turn with a stone wall which has claimed three cyclists that I know of It is approx 1km past Cottage Point Rd.  A very seasoned cyclist, Siggy Hoffman, got carted off in an ambulance about 18 months ago when he took the switchback too fast on a wet day.  Peter Williams hit that wall but fortunately righted himself.  It is referred to by several cyclists as The Wall. 

Below is a warning on the Bicisport Cycling Club website:

“The right hand corner half way down the descent (with the rock wall on the left) has claimed numerous victims especially in the wet. The road works from Illawong Bay to Akuna Bay have been poorly completed & the (new) road is below average.”

The Wall warrants installation of a “Cyclists Blackspot” warning sign.

3^rd Blackspot

The first dog leg left when descending Bobbin Head from Nth Turramurra (about 800m from the tollbooth) has also claimed two Muggaccinos cyclists over the years.  The first was Brenda Baldwin in 1997 on a dry rode surface who was bruised and battered.  The 2^nd, seasoned cyclist, Peter Tyson, was carted out in an ambulance with a busted hip around 1999 on a dry road surface.  It is referred to by several cyclists as Amen Corner and warrants installation of a “Cyclists Blackspot” warning sign.

4^th Blackspot

Approaching the final left bend before Bobbin Head Bridge when descending from Asquith.  3 years ago the writer, Phil Johnston, was descending on a wet day in early July 2004.  About 200m before the bridge he was confronted by a small car which was driving up from the bridge on his side of the road.  Phil swerved to avoid the car, but came down on the wet road.  His two wheels slide into the two front wheels of the small car which came to a halt on his side of the roadway.  It was driven by an Indian male who was in a state of shock.  Thankfully his girlfriend remained lucid.  Also thankfully the writer had not broken anything. 

Due to boat owners accidentally discharging diesel from their boats as they tow their boats home and the high amount of shade from about 500m to 100m from the bridge, that 400m is invariably damp.  It is referred to by a few cyclists as Greasy Grip and warrants installation of a “Cyclists Blackspot” warning sign about 700m before Bobbin Head Bridge.