Blue Mountains Classic Weekend Tour

A Bike Leichhardt classic tour to visit the mountains. Hopefully clear skies will prevail and we'll get a good view of the Three Sisters. Come for one or both days. Distances are not huge but it's VERY HILLY. Medium pace and we will wait for slower riders.
Day 1 (Saturday) - 40km
Meet outside Royal Hotel, opposite the south (shops) side Springwood Station for a 9.30am start (train from Central departs 7.54 am arrives 9.16 am) then cycle to Katoomba, avoiding the highway as much as possible. It's mostly uphill, riding through Hazelbrook, Lawson, Wentworth Falls and Leura, to our destination in Katoomba. Depending on time and interest, detours via Wentworth Falls (the falls) and Sublime Point in Leura are possible.
Coffee and/or lunch at Lawson or Wentworth Falls (BYO or buy). Toilets/water at Springwood, Lawson, Wenty, Leura.
Day 2 (Sunday) - 60km
An early start will see us retrace our steps to Springwood, then continue to Penrith, with a deviation at Glenbrook to ride over one of the oldest bridges in Australia (Lennox Bridge). We drop 1000 m in altitude so mostly (but not all!) downhill. Lunch will be somewhere along the way. Regular trains from Penrith.
Please note that some parts of this ride are along the Great Western Highway with fast flowing traffic. The shoulder is "OK" but great care is required.
Also - there is track work this weekend on the Blue Mtns line, meaning buses replace trains between Springwood and Mt Victoria from 9.40am to 4pm both days. This means there is no immediate bail out point.
Accommodation is "do it yourself" - YHA has been used in the past and has availability. Suggest make sure you have a flexible booking in case we have to cancel.
Dinner Saturday night - pub, Thai, RSL, do your own thing, or whatever suits.
Suitable for riders confident in traffic, with plenty of gears, or a motor (eBike). You will need to carry water, repair kit, and be prepared for any weather.
Ride will be cancelled if very hot or wet.