Headline: Riding in Sydney's inner west has changed over the last 2 years

One ride I used to love doing, was hopiing on the M2 motorway's breakdown lane, and riding west. End goal is always Emu Plains and beyond, though often I cut it short, breaking off to goto Paramatta, Strathpine, or just Balkum Hills.

So today I thought I'd do just that, dropping down Mowbray road, and then pootle along the M2....... think again

It seems that they removed the breakdown lane from the freeway! So if you're in a car or truck, whatever you do, don't get a flat or break down.

As you can see from the map, instead it was a long windy route along the 'M2 cycle detour', then a short stint on the MS to Winsor road, and then a similarly circuitous trip around the construction works on the Paramatta river.

Still, a fun, and not too painful 60km, though with the stopping, and traffic hazards, at an average of 21km/h. Not quite what I had in mind.

In the little loop at Camellia, I ventured along a signed Bicycle path that just stops in a cyclone fence - I don't know why, but the cycle path going beside the Rheem factory there is fenced off, with the only signed of life being a rather nasty group of magpies, that too turns in swooping on me. (I've got some video footage of a peewee trying to drive one of them off for me )