Overnighter this weekend

Sat(tomorrow)/Sun

So all my mates bailed but I’m still gonna go, just thought someone else might wanna come along.

late notice but,

Plan is train to Colac (8am train at Sthern Cross), ride Old Beechy rail trail to Gelibrand then some dirt roads to Forrest, have dinner in Forrest then up the hill to the Lake Elizabeth campsite (free).

Then thinking over the hill to Lorne for lunch/brunch, then back over through the Otways to Winchelsea or something - though I don’t really mind.

If anyone is keen PM me.

Cheers
Mike

~60kms the 1st day then 85kms the 2nd if that route is followed.

Forrest Brewing Company - Micro Brewery & Cafe

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Home Page

^ yep that’s part of the plan.

I won’t be riding, but by coincidence I am camping at Lake Elizabeth on that night.
I’ll keep an eye out for a bike rider and say hi!

Sweet, I’ll be riding this
http://www.fixed.org.au/forums/f8/post-your-commuter-tourer-rando-whatever-bike-here-15303/index14.html#post548157

Starting night shift tonight. Sounds like a sweet old trip though. Might try the same idea some time…

Lemme know how you get on. It’s on my list of short loops to go an do.

Hope you have your wet weather gear!

Details of ride here
http://www.fixed.org.au/forums/f17/gravel-touring-road-questions-link-ups-30172/#post551426

Ducking rad. May copy ASAP.

Hey Mike, did you book the trains or just get on? Easy enough with the bike? Room for more?

I booked on the way to Colac some services say “reservation only” and Vline policy is that bikes are only carried if there is room, but the off peak trains are always fine, on that line bikes go in a baggage carriage at the back, but I am pretty sure you can just rock up to the ticket booth at Sthern Cross on the morning and buy a ticket.

To be honest, booking a ticket was a way to make sure I went, and after some drinks and 5hrs sleep I reckon I might have bailed on Sat morning if I didn’t already have a ticket.

Just hopped on from Marshall - they are the ‘velocity’ trains, so there is a carrage with space for 3 or so bikes, and trains come every hour on sundays.

Well done on actually getting there,
I was going with my girlfriend and she wasn’t keen on camping in that weather…

Also, I’ve never had an issue taking my bike on vline trains, done it about 50 times without reserving it.
Although I have known people that have been fucked over, and also you should check beforehand if trains are actually running. When they (and it seems pretty common with the regional rail link being built) aren’t, they run buses and that means NO BIKES.

We put our bikes on a replacement bus coming back from Seymour, despite signs to the contrary. However, the bus was pretty empty, and I guess it falls to how much of an armhole your bus driver wants to be.

I’ve rocked up to a diesel service, tickets booked, flagged that bikes were present and had to argue with the conductors that we could actually fit 4 bikes in the empty luggage car.

Sprinters are easy, bike racks in every (every second?) carriage.

Have also had a train cancelled for the return leg, v/line bus driver shrugged and told us no bikes, dgaf how we were supposed to get home, the contract bus driver behind him rolled up his sleeves and helped us put our bikes under his bus. Take that v/line.

So yeah, your mileage may vary.

and we didn’t pay!

We had an opposing experience once where the bus contractor said no and the V-Line guy rolled up his sleeves and got us on. Haven’t been on this line before though, and don’t even know where Marshall is (I’ll look it up). Thanks for the tips Mike!

I did.

Ah, I had a look around for someone who might have been you but didn’t see anyone, that explains it.

Sucka