think it was my legs actually.
i’ll be down in Tassie sailing for the weekend so that ones out, but i’ll check the route. thanks
So many great options in Yarra Valley, adding a bit of gravel. Some good introductory examples include:
- Warburton -> Acheron Way -> Marysville -> Lake Mountain -> McMahons Creek -> Warburton
One of my favourite rides near Melbourne, great country, a bit of climbing, 130km or so.
- Launching Place -> Don Valley -> Dirty Donna -> Warburton -> Launching Place
A great shorter loop with a bit of gravel. Make it a return from Lilydale to add in some rail trail.
- Healesville -> Chum Creek Rd - Toolangi -> Mt St Leoanard -> Myers Creek Rd -> Healesville -> Don Rd -> Mt Toolebewong -> Dirty Donna -> Healesville
~100km with a bit of gravel and some climbing, great day out. You can skip Myers Creek Rd and head down to Donnelly’s Weir off Mt St Leonard down some disused tracks, which makes it more fun.
- Lilydale -> Yarra Glen -> Old Healesville Rd -> Chum Creek Rd -> Toolangi -> Mt St Leonard -> Myers Ck Rd -> Healesville -> Don Rd -> Dirty Donna -> Warburton -> rail trail back to Lilydale
A good variation to 3 using the train to Lilydale station to get out there, if you don’t have a car.
Once you had a go on these, try heading into the Rubicon area using Marysville as a starting point. Lady Talbot Drive out of Marysville will get you onto Blue Range Rd, which then gives you so many options for gravel of all sorts of difficulty and length, heading to Eildon, or Jamieson, or back towards Warburton. So much to do, just start linking roads on Google Earth, Mapmyride, Strava etc and have a go.
Edit - I don’t have a GPS bike computer, so I usually just print off a google map, highlight the route I’m taking, mark on each 10km, and the km mark for important junctions, and then use my regular cycling computer to see distance travelled to navigate, makes it easy enough.
I also frequently carry a small first aid kit and, if potentially outside of mobile reception areas, a personal locator beacon. It’s easy to come off and get in trouble, especially when riding by yourself.
Had dinner with benzy last Saturday
Watching Mash with Benzy highlight of my early 20s
it remains a highlight for me to this day.
the ‘phantom menace’ was an untouchable character
Stumbled across this one, and promptly wasted a decent chunk of the morning. All of them seem out of my league at the moment though… http://therewillbedirt.com
So I’m moving across this weekend.
Anyone keen for a ride next weekend?
Melb Rando Searching for the Bunyip is on Saturday, I’m a maybe depending on family stuff
Awesome, thanks.
Saturday 6th Oct.
That’s authored by FoA member and all round good guy, angry, who was grinding gravel long before there was such a thing as gravel grinding!
Does anyone know any decent trail linking combos?
Recently did Capital City > Main Yarra > Darebin > Darebin North > M80 > Moonee Ponds > Capital City, which was pretty fun. Looking to do Craigieburn > Hume Trail > M80 > Plenty River (??) > Main Yarra > Capital City in the near future.
Inner or outer city doesn’t really matter. Bonus points for train line at the end, or exit points.
For best sensations: Yarra trail onto eastern freeway/koonung trail, head south on the bike path before Ringwood, Dandenong creek trail, the basin shops for a pie and buy a beer, up basin Olinda Rd and up ridge road to Burke’s look out to watch the sunset over Melbourne. Then take the train home from Boronia.
ohhhhhh is that how ya get to that spot! haven’t been there yet but defs on the list.
It’s a must do for recent arrivals to the city
maybe i’ll do it for my 10yr anniversary next feb… hahaha
Sounds good, haven’t explored too much on that side of the city, on a bike at least.
Looks like you can skip Olinda Rd for some trails through the forest as a semi-shortcut too…
For extra sensations, the Mullum Mullum now links all the way through so you can skip the Koonung
They get verrry steep, good to come down. Also basin Olinda Rd is beautiful