Recreational Riders: Rides, Events Anything

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phantom13

phantom13

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Sep 12, 2007
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Hi guys, I had a quick look and couldn't find anything on the board for the recreational riders to discuss the best suburban rides and events. With the Kinglake ride, Around the bay in a Day, Hanover Eastlink and a few other rides coming up i thought this might be a good time to put this up for all us newbies to find some good roads and events. I have done a few rides of late in training for the Kinglake 70km. The obvious one is the Kew hills which is an awesome ride for beginners and i would think intermediates and good riders would still find it enjoyable as well. Also did a 60km the other day around the Yarra Valley. So lets get some sharing going, i would love to know what rides people have and what training people are doing.
 
organised rides on the horizon:

WA:

http://greatbikeride.com.au/

Great event which sees riders take in 1 lap (52kms) or 2 (104kms) of the Swan river with traffic blocked off (for the most part). Usually has thousands of participants and is a great day.

http://www.bwa.org.au/events/110/

3 or 5 Dam challenge

Head from Perth out to the hills and visit 3 dams (160kms) or 5 dams (220kms) and then come back again, tough rides with a decent amount of hills.

Did the 3 this year, thinking of doing the 5 dams next year.

VIC:

3 Peaks http://www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/general/great-rides/42359/

10 hours of punishment in the victorian alps, would love to do this one day :D
 
If you're into hills, then look at the theclimbingcyclist.com website, done by a local cyclist who enjoys climbing hills.

The Yarra Blvd (Kew Hills?) is a good one because there ain't many cars & no traffic lights, also try Mt Pleasant rode out the back of Eltham / Research, at the end of it you can turn right and work your way to Kangaroo Ground. Also the ride through Heidelberg, Lower Plenty to get there. Can give more details if you can't find the roads on the route.

There's heaps up in the Dandenongs, one is the 1 in 20 then onto "The Wall," then onto the conservatory at the top. Then all down hill from there (covered in the climbing cyclist).

Great Ocean Road is a winner, did Amy Gillett the other week, magnificent scenery.

Have entered the Kinglake 115 kms, lots of good riding around that area.

If you really want to punish yourself, then the Three Peaks or other rides up in the Victorian Alps.
 

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Am doing the 115k Kinglake ride as well. First time I've done one of these type of rides so looking forward to it. Not a great deal of hills in my area but have been doing 100+k rides every weekend either down to Arthur's Seat or out to Mt Dandy in preparation.

Am intrigued by this ride http://www.strava.com/segments/the-crucifix-939843. Am keen to have a go at some stage, when the magpies have stopped swooping.

Was going to do http://www.theslog.com.au/ but will be away that weekend so maybe next year.
 
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lemon chicken said:
Am doing the 115k Kinglake ride as well. First time I've done one of these type of rides so looking forward to it. Not a great deal of hills in my area but have been doing 100+k rides every weekend either down to Arthur's Seat or out to Mt Dandy in preparation.

Am intrigued by this ride http://www.strava.com/segments/the-crucifix-939843. Am keen to have a go at some stage, when the magpies have stopped swooping.

Was going to do http://www.theslog.com.au/ but will be away that weekend so maybe next year.
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The slog looks like a good event! I had never heard of it either. I have the Eastlink ride the week before so not too sure i could back it up unfortunately.
 
KnobHead said:
Trust you enjoyed the Kinglake Ride yesterday

Now have some pretty wet clothes for washing
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Was great until I started coming down Melba Hwy, then drenched. Luckily a bit of sun snuck through on Breako'day Rd so my legs could thaw out a bit to make it back. Never seen so much roadkill in all my life.:)
 
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KnobHead said:
Trust you enjoyed the Kinglake Ride yesterday

Now have some pretty wet clothes for washing

This ride looks pretty good:

http://www.vic.cycling.org.au/default.asp?Page=38171&MenuID=Recreation/c20073/17268,Mount_Macedon_Challenge/c20439/38166
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Kinglake ride was excellent, that Will Walker climb just wouldn't bloody end!!! Knocked the 70kms (which wasn't really 70kms) over in 2hrs 29mins, had set myself 3hrs so was really happy, was tough staying under 60kmh on the downhill back into Whittlesea!!! Looking for something a bit longer for the next one (felt really good and actually went for a short ride with the missus today) please feel free/continue to post any rec rides (small or large, long or short) here. I remember seeing a ride out Cranbourne way that was 100kms and now i cant find it again, if anyone knows what im on about and can post a link, i think it was around the middle of November?

I am hooked now, wish i had gotten into riding alot earlier, the camaraderie on the road yesterday and the sense of achievement was awesome.

EDIT: Found it http://www2.theslog.com.au for anyone interested. Would be great if bicycle Victoria would update with the occasional smaller rec ride, they are quite difficult to find!
 
Racing my first crit tonight, hopefully the weather stay away! I've got a bit of patellar tendinopathy that I can't seem to get rid of so depending on how it feels in the first few laps will determine how I go. Should be fun!
 
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ben_1301 said:
Racing my first crit tonight, hopefully the weather stay away! I've got a bit of patellar tendinopathy that I can't seem to get rid of so depending on how it feels in the first few laps will determine how I go. Should be fun!
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Awesome, whereabouts and, forgive my ignorance here, but how far is it?
 
phantom13 said:
Awesome, whereabouts and, forgive my ignorance here, but how far is it?
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It's at Sandown racecourse, they are raced on time not distance. So I think it's after ~50 mins a bell goes and from there you have 2 laps to go. Think it usually ends up around the 40km mark.
 

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Wooooweee the legs are feeling that! Started in C grade (bad move!) my 96kg frame + the uphill back straight + my inability to properly hold a wheel had me popped off the back in no time, managed to fight my way back on a couple of times. But eventually couldn't get back on! Was a bit of fun & I think I need to spend more time on my bike & less time in the gym!
 
phantom13 said:
LC and KH what time did you manage for Kinglake?
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Didn't record the time, but we left just after 8 and finished just before 12, including breaks. Didn't stop at the finish line for the show bag.

Have ridden the Will Walker a few times so knew it well. Wouldn't say know it well like visiting an old friend, but know it well like having to get up in the morning and go to work.
 
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KnobHead said:
Didn't record the time, but we left just after 8 and finished just before 12, including breaks. Didn't stop at the finish line for the show bag.

Have ridden the Will Walker a few times so knew it well. Wouldn't say know it well like visiting an old friend, but know it well like having to get up in the morning and go to work.
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That's a very good analogy, i have no idea what time i did up it but i know i was hoping it would end from about 4km's in. Was very different to Yarra Boulevard because it just doesn't roll, its always up at varying degrees. On another note i felt like the little hill just before the climb was tougher on the legs, very sharp uphill.

lemon chicken said:
Those are just the times I got from Strava after I uploaded the ride. I didnt time for the KOM jersey or anything, long way off it anyway.
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I would assume the winners would be fairly serious riders. I did see on the supersprint facebook page a girl posted her time (which would have won the KOM for the women) but because the winners had already been announced they couldn't log her time. Is it just done on an honesty system?
 
Journeyed out to Mt Macedon the other day. Had a short but sharp ride, great for scenery and the road was pretty quiet, can 100% recommend.

Started from the Woodend side, the climb to top of Mt Macedon is a gentle 9 kms ascent. Can read more about the climb from climbingcyclist here:

http://theclimbingcyclist.com/climbs/macedon/mt-macedon-woodend-side/

Then went down to the base of Mt Macedon from the Gisborne side, and climbed back up. That ain't so gentle, quite tough in parts with a 13 gradient for about 1.5 kms which had the legs begging. Climbing cyclist writes about that side, too:

http://theclimbingcyclist.com/climbs/macedon/mt-macedon-gisborne-side/
 
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lemon chicken said:
Found a few more rides here.

http://www.basscoastcyclechallenge.com/

Couple of rides on this page for next year.
http://www.eventsupport.com.au/home

Not sure if this one is on again this year, still a few months away
http://www.arthursseatride.com.au/


Gotta say the weeks leading up to Around the bay on Beach Rd make me never want to participate in it. Chaos.
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Spoke to a few who did it today, from them and from looking at the people on bikes all over Melbourne it seems like anarchy!! Poorly organised and with routes all over the place, anyway its a good initiative maybe the scale is just too big?

A few of the rides on those links look awesome!! I have the slog and Eastlink next month then nothing on the radar until the new year.
 
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