[MELB] Sat 2nd August DMF ride day

[Spider]

Mighty Victorians - let's get a ride going to correspond with the Sydney ride.

this was the best idea put forward by DosVerde:

Bugger the M1 Spider.... try Warburton, Powelltown, Noojee (stop at the toolshed for lunch) then the road from the base of Mt Baw Baw past Blue Rock Dam, then up to Walhalla, back down to Warragul, then south to Korrumburra, then back along the South Gippy  moto More twisty bits anyway


Brendan...don't we turn off at launching place or yarra junstion to get to Ptown / Noojee?

sure Toolshed as a break.....also Koonwarra food store as well...for fuel for bikes and people. From Trafalgar we could take the Hyland down to Yarram and across to Leongatha? or is the Strzelecki hwy the way to go?

now...how about I head off this Saturday morning and recon some of this?

[ducmeister]

Hey Spider,

Once again the organiser.  Well done! 
So how long are you planning for this ride to take?  It sounds like an all day job to me. (Not that I have a problem with that)
My social sectretary advises that I'm free on that day so perhaps I can meet you at Yarra Junction.
Details to be confirmed I guess.
My thoughts are to try to keep out of the mountains as much as possible because at that time of the year the roads will be wet and really slippery.  Also there is a great little road that runs between Inverloch and Cape Patterson that we found one year on the way to the Moto GP..... [moto]

[DosVerde]

Spider, to get to Powelltown you go through Launching Place then on to Yarra Junction where you turn right to Noojee.

I think my directions were a bit off 'cos from Walhalla too, you go down to Moe, not Warrigul. So what we could do is from Noojee, head south to Warragul, then south to Korrumburra (which is a good bit of road). We can head south to Inverlock from there if you want to do the road to Cape Patterson, Ducmeister. I think I know it. Does that pop out at Wonthaggi? I did it with a group of SV riders earlier this year.

There are some backroads we can take which pop out at Grantville, then follow the South Gippy back to Melbourne. It's about 350km all up. Add in a few stops and we are probably looking at 6 hours  It would look something like this......



B - is lunch

F to L - is where I get lost .....

[Spider]

did you miss the climb to Walhalla in that map?

Duc - I can report on cold/wet scenario after this Saturday's recon.

[brimo]

Ahh.. my old stamping ground (born in Toora near Foster) would love to come along...

[wraith]

great ride, but i'm on night shift again (anyone up for a nocturnal ride ) just kidding....

[Ita]

Gedday you lot....

I'm on call that week (including the week-end) so you guys have fun without me

Ita

[Spider]

how about this weekend for the recon mate? or you still playing at being a the lady-killer at the bowling greens?

Warning: I'm slow i.e: I obey the law! (I've heard about you!)

[Ita]

how about this weekend for the recon mate? or you still playing at being a the lady-killer at the bowling greens?
Warning: I'm slow i.e: I obey the law! (I've heard about you!)

Shouldn't you be working???  

Yup I bowl on Saturday's but at this time of the year it's mainly just social.   Pennant season kicks off in October .   It is a very boozey sport

Obeying the law is very sensible if you go week-end riding, cops everywhere in the hills and they show little mercy    This is why I like to ride mid week.   I had a ride planned today with some mad mates, (these guys go HARD) but we cancelled due to last nights gales and todays forecast showers.   Figured there would be crap all over the roads.   Our route was from Warrandyte (11am) to Marysville for lunch then Lake Mountain, Reefton, Warburton for coffee then home....

Oh yeah...  (I was off on a tangent wasn't I )   Sunday also out as my Mum and Dad are coming over for lunch

Ita

[ptooey]

aug 2nd sounds good... barring any windy/wet days on or before, i'm in.. 

considering it's only 350-odd kays i don't think i'd need to worry, but it'd be nice to hear there's fuel stops every 130-150kays or so on that route... that's as far as my HM can go on a tank i think!

[ducmeister]

Hey Dos,

The posted route sounds excellent.   [moto]  Yes, that bit of road does end up in Wonthaggi if you turn right at Cape Patterson.

Wraith,

I can feel your fever from here.  That cough sounds terrible too.  I imagine you'll be quite crook by the 2nd.    

So, I guess that gives me about 5 weeks to get some training in.   [moto]

[Spider]

Recon report

synopsis:

good news: good riding, good roads, lots of kilometers
bad news: it's cold, wet and best kept for summer riding (Rob (ducmeister) was spot on)

the beginning:

out to the basin and up and over Mt Dandenong, all roads are wet...I was already thinking Rob could be right about "the mountains". Monbulk to Seville then on to launching place (fuel stop and meeting point). I've already got 74km on the clock and I've just said hello to my imaginary friends for the day!

We turn left at Yarra Junstion and the ride begins, into Powelltown and Noojee - a lovely bit of road - the valleys are full of fog and it's cold (not Coldstream cold...but cold Brendan!). get into Noojee, 42km - the toolshed is closed - it's 10:30 in the morning (hopefully opening hours are more generous in the summer!). My riding companions complain about being hungry but I'm tougher than that! I'd actually suggest helping out the general stores and topping up the tanks! the next stretch is the longest.

10km and then a right turn into the c465, this road is narrow, wet and winding - full of blind corners in dense rainforest. Lots of stuff on the ground, great practice for practicing your target fixation skills (tree branch in middle of corner - don't look!). The road opens up after 7 km and we all make good time to the corner. Left into the c466 all the way to Rawson, a damn fine, fast, fun (the triple F) road, then the twisties to Walhalla - my imaginary frineds ride off from me because I'm going so slow, tight switchbacks, wet, slippery...I'm already looking forward to coming back with sun and better skills. 136km since the meeting place - see why we wanted the top up at Noojee!

Lunch at Wally pub. They serve pub food...with beer (I don't have any but my riding pals do).

The sun is out and its back along the twisties, feeling better already, only stuff up a fee (over geared or scrub off too much speed). Take the C481 down into Tyers where the hungry tank awaits. Quick ride to Morwell (this is where the ride turns dry!) and a nice blast into Leongatha.

It's 2:30 and gray already - I decide to do the 40km to Lang Lang along the A440 instead of Rob's 100km loop to Inverlock, Cape Paterson and along the coast...you're thinking I've wussed it - hold on....

Scream along the highway (at very legal speeds Ita!), hit the m420 and could have headed for home but take a quick detour to Frankston to have coffee with a friend. Onto the M1 and straight home...at 5:15!

total covered: 492 km








 

[Spider]

fun but useless data:

I've been riding 2 months and logged 5000km.

Over 700km this week alone...I'm still no good...but I'm trying!

when I grow up I want to be like BigIain 

[ducmeister]

Recon report
bad news: it's cold, wet and best kept for summer riding

If I do a bit of research I may be able to come up with a route out to the north of Melbourne around Woodend way.  Did some cycling out there not too long ago and there seems to be some fairly quiet back roads that could do with a bit of investigation.
Is this an area that is easy to get to for most people?

[Ita]

Recon report

synopsis:

 I've just said hello to my imaginary friends for the day!
Scream along the highway (at very legal speeds Ita!),
total covered: 492 km

hah ahh ahh ahahhhahahah......

I wonder if my imaginary friends were watching you

Great ride report mate...  I know the roads and in warmer sunnier conditions would have loved to have been there with you!!!

Ita