100 Year Event !

It might have been just any old Tuesday ride except for the facts that we were starting at Hermans Corner, that it was still pretty dark at just after 7a.m.and there was a forecast for once in 100 year weather event accompanied by 50 mm of rain ! Amazingly there were 4 of us present standing around aimlessly in the growing rain waiting for the first person to say that we should go home ! When Jon suggested instead that we act as lightning rods by cycling up Grantulla Rd we retreated hastily 3 KMs to Werners place in Menzies Creek where we took in a good brew of coffee and passed the time with a nice little natter. Not surprisingly it took a good hour for the thunderstorm activity to pass so now feeling guilty and also not wanting to go back up School road we instead took the leisurely route back along Selby Aura adding in a nice little workout back to Hermans Cnr. I think we might have just cracked the 10 km mark for the day but at least we showed what a bunch of intrepid adventurers we are !     

When the going got tough !

The "Awesome Eight" minus one (with Jurgen still sunbathing at Sandy Point) took off from Emerald Library en route to Upper Beac and beyond on a warming up Thurs ride. Kirsten was a welcome addition after her recent covid experience although it soon became apparent that long covid includes not only impaired smell but also impaired hearing as she breezed past our first proposed turn off point ! Back together again we journied through the back blocks of Emerald to Upper Beach re assembling on the downhill section of Salisbury Rd .. well most of us did except for Pete as head down bum up he flew past the group (admittedly hiding in the bushes) and proceeded to find his way down towards Tomuc Valley near Pakenham. While we luxuriated at Bellevue Orchard Cafe in Officer over 2-3 coffees (they've done a great job in updating facilities) Pete battled his way back to join us (mumbling something like I wish I'd gone fishing) adding nearly 10kms to his ride total ! 

With the option of a relatively straight forward ride back up Officer Rd Mike instead took the group trail riding through Beaconsfield and then up Payne Rd notorious for its near vertical last 100 metre section. With the dry roads full of dust we battled our way back towards Upper Beac up a succession of increasingly steep pinches that had most of us now beginning to struggle. I summited the last pinch in a semi delirious state to see what i thought was either a very large road kill or a strangely placed bicycle parking rack. It was in fact Kirsten who still feeling the after effects of Covid had taken to having a little snoozy right in the middle of the unmade road

With nearly everyone starting to grumble (except Werner who was loving it) we eventually made our way back home in various states of disrepair where i achieved in the enviable record of breaking the less than 4km an hour barrier along the way. Fun .... hmmm let me think  

                               

Kerri's ride

It was last Tuesday on our "Evan's Track bog revisited" ride, that Mike, Kerri and Jon came across a fenced off area that appeared to be a tempting track into the Yellingbo State forest. Several things deterred us from trying it straight away.

 One, we had no idea where it lead two. 

Two, we were still trying to find  a way around the muddy bog in the middle of Evan's Track. 

And three, a big warning sign announcing that deer culling could be in progress. Than means guns going off.

 Nonetheless, the site of unexplored territory triggered an idea in Kerri's head. She remembered a similar entrance into another part of the forest somewhere along the Woori Yallock Road. Well, the next thing we knew, Kerri had planned our next Thursday ride to this unknown gate, that leads to an unknown destination, by a route that was equally unknown..

Thursday arrived and 7 of the Alt.Thurs. group dutifully followed her lead along Woori road until it felt we'd gone to the world's end and perhaps adjourning for coffee at Yellingbo was a good idea. But NO, just short of the coffee shop, Kerri spotted her gateway to the track, duly marked with signs such as "Do not enter  Do not pass Go. Enter at own risk". As if that wasn't sufficient, the barbed wire fencing surround the gate, shouted " Forbidden Territory".

So in we all piled. Graceful climbing over barbed wire fencing was achieved by all. Bikes were mounted and down the grassy knoll we rode, across rocky river beds, up precipitous hills, past wonderful forest scenery and verdant pastures, experiencing the difference between rutted and non rutted tracks. 

We have the world to ourselves was the feeling. Peace. Soltitude. Relaxation. No chainsaw noise, only bleet(d)ing sheep.  So pleasantly isolated did we feel that it was rather sad to emerge from our place of escapism and rejoin the teeming throng on some of the minor dirt roads around the Silvan area. We even saw two cars.

Then back to the bitumen and into Monbulk for coffee followed by the relentless climb back to Emerald from Monbulk. 

48k traversed and 810m climbing. 

A good day's work.

 Thanks Kerri.

Alt Thurs Gp

South Gippsland rides 26,27,28 Nov

Four cyclists,  namely Kirsten, Kerri, Werner and Jurgen took off from Sandy Point to do the rail trail this time. Friday was from Fish Creek to Koonwarra  and back, about 70 km. past the worksite where they are re-aligning the South Gippsland highway. A mammoth undertaking.  On Saturday we cycled from Fish Creek to Port Welshpool and back, about 90 km.  Headwind there, tail wind on the way back.  Sunday like the good lord said was a day of rest so we became tourists instead of cyclists and drove to Agnes Falls and Mt. McNichol.  We thought we will leave some really good road rides until next time.

Check out my ride on Strava. https://strava.app.link/o6HgbvfIzlb

IMG_3444.JPG

Tuesday ride CHANGE

Hot weather and other delights have cause changes to Tuesday ride from the library.

NOW

0830 Start. Mortimer's Picnic Ground, Gembrook.

Dirt bikes.

Jon

Tuesday 30th

Meet at the library, 0930, for a shortish ride.

As the destination is in the lap of the gods, dirt bikes best.

Jon

Dirt track to Berwick

Dirt track to Berwick

Dirt track to Berwick

On reflection, I think our objective was to get to Berwick from Emerald without riding on bitumen. I reckon we managed around 80% success, especially if you count all three of us (Helen, Mike, Jon) swearing we will never climb another bl....y hill nor cross a river, again.

Jon 

Tuesday 30 Nov

Default place & time, namely Emerald 9.30. Dirt bikes I assume
Jurgen Weller
0429 384 416

*Sent remotely

Tuesday 30th Nov. Emerald library 9.30

Thursday 25

No scheduled ride due to doom forecast; however that doesn't stop any hard core person from venturing out and getting a wet arse. Good opportunity to brush up on the spiritual side of riding by doing yoga and breathing exercises or some Zen meditation focusing on the wheel of life or in our case the wheel of the bike

Jurgen Weller
0429 384 416

*Sent remotely

Tuesday 23 Nov

Meet at the library at 0930 on dirt bikes for a ride somewhere.

Fwd: Strathbogie bike tour. Jurgen and Peter

----- Original Message -----

From:

jweller@vtown.com.au

To:

litchy1levi1@blogger.com

Sent:

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 19:59:22 +1100

Subject:

Strathbogie bike tour. Jurgen and Peter
Day 1  Seymour to Euroa   88km,  1.177m climbing

Very smooth asphalt all the way with hardly a car in sight. The signs along the road suggested that many bike clubs use this stretch as a training run. The terrain could be described as undulating. There was no wind or rain but it was sooo cold. It seems that the Bureau stuffed up. You know you are cold when you start looking forward to the uphill stages as a means of getting warm and start dreading the downhill runs because the wind created chills you to the bone. We started fantasizing about the possibility of the motel in Euroa having a sauna with perhaps Swedish blonds. We were so excited by this thought that we took a short cut and shaved off 20 km of a potential 108 km ride. We rode faster and faster to keep warm and in the process arrived in Euroa in record time.  Alas .... there was no sauna, nor were there blonds from Sweden  - but there was a bloody good hot shower. With the heater on full bore in the room we soon became over heated and it was time to check out the best pub in town for dinner.

Day 2  Euroa to Violet town via Strathbogie  55km  737m climbing

A shorty today because we had done most of the hard Yakka yesterday.  Sunshine and warmth greeted us as we stumbled out of the motel room with only a slight hangover.  Again, we rode along smooth, quiet roads along beautiful scenery. This is truly road bike territory. We knew  we were in for a grunt of a climb up to Strathbogie because I had studied the profile.  Gradient on average was 7% but there were some pinches of 13%. It was all doable but  the climb was endless. (about 10km). From the top of the range there was a delightful 5km downhill run into the hamlet of Strathbogie. Today we revelled in the downhill runs. We were rewarded for our efforts with some seriously good coffee at the cafe. From Strathbogie we enjoyed more extensive  downhill stretches all the way to Violet Town.

Guess what !  When we boarded the train to take us back to Seymour where we left my car, the conductor didn't even give us a hard time for having bikes. Things are looking up at Vic Rail.

This is a tour that will definitely be repeated.

Jurgen

Re: Strathbogie bike tour. Jurgen and Peter

 

----- Original Message -----

From:

jweller@vtown.com.au

To:

<litchy1levi1@blogger.com>

Cc:

Sent:

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 19:59:22 +1100

Subject:

Strathbogie bike tour. Jurgen and Peter


Day 1  Seymour to Euroa   88km,  1.177m climbing

Very smooth asphalt all the way with hardly a car in sight. The signs along the road suggested that many bike clubs use this stretch as a training run. The terrain could be described as undulating. There was no wind or rain but it was sooo cold. It seems that the Bureau stuffed up. You know you are cold when you start looking forward to the uphill stages as a means of getting warm and start dreading the downhill runs because the wind created chills you to the bone. We started fantasizing about the possibility of the motel in Euroa having a sauna with perhaps Swedish blonds. We were so excited by this thought that we took a short cut and shaved off 20 km of a potential 108 km ride. We rode faster and faster to keep warm and in the process arrived in Euroa in record time.  Alas .... there was no sauna, nor were there blonds from Sweden  - but there was a bloody good hot shower. With the heater on full bore in the room we soon became over heated and it was time to check out the best pub in town for dinner.

Day 2  Euroa to Violet town via Strathbogie  55km  737m climbing

A shorty today because we had done most of the hard Yakka yesterday.  Sunshine and warmth greeted us as we stumbled out of the motel room with only a slight hangover.  Again, we rode along smooth, quiet roads along beautiful scenery. This is truly road bike territory. We knew  we were in for a grunt of a climb up to Strathbogie because I had studied the profile.  Gradient on average was 7% but there were some pinches of 13%. It was all doable but  the climb was endless. (about 10km). From the top of the range there was a delightful 5km downhill run into the hamlet of Strathbogie. Today we revelled in the downhill runs. We were rewarded for our efforts with some seriously good coffee at the cafe. From Strathbogie we enjoyed more extensive  downhill stretches all the way to Violet Town.

Guess what !  When we boarded the train to take us back to Seymour where we left my car, the conductor didn't even give us a hard time for having bikes. Things are looking up at Vic Rail.

This is a tour that will definitely be repeated.

Jurgen

No rain but there was a goat.

What matter a few black clouds and adverse rain forecasts for a select few of the Alt Thurs riding group. Who believes in forecasts anyway. Rain jackets at the ready and the ride was on. Kirsten and I led the way to UPPER Beac, through the road puddles, thus showing Mike and Jon how to avoid them.

It was a route mapped out in the distant past by Kirsten and later  checked again when Kirstsn and I rode it. Bearing in mind that Mike was one of the intrepid riders on this occasion and is still recovering his fitness, the route was  carefully selected to suit the status of his riding muscles. Nothing outrageously steep. Only 47k and 800+m of climbing??????##@@%%. If Mike had known that at the outset, the group composition might have changed, right at the start of the ride.

So be it. It is a delightfully scenic route, a mixture of dirt and tarmac,  that neither Mike nor Jon had witnessed before. We all oggled houses with views to kill for as they overlooked the rolling lush valleys around Upper Beac.

Coffee was taken at the Apple/cider farm on Browns Rd. where we were told of their upcoming enhancements intended to attract more bike riders. E.g.  a pizza oven with provision to serve apple cider. comfortable out doors seating and sundry bike racks. It will be worth another visit when  finished.

So from the flatlands around Browns Road in Pakenam with stomachs full of coffee and cakes and our bodies warm from sitting under a gas heater, (outside temp = 9degrees) our peloton headed UPWARDS, back to UPPER Beac. The noun "UPPER" features heavily in this ride.

Near Upper Beac, an encore of pitiful bleating hit my ears. Hoping it was not one of us, I stopped, checked my riding partners and decided they were not the cause. Phew!

It was a Billy goat with enormous razor sharp horns stuck in a fence on the verge of the road.

Naturally, Kirsten and I took one look at the horns and decided all rescue endeavours would be the responsibility of Mike and Jon.

Rescue duly implemented. No injuries to any parties involved. A relaxing ride UP  the neverending hills from Upper Beac to Emerald was all that remained to complete a lovely circuit, one that goes on the "must do again" list. 

 Mike is still talking to us.

Kerri

Goat and Mike

Here's the entangled goat that waylayed us on the ride home. It fell to the boys to affect the rescue. Kirsten and I provided (distant) encouragement.