Well, I've finally done it.
After lurking here for the last couple of years I've registered so I can offer a little advice.
A ride I recommend is starting from Whittlesea, north of Melbourne, Kinglake West and on up to Yea on the Goulburn Valley Highway. Stop for coffee and a breather and then approx 77 kms of highway (two lane road) to Mansfield. Turn off the highway heading up to Tolmie and then plenty of twisting winding road up to Whitfield.
By the time you get back to Melbourne it will have been a full day, in fact you will likely be arriving home in the dark, the days are short at this time of the year.
The weather lately has been quite dry, as I type this it is sunny with a light northerly breeze and about 14 deg. C.
Temperatures are likely to range from 2-3 deg C in the morning possibly reaching 15 deg C during the mid afternoon.
The road from Whittlesea through to just before Flowerdale runs through forested areas and one needs to be careful as the road will likely be damp with bark and leaves on the road.
If you decide to travel the Ocean Road, I suggest that you travel through Geelong staying on the Princes Highway turning off at Mt. Moriac. heading south to Moriac. Turn westerly to Modewarre continuing on past Wordibuloc Reservoir and then turning left at C151 towards Bambra and Deans Marsh. Continue on C151 heading for Lorne. This is a great bike route and avoids what I think is a more boring ride from Geelong to Anglesea and avoids a lot of traffic and potential speed cameras etc.
From Lorne it's the best part of the Ocean Road along to Apollo Bay.
There are two routes back to Melbourne worth considering.
The longest is continue on to Lavers Hill, Weeaproinah (highest rainfall in Victoria) and then on to Colac for approximately 2.5 hrs of fairly boring road back to Melbourne or, return to Skenes Creek turning north towards Forrest eventually arriving back on the Princes Highway at the junction of Birregurra Road and the highway.
Either of these rides will mean a fairly early start, no later that 8:00 am to be able to enjoy the day and will still mean returning home in the dark. I tend to use the daylight hours for the best parts of the rides,leaving the transit return (boring) part of the trip to be done in the dark.
I will be on my days off 16/17th July and possibly free on the afternoon and evening of the 15th. I ride anywhere in any weather so if you would like some company and a guide on any ride you choose to do on these days, please contact me. I ride equipped with punture outfit, air compressor, first aid, cdma phone, GPS, mapsand more often that not, a billy and a stove for my cups of tea.
Sorry, can't help that, I am a Pommy after all. : )
Please excuse the long post but perhaps others may find this information useful.
Regards, Brian.
[email protected]
