Victorian (Australia) Trails

[thelankymanx2]

I am heading out to do the Great Dividing Trail from Ballarat to Bendigo with train connection to Melbourne as my first easy bikepacking trip with a friend.  While I have done a few overnight rides, none of them have been offroad and my mate hasnt done any.

It is around 270kms, 3 day adventure and I think that it is somewhere around 50-50 singletrail.  Well maybe more fireroad than that but still not too bad.

I chose this as our first bikepacking ride due to proximity to civilisation (we could actually stay in town both nights all of which are train accessible), there may be total fire ban days and love hot dinners so can buy food easily, you can get a train to and from melb there and my mate has ridden 2 of the legs before.

I will post up my review of the track from a bikepacking perspective when I get back.

In the meantime is anyone out there interested in a Bikepacking trip (1-2 nights) in February?  Here is a link to some MTB epics that I would be interested in riding soon http://www.rotorburn.com/forums/showthread.php?t=195884

Alistair

[lukey]

In the meantime is anyone out there interested in a Bikepacking trip (1-2 nights) in February?  Here is a link to some MTB epics that I would be interested in riding soon http://www.rotorburn.com/forums/showthread.php?t=195884
Alistair

Alistair, I will be visiting from Canada.  My available dates would be very specific just due to travel, but I would be really interested if we can coordinate the timing! 

I could arrange:
Jan 11&12
Feb 2 - Feb 7

[mingus]

Lukey: i might be departing adelaide around the 11th of jan, let me know if you're in that area.

Lanky: I've just found that Feb is not much good for me, i could do late Jan or ealy April (easter W/E or the one after) but not much in between. let me know if either of those work for you.

[stevage]

lanky: GDT is great, I could ride it quite a few times without getting bored. everyone rates the Daylesford-Castlemaine bit the highest, but there is some good stuff between Ballarat and Daylesford. There's also one tedious 10k section of sealed road. If you have a GPS, would you mean collecting a trace that I could then incorporate into openstreetmap? Then it would show up in maps of the area...

I'm extremely up for a weekend trip in february. Could do the 31st Jan/1st feb, or 6/7 feb.

[thelankymanx2]

Stevage. I dont have a GPS but my mate does and he will be recording it on his phone.  Will post it up when finished.

I will need to wait till the new year before committing to a weekend away in Jan/Feb as I have the Otway Odessey to do in med Feb so will be training for that, though Bikpacking could be a good thing for it.  Definately interested in hooking up with a few ppl for a ride.  Just need to get map of the bicential trail to have a look at.  Would be interesting to see how that goes.  The parents have offered to pick me up in the Omeo area (from Lakes) so I can hook up with the train on the way home.

ps does anyone have "Off road cycling adventures" First Edition by Keiran Ryan.  The second edition is good but the first has some different trails that i wouldnt mind seeing.

[stevage]

>ps does anyone have "Off road cycling adventures" First Edition by Keiran Ryan.  The second edition is good but the first has some different trails that i wouldnt mind seeing.

Yeah, I really don't get why the "second edition" covers completely different tracks from the "first edition". no one seems to sell the first ed, presumably because they thought it was superseded..

[GDR_Matt]

Alistair

I am moving to Melbourne, from the UK, on the 7th of January and would be very interested in some bikepacking around Victoria. I have done some multi day self-supported routes before so would be up for joining you in Jan / Feb.   

I have also entered the Otway Odessey so would be keen to find my legs before then.


Matt

[thelankymanx2]

Mat/Steve/Anyone else interested

The rest of January is looking pretty full atm mainly due to heading to RAdelaide for the Tour Down Under but could head out for a trip on the weekend of the 30-31 Jan and 6-7 Feb.  Definately want two weeks off before the Otway Odessey. 

Could maybe hit up the Otways or maybe the Dandenongs for some decent hills in preperation for the ride. Any other suggestions.  Would love to travel 150km+ over the weekend depending on terrain.

Also as a heads up I will likely be riding my 29er rigid SS so maybe slow/walking up the hills and spinning on the flats/downhills.

So who is interested?

ps keep an eye out for my trip report for the Great Dividing Trail that I did last weekend.  Was good fun!

[lukey]

Hey...I'm still interested! For me, there dates that work are Jan 6-7.    (In fact any time between Jan 2 and Jan 7 would work for me.)  Otways or Dandenongs would be amazing, I'm happy with anything you want to plan out as far as the route goes.  No worries about the singlespeed...I will be sightseeing myself, not looking for a fast pace, just a good time.

[stevage]

Hrm, I'm back at work now, so can only do weekends. This weekend is out (downhill mtb at Buller!), but am good for the next few. Australia Day weekend could work - have other friends wanting to do an on-road bike tour that weekend, but I would prioritise off-road bikepacking. I'd probably have to say no to 6-7 feb as I'm going hiking in Tassie from the 8th, and will be packing etc.

Riding with a SSer sounds perfect - I'm so slow uphills anyway

[thelankymanx2]

It is not the uphills that you have to worry about on a SS cos I just have to muscle it up a hill to keep momentum, well unless it is too steep then i walk and when that happens it is really steep, though I might have to get a smaller chainring to use it bikepacking.

So it seems that there is conflict between Stevage and Lukey for the dates.  Does anyone else want to throw their name into the mix as a tie breaker.

I haven't looked at any routes but maybe a following the yarra upstream.  There has to be a decent ride in there somewhere.  Would consider any other options as well.

[lukey]

So it seems that there is conflict between Stevage and Lukey for the dates.  Does anyone else want to throw their name into the mix as a tie breaker.

Sigh!  Isn't that the way?  Stevage and I have opposite problems.  He's leaving for Tas, I'll be just arriving from doing the Tasmanian Trail.

If you ultimately decide to go with the 30-31 weekend, please keep me in the loop.  There's a 50/50 chance I could be there, just can't commit 100% -- all very contingent on the travel during the week leading into that weekend.  But I can definitely try for it.  I should be able to let you know 100% a few days ahead of time, hopefully.  I will shoot you my contact details in a PM.

[thelankymanx2]

Hey...I'm still interested! For me, there dates that work are Jan 6-7.   

Did you mean the 6-7Feb? not Jan?  If so then I would be up for a ride.  So lock it it.

Stevage as you are a local I dont doubt that will will get to do a ride another time.

My Trip report for the Great Dividing Trail.  Apologies for the poor grammar/spelling
http://www.bikepacking.net/tripreports/australian-great-dividing-trail/

If anyone wants the GPS tracking data and my speeds, elevation etc let me know and I can email it to you!

[stevage]

Hey sorry for being out of the loop etc. I had a couple of major gear failures (tent and sleeping mat) towards the end of jan, but all is fixed now. Just as well, as I'm off hiking next week.

Lankymanx, I'd definitely like your gpx traces if you're happy for me to incorporate them into OpenStreetMap? It would be really cool to place the GDT on there. Obviously this means permanently licensing the trace data as creative commons...

Still up for a 2-3 day ride with whoever, whenever, drop me a line on stevage@gmail.com a week or so in advance so we can organise.

Steve

[thelankymanx2]

If anyone is interested I was going to do a S240 on the Yarra Trails on Friday night of the 9th April, with some riding in the dark till maybe 10pm or before.  If you are interested send me an PM

[mingus]

Friday the 9th is no good for me (i'm doing the Baw Baw challenge on the 10th). I'd be keen for something on ANZAC Day weekend tho if anyone is interested? Leaving sat arvo/night would be best for me.

[thelankymanx2]

Sorry I will be away doing away camping that weekend. Was thinking out at Lerderderg and riding some of the Great Dividing Trail on Monday.  I am thinking of taking a day off work and doing a S240 after the Warburton Cycle Fest on the 1-2May, just cos I will be out that way.

[GDR_Matt]

thelankymanx2

I don’t know if you have been following the tour divide but all this talk of epic days out has made me want get out and get some longer rides under the belt and line up a few over nighters.

I recently visited the Grampians and recon there is some potential for some long fire road rides with great views.

Have you got any suggestion? For things closer to Melbourne?

Cheers?

Matt

[thelankymanx2]

Check out this

http://www.rotorburn.com/forums/showthread.php?195884-Suggestions-for-epic-weekend-ride-Victoria&highlight=bikepacking
or
http://www.rotorburn.com/forums/showthread.php?187645-Bikepacking-Victoria&highlight=bikepacking

Recommend the Great Dividing trail from bendigo to Ballarat. Mainly fireroads but still fun.

[Mariemiller02]

My available dates would be very specific just due to travel, but I would be really interested if we can coordinate the timing!