Melbourne to Bright route advice? (On Gravel/quiet roads?)

[Propagate]

Hi All,

TLDR – Feedback on a route sought, thanks,

Lockdown ending permitting, I’m thinking of riding from home to Bright late December.

We have accommodating booked in Bright over Christmas, I was planning on taking the train to Wangaratta and riding the bike path into Bright (done it a few times from various start points along that section).

Figured though, maybe I take an extra day and ride to Bright from home (Mornington Peninsula).

I found a suggested route on here via Google (posted by Uncle Just about 4 years ago).

I didn’t want to post my actual start point, but I know the route up to Heidelberg, form there though is all new territory for me pretty much.

I’ve never ridden the popular Kinglake ride either, which I think is part of this route?

Also, since Uncle Just posted I think the Great Vic rail trail from Yea is good to go? (maybe it already was back then too?).

At the moment I’m thinking home to Mansfield Day 1, then Mansfield to Bright Day 2.

That’s’ about 250k and 2200 vert Day 1 and 150k 1800 vert Day 2.

Should be do-able, I’ve done a bunch of 200k mixed terrain rides down here circa 1200-1500 vert and did my first 200k gravel Audax earlier this year, 200k & 3800 vert (I’ve done heaps of 100-160k gravel rides and Audaxes though).

The last big ride I did was late April, home to Marysville via Don Rd up and over Donna Buang and Acheron Way then home the next day via Reefton Spur 180k and 2000 ish vert each day give or take and 9-10 hours a day total elapsed time, so I’m fairly comfortable with going for the 250k Day 1 if I set off at first light and get a few long rides back under my belt once restrictions lift.

Although I’ve ridden some decent size rides it’s always been in areas I know or have ridden before o with groups, this would be my first tome solo on such a long distance and on roads I have never ridden, so I’m happy enough with my ability fitness wise but just a little apprehensive about the route.

Would love some feedback on the route, particularly if anyone’s ridden any of it? Anything glaringly obvious that stands out as a terrible road to ride on, or impassable?

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37411579

Like a lot of you I guess, I’m absolute chomping to get out beyond 5k! I’m going nuts sitting on Zwift most nights and the occasional hit out in the 5k radius of home. Can’t wait to escape.

Thanks

[warthog1]

Like a lot of you I guess, I’m absolute chomping to get out beyond 5k! I’m going nuts sitting on Zwift most nights and the occasional hit out in the 5k radius of home. Can’t wait to escape.

Thanks

Got no route advice sorry.
Yep not enjoying the 5k limit.
I am one of the less than 50% on my strava feed who is complying though.
I did do a 2 1/2 hour ride last week.
Didn't come close to anyone else however.
I have a couple of loops that are ok.
I prefer them to zwift for sure.

[Propagate]

Yeah, seen plenty of people that obviously don't know what a kilometre is on my feed too. Pretty frustrating for those of us "doing the right thing" the whole time to watch the blatant disregard others have.

Zwift has it's place, it's been brilliant following structured training plans all winter kept me fighting fit and chatted online via Discord to riding buddies to keep the social side up, but now there's inklings of good weather and lighter mornings, longer days it's getting more and more frustrating locked inside.

[cyclotaur]

I knew UncleJust(RIP) pretty well and any route he suggested would be a good‘un, but might contain a few surprises.

I toured with UJ through that area a few times but we took it pretty easy as a rule, given our *cough* experience/age but younger riders could probably manage those kms OK, though your first day is pretty daunting, esp with gravel and some extra gear.

Yeah lockdown sucks but we’ll be back out there soon enough.

[Propagate]

Thanks cyclotaur, and sorry to hear UJ passed. I didn't realize.

Thanks for the feedback, indeed, Day 1 is a little daunting ta the moment, more so due to not having been able to get out for a decent ride in months other than the Zwift stuff.

I'm planning a few 100k's as soon as we're allowed, then the very next decent weather weekend out of lock down I'll repeat my Marysville trip to gauge fitness. That should be a good indicator of whether to bite off the big first day in one hit.

Cheers.

[dalai47]

I rode a credit card tour with some friends a while back. Don't know the route you are planning but we rode the following taking 3 not day and 2 as you plan. I was on my CX bike, the others MTB's. (D Dirt, S Sealed)

Day 1 Lilydale to Jamieson 163km
D - Warburton rail trail.
S - Reefton Spur to Cumberland Junction



D - Nth to Eildon Jamieson Road



S - Eildon Jamieson Road to Jamieson

Day 2 Jamieson to Whitfield 133km
S - Mansfield Wood Points rd
S D - Chapel Hill rd
S - Mt Buller rd to Mirimbah
D - Mt Stirling, Circuit, No 3 tracks



D - Buckland Spur track
S - Upper King River Rd

Day 3 Whitfield to Bright 104km

Had planned to ride the Goldie Spur over the Southern hip of Mt Buffalo but the weather wasn't great and risking going over the Goldie in those conditions.

Instead took the following

S D - Whitfield Lake Buffalo road



S - Buffalo River Road
S - Rail trail from Myrtleford to Bright. If we hadn't booked a night at Bright I would have turned L and headed home from Wangaratta one day early. Rail trail was anticlimatic...

[dalai47]

Just looked at your ridewithgps link. Comments below on parts I have either ridden or driven.

A lot of sealed roads that route.

Heads up Humevale not Kinglake proper. The former is a lovely windy little climb and quite pleasant as an ascent. Never descend as not pleasant at speed.
Nice sealed roads out to Yea. Like the Reefton out East, these roads can have quite a number of motorbikes and cars out for a spirited drive depending on the day and time.
Mansfield Whitfield road is a nice meandering sealed road. Again can be busy, but much has had the speed limit reduced so less screaming by at 100km/hr +.
Whitfield to Bright is the route we took and is peasant to Lake Buffalo.

[Propagate]

Thanks dalai47.

Hopefully the roads won't be too busy on a weekday.

I'm thinking of adjusting the second day and coming off Mansfield-Whitfield Rd jut about where the plantation is on the map and down onto McDonalds Spur Track over to Christopher Rd to King River Camp then Upper King Rover Road to Cheshunt.

I found a bikepacking blog that had gone that way, the Spur sounds sketchy but then Christopher & King River Road look really goo and avoids a decent length of the Mansfield-Whitfield Rd.

[cancan64]

Might not be helpful but I am planning Melb to Canberra for after lockdown, has an alternative to Mt Buller or Jamieson using the BNT. https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/75224845

[warthog1]

Might not be helpful but I am planning Melb to Canberra for after lockdown, has an alternative to Mt Buller or Jamieson using the BNT. https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/75224845

Don't know if you have seen this?

https://www.adventurecyclingvictoria.co ... e-canberra

Probably, but it may be some help if you haven't.

[cancan64]

Don't know if you have seen this?

https://www.adventurecyclingvictoria.co ... e-canberra

Probably, but it may be some help if you haven't.

Thanks I hadnt seen that... a bit to easy that route but with no one being able to train much due to lockdown mine was maybe a bit to hard so have blended them so have Melb to Bright... then to Omeo then to Canberra... a nice mix and a few breweries enroute https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37435056

[warthog1]

Thanks I hadnt seen that... a bit to easy that route but with no one being able to train much due to lockdown mine was maybe a bit to hard so have blended them so have Melb to Bright... then to Omeo then to Canberra... a nice mix and a few breweries enroute https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37435056

Sounds great, going to be great fun and a great reward for getting through this COVID crap

[Propagate]

Hey all,

So, I did it. Day 1 home to Mansfield 253k and Day 2 Mansfield to Bright 144k.

It wasn't a particularly tough ride as such, but the heat was an absolute killer.

I had headwinds from home for the first 100k or so, then it got HOT, 35+ all day, both days and barely a scrap of shade. I went though gallons and gallons of water.

Day 1 was pretty boring to be honest, and I really didn't care for the Great Vic Rail Trail, k after k of 'the same thing' interspersed with a thousand chicane gates for every single dirt track that crossed it, you barely got up to pace and then had to stop for another bugger.

Day 2 was a nicer day scenery wise. I took McDonald Spur off the top of the Col Tolmie climb, that was a *******, an hour or so of walking down a goat track. It was so steep and rough I was uncomfortable walking it! That made for a 3 hour first 30k!

Got two flats on the dirt road before Lake Buffalo but both sealed up pretty quick, however, once in Bright and checked the bike the next day both tires were riddled with sealant blobs all around, would have been dreadful with tubes, I'd have ran out of patches long before getting to Bright.

Glad I did it, the heat it made it way harder than it should have been, and I wouldn't do it again. Not an interesting enough ride.

Strava traces below with a few photo's if anyone's interested.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6409529718

https://www.strava.com/activities/6413473393

Cheers.

[cancan64]

my route from Mansfield to Bright was good, although I did have us going over Mt Buffalo and changed that once the others realised, made up for it the next day going to Omeo via Falls, I found a short cut that was an overgrown walking track, impossible to ride but was only 3.2km (I think 800mtrs up)... heaps of cuts and leeches, then up Fainters track , took over 10hrs to go 50km, but views were magic

https://www.strava.com/activities/6322307088

https://www.strava.com/activities/6324854926