The Climbing Cyclist - The joy of riding uphill & a guide to Victoria's best climbs.

November 18, 2015November 18, 2015

Domestique 7 Peaks Rides 2015/16: Lake Mountain

The Domestique 7 Peaks Rides got underway on Sunday with a ride from Marysville to Lake Mountain in perfect cycling conditions. We'd expected a large crowd, but not nearly as big as the crowd that eventually did come along. A terrific start to the climbing season! Read more

November 9, 2015February 2, 2022

Bikepacking the Strzelecki Ranges

18 months after our first bikepacking trip my mate Nick and I set off to Western Gippsland for three days of riding and adventure. Here are a whole host of photos and some words from the trip. Read more

October 28, 2015November 11, 2015

Exploring, mindmaps and the 'where does that go?' ride

Undoubtedly one of the most satisfying things about cycling is the ability to jump on your bike and explore the world. And as I found out last weekend, you needn't travel too far from home to have that experience. Read more

October 14, 2015January 31, 2022

Science of climbing: why power-to-weight ratios matter

If you've followed discussions about professional bike racing you've probably heard about power-to-weight ratios. They're a simple mathematical ratio but quite a powerful way to assess climbing ability and how we compare to others. Read more

October 7, 2015October 7, 2015

Spring is here and I can't wait to get out and ride

As a cyclist I always welcome the arrival of spring. The warmer months are laid out in front of me with weeks and weeks of great riding opportunities just waiting to be taken. This spring and summer I'm looking forward to getting back out on the bike and finding some new roads. What's got you motivated? Read more

October 1, 2015

Introducing the 2015/16 Domestique 7 Peaks Rides

We've had plenty of people asking us in recent months what we're doing with 7 Peaks this summer. Here's what you need to know, including the ride dates. Read more

September 23, 2015October 2, 2015

DD15: the 2015 Melbourne Dirty Dozen

After many months of planning, the 2015 Melbourne Dirty Dozen finally arrived on Sunday. In its first visit to Warburton, the event saw 250 cyclist tackle 13 of the steepest climbs in the area. This is my write-up from the day, with photos from Jess Varey and Emily Figgis. Read more

September 15, 2015September 18, 2015

Amy's Gran Fondo 2015

Amy's Gran Fondo has become one of the most popular and well-attended events on the Victorian cycling calendar. Starting in the seaside town of Lorne and taking in the Great Ocean Road, it's a beautifully scenic event with some great views ... assuming you get the time to look around you. Read more

September 2, 2015September 9, 2015

Ol' Dirty 2015

Always a late-winter highlight, Ol' Dirty is a Hells 500 event in which several hundred riders take to quiet and muddy roads on road bikes, having a lot of fun along the way. Here's how the 2015 edition of Ol' Dirty unfolded from my perspective. Read more

August 26, 2015

Four reasons to take time off the bike over winter

Riding in cold and wet conditions can be a thoroughly miserable experience. So why not take some time off the bike during winter? In this post I give four reasons for spending time away from cycling while the weather's bad, to allow you to come back to it feeling refreshing and motivated when the weather warms up. Read more

August 12, 2015

Introducing DD15: the Dirty Dozen moves to Warburton

The Melbourne Dirty Dozen is back for a fourth straight year but this year we're doing things a little differently. In addition to moving the ride out to Warburton, we've also included a handful of gravel ascents. Tickets are now available to DD15 – we hope to see you out there! Read more

August 5, 2015June 8, 2016

What it’s like to cover the Tour de France

I've had a couple of people ask me to write about what it's like to cover the Tour de France. Here then are some observations from my time at the 2015 Tour, with a selection of photos I took along the way. Read more

June 10, 2015

Cycling, running and life: trying to find a healthy balance

It's hard to balance a love of cycling with everything else going on in your life. That's particularly true if you're also trying to train up for a marathon while keeping up your riding. Read more