The 2022 Melburn Roobaix: Soggy, slippery, delightful
A decade after my last visit, I returned to one of Melbourne's coolest rides. Here's how it went. Read more “The 2022 Melburn Roobaix: Soggy, slippery, delightful”
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 “Ol' Dirty 2015”
Good times and steep climbs on the Great Ocean Road
This time last year I was over in Europe, reporting from the Tour de France and doing some amazing riding while I was at it. This year's arrangement is a little less glamorous, but a weekend away at Aireys Inlet provided a great opportunity to take stock in what is a very busy time of year. Read more “Good times and steep climbs on the Great Ocean Road”
Domestique Dirty Dandys
If you love climbing and you live in Melbourne, chances are you spend a fair bit of time in the Dandenongs. And if you do, you probably spend much of your time on the more popular climbs. But there are also a bunch of amazing unsealed roads in the Dandenongs that should be on your radar. We took a group of 30 riders out to explore some of these great roads. Read more “Domestique Dirty Dandys”
Donna Done Dirty 2013
Riding up mountains in the middle of winter mightn't sound like much fun, but when the ride is organised by Hells 500 and you're surrounded by great people, it's a great way to spend a chilly Sunday morning. Here's my report from the second annual Donna Done Dirty. Read more “Donna Done Dirty 2013”
Crux: the movie
A few weeks ago myself and a dozen others took on the annual Hells 500 epic: Crux. It was a tough day -- 215km, 10+ hours in the saddle, 5,600m of climbing -- but it was also a very rewarding and memorable. Thanks to Nigel Welch, there's now a terrific video that really captures the spirit of the ride. Read more “Crux: the movie”
7 Peaks Domestique Series rides #10&11: Mt. Buller
One of the most satisfying things about the 7 Peaks Domestique Series has been the way we've been able to bring cyclists from all different backgrounds together, to ride and to socialise. And nowhere has this social aspect been stronger than on our two trips to Mt. Buller -- one in mid December and one just last weekend. Read more “7 Peaks Domestique Series rides #10&11: Mt. Buller”
7 Peaks Domestique Series ride #9: Lake Mountain
Looking out over the group it was pretty hard to tell how many riders had turned up. Facebook had said we might have had 130 but not everyone that says 'I'm going' does. I guessed somewhere in the vicinity of 110 but there was no way to really tell -- we'd just have to wait until we got to the top. Read more “7 Peaks Domestique Series ride #9: Lake Mountain”
7 Peaks Domestique Series ride #8: Dinner Plain
We got a bit of a sleep-in on the final morning of our Alps trip, but that didn't stop my body from complaining. We'd been through two long, hard days of cycling and with the longest climb in the Alps -- Dinner Plain -- still to go, it would be a while before I'd get a proper rest. Read more “7 Peaks Domestique Series ride #8: Dinner Plain”
7 Peaks Domestique Series ride #7: Mt. Buffalo
Day two of our trip to the Victorian Alps was always going to be long and tiring. We'd left Falls Creek at 6am, climbed Mt. Hotham, headed to Bright for a bite to eat ... and the day wasn't even half done. I'd discovered at the top of Mt. Hotham that I had a loose spoke and so my first mission after getting to Bright was to head to the bike shop. Read more “7 Peaks Domestique Series ride #7: Mt. Buffalo”
7 Peaks Domestique Series ride #6: Mt. Hotham
The 5am alarm was brutal. I felt like I'd barely slept and my legs were still aching from climbing Falls Creek twice the previous day. When I staggered out into the living area in our apartment at Quay West Falls Creek it was to see that others were similarly unimpressed. It was going to be a long day. Read more “7 Peaks Domestique Series ride #6: Mt. Hotham”
7 Peaks Domestique Series ride #5: Falls Creek
As a cyclist in Melbourne, there are no shortage of great riding routes nearby. Beach Road is pretty much at our doorstep, the Dandenongs are close to hand and the Kinglake Ranges are only an hour's ride away. But as good as these areas are for a weekend ride, they fade into the background when placed next to the Victorian Alps. Read more “7 Peaks Domestique Series ride #5: Falls Creek”
7 Peaks Domestique Series rides #3&4: Mt. Buller
The weather at the first two 7 Peaks Domestique Series rides was as close to perfect as you're likely to get: clear blue skies, sunshine, perfect temperatures and not so much as a speck of rain. Unfortunately we weren't quite so lucky when we headed up to Mt. Buller for rides #3 and #4 in the series. Read more “7 Peaks Domestique Series rides #3&4: Mt. Buller”