Andy van Bergen - The Climbing Cyclist

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

July 23, 2014

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

November 5, 2013

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

August 15, 2013July 2, 2014

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

May 8, 2013May 8, 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

February 13, 2013March 23, 2013

7 Peaks Domestique Series rides #10&11: Mt. Buller

Mt. Buller: surely one of the most picturesque of the Victorian Alps (Image: Kirsten Simpson)

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

January 17, 2013March 23, 2013

7 Peaks Domestique Series ride #9: Lake Mountain

The series has almost come full circle, and it's been a blast. (Image: Nigel Welch)

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

January 10, 2013March 23, 2013

7 Peaks Domestique Series ride #8: Dinner Plain

It can get pretty lonely out in the mountains.

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

January 8, 2013March 23, 2013

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

January 7, 2013March 23, 2013

7 Peaks Domestique Series ride #6: Mt. Hotham

Mt. Hotham: definitely one of the more picturesque climbs in the state.

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

January 4, 2013March 23, 2013

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

December 20, 2012February 24, 2014

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

December 3, 2012

Evan Henley's Bass Coast Classic

It seemed as if Evan had been bugging us for months about the Bass Coast Classic -- a ~130km ride he'd planned out that took in the quiet backroads of South Gippsland and the Bass Coast. The ride had been postponed a number of times (for various reasons) but on Saturday, finally, it was locked in. Unsurprisingly, it was totally worth the wait. Read more