Jon Miller maps out three classic flat training rides that will help get you in shape for any season.
Riding on long flat stretches helps you build up aerobic capacity, improve your speed, increase stamina, and develop your riding style and rhythm. Test yourself on these three classic flat training rides; you’ll find them an ideal preparation for this year’s Bupa Around the Bay in a Day, and a great way to shake off the winter cobwebs. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to pump up your tyres, oil your chain and get out on your bike.
Beach Road 38km one-way – 76km return
Beach Road is probably Melbourne’s best-known ride. Every weekend morning there are thousands of riders pedalling this classic route. A number of things combine to make this ride special. It has lots of easy access points both by road and rail, so you can make your ride as long or as short as you like. It’s quite flat, with only a few modest inclines, and there are long stretches without traffic lights so you can get a good rhythm going. But what does it for me is the million-dollar view over the bay.
Western Plains Wander – 70km
The roads that criss-cross the basalt plains to the west of Melbourne, between the Western and Princes Freeways, make for great cycling territory. They tend to be lightly trafficked, particularly on the weekends, and generally flat, which make them ideal for fast training rides. They’re not completely flat though, as this circuit from Werribee shows. It took me about 5km of riding before I realised that I didn’t have a flat tyre but there was a slight uphill gradient. After about 20km of this, the road flattens out before the equally slight downhill gradient to make for a fast finish.
Kinglake Circuit – 75km
If you are looking for something a little more challenging, this Kinglake ride is the one for you. It starts in Hurstbridge, at the end of the suburban train line, and heads up through the Yarra Ranges National Park to Kinglake. Prior to Black Saturday it was dense forest, but now there are expansive views back over Melbourne as you climb over the ranges. From Kinglake, you head along a ridge line then come down the picturesque Humevale Road to Whittlesea before returning to Hurstbridge via Yan Yean Reservoir.
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I’m not sure I ‘get’ this post – I’m really interested in the Western plains route but there’s no info?
Anything gratefully received!
A crew riding out of Bicycle Superstore has massive experience riding in the “Western Plains”. This is the link is to their website ( http://wyndhamcycling.com/ ). This link ( http://satrides.lopeys.com/ ) provides maps and some notes (?) about their rides.
From experience, the section of the “Western Plains Wander” ride that is heading North on Hopkins Road towards the Ballarat Freeway is dangerous with a capital D, and should be treated with extreme caution. There is no shoulder and the speed limit is 100kph. Ergo, you have no margin for safety on an exceptionally busy road connecting a heavily populated metropolitan centre with a major freeway. Granted, most of the roads in the “Western Plains” locale have 100kph speed limits, but there is either a reduced amount of traffic, or there is a greater margin for safety on the road shoulders. The rest of this ride is enjoyable and would be rated as Easy (based on Gradients and Hills) to Medium (based on Distance).
Be safe and enjoy.