Ride Different 5

20-22 October 2023

MYRTLEFORD to MelbournE VIA MANSFIELD

The rides

Saturday 21st October

Day 1 - Myrtleford to Mansfield - Approx 192km with 2220m elevation

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3090079252454129798

Coffee/Bakery stop at Beechworth (50k)

Lunch stop at Whitfield (122K)

Sunday 22nd October

Day 2 - Mansfield to Melbourne - Approx 196km with 2000m elevation (185k if Yea is bypassed)

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3090130782189073424

Coffee/Bakery stop at Yarck or Molesworth or into Yea (83k) depending on average speed

Lunch stop at St Andrews (150k)

Refreshment stop at the brewery in Diamond Creek

weekend details

Friday

• All riders to arrive on Friday 20th October by 4:30pm with your bike and luggage at:
  The Hotel South Melbourne, Corner of Clarendon Street and Market Street

• Your bike will be carefully and lovingly loaded for transfer to Myrtleford

• Bus will depart at 5:30pm SHARP for the drive to Myrtleford. Pizza will be provided en-route.

• Friday night: Twin share accommodation in Myrtleford at one of the 3 motels reserved for our group - Myrtleford Motel on Alpine, Railway Motel & Golden Leaf Motel

Saturday

• Sunrise: 6:27am. Sunset: 7:42pm

• Breakfast from 7:00am at Alpine Gate Cafe

• Rider briefing and King’s Speech at 7:45am

• Rollout at 8:00am

• Saturday night: Twin share accommodation at Alzberg Resort, 39 Malcom Street, Mansfield

• Dinner: Delatite Hotel

Saturday’s ride: ~192km with 2250m elevation

https://www.strava.com/routes/3090079252454129798

Today’s ride we depart Myrtleford and roll out towards Rosewhite to ride the always spectacular Carrolls Rd, then it’s onto the Stanley climb for the first KOM of the day: 10km at 5% for the full climb (https://www.strava.com/segments/1705782) or save yourself for the steep segment which starts after the red sign - almost 3km at 8.4% (https://www.strava.com/segments/3591343). After a few more rollers through the apple orchards, enjoy a cracking descent into Beechworth where we will stop for coffee, food, toilet and water.

Cafe legs may hurt a bit on two small hills out of Beechworth, then is down the Buckland Gap and a right-turn to do a beautiful loop through Murmungee where we have the first optional SPRINT of the day. Roll through Whorouly and then we head into the King Valley down Everton-Carboor Rd where a second SPRINT will be on offer. We have a 7km gravel sector into Moyhu which is usually smooth, hard-packed and in excellent condition (recon done 3 weeks prior). Lunch stop in Whitfield (~122km).

After lunch up the biggest climb of the day on the Whitfield-Mansfield Rd of 10.9km at an average of 4.5% (https://www.strava.com/segments/646478). We follow this road all the way to Mansfield enjoying more rolling hills. Regroup at the Tolmie Hotel and ride as a group into Mansfield.

Sunday

• Sunrise: 6:28am. Sunset: 7:43pm

• Hot breakfast served at the hotel from 7:00am

• Rider briefing and King’s Speech at 7:50am

• Rollout at 8:00am

Sunday’s ride: ~185km or 195km (TBD) with approx 1950m elevation

A - https://www.strava.com/routes/2840410854752928848

B - https://www.strava.com/routes/3090130782189073424

A gentle start this morning as we roll out of Mansfield along the Maroondah Hwy for approx 15k before jumping on the Rail Trail to cross lake Eildon and will stop for a photo-op here. Back onto the road we will stay as a group through to Yarck (54km toilet stop). We will re-join the Rail Trail again at Molesworth and ride through the Cheviot Tunnel for another group photo. Depending on the average pace we may have a longer stop in Yarck or do an extra in/out to Yea to raid the bakeries.

Then it’s rolling hills through Murrundindi as we head for today’s KOM up the back of Kinglake - 5.1k @ 4.9% (https://www.strava.com/segments/832088)

After the Kinglake descent, we will re-group at St Andrews for lunch. From here, we will ride together and stay as a group for the remaining 30k into Melbourne, finishing at the The Hotel South Melbourne

Support

There will be 4 support cars out on course and key intersections will be manned.

Support cars will be carrying pumps, water, some tools and first aid. You are expected to carry what you would normally have on a long ride and be self-sufficient if needed.

There will be sections of the ride where we stay as a group and these will be called out in the rider briefing as well as on the road. There are also plenty of roads to ride at your own pace and challenge yourself on climbs and some cracking descents.

Meals over the weekend

Please fill in the form here to pre-order your meals to assist with catering and service.
You can always order more food on the day!

WHAT TO BRING

• Bike with Di2/SRAM/Campag batteries charged

• Helmet

• Shoes

• Ride kit x 2

• Off the bike clothes

• Bathers (pool at Alzberg Resort)

• Phone charger

• Toiletries, Medication & Butt Cream

• Spare legs (for day 2)

• Sense of humour

• Thick skin

SUPPORT THOSE WHO ARE SUPPORTING US

This weekend couldn’t happen without the very generous support of the following businesses