OK - one year on and another Great Vic Bike (or Trike..) ride 5 day version done - Wilsons Prom to Bairnsdale about 335 km or so with about 3,500 riders this time.
Seemed to be quite a few trikes - a couple of Catrikes, several Greenspeeds, and a special with a seated / recumbent disabled rider pedaling in front and an upright rider behind. Saw this one last year as well. At least two recumbent bikes.
Terrific 60 km Sunday "hello" ride out of "The Prom" after some serious thunderstorms the night before, decent climb out of Tidal River to Yanakie in humid conditions, then a lovely undulating ride to Foster. Some compensating downhills so the trike saw 65 kph a couple of times, oh the feeling! Foster turned it on for the riders, closed off the main street all day and had many service club stalls etc open selling everything from fresh fruit to BBQ prawns.
Next day (Monday) 70 km via Toora to Yarram. Beautiful clear day, wonderful green Gippsland countryside. Decent climb after Toora to Woorara, followed by a wooo hoo winding descent and then undulating riding from Welshpool to Yarram.
Tuesday's ride 90 km from Yarram to Seaside 90 km. A warmer day with a steady, occasionally challenging climb from Yarram up to Wron Wron, a goodly descent again and then undulating riding to Seaspray on the 90 Mile Beach. Puncture fairies struck after the descent into the Woodside township, both front tyres deflating
.....Maybe something nasty from the refreshment break at the top of the climb? This time the longer ride stretched a few riders, on-shore breeze as we approached Seaspray made for harder work than some might have preferred! Seaspray is a township with a pub, a surf club and general store (not much else). I can say a beer tasted pretty damned fine on the deck of the surf club with a great view of the surf beach.
Wednesday, last day of riding for me, 111 km from Seaspray to Bairnsdale via Sale and Bengwoorden. Not the easiest day's riding by a long shot - hot (34 degrees at 2-ish), niggly wind and hardly a decent downhill to give any respite. One of those riding days when I chased the shade, had to take an extra break or two to give the body some recovery time and the end couldn't come soon enough! A dip in the river at the campsite felt suitably restorative, a process largely completed by several schooners and a parma (classic $15 parma & schooner special, how can you argue with that?
) at the Imperial Pub over the bridge.
Packed up and out of there Thursday (the rest day for the 9 day riders) and before the weather threatens to make it the Great Victoria Swim Classic event!
Thanks GVBR number 5!
2018 GVBR route - Wangaratta - Beechworth - Rutherglen - Yarrawonga - Benalla, The Mountains, Murray and the flat country!
Cheers