Mt Donna Buang - Road Bike or Hybrid?

[mexicanmagic]

Looks like I'll be riding up Donna Buang in a couple of weeks time. Never driven up it let alone tried it on a bike. I'm interested to hear from others who have done it. Should I use the road bike or my hybrid? Thanks, Joe

[cyclotaur]

Road bike for sure, from Warburton, with some decent low gears. If you go up the back way from the Healesville side you might want 25/28s for tyres and/or a few extra gears, depending on the conditions.

[mexicanmagic]

Thanks Mate, I'll be riding with a group leaving from Launching Place so hope this is the easiest way up LOL. I do the 1 in 20 with a 12-23 cassette and am changing this to a 11-25 for donna buang. a 25 should be OK??

[cyclotaur]

Standard cranks (?) and 11-25 if you're young and strong. Should be OK if you cruise up 1:20 in low 20s or less ...

If not, I'd look for another gear or two. It gets pretty tough on the last pinch of about 1 km to the top after 80-90 mins of climbing. Have fun !!

[VRE]

Hmmm... now I have the urge to ride up there again on the Vivente tourer. I love that mountain .

[cyclotaur]

Hmmm... now I have the urge to ride up there again on the Vivente tourer. I love that mountain .

You love that BIKE !

[clackers]

Joe, riding up the bitumen screams 'roadie nirvana'.

But coming up the longer, less steep but rougher dirt road from Launching Place is great for your hybrid's wider tyres and lower gearing.

I rode a drop bar on Il Padrone's infamous annual Snow Ride a few weeks back, but three of the five riders were on flat bars.

The descent is so much fun, too - you're going to have a great time whatever you do.

[clackers]

Hmmm... now I have the urge to ride up there again on the Vivente tourer. I love that mountain .

Great bike for it

[yarravalleyplodder]

make sure you have some warm clothing for the descent. I did it in jan and it was cold

as for bike, if your coming up from launching place definitely a roadie. I have a compact crank and was very thankful for my 11-28 cassette, especially the last 1km

[clackers]

as for bike, if your coming up from launching place definitely a roadie. I have a compact crank and was very thankful for my 11-28 cassette, especially the last 1km

The hybrid probably has even lower gearing, YVP, probably a triple up front.

[VRE]

My Vivente tourer has 50/39/30 on front and 11-34 rear, giving me a good range of gear ratios. I typically use the 39/20 combo when riding up Mt Donna Buang.

[il padrone]

39/20 is a 52" gear

Last kilometer is pretty steep. A sub-30" gear is mighty handy.

[cyclotaur]

My Vivente tourer has 50/39/30 on front and 11-34 rear, giving me a good range of gear ratios. I typically use the 39/20 combo when riding up Mt Donna Buang.

... but you are an a-typical rider, VRE.

My guess is mexicanmagic (like most people) will need something a fraction lower than 39/20 !!

[yarravalleyplodder]

as for bike, if your coming up from launching place definitely a roadie. I have a compact crank and was very thankful for my 11-28 cassette, especially the last 1km

The hybrid probably has even lower gearing, YVP, probably a triple up front.

yeah but how heavy is your hybrid? and the roadie will be a lot more fun on the descent, which is your reward for going up in the first place

[clackers]

as for bike, if your coming up from launching place definitely a roadie. I have a compact crank and was very thankful for my 11-28 cassette, especially the last 1km

The hybrid probably has even lower gearing, YVP, probably a triple up front.

yeah but how heavy is your hybrid? and the roadie will be a lot more fun on the descent, which is your reward for going up in the first place

It's also a 26km climb from Launching Place, YVP, much of it uncomfortably on dirt. Nothing wrong with a wide tyred flatbar or even MTB. It's how the owner of the local motel likes to do it.

Oh, and MTBers like Cadel know how to descend.

[yarravalleyplodder]

It's also a 26km climb from Launching Place, YVP, much of it uncomfortably on dirt. Nothing wrong with a wide tyred flatbar or even MTB. It's how the owner of the local motel likes to do it.

Oh, and MTBers like Cadel know how to descend.

There is no dirt coming from launching place, I thought it was dirt coming up from healsville. I certainly didnt encounter any dirt when I did it from launching place, unless there is a different way up

[il padrone]

There is no dirt coming from launching place, I thought it was dirt coming up from healsville. I certainly didnt encounter any dirt when I did it from launching place, unless there is a different way up

Dirt road begins here at the curved timber bridge at Mallesons Glen, and continues up to Pantons Gap, where it is sealed for a bit, then goes back to gravel here, just after Don Gap. The dirt then continues all the way to here, just after the hang-glider take-off ramp, a km or two before the gate at the main summit road.

I'd reckon about 13kms of the 26km climb is unsealed.

The Healesville road to Pantons Gap is all sealed tarmac.

It has looong been thus - I recall doing this road, descending, in 1979, just a few weeks before they closed the Healesville rail-line service. Maybe you took a different way up. The only other route (all-sealed road) is the main road from Warburton.

[snark]

I did the partial dirt road route about a month ago on the Donna Done Dirty ride and had a ball. The "rules" for that were road bikes only (but there was a tandem!), and had no problems. I did the ride with 25mm Conti GP4000S's but lots of people on 23mm. It'd certainly get a bit messy after a couple of days of rain though...

Cheers,
Simon.

[__PG__]

I did Donna Buang this year on my old steel bike with a 39 x 26 as my lowest gear. I was pretty fit so I didn't have any major dramas but my knees were a bit sore the following days. The 'steep bits' coming from Warburton are near the bridge just before the Acheron way turn-off...and the last km or so right at the top.

Lovely climb, can't wait to get the new bike out there.

[yarravalleyplodder]

There is no dirt coming from launching place, I thought it was dirt coming up from healsville. I certainly didnt encounter any dirt when I did it from launching place, unless there is a different way up

Dirt road begins here at the curved timber bridge at Mallesons Glen, and continues up to Pantons Gap, where it is sealed for a bit, then goes back to gravel here, just after Don Gap. The dirt then continues all the way to here, just after the hang-glider take-off ramp, a km or two before the gate at the main summit road.

I'd reckon about 13kms of the 26km climb is unsealed.

The Healesville road to Pantons Gap is all sealed tarmac.

It has looong been thus - I recall doing this road, descending, in 1979, just a few weeks before they closed the Healesville rail-line service. Maybe you took a different way up. The only other route (all-sealed road) is the main road from Warburton.

yes that was the way I went but having a look at your maps I know the route your talking about. I automatically assumed you would take the road from launching place to warburton and then up the hill, as you know my road bike is too pretty for any dirt road

[clackers]

I did the partial dirt road route about a month ago on the Donna Done Dirty ride and had a ball. The "rules" for that were road bikes only (but there was a tandem.

That would be these guys I snapped, Simon!



I think they would have had quite a momentum hooning down past Cement Creek Road ... wouldn't like to have been in their way.

[clackers]

I automatically assumed you would take the road from launching place to warburton and then up the hill

Glad that was cleared up, YVP.

You should give that Don Road route a go sometime - it's the (even more) scenic way - but your precious mount will get a bit of dust on it.

Another advantage this time of year is that it's blocked to cars.

[snark]

That would be these guys I snapped, Simon!

...

I think they would have had quite a momentum hooning down past Cement Creek Road ... wouldn't like to have been in their way.

I passed them going up, and they were doing it tough going in that direction!

[digbyj]

If anyone's riding up here from the Healesville side and needs water or anything let me know. I live at the bottom of the hill!



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[djw47]

I started the ascent of Donna Buang from Warburton on Sunday but didn't have time to get to the top so had to turn back to Warburton unfortunately. It's a beautiful ride up there and I think I saw about 3 cars in total between Warburton and where the road becomes Acheron Way - where I turned back. I made the foolish mistake of turning off too early and going up Yuonga Road which was a brutal dirt track climb about 1km out of Warburton town. I'm thinking of making another attempt this weekend if the weather holds up.