Eaglehawk to Monee Ponds via Calder Highway.

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martinjs
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Eaglehawk to Monee Ponds via Calder Highway.

Postby martinjs » Mon Jul 06, 2009 9:47 pm

Around Christmas time I'll be visiting family first in Eaglehawk( part of Bendigo) and after a week we are of to visit the wife's family in Melbourne. I am planing on riding to Melbourne via the Calder and although I have driven the Calder 100's of time when I lived in Melbourne I haven't driven (and never ridden) it in over 10 years.
I know it's 6 months away but I like to plan ahead :) . Any tips on best road to use or not to use and where do I go when I have to leave the Freeway coming in to Melbourne. I beleive I have to get of near the Keilor-Melton Rd intersection.
Thanks


Martin
Last edited by martinjs on Sun Nov 29, 2009 11:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Mulger bill
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Re: Eaglehawk to Monee Ponds via Calder Highway.

Postby Mulger bill » Mon Jul 06, 2009 11:21 pm

It's pretty much freeway all the way bar Elphinstone now Martin. You will have to exit at Sunshine Ave (Keilor-Melton Rd). Good bikelane on Sunshine Ave all the way to MacIntyre Rd where you'll be mixing it with smokeboxes. It's industrial there so you'll need to keep the eyes open. From there, your best bet is straight down till you get to Ballarat Rd, left then right onto Hampshire, cut thru the mess around Sunshine station onto Monash St/South Road, turn right at Ashley then left onto Barkly St which will take you to Footscray. Turn right at Whitehall St, go south till you hit Footscray Rd then left onto the path located south of Footscray Rd (it's a shared footpath for the first km or so.) Easiest access to the CBD from the bikepath would be Dudley St (shared footpath on the west side) up to Spencer St and points beyond. Watch out for tram tracks, taxis, Skybuses and suicidal peds in the CBD.

Hope this helps.
Shaun
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Re: Eaglehawk to Monee Ponds via Calder Highway.

Postby martinjs » Tue Jul 07, 2009 10:01 pm

Thanks Shaun, I,ll have to get to work on Google maps to plan it out. It's been so long since Ive ridden a bike in Melbourne I'd probably get lost if I didn't plan it.
3 years ago we were in Melbourne to visit relatives in Narre Warren and I rode a small amount around that area but that was before I got really serious. :)
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Re: Eaglehawk to Monee Ponds via Calder Highway.

Postby il padrone » Tue Jul 07, 2009 10:37 pm

You could check out my Bendigo Double Century route for two alternative routes to/from Melbourne that avoid the freeways as much as possible. The run down Melrose Drive - Matthews Ave - Niddrie Rd - Mt Alexander Rd - Flemington Rd to Elizabeth St is pretty straightforward with few turns to complicate it.
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Re: Eaglehawk to Monee Ponds via Calder Highway.

Postby martinjs » Tue Jul 07, 2009 10:59 pm

I'll check them out, born and bread in Bendigo and grew up riding around the hills as normal, but will have to plan the ride to Melbourne relising that I havn't got any hill around here and although I've ridden just over 160k's before it was all on the flat. :)
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Re: Eaglehawk to Monee Ponds via Calder Highway.

Postby Cranky Jim » Tue Jul 07, 2009 11:02 pm

Oops.

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Re: Eaglehawk to Monee Ponds via Calder Highway.

Postby martinjs » Tue Jul 07, 2009 11:09 pm

Not sure I'd be quite up to those routes, from memory lots of nice steep hills :) I won't have more than a couple of days around Bendigo to get back into hill riding and there's nothing around here for over a 100k's that's worth training on. That's why my fist thoughts were to use the Freeways, there are still hills but there not as steep. Still it would be a real challenge. The last few years I lived in Melbourne I lived in High St. Reservoir and there was plenty of medium hills and some steeper ones not far away. :)

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Re: Eaglehawk to Monee Ponds via Calder Highway.

Postby Cranky Jim » Tue Jul 07, 2009 11:12 pm


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Re: Eaglehawk to Monee Ponds via Calder Highway.

Postby martinjs » Thu Oct 08, 2009 4:22 pm

Just an update and another question, I'll be going via the Calder as I want to visit a few old stomping grounds (Kyneton for one) and maybe going on down through Melbourne to Narre Warren. If I do that is it feasible to us Princess Highway as I did once about 12 years ago?

Thanks

Martin
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Re: Eaglehawk to Monee Ponds via Calder Highway.

Postby sixx » Thu Oct 08, 2009 9:52 pm

Princess I'm pretty sure you can, Monash I don't think you can.

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Re: Eaglehawk to Monee Ponds via Calder Highway.

Postby martinjs » Sun Nov 22, 2009 12:27 pm

Hey you Victorians, the following is the route I've planned. I'm interested in feed back on the Melbourne section. I don't wish to navigate all the bike paths so am looking at the following route through Melbourne.
Any feed back would be greatly appreciated.

Martin

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=d&sour ... 26972&z=16
Last edited by martinjs on Sun Nov 22, 2009 8:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Eaglehawk to Monee Ponds via Calder Highway.

Postby Mulger bill » Sun Nov 22, 2009 3:05 pm

If it's a weekend morning as you hit the CBD, I'd avoid King St. Glass and drunks.
The Dynon Rd overpass is an S bend with poor visibility and speeds I'm not comfortable with, not really bike friendly. Lloyd-Arden-Dryburgh will add some distance but be calmer.

Shaun
...whatever the road rules, self-preservation is the absolute priority for a cyclist when mixing it with motorised traffic.
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Re: Eaglehawk to Monee Ponds via Calder Highway.

Postby martinjs » Sun Nov 22, 2009 8:33 pm

Mulger bill wrote:If it's a weekend morning as you hit the CBD, I'd avoid King St. Glass and drunks.
The Dynon Rd overpass is an S bend with poor visibility and speeds I'm not comfortable with, not really bike friendly. Lloyd-Arden-Dryburgh will add some distance but be calmer.

Shaun
Thanks Shaun, It'll probably be the Wednesday the 30th December and should hit the city about 12 to 1pm as even though I'll be leaving my parents place about 6am I only average around 24kph on long trips but I have made the changes you have suggested.

Martin
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Re: Eaglehawk to Monee Ponds via Calder Highway.

Postby sixx » Sun Nov 22, 2009 11:16 pm

Here, have an o.

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Re: Eaglehawk to Monee Ponds via Calder Highway.

Postby Marty10 » Fri Dec 18, 2009 8:48 am

On Sundays, cars are allowed to park on the bike lane on Mt Alexander Rd so be careful. Also agree Dynon Rd should be avoided if possible. When you get to the end of Mt Alexander Rd, an alternative is a nice path down the creek under the citylink flyover which will take you right down to Footscray Rd where you can turn right to go to the Docklands and then turn approach the CBD via Latrobe St or Bourke St.

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