Supported or semi semi supported three/four day rides.

[bboy]

Hi
I am looking for some advice on where we might be able to do some three/four day rides in October 2008 southern NSW or northern Vic, For the last two years we have based ourselves in Marlo and completed some great day rides around Orbost.

This year we are looking for a change and wonder if there are any known ways of moving gear on to the next place in a varied loop ride using bus or other or any fully supported options. Needs to be a days drive from South coast NSW.

We have heard the Grampians are great but its a bit of a hike. Have also heard around Bright is good.

We are a group of 5 on MTB's and would prefer not to carry it all with us.

Hope you can help. Any ideas will be appreciated.

[il padrone]

Try the Murray to the Mountains Rail trail - Wangaratta to Bright, with a branch trail to Beechworth (love Beechworth). In Myrtleford there is a business called Bus-a-Bike that can do shuttle transport along the trail.

www.railtrail.com.au for the website and general information

The Grampians are great for touring. I love to go there in September and head out on te back tracks on a loaded MTB. There are some nice sealed road routes, but the best of the Grampians is found out on the gravel and 4WD tracks. In Sept the sand tends to be firmest, and the wildflowers are out.

There is also a 4 day tour run that goes from Kosciuszko to the sea, ah no, 7 days.... and it's just happened

Kosciuszko to the Coast was run from 20-26th April They do it a few times a year, so contact them to find out when the next one is. October will probably be still snow covered, but they may have something else for you. This type of fully supported tour is not cheap though.

[bboy]

Thanks heaps Pete. This really helps. Will have a look and a give them a call.
Seems to me there is a market for more of this that remains untapped.

[fredinver]

n+1 on Murray to the mountains, just came back from 4 nights at Myrtleford stayed at Ardens Caravan park and they run bus a bike. Much depends on your plans for km per day,
We rode on the rail trail and 3 great days 90+, 55 and 70km days the larger 2 were on the trail to Beechworht and back and the Bright and back. The smaller day was around Milawa from Wangaratta (had to shop)
Lots of mtb tracks as well from conversation we had with other cyclists

[bboy]

Thanks heaps. This area is shaping up as the place to go.

[JustinS007]

Thanks heaps. This area is shaping up as the place to go.

I'm new here. I also live in Wangaratta. I regularly ride in and around the area mentioned here and can recommend it. Last Friday I rode 150km from Wangaratta to Chiltern then to Yackandandah via Beechworth. Lunch at Yack then back to Wangaratta through Beechworth and Tarrawingee with a short off-shoot toward Milawa to get the total ride distance to 150km.

At the end of October my wife and I will be doing an 800km, 7 day ride from Wang to Harrietville to Omeo to Bairnsdale to Moe to Healesville to Euroa and finally back to Wang. Should be fun.

I do a long ride every Friday (the joys of working for ones self and from home) and would love to find someone to ride with occasionally. I rarely do less than 100k on the Friday and normally average about 23 - 25 kmph, though usually this has some significant hills in it (I can't get enough of the hills!). I'm also about to take possession of a new Giant Defy 2 which will hopefully allow me to go a bit quicker than I go now on the 10+ year old steel framed piece of crap that I have (with Shimano 300ex running gear).

Anyway, sorry for the rant, but I thought after lurking here for a while I might as well join up and say G'day.

J.

[Kalgrm]

G'day Justin,

Welcome to the forum.

You might want to check out this thread started by Bowie. I reckon you two must have passed each other on the road ....

(Edit: or maybe you were one of the snobs in the bakery ... I hope not, and I doubt it, but that would be funny! )

Cheers,
Graeme

[JustinS007]

...or maybe you were one of the snobs in the bakery ... I hope not, and I doubt it, but that would be funny! )

Actually (and this might be a good way to get moderated OUT of this site) I find that most cyclists are snobs. As a runner it's particularly apparent to me as I find that most runners (particularly ultra runners) are very helpful and friendly and don't give two hoots about how they look.

If I illustrate - I ride maybe 3 or 4 times per week. 1 or 2 of those rides will be short (under 30k's) and often I just wear old track pants folded into the sock and a T-shirt or something, or go for a short hoot on the $99 mountain bike. Seriously. I always say G'day to any fellow cyclists going the other way but it seems that I only normally get a reply when I'm hammering along at 30k's or more and am in the full lycra kit, Oakley M Frames and MET helmet. Why is that? Could it be that most cyclists are indeed elitist snobs?

So, no, I doubt I was one of the bakery snobs!

OK, where's the moderators, LOL.

J.

[Kalgrm]

I agree with you Justin: Snobs abound in the sport. None around here though, so you should fit right in!

Cheers,
Graeme

[bboy]

Hi Justin

If you are looking for fashion crimes you will have no problem sighting us on the 7, 8 9 October. We are basing ourslves in Beechworth and have asked Paul Fitgerald to put a few days together for us. His suggestions follow.
Feel free to comment or make any other suggestions as we can change the days to suit.

If you wave we will wave back. Promise.

Day 1- transport riders and bikes up to Mt Stanley (1050m) from Beechworth (18km)...escorted (car) ride through bush tracks/roads and some singletrack through Stanley to Beechworth then on through to Eldorado via Pilot Chiltern National Park again via bush tracks and some cool singletrack. Choice of riding back to Beechworth via Rail Trail or get a lift with me (I'd be heading back anyway!)



Day 2- escorted (car) ride out of Beechworth up into the hills above town via the Mountain Bike Gold Rush course towards Yackandandah via bush tracks and some singletrack. Again, choice of riding back to Beechworth via Rail Trail or get a lift with me (I'd be heading back anyway!)



[/quote]

[JustinS007]

Hi Justin
If you are looking for fashion crimes you will have no problem sighting us on the 7, 8 9 October. We are basing ourslves in Beechworth and have asked Paul Fitgerald to put a few days together for us. His suggestions follow.
Feel free to comment or make any other suggestions as we can change the days to suit.

[/quote]
I'm assuming Mountain Bikes. I don't do a lot of that as all we have are $99 specials that we use for the odd bit of messing around on. Though they did somehow get us through a 55km race from Mitta Mitta to Mt beauty about October last year. There are a lot of good trails in and around Beechworth for this type of riding and so it comes down to what you want. It can be very technical and steep or open and flat(ish). I'm sure you'll have a ball.

Oct 7,8,9 is mid week so you won't see me

J.