Riding Ballarat - Melbourne: Griegs Rd

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FuzzyDropbear
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Riding Ballarat - Melbourne: Griegs Rd

Postby FuzzyDropbear » Thu Oct 01, 2015 9:49 am

Hi Guys,

Thought I would ask on here; a mate and I have decided to look at doing a Melbourne - Ballarat ride every now and again (ride to Melbourne and then catch the train back to Ballarat after a meal and a few beers). We gave it a go a couple of months ago when we had a pearler of a day (40km/hr tailwind FTW!! :lol: ). The only point we got stuck on was Griegs Rd between Melton Sth and Caroline Springs (See here for google map). This part, following the weir for about 10km was an absolute shocker of a ride, so much so that we've decided not to do it again until we can work our way around it (the traffic was insane and full of idiots - I had a truck come off the side of the road at me when I was riding 1.5m off the road on the gravel shoulder).

My query is; Strava heatmap had it as a well used road, hence we decided to use it, but has anyone else ridden this road and had a better experience with it than what we did? Or did we hit it on a bad day / time for some reason? We couldn't explain why there was more cars on it than the Western Highway, but perhaps next time we just hit the highway, or does anyone have any other suggestions?

This is the route we ended up following-ish (https://www.strava.com/routes/2823824) and at the moment we're looking to follow another route to Werribee and then back up to Melbourne, just to avoid that one sh** road.

Cheers,


Rob

Gunlock
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Re: Riding Ballarat - Melbourne: Griegs Rd

Postby Gunlock » Thu Oct 01, 2015 11:00 am

Cant help you with an alternative to Griegs road but will follow with interest.

My better half's parents live in Ballarat (well, enfield) so i wouldnt mind doing some Melbourne->Ballarat->Melbourne over a weekend for some good training.

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FuzzyDropbear
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Re: Riding Ballarat - Melbourne: Griegs Rd

Postby FuzzyDropbear » Thu Oct 01, 2015 11:28 am

If you want a good hillclimb, hit up Glenmore Rd, just S of Ballan - on the route from strava, it's where the elevation profile takes a massive dive. It's a ripper of a descent and I plan on having a crack on the ascent one day :-)

Here's a link to an unedited segment of the descent . That reminds me that I actually have to finish that video off one day :?

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jules21
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Re: Riding Ballarat - Melbourne: Griegs Rd

Postby jules21 » Thu Oct 01, 2015 2:49 pm

there's very little alternative to Greig's Rd, Rob. I've ridden it too and while it's not built for cycling - I didn't have any real problems on the day. idiots can strike anywhere. I was very aware while on that road though..

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FuzzyDropbear
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Re: Riding Ballarat - Melbourne: Griegs Rd

Postby FuzzyDropbear » Thu Oct 01, 2015 3:45 pm

Hmm, yeah I agree with idiots being everywhere. I just couldn't believe the amount of traffic on the road. We may've hit it at a weird time as there was hardly a break in the traffic as we rode along. Whether there were roadworks elsewhere that diverted traffic that day or something I'm not sure. It was mid-week and probably around 12:00, so I had expected it to be busy, but not bumper to bumper.

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Re: Riding Ballarat - Melbourne: Griegs Rd

Postby jules21 » Thu Oct 01, 2015 3:49 pm

FuzzyDropbear wrote:Hmm, yeah I agree with idiots being everywhere. I just couldn't believe the amount of traffic on the road. We may've hit it at a weird time as there was hardly a break in the traffic as we rode along. Whether there were roadworks elsewhere that diverted traffic that day or something I'm not sure. It was mid-week and probably around 12:00, so I had expected it to be busy, but not bumper to bumper.
it's about the only road in that direction - growth in western melbourne has not been serviced with additional infrastructure. something about being in either a safe seat or not voting for the other party - they're unwanted :)

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Re: Riding Ballarat - Melbourne: Griegs Rd

Postby Uncle Just » Thu Oct 01, 2015 11:16 pm

I've used Ballan Road into Werribee from Bacchus Marsh on a Ballarat Melbourne ride. Bit of traffic but all ok. If the wind is up there is nowhere to hide on those flat, windswept plains. I found Sneydes road just after riding the Fed trail which leads to all the newer developments around Point Cook to be more troublesome. Not designed to cope with the incredible car traffic for part of its length.

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FuzzyDropbear
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Re: Riding Ballarat - Melbourne: Griegs Rd

Postby FuzzyDropbear » Tue Oct 06, 2015 10:10 am

Thanks mate, that's the road I was thinking of using so good to hear a bit of positive feedback on that one :)

That's the only problem with the plains isn't it, nowhere to hide once that wind kicks up!! Will have to check out the route from Werribee - Melbourne via the Fed Trail as I have only had a quick glance over it.

Cheers.

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jules21
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Re: Riding Ballarat - Melbourne: Griegs Rd

Postby jules21 » Tue Oct 06, 2015 10:28 am

FuzzyDropbear wrote:Will have to check out the route from Werribee - Melbourne via the Fed Trail as I have only had a quick glance over it.
definitely use the Fed Trail, it's great, but doesn't extend out to Greigs Rd way sadly.

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FuzzyDropbear
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Re: Riding Ballarat - Melbourne: Griegs Rd

Postby FuzzyDropbear » Tue Oct 06, 2015 11:24 am

Yeah, we're looking at extending the ride down to Werribee to avoid Griegs Rd, only adds a bit more time onto the ride, if we just leave Ballarat earlier then it won't cut into our drinking time! hahaha.

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il padrone
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Re: Riding Ballarat - Melbourne: Griegs Rd

Postby il padrone » Tue Oct 06, 2015 5:37 pm

Another vote in favour of riding from Bacchus Marsh area down to Werribee and the Federation Trail. There are no real winners out on the western lava flows, but this is probably your best option - a main road, so a bit wider, and generally better traffic; less likelihood to get the quarry trucks that seem so ubiquitous out around the Exford Rd area. Then you get to ride the length of the Federation Trail. I have yet to do this, but it's got to be a lot better than sharing streets through Sunshine.

For another delightful variation consider riding south from Gordon through Mt Egerton, then along the Egerton-Bungeeltap Rd, with a short continuation of 2-3kms of gravel on Hammills Rd to take through to near the Glenmore Rd. This is a very low traffic route, flat but fairly well sheltered by trees, with one big dipper and climb at the Moorabool River (East Branch).
Mandatory helmet law?
"An unjustified and unethical imposition on a healthy activity."

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FuzzyDropbear
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Re: Riding Ballarat - Melbourne: Griegs Rd

Postby FuzzyDropbear » Thu Oct 08, 2015 9:59 am

il padrone wrote:Another vote in favour of riding from Bacchus Marsh area down to Werribee and the Federation Trail. There are no real winners out on the western lava flows, but this is probably your best option - a main road, so a bit wider, and generally better traffic; less likelihood to get the quarry trucks that seem so ubiquitous out around the Exford Rd area. Then you get to ride the length of the Federation Trail. I have yet to do this, but it's got to be a lot better than sharing streets through Sunshine.

For another delightful variation consider riding south from Gordon through Mt Egerton, then along the Egerton-Bungeeltap Rd, with a short continuation of 2-3kms of gravel on Hammills Rd to take through to near the Glenmore Rd. This is a very low traffic route, flat but fairly well sheltered by trees, with one big dipper and climb at the Moorabool River (East Branch).
haha, yup, Glenmore Rd is an awesome dipper (linked in video above), just gotta watch out for those patches of gravel that occasionally get scattered across the road. The Bungeeltap Rd would be a better ride than Geelong - Ballan Rd (we did Geelong-Ballan Rd because of the ripper tailwind we had). One day I'll attempt to ride up the Glenmore Rd descent, but I'll have to get a new chainring I think, mine is still some massive monstrosity from the 80's (coupled to downtube shifters), meant for downhill road riding only. 8)

Thanks for the advice chaps! :D

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il padrone
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Re: Riding Ballarat - Melbourne: Griegs Rd

Postby il padrone » Thu Oct 08, 2015 8:31 pm

First time I ever rode down Glenmore Rd the steep 1-2km section was all gravel :o
Mandatory helmet law?
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vitellan
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Re: Riding Ballarat - Melbourne: Griegs Rd

Postby vitellan » Mon Dec 16, 2019 2:34 pm

Anyone have a newer, better way to get from Ballarat to Melbourne.
Family staying in Ballarat for a week and i am considering riding back to the eastern suburbs

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