Strathbogie Ranges MK II Sunday 17^th January 2010

I had been talking to Rob the night before about leading some rides on the next Itinerary including one to Euroa with a Whittlesea start. Somehow Whittlesea was locked in and the next morning I headed to Whittlesea, not Yarra Glen. Checking the Club itinerary page via my Internet connected phone soon set me right and I was quickly on the road heading to Kinglake and Toolangi. I figured I might even catch the riders at Yarra Glen if the ride was late leaving. Alas, no.

I considered going straight down to Healesville via Myers Creek Road but then thought, “What if I get ahead of the ride?” So down the highway to Yarra Glen where I noticed that the Old Healesville Road is now open, complete with a new large roundabout feeding into the new Yarra Glen by-pass, still under construction. As it turns out, the Club ride went up and down Chum and Myers Creek roads and I would probably have bumped into them, particularly as they were very late leaving with riders arriving late and then needing fuel.

I was flashed like crazy across the Black Spur but didn’t see anything untoward. I expected the usual licence check or worse at Fernbank, but nothing. Right at the end I caught up with Pina, as described above. We continued on to Marysville and Buxton, now back in the thick of the regular ride. The ride regrouped at Eildon (via Taggerty and Thornton and the back road) for late morning tea/lunch. Eighteen bikes and all members, except Cindy, was a great turnout.

Stories told, names collected for the points, the ride back on track. Across Skyline with magnificent views of Eildon, still looking decidedly low, and down to Alexandra. A smidge of highway and then across the brilliant Molesworth Road. Up to Yarck and around through Ruffy to Longwood, on to the Hume Highway and into Euroa for lunch at the Bakery for some. We congregated outside the takeaway, commandeering all the tables and chairs.

It was clear Cindy’s chain was in dire need of adjustment, and when others noticed, it was out with the tools. The axle nut was extremely tight and a heavy foot was required. Thanks Cliff. A new chain and sprockets were recommended. Cindy nodded sagely, and then turned up a week later with new chain and sprockets. Excellent.

The next leg of the ride became loops within loops, somewhat reminiscent of my Gippsland rides. Leaving Euroa we worked our way across to Boho South, back down to Strathbogie before turning north towards Euroa, across a small section of dirt and then back to Ruffy before picking up the familiar Caveat, Highlands, Yea loop. A huge variety of roads, both in quality of surface -narrow, bumpy and rutted to wide and smooth, and type – tight and twisty, or medium and high speed sweepers.

After fuelling up in Yea and catching our breath, we finished at Kinglake West, as per the front cover photo, having a great time across Junction Hill, heart in mouth most of the way given the reduced speed limit along most of this section.

Thanks to Willem Vandeveld who performed the rear riding duties to Yea in his usual efficient way, and to Rob for rediscovering lots of rarely travelled back roads in the Strathbogie Ranges region. We certainly gave the area a thorough examination.

Working out the ride length was a little more protracted than usual given my alternative route. Checking other odometers indicates the ride was 440 km from Yarra Glen to Kinglake West, most of which was corners of one sort or other. We got our money’s worth today.

Ben Warden