Epping to Greensborough via Darebin Creek & Plenty River

Ride on 20/9/2019

Fifteen people lined up for an OYB first, Epping to Greensborough.

The first leg was along the upper part of the Darebin Creek that has been followed in other OYB rides. A big thanks to John for riding at the back and scaring off the magpie that swooped me about 8 times on Wednesday! The tailwind blew us along and we soon reached the Ring Road trail. As we followed this to Bundoora we were faced with a subtle hill, you know the kind, you think the top is just ahead, but the climb continues just around a bend.

A bit further along we reached our only major road crossing, Plenty Road. Shortly after this we turned of the Ring Road Trail to find La Salita, our cafe of the day. As requested they knew we were coming and had extra wait staff and a table ready for us. This place received a big tick of approval.

We now continued around the corner on quiet streets to find the Plenty River Parklands where a cycling track took us in and out of this park. Here was where the kangaroos waited to be admired as we rode past. We couldn't actually see the river as it was in a deep gorge, but the parklands were pleasant.

Back on a quiet road, we swooped downhill to cross the Plenty River before following it upstream to the station. Why the quiet road and not the Ring Road trail you ask? Because while the Ring Road and Plenty River trails intersect on paper, in fact there is a vertical distance of about 10m between them!

Commenting on the new ride, Joy wrote, "I really enjoyed this ride. The wild flowers were beautiful."

Penny

Heidelberg to Fairfield via Main Yarra Trail

Ride on 13/9/2019

An idyllic spring morning revved up the spirits of the twenty cyclists  who gathered at Heidelberg station for a cruise to Fairfield. Everyone safely negotiated the short on-road stretch to the Main Yarra Trail, the hairpin bends of the Banksia Street underpass and the gravelled bend where, a couple of years ago, we witnessed a speeding rider from another group come to grief. Then it was a matter of chatting and soaking up the sunshine as we pedalled on to the bridge across the Yarra near Ivanhoe golf course. 

At this point we left the MYT and followed the narrow path beside the golf course along the right bank of the river to Wilson Reserve and the fearsome Royce Amiet hill leading up to the Boulevard in Ivanhoe. The whole group took on the challenge of the hill and a good proportion made it to the top, a much more impressive outcome than the day on which Royce was the only member of our group to ride to the summit, and held his bike above his head in triumph. Either OYB is improving its overall fitness with the passage of time or is attracting a sturdier breed of rider these days. We continued on to join the Darebin Creek Trail at Heidelberg Road, rode upstream  to Darebin Parklands – another testing hill – and along the new cycle path to coffee and comestibles at Nikos in Fairfield.