Whether you are looking to fill a big training block, preparing for 3 Peaks or just a plain masochist, here are some fantastic 200km road routes.
Grand Ridge Bitumen – Gippsland
→204km ↑3000 ～5km of Gravel
Commencing in Drouin, this is an epic 200km Audax ride on the beautiful country roads snaking through Gippsland. Drouin is around a 90min drive from Melbourne’s CBD and about the same on the train.
The route is basically 200km of rolling countryside and elevated views rolling through the scenic towns of Poowong, Loch, Leongatha and Mirboo North.
There is plenty of climbing for those wanting to test there legs and a fews small sections of gravel that’s all very smooth and ridable.
- Rolling through the amazing elevated and scenic views of Gippsland
- The cute little tourist town of Loch which is ideal for brunch (try Olive Cafe)
- The beautiful tourist road of Grand Ridge Rd
- Ascending through Mount Worth State Park (a bit of a killer on tired legs)
- The tulip fields in Ellinbank
- Some road closures at time of riding but nothing of concern, all able to pass through
- A few small sections of gravel that is smooth and ridable
- Food and toilets stops in Poowong (46km), Lock (53km), Leongatha (94km) & Mirboo North (141km)
Kinglake Crucifix – Greenwedge / Murrindindi
→180km ↑2700m ～About 6km Gravel
Put together by Markey Mark, this is a challenging 200km ride starting in Hurstbridge, about a 45min drive from Melbourne or an hour by train.
The ride is pretty much based on the many ways you can climb up Kinglake and also throws in a little tour of Toolangi and Healesville with a small section of gravel linking the two.
The first climb up Kinglake is a Melbourne road cycling staple with a distance of 7.2km and an average grade of about 4.8% it doesn’t throw anything nasty at you and is a beautifully scenic climb up through Kinglake National Park.
Once up Kinglake, you’ll head towards Toolangi and Healesville (possibly or lunch in Healesville) and take on the Old Chum Creek Rd climb of 8.4km at around 3.5% average gradient.
These roads through Toolangi and Chum Creek are simply spectacular with amazing forest and fern-filled gullies.
Back to Kinglake and you’ll descend down the backside towards Glenburn, turning around just before you hit the Melba Highway and another 8km with an average grade of 4% back into Kinglake.
One climb left and you’ll find yourself heading out to Whittlesea but turning into Humevale before you get there to be greeted by the amazing Humevale Climb. Another extremely popular climb on the Melbourne road cycling scene, 7km at 3.5% average gradient.
Back to Kinglake and the final descent back down into Hurstbridge.
I love this route because it ticks of a lot of the things that make road cycling in Melbourne so good.
- Kinglake Climb
- Old Chum Creek Rd Climb
- Glenburn Climb
- Humevale Climb
- Kinglake and Healesville Tourist Townships
- Best to leave early morning up Kinglake road climb to beat the traffic as there’s not many passing opportunities
- Some gravel between Toolangi and Healesville but nothing that can’t be managed on a road bike
- Food and toilet stops in Kinglake (22km, 90km, 161km) and Healesville (54km)
- Mostly pretty quiet roads, can get a little busy around Kinglake and towards Whittlesea
Tour of Mornington Peninsula Loop – Bayside / Mornington
→211km ↑1800m
A good long ride for a sunny day, also preferably a day with little wind as there’s not much escaping it if its blowing a gale. Hampton is 30 – 40mins from Melbourne’s CBD driving or by train.
Starting in Hampton, you’ll follow the bay in Beach Rd & The Nepean Hwy right up to Mornington before cutting across the peninsula.
Save your legs as while the first section of this ride is quite flat, there is bits of climbing to come and it’s tempting to get caught up racing other cyclists along this popular Melbourne segment.
Crossing to the quieter side of The Peninsula, you’ll cycle past Red Hill (known for its wineries), Shoreham and Flinders before you hit a more remote part of the route featuring rolling hills, taking you past Cape Schanck and Fingal before linking up out the back of Blairgowrie.
You can now follow the route as far a long as possible right to the end of the spit which is a bit of popular walking spot for tourists (meaning slower riding but very scenic views) or you can cut across at either Sorrento or Portsea for some lunch before hitting the bay again and turning around for your ride home.
The ride home features the busier side of The Peninsula, passing through Blairgowrie, Rye, Rosebud, Dromana (detour here for Arthurs Seat climb), Safety Beach and finally the rolling scenic sections of Mount Martha and Mornington.
With most of your climbing out the way, should you have the legs, you can time trial back along The Nepean Hwy before the stunning descent into Frankson and eventually onto Beach Rd.
- Beach Rd – possibly Melbourne’s most popular cycling segment
- Cutting through the Mornington Hinterlands around Red Hill
- The back roads, ocean views and rolling hills between Flinders and Blairgowrie
- Portsea and Defence Rd out to Nepean Fort
- Elevated views over the ocean
- The busy and bustling Point Nepean Rd featuring some of Melbourne’s favourite holiday spots
- Ocean views and rolling hills between Mt Martha & Mornington
- The stunning descent into Frankston
- Some quite busy roads on this route but good shoulders to ride in
- Popular routes with other cyclists
- A strong headwind on the way home can make this route extremely difficult
- Plenty of opportunities for resupply and bathroom breaks with towns littered through the route
