What an exhilarating ride!   If you want a fast ride into Barwon Heads, this could be the one.  With a drop of 100 meters over 25 km’s and the majority of that in the first half of the ride, this is a blast.   Starting just off the Princes Highway where Cape Otway Rd meets Mt Duneed Rd, it is a fast ride from the beginning.  Averaging high 30’s to 40 km/h for the first 8 km, it feels like you are flying.  How surprised was I when another cyclist passed me like I was standing still – grinning like a Cheshire cat then disappearing up the road.  It was a bit surreal, like I was in slow motion, whilst he was sped up like a scene out of the Matrix.   However, this is Cadel Evans country, so I suspect there is a lot of serious riders around.  I would like to think he was a professional but that is maybe my mind rationalising how someone could be so quick.

The ride flattens out immediately past Mount Duneed,  at about Horseshoe Bend Rd.  It was here that I got hit with a cross wind.  This may have been there all of the time, but the momentum of the descent overrode the inconvenience.  I suspect the southerly wind is the prevailing wind of the area coming off Bass Strait.   Coupled with the never ending stream of traffic, the ride does lose some of its ease at this point.   The speed limit alternates between 80 to 100 km/h, so if you are a bit squeamish of traffic, you may be a bit on edge.  Cyclist warning signs are very prevalent indicating the popularity of cycling in the region, so I would hope that traffic is mindful.     This is almost a dead straight road the majority of the time.  Not Texas “goes for miles and miles” straight as there as several crests in the road to ensure a lack of monotony, but it felt straight enough for traffic to see you.  Most of the time, there is a decent  shoulder on the road. However, it is a country road, having stretches where gravel and grass edge the road and a bitumen shoulder doesn’t exist.

Getting closer to Barwon Heads, the ride is still slightly downhill which allowed for a decent pace going past the local airport (obviously popular with parachutists – dropping in for their seafood order perhaps),  through  Lake Connewarre, where turning into the wind, you feel that the  “Fully Exposed” Strava segment  describing this section is justified and on past 13th Beach Golf Course.   Much like a roller coaster theme park ride you do feel as the thrill is coming to an end as you enter into the 60 km/h traffic zone.

I finished the ride in “better than even time”.   I measure that as any ride that I maintain a 2 min per km pace or better.   Good for me.  No better way to round off this achievement than with a swim on the currents of the Barwon River,  a couple of beers and dinner with extended family.

You have to love Barwon Heads and this ride is one to enjoy if in the area.  How good would it be if that wind was an westerly!!!!!! Whoa!