I was a bit on edge.  It seemed a bit early for twilight, but within the shadows of the Macedon Ranges and only mid-afternoon, several cars already had their headlights shining.   The battery in my front lamp was generating  the same amount of light that one of those vintage dynamo contraception’s was capable of; and the constant uphill produced a similar drag as the friction they created. With cars whizzing by at upwards of 100 km/h, the 5 km stretch up Lancefield Rd between Clarkefield and Sunderland Rd and the subsequent 6 km Kilmore Rd stretch between Riddles Creek and New Gisborne definitely got the adrenaline running.  I don’t think my heart rate was all due to the effort of the ride and I was relieved as Kilmore Rd turned off toward old Gisborne.  I may look like Kermit the Frog on Kryponite with my high viz lyrca, but sometimes I think it comes into own.

It was a bit overcast when I started this 53 km ride to Gisborne from Greenvale, but I’d picked my time to coincide with the favourable southerly tailwind (hey! you take advantages when you can!)  The ride is a steady climb from the beginning and the Wildwood route, particularly the Wildwood Rd South section is magnificent, with it’s bush setting, historic bridge and the smell of the country.  This seems to be harness racing territory with a number of properties having makeshift and not so makeshift harness tracks. Twelve kms or so into the ride, Deep Creek offers a  bittersweet thrill.  At gradients of 17%, the dip into the creek is the sweet bit, harshly tempered by the 140 year old bridge over the creek.

Although historic and in a great setting , it would take a brave cyclist to fly over the wooden planks held together by iron bolts that would make Frankenstein proud.  This stops all momentum and maybe it’s my lack of bike handling skills, but I half walk my bike over to avoid the damage I would assume would arise without care.    This break in momentum does provide the benefit of a hard grind back up the other side, but that is the purpose of riding for exercise isn’t?  To get a workout.  I have noticed that I am doing this climb easier as time goes on, but remember, I do have a tailwind no matter how slight.  🙂   Deep Creek offers another dip a further 15 kms up the road.  Not nearly as thrilling, but heading north provides a longer downhill than south.

Roughly a third of the first 30 kms are long straight stretches . One of 6 km’s along busy Somerton Rd from Greenvale to Wildwood Rd; in which traffic gets faster the closer you get to Bulla.  The other along Wildwood Rd Nth towards the boundary of Clarkefield.  Through the middle of open farmland this stretch seems a lot longer than the 5 kms that my Garmin tells me.   The list of PB’s that I managed from home to the Lancefield Rd turnoff and into the murky Clarkefield light demonstrated that I’d made the most of light breeze and maybe, the Wildwood Rd Nth effect is just confirmation of that old cycling quote – “It doesn’t get any easier, you just get faster”.

Heading into Gisborne, you are presented with one final gift.  As you head down into Jackson’s Creek into Gisborne Village,  there is a massive decline upwards of 17%.  Even if you’d experienced the most horrendous ride, it would be like hitting that one perfect drive off the last after a shocker of a round.  You’d walk off the 18th tee happy and with a smile on your face.