Did a ride yesterday that is fairdinkum an andreline rush!  Matthew dropped me off at the top of Mt Macedon and I set off down to Gisborne.  When I say down, it is down.   Over a 5.5 km distance you drop about 450m.  Checkout the elevation graph below.  You know you’re going quick when you’re feathering the brakes to avoid the back of cars; and you don’t really hit top speed until you are able to let fly towards the bottom of the Mount, just prior to turning off to Macedon.

I know it is cheating getting a lift up (and I guess the purists reading this would be tut, tutting me right now).   Even into a slight headwind, I managed my quickest average speed for an individual ride.  I  also would have thought that the ride would have been easy, but believe me that my heart rate was up.  Testimony to the thrill.

If you get a chance and you can convince someone to drop you at the top, give this a crack.    Note that it’s not all beer and skittles.  Getting out of the crater (I guess you could it it that) requires a couple of  climbing efforts.  All short.  Maximum of 8%.  The real fun starts as you turn left from Cameron Drive onto Mount Macedon Rd.

It’s longer than a theme park ride with some real fitness benefits as well.  If you are going to ride the 20km to Gisborne, you also get to experience ‘one for the road’ as New Gisborne drops into Gisborne.

Great ride.  Tons of fun. Enjoy!

PS: Maybe don’t do this ride in the middle of winter.  I expect the roads would be a bit icy and it could be quite dangerous.  The height of autumn would potentially be tedious as well given the hordes of tourists who come to see the magnificence of the leaves turning on the trees.  Early March, like now, is perfect as you get a taste of the scenery, but without the buses!

PPS: I do plan to ride up the hill. Maybe even tomorrow.  I’ll let you know how it goes.  I expect it will be a vastly different experience  🙂