Wangaratta bike ride
I rode the bike 78km to Wangaratta today in four hours. The last time I covered this distance was in the opposite direction on April 25, 2004.
I can’t say I found it any easier going from east to west. The 50 metres or so drop in elevation doesn’t count for much over 78km. There are two moderate hills, which you have to deal with from either direction.
The wind was blowing across me for most of the way and behind me for the last 15km, which helped when I was starting to tire. The hardest section was uphill into the wind towards Everton Station.
I started in fog wearing gloves, tracksuit pants and a wind-proof jacket, discarding all of these just beyond Myrtleford when the sun broke through.
The new bitumen seal between Ovens and Myrtleford is great, showing none of the wear or tear that’s already diminished the trail in Porepunkah. The section from Myrtleford to Everton is fairly ordinary, with lots of loose gravel.
It’s still an enjoyable stress-free ride, with no worries about traffic, albeit a little dull between Everton and Wangaratta.
I'm a 41-year-old father of four working as a newspaper editor at Mount Gambier in South Australia.
