By JESSE GRAHAM
THOUSANDS of cyclists made their way through the Yarra Valley over the weekend, when the Great Victorian Bike Ride came to town.
Around 3750 cyclists wove their way down the roads from Marysville to Healesville on Saturday 6 December, for the annual bike ride, emerging from the Black Spur at noon.
Saturday was the second-last day of the 520-kilometre ride from Albury to Lilydale, with an 82-kilometre trip from Alexandra to Healesville’s Don Road Sporting Complex.
A city of tents were erected on both ovals at the Sporting Complex, with groups such as Healesville Primary School setting up stalls offering food and drinks to the weary riders.
Cyclists of all ages took part in the ride, which began on 29 November and finished on Sunday 7 December, from toddlers being towed and early teens through to elderly riders.
One of the younger riders, 14-year-old AJ from Hyatt, said the ride down to Healesville had gruelling hills, but made up for the difficulty with its scenery.
“Going down it (the Black Spur) was quite good, except for going back up it at the end,” he said.
AJ said he was looking forward to the final leg of the trip – a 43-kilometre trip to Lilydale via Yarra Glen – and that his group would finish the ride dressed in Santa gear.
Standard road bicycles weren’t the only vehicles taking part in the road, however – Marg Hughes and Steve Weeding from Launceston, Tasmania, decided to do the ride on a tandem bike.
Mr Weeding, who had completed the ride a number of times, said the tandem bike made the ride more enjoyable, as well as making it easier to communicate.
“It’s a lot of fun – it’s slow up hills, but fast down them,” he said.
“It’s very good for partners.”
Highway Patrol officers and Bicycle Network volunteers manned road-blocks near Maroondah Dam in Healesville, but did not receive totally warm welcomes from unaware drivers on the ride day.
Drivers complained to volunteers about a lack of signage informing them of the road closure closer to town – an illuminated sign stood around 300 metres away from the roadblock.
Despite this, and the weather warming up on the Saturday afternoon, spirits were high and the atmosphere was relaxed as the riders celebrated another day done.
