Warragul – A Rural Cycling Retreat

This article appeared in a 2006 edition of Ride Magazine.

Story by Murray Fenwick, Photos by Peter Finlayson

If you’re tired of fighting traffic for the sake of getting in a few quality hours on the bike, there is always the option of escaping the city and heading for the hills. Just 100km out of Melbourne, the cycling haven of Warragul has quiet roads and a very welcoming bunch.

Countless sets of traffic lights, aggressive drivers, busy roads and smog-filled bike lanes are the realities that go hand in hand with riding in most of our major cities. These daily hazards are often little understood by cyclists from rural areas.

The pace of life might be a little slower in the country, but at least the local riders can regularly enjoy a peaceful Sunday bunch ride with cars rarely in sight. One such rural riding retreat is the Victorian town of Warragul, nestled amongst rolling hills in West Gippsland, 100km east of Melbourne.

This area boasts so many quiet country roads and farm lanes that it would take a month to uncover the vast tracts of rarely used roads that meander through the countryside. One of Australia’s largest dairy farming districts, the region supplies over 40 per cent of Melbourne’s dairy products. This industry alone supports 15 per cent of the area’s economic output. And it’s this trade which helps generate even better cycling conditions for the growing number of local riders. The multitude of predawn milk tanker deliveries required to service the dairy industry ensures that most roads outside the township itself are wide, well maintained and perfect for cycling.

Visitors to Warragul and its surrounding green dairy pastures will find an endless array of riding opportunities which can carry them miles away from the inherent obstacles of modern living. In no time at all, you can find yourself far from civilization and deep in the countryside where an unfamiliar cycling experience awaits the typical city-savvy roadie.

The unobtrusive roads may take many first time riders to these parts by surprise. But the erratic weather patterns that help make the local meadows so lush do require some getting used to. Plenty of precipitation is good for the fields and helps keep the local cattle fed, fat and fecund. And fortunately it doesn’t deter the hearty souls who make up the numbers of the local bike shop’s training bunch.

Warragul lies in the middle of a rain corridor sandwiched between the southern tip of the Great Dividing Range to the north and the Strezlecki Ranges to the south. Riding in this part of the world can vary from a scorching 40 degrees in summer to rain, sleet and hail of a kind that would test the hardest men from Flanders at other times of the year. Cycling is prospering in the area, but the slightly suspect weather helps mould two very distinct types of rider. The first is the roadie who loves a good hit-out with a few mates and relies on the regular bunch rides to fill their training quota. These riders also enjoy telling tales of how the last ride was always so much colder. They also gain satisfaction from giving a bit of stick to those who are too soft to face the host of elements that nature deals up on a daily basis. This accounts for most of the crew which gathers outside the Bikeland store in Queen Street for the traditional Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday rides. Warragul also seems well suited for the sort of rider who wants to brave the elements alone and head out for long rides on an almost daily basis no matter what the conditions.

Of all the riders who prefer to fly solo, there is one local legend by the name of Geoff Thomson who stands head and shoulders above the rest.

Thommo comes from the old school when cycling was essentially a sport of the working class and hardened roadies were looked up to and emulated by those who aspired to be good bike riders. After more than 25 years of racing at A grade level Tommo is finally starting to show signs of slowing down, but his legendary dogged determination and fighting spirit have often put a cocky young rider back in his place. Tommo is Warragul’s version of the Lion of Flanders and he always prefers to do his riding alone. But with the number of cyclists increasing regularly, there are some who don’t understand the etiquette of allowing Geoff to do his thing.

Despite his attempts to remain isolated from others, there have been a number of occasions when he has been faced with a friendly sprint or hill climb challenge way out on a country road during training.

When this occurs, Tommo is ‘forced’ to put them in their rightful place. He will push ahead with a relentless surge that generally leaves anyone but the best groveling all the way back home, determined not to meet up for another ‘session’ in the future.

Racing also demands as much caution. When Tommo has his sights set on the line, both sides of the road and many a gravel verge have been incorporated into the regular big-ring, 11-cog wind-up that usually catapults him to victory.

The number of starters for the bunch rides around Warragul is on the increase. Part of the reason for this is the unique blend of a solid workout mixed with the strong rivalries cycling provides, all in a welcoming and friendly environment. Visitors are unlikely to leave with a bitter taste after experiencing the distinctive flavor of the region. One thing that sets the local scene apart from its metropolitan cousins is the very congenial greeting any newcomers to the ride receive.

The Bikeland Sunday training jaunt is the ride in the area with up to 50 cyclists regularly turning up for a hit-out. Starting in front of the bike shop at 8.05 sharp it heads east out of town along Queen Street.

The regular loop takes riders to the famous Shady Creek hill that splits the group no matter which way up it is ridden. The mandatory King of the Mountain sprint at the top is followed by another climb further up the road towards the hamlet of Shady Creek where the bunch has a short stop before splitting into two. The faster riders in this much larger group swap off turns for the 10 or so kilometers to the township of Yarragon where the mandatory sprint awaits.

Sometimes the nicest rides aren’t done in the best conditions. And you shouldn’t be put off by this region’s winter weather. The atmosphere is warm, the rural roads are virtually void of traffic, and it’s close enough to Melbourne that you can opt to escape The Hell Ride in preference of a day in greener pastures.

The cooperative lead-outs of certain ‘teams’ mixed with the solid rivalries and egos involved help make this prime an eagerly anticipated event every week. The result of the sprint remains the talking point of those who regularly participate until the next showdown.Slower riders can take a slightly shorter route through Darnum and back into Warragul to meet the main bunch at one of several local cafes. Although this option is shorter by about 10km, it doesn’t shave much time off the ride as the quicker group contests yet another sprint prime along the fast and furious Parker’s Road before preparing for Bona Vista hill. Here lies the staging ground for a Poggio-style attack. We may be on the other side of the world to the heralded final climb of Milan-San Remo, but the mountain air must be good fuel for the imagination. This short climb comes just three kilometers before the final sprint of each ride and provides the ideal launch pad for those with dreams of success in Warragul. A nasty sharp pinch near the top lends itself to the climbers in the pack riding off the front and over the long false flat, with larger less able climbers strung out behind. The distance to the finish is great enough that a rider who is able to stay away and solo to the finish is a deserving winner.

The Bikeland ride also leaves the bike shop on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 6.00am. During winter this ride is the domain of the hardcore enthusiasts. The temperatures may vary slightly but you can almost be guaranteed of morning frost and it is often known to drop below freezing. Riders’ bidons have been known to contain small but significant icicles in the coldest months. If anyone wants to test out the latest fleecy-lined super-Roubaix wind stopper full-length cycle apparel, this is the place. But this ride doesn’t exactly fall into the cruisy caffeine culture category because the priority for participants is to race back home, get out of their frost covered leg warmers, gloves and headbands, and jump into a much needed hot shower.

 

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