PER: Riding in the Avon Valley

gumby said:

The weather is looking fine for the weekend and I am thinking of doing
a couple of rides this weekend, based in Toodyay and heading easterly,
can get pciked up at a destination for lunch, or do a loop.
Anyone done anything like this and can recommend routes? 100 - 150km
ok.

Might try Toodyay Bolgart Goomalling Dowerin Wyalkatchem or some such.
Comments appreciated.
Steven

Can I come?

DeF

--
e-mail: d.farrow@your finger.murdoch.edu.au
To reply, you'll have to remove your finger.

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

The weather is looking fine for the weekend and I am thinking of doing
a couple of rides this weekend, based in Toodyay and heading easterly,
can get pciked up at a destination for lunch, or do a loop.
Anyone done anything like this and can recommend routes? 100 - 150km
ok.

Might try Toodyay Bolgart Goomalling Dowerin Wyalkatchem or some such.
Comments appreciated.
Steven

I live in Northam and ride around Avon Valley exclusively. Can I suggest
you start in Northam and you will have more flexibility in routes if you
are like me and like to come home with a tail wind.

Toodyay still offers plenty of options , grain trucks can be an issue
but at the moment you are reasonably safe , no better thrill than being
passed by a fully laden road train on a country road.

Have a look at bikely.com and you will see a couple of my regular rides.
Just search for Northam

Suggestions include:

Easterly Wind ( Unlikely ) Southern Brook, Meckering , Grass Valley and
Northam

Southerly York via Spencers Brook icluding a Hill Climb in York

Nor Wester: Spencers Brook / Clackline / West Toodyay / Northam.

If you need a local guide happy to ride with you , cyclists in Northam
are a rarity.

Jeff

Red said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

The weather is looking fine for the weekend and I am thinking of doing
a couple of rides this weekend, based in Toodyay and heading easterly,
can get pciked up at a destination for lunch, or do a loop.
Anyone done anything like this and can recommend routes? 100 - 150km
ok.

Might try Toodyay Bolgart Goomalling Dowerin Wyalkatchem or some such.
Comments appreciated.
Steven

I live in Northam and ride around Avon Valley exclusively. Can I suggest
you start in Northam and you will have more flexibility in routes if you
are like me and like to come home with a tail wind.

Toodyay still offers plenty of options , grain trucks can be an issue
but at the moment you are reasonably safe , no better thrill than being
passed by a fully laden road train on a country road.

Have a look at bikely.com and you will see a couple of my regular rides.
Just search for Northam

Suggestions include:

Easterly Wind ( Unlikely ) Southern Brook, Meckering , Grass Valley and
Northam

Southerly York via Spencers Brook icluding a Hill Climb in York

Nor Wester: Spencers Brook / Clackline / West Toodyay / Northam.

If you need a local guide happy to ride with you , cyclists in Northam
are a rarity.

Jeff

Has the river come up since the race?

Friday

Red said:

I live in Northam and ride around Avon Valley exclusively.

Quoted message said:

If you need a local guide happy to ride with you , cyclists in Northam
are a rarity.

I spent my teenage years in Northam. Cycling was very big in Northam during
the '50s. They even had their own velodrome. My brother used to race there
every Friday evening. The grandstand was packed every week. I entered an
public invitation race once, on my single speed street bike. Got second out
of six entries and won a big bottle opener. Still got it. The track is still
there, in Duke St I think, but no longer usable. Shame really.

Theo

Theo Bekkers said:

Got second out
of six entries and won a big bottle opener. Still got it.

Theo

Tell me its well worn though!!😄 😄

Theo Bekkers said:

Red said:

I live in Northam and ride around Avon Valley exclusively.

Quoted message said:

If you need a local guide happy to ride with you , cyclists in Northam
are a rarity.

I spent my teenage years in Northam. Cycling was very big in Northam during
the '50s. They even had their own velodrome. My brother used to race there
every Friday evening. The grandstand was packed every week. I entered an
public invitation race once, on my single speed street bike. Got second out
of six entries and won a big bottle opener. Still got it. The track is still
there, in Duke St I think, but no longer usable. Shame really.

Theo

Collie still has a banked 300 metre velodrome complete with lights. Last
weekend Collie hosted the Collie -Donnybrook return cycling race which
has been an annual event for over 75 years, there is a cycling museum as
well. Sadly there's only a handful of riders and I don't think any of
those are in the Collie Cycle Club.

Friday

Red said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

The weather is looking fine for the weekend and I am thinking of doing
a couple of rides this weekend, based in Toodyay and heading easterly,
can get pciked up at a destination for lunch, or do a loop.
Anyone done anything like this and can recommend routes? 100 - 150km
ok.

Might try Toodyay Bolgart Goomalling Dowerin Wyalkatchem or some such.
Comments appreciated.
Steven

I live in Northam and ride around Avon Valley exclusively. Can I suggest
you start in Northam and you will have more flexibility in routes if you
are like me and like to come home with a tail wind.

Toodyay still offers plenty of options , grain trucks can be an issue
but at the moment you are reasonably safe , no better thrill than being
passed by a fully laden road train on a country road.

Have a look at bikely.com and you will see a couple of my regular rides.
Just search for Northam

Suggestions include:

Easterly Wind ( Unlikely ) Southern Brook, Meckering , Grass Valley and
Northam

Southerly York via Spencers Brook icluding a Hill Climb in York

Nor Wester: Spencers Brook / Clackline / West Toodyay / Northam.

If you need a local guide happy to ride with you , cyclists in Northam
are a rarity.

Jeff

DeF and myself took off from west of Toodyay at about 09.30 and
rolled downhill for a while made the town, and considered the climb we
would have to do when we got back. Headed for the Northam Rd and took
that along the Avon River until we got to the Katrine bridge. Plenty
of water in the river, rather cool morning, and beautiful conditions.
Rode along the pleasant back road as it twisted and turned, past
derelict heritage buildings, DeF worried some sheep. Rolled into
Northam with an average of around 30km/h on the computer. Strong
coffee and an energy bar and were rolling out again. One bike shop
called "The Bike Shop" . Rolled back out north through Irishtown, huh
no town, some gentle hills kept the pressure up and we had a slight
following wind.
Temperature about 18deg, bright sunlight, and DeF is still worrying
sheep.
Got to the Goomalling Rd, and we though we would be rolling downhill
for 20km back into Toodyay.
Quite wrong.

The first uphill slope went for about 2km. Downhill to recover,
starting to cramp on some of the efforts, but managed to keep the heart
rate below max for most of the time.
Some lovely scenery, the paddocks look green, but the wheat is very
short, not going to be a good crop methinks.
More hills, more effort and recovery and then finally 2J is seen in the
distance. I get a bit of a second wind and the speed goes up, saw
65km/h on one downhill section, maintained a mid 30km avg. Get into
town and the support crew has arranged a refueling, coffee and scones.

We resolve to ride back to the digs. All rather uplifting, in fact the
all female support crew get into a bit of uplifting action as they
drive past, titsootferthelads! Heart rate rises, must be the uprising
topography.
The final section was about a kilometre of 10% avg climb, with the last
250m on laterite gravel at 12%. DeF was spinning the rear wheel by
standing up, so I tried sitting down and being smooth which worked
until my I completely popped and I walked the final fifty metres. Took
some time to recover after that final effort.

All up 85km, average 28.9km/h, total of 585m of climbing, with a few
bits in granny gear.

Definately consider doing more country riding, makes a big difference
to the round the river Perth and Freo variations, and hills make you
stronger! The traffic was respectful, gave us lots of room and even a
few waves, which was nice. Saw no other bicycles, except for a couple
of well kitted MTB's but a few weekend warriors on their petrol fueled
versions of two wheel travel.
Didint consider a Sunday ride, all a bit washed out by too much
jynnantonix on Saturday night. But the Sunday footy was good!