What's your local riding like?

[dalai]

Kind of an extension on Show us your home town topic.

What sort of riding is out your door. Urban /country, flat/hilly, seasons?

Melbourne is a city of around 4 million these days give or take a few with a huge urban sprawl!

Road

The most popular Melbourne ride is Beach road which travels SE along Port Phillip bay which can be roughly followed all the way down to the the Heads; the entrance to the bay.

Hills are around 30km East (Mt Dandenong) and North (Kinglake and Christmas Hills yes these are the names and there is no lake at Kinglake) of the city with great climbs but usually no longer than 8 - 9km. Then there is Mt Donna Buang around 100km from Melbourne where I spent quite a bit of time as it is a really pleasant longer climb - 16.8km at 6.4%.

MTB

There are a couple of great areas with managed trails including Lysterfield which held the Commonwealth Games MTB event. There are also unofficial trails that follow the Yarra river as it weaves through suburbia. Fun riding, though not hilly like Lysterfield or the You Yangs.

Weather - riding is year round. Can be snow on the surrounding hills including Mt Donna Buang. But not alot and never enough to stop getting out on the bike. Can be wet and drizzling for days, though it is more shorter showers these days so as long as you check the weather radar can get out and miss the rain. Summers can be hot - currently in the middle of a long run of 30 degrees celcius plus days which will be hitting 36-37 by this Wednesday! Usually it can be hot for 3-4 days with a mild cool change kicking in which makes it more bareable. Still getting out in the mornings to get a good ride in.

So how about where you live?

[dalai]

Still got out this morning for a ride in the Dandenongs - getting in the 1 in 20 and The Wall before arriving home around noon with a temp of 32 degrees already!

On the 10% section of The Wall.

[LaChouffe]

My home roads are pan flat. I live near the shores of an estuary and my standard 29 mile ride will have a total elevation gain of about 500 feet, so for me, it's full gas the whole way without any breaks. But if I go 20 miles north to my parents' house, it is much more hilly with little half mile long hills that average about 8%. However, there is one hill I won't try. It's about 22% according to google earth and goes around a blind turn with no shoulder.

[pritchet74]

I am in NorCal right between San Francisco and Sacramento. West of me is rolling terrain with some nice climbs. East of me is flat until you hit the Sierra foothills. Big climbs out that way. Weather here is fantastic and riding is year around with arm warmers, let warmers, and a vest only needed about 2 months of the year. The racing scene is great too with races every weekend between February and September. Basically a perfect place to live in regards to cycling terrain.

Rolling twisty roads by my office


Base of the climb by my house that I love to ride


The view to the East from the top of that climb


Flat terrain is perfect for a TT.

[Fuchs]

looks great
i´ll have to take my cam with me to shoot some piccy´s...