Public Training Bunch Rides
It is paramount that when riding on our public roads that we all obey road rules and respect other road users. Your conduct is a representation of all cyclists, to have other users respect cyclists, we must first be courteous to others.
Melbourne has a huge culture of road groups unparalleled in the world along Beach Road from St. Kilda to Mordialloc. The road is great all the way to Portsea (approx. 100km each way).
Beach Road can be a bit heavy on traffic on weekdays after 7am so the bikes get out early during the week. On the weekends there are smaller groups all day, however between 6am and 10am there are thousands riders made up of individuals, smaller groups and larger bunches that you could just sit on and join in. The bunches can run anywhere up to and over 100 riders, most will not mind if you join in as long as you ride safely.
Here are a list of the more popular bunch rides around Melbourne.
NORTH ROAD RIDE – Monday through Friday
Leaves 6.00am corner North Road and Nepean Highway, Brighton. Travels South along Nepean Highway to Mordialloc roundabout and back to Café Racer in St Kilda. The distance is approximately 40km with Monday, Wednesday and Friday being ridden at a recovery/slower pace getting back to Racer around 7.20am. Tuesdays and Thursdays are fast days, arriving back around 6.55am.
5.45am NORTH ROAD RIDE – Tuesdays & Thursdays
Leaves 5.45am corner North Road and Nepean Highway. An alternate to the FAST Tuesdays & Thursday 6am ride. Nice pace, two abreast on the way down and picking up the pace on the way back with rolling turns on the front.
ALPINE TOUR OF THE SUBURBS – Thursdays
Leaves 6.30pm Thursdays from SBR (Punt Road near St Kilda Junction). The bunch heads North along Chapel Street and on to Yarra Boulevard. Some riders congregate on Yarra Boulevard under Studley Park Road around 6:50pm to jump on when the bunch comes past. Travel out into the suburban hills via Kew, Balwyn and Doncaster, then back via Heidelberg, where several laps of the challenging “Col du Burgundy Street” hill are undertaken. Return back through Ivanhoe and Yarra Boulevard once again to St Kilda. Distance is about 60km and includes several KOM and sprint points along the way, with the bunch regrouping after each effort. Good hill work and a little technical in parts. Arrive back in St Kilda around 9pm, with pasta and wine on Fitzroy St usually following.
FITZROY CYCLES RIDE – Tuesdays
Meet at the corner of Barkly St and Carlisle St in St Kilda at 6.30pm every Tuesday, ride down St Kilda Road and onto Barkly St in St Kilda, then along Broadway to New Street, Brighton and onto Beach Road to Mordialloc and back. Pace down is generally an easy 30-32kph. Returning from Mordialloc is pretty much flat chat! (35-50kph) Back at St Kilda by 8.00-8.15pm.
