Adelaide Hills & A Day Trip to Victor

Riding your bike in countryside that you don't often frequent can be really very satisfying and relaxing. Four weeks annual leave and so we set of to Adelaide for some R & R for the first week. The schedule included catching up with some relatives, doing some family research and of course some bike riding. A cabin base at the Mount Barker Caravan Park for the first 5 days facilitated some great training in an area that provided plenty of hill work on every ride. The hills were lush and green and the roads not to busy if you timed your rides to avoid the commuters.

The hills were lush and green

A mid week 200k permanent was part of my plan and I was fortunate enough to have Graham Stucley the South Australia Region President accompany me on "A Day Trip to Victor". The forecast was for fine weather as we set off from Glenelg at 7am. We also had one of Graham's ridy buddies Bronte with us for the first part of the ride. The first serious climb came quite early in the ride in the form of Cement Hill and it had us working very solidly. We then passed by Christies Beach on the way to the first control at Port Noarlunga South.  Following this came a long climb of several kilometres up Sellick's Hill to Myponga for the second control at the General Store. The next leg was through some very scenic coutryside as Graham and I predominately descended to the seaside resort town of Victor Harbor. A lunch in the sun before continuing along through the coastal towns of Port Elliot and Middleton then turning back inland where from Currency Creek you constantly climb towards the third significant "peak" at Meadows and a control at the bakery. Following further food and drink we rode down to Clarendon before ascending this time to Chandlers Hill then again descending towards  Coromandel Valley and a final major climb to Belair and a control at the BP servo. From Belair it was downhill all the way into Adelaide for a control at the Alfresco Cafe in Rundle St. Then came an "excitng" 10k through the peak hour traffic on the way to the finish at Glenelg. Thanks to Graham for leading the way and his company on the ride and thanks to Richard Scheer for suggesting the ride and for suggesting that Graham might be interested in riding with me.

Graham and I at the finish

I thoroughly enjoyed what is a reasonably challenging ride through the lovely hills of Adelaide.