Nillumbik Explorer & Dark Horse Cafe. Intermediate. Hilly. 47km, 50% unpaved.
Details
SCENIC, HILLY loop ride, starting and finishing in DIAMOND CREEK.
A mix of sealed and unsealed trails, aqueducts and quiet back-roads, with about 1km of singletrack and a cafe lunch thrown in for the mix!
RIDE ROUTE HERE:
**https://ridewithgps.com/routes/57518175**
Please make sure you read and understand the route elevation profile and surface details.
TO GET TO START:
Drive and park on the north side of DIAMOND CREEK Train Station, Station Street, near McDonalds, around 9:00am.
Alternatively, catch the 7:59 AM Hurstbridge TRAIN from FLINDERS STREET, arriving 9:09am.
Some time for pre-ride refreshments at Diamond Creek Maccas, before:
PEDAL-OFF at 9:30 AM.
(If you miss the train, are running late, or would like to shorten the ride by 8kms, you could catch the next train at Flinders Street at 8:39am, and meet us on the Diamond Valley Trail in Hurstbridge at 10:00am)
We climb on scenic back roads up to Smiths Gully. Descend on tracks through Boomers, Yanngai & Wimbi Reserves, then through to:
LUNCH
Around the half-way point, we will have lunch at Dark Horse Cafe in Watsons Creek:
**https://darkhorsecafe.com.au/index.html**
We will spend about 40 minutes here. I will book closer to the day.
We climb again to an aqueduct trail and the Kangaroo Ground Memorial Lookout Tower, more scenic back roads and aqueduct trail, then to
Flinders 7:59 am (8:39)
Via City Loop
Diamond creek 9:09 am
Pedal off 9:30 am
(Hurstbridge 9:57)
Dark Horse 12:00 pm (24.5km) - 12:40 dep
(If not at 40 km / Allendale Road by 2:10 pm, take shortcut via Margaret Street)
Diamond Creek 3:00 pm (22.8km)
Melbourne Cup 3:00 pm by