watt price tully's wonderful bike riding adventure:

[watt price tully]

You can have that all to yourself.

Today I saw the rarest of things, a sensible cyclist. Coming home up through Heidelberg, some poor chubby bugger labouring badly on a bike in the left lane, doing about 10kmh up a slight incline. No bike lane and narrow road meant that cars in the left lane couldn't pass him without going into the next lane which was full of cars, so he had a queue behind him.

Bloke made the sensible choice to depart the road and ride on the footpath instead, without any roadrage prompting.

Yeah, the roads around there by and large aren’t great for cyclists and cars.

[watt price tully]

Arrived in Timboon at 10:50 this morning (campsite isn’t open till after 12). Rode into town and had a pot of tea or two. About 75 km’s I think ? 72. Stronger headwinds and a bit of a hill in Camperdown but not too bad. The first night my and a lot of other people’s tents were next to a generator that ran all night

[watt price tully]

Pleasant days riding and a bit of work resting up now in Colac. Some hills today in preparation for tomorrow 96 km’s with hills, hills and more hills through the Otways with a rest day in Apollo Bay. A bit tired having completed 3 days. (Sleeping in tents with shared toilets and showers adds up a bit. I was up at 04:30 and left this am to start riding at 06:25.

[Dark Beanie]

Hubby is pretty much organised for his 3 days.
Reminds me of the days getting the kids ready for school camp.

He is driving to Buninyong on Thursday for overnight stay and then bus to join the ride for the last 3 days.

Looking forward to the ride, camping not so much

[watt price tully]

Hubby is pretty much organised for his 3 days.
Reminds me of the days getting the kids ready for school camp.

He is driving to Buninyong on Thursday for overnight stay and then bus to join the ride for the last 3 days.

Looking forward to the ride, camping not so much

Great stuff, are you going to join him?

[Dark Beanie]

No, I like riding but not that keen.
And camping is definitely not my thing.

He is riding with a couple of mates.

[watt price tully]

Done, lots of hills, some tough riding and surprised myself by getting into Apollo Bay at 11:00. Coffee break in Forest then lunch in the Otways after riding almost all of the hills then the last 17 was almost all downhill

[stui magpie]

So if you finish the leg by 11am, what do you do with the rest of the day?

[watt price tully]

So if you finish the leg by 11am, what do you do with the rest of the day?

I have a pot of tea or two as I’ve usually had 2 long black coffees by then, with other riders. Swap stories, a lot of bonhomie, lots of laughs …others go to the pub etc. Spend $ in local townships.

The campsite isn’t usually set up till after 12. I go in and help unload suitcases, bags etc from the trucks supplying the prepaid standup tents and mattresses. There’s a licensed marquee, showers are post lunch, an area to handwash ur clothes. Massages were available yesterday 20 mins for 45 bucks, mobile bike mechanics, coffee vans, ice cream vans, portable charging stations, lying or sitting, reading, …….

It’s a veritable moving city with over 2500 participants, volunteers, loos ( see Kenny) showers etc…. Lots to do. There’s TV and films on, live entertainment etc, stuff for kids, catching up with others …..

There’s security, first aid, a Dr, information, lost property, people of all ages… when you line up to get your dinner you find a table and catch up / introduce ur self to new people, “ how’d you go today, have you done many of these before, how was that first hill just after….” Etc are common talking points. Because of COVID I might be catching up with people from the 2019 ride or others from my QLD ride.


There’s all sorts of talk as you can imagine; one or two blokes were wearing Collingwood bike jerseys so you can imagine ….

At 7pm there’s the announcements including a review by police of the bicycle behaviour, which roads if any will be blocked, a brief chat from a local mayor and what to visit in the local environment and spend $ on, the weather forecast, any issues on the road for the next day etc and a run down of the nightly entertainment options etc.

I’m in bed by 8 or so and read etc, catch up with family etc, go on line … recently I was following the elections and the draft…..I’m up by 05:00 usually. First allowed out is by 06:30 and last by 08:30. The campsite is then packed up and the various trucks and semi trailers end up going to the destination by a different route. En route there are marshalls guiding you through busy roads and turnoffs etc.

It’s an amazing logistical arrangement. This year is well undersubscribed as there’s a limit of 5000 riders.

[Dark Beanie]

Hubby headed off this morning.
Drive to Buninyong, check in to carpark. Unload and transfer gear to the bus etc. for trip to Apollo Bay.

He is meeting his mates in Apollo Bay. One is already down there, went early for a couple of days R&R with his partner beforehand. The other was catching the bus from Southern Cross to Apollo Bay.

[watt price tully]

^ Magnificent day down here so far. Nice and relaxing on the rest day. Had a bath, shower and washed / dried my clothes at a friend’s place in Johanna (about a 45 min Drive South of Apollo Bay. Magnificent. About to clean and lube the bike.

[watt price tully]

Egad: the earliest we’re going to be allowed out from Apollo Bay to Anglesea is at 0800 and the last by 08:30 (basically 2,500 riders +\- ) in 30 minutes

[watt price tully]

At Anglesea, lining up for a “Timboon” ice cream. Beautiful day and beautiful ride. Copped a sore right Achilles. Gunna have the ice cream then get an ice pack from first aid.

Two more sleeps and two more rides inland to Ballarat. Starting to feel a bit tired.

[stui magpie]

Geebus, you'd have to offer me a lot of money to even consider doing that. If the cycling itself wasn't bad enough, that description of camp life would tip me right over the edge

[watt price tully]

Geebus, you'd have to offer me a lot of money to even consider doing that. If the cycling itself wasn't bad enough, that description of camp life would tip me right over the edge

Makes me appreciate my own bed, my own toilet, bathroom, and kitchen and of course my long suffering wife, Mrs WPT