Yarra Junction to Noojee via “The Bump”

With fine and cool conditions this ride was enjoyed by all those who took part. The only one who had a puncture was me, but that was the only blight on a great day in the saddle. This undulating ride is always appreciated by the light weight whippets of the peloton. For those of us who have been blessed with a more substantial physique, gravity is not always our friend.

This ride begins in Yarra Junction and follows the road to Powelltown, about 20 km away. Powelltown is an old timber town that appears to have seen much better days but it does offer a convenient rest break before the serious climb begins in earnest. Soon after leaving Powelltown the road kicks up sharply to around 7% or so as you climb up to the highest point of the ride – the aptly called “Bump”. Once over the bump we enjoyed a very fast descent for several kilometres. It was in this section that I became conscious that my front tyre was rapidly deflating and had to pull over to repair it. By the time it was fixed the main group was miles ahead and so I continued the final leg to Noojee with David Brown. At noojee we enjoyed a nice lunch in the sun, although the unexpected rush of new business apparently palyed havoc with the ordering system at the general store as several rders would have missed out on their coffees if they had not gone back in to remind the owners of their unfilled orders.

On the return leg the road again climbs steadily once you leave Noojee. By this time of the day some of our riders (including me) were reminded of the fact that we have not done much hill climbing in recent months and each new rising incline was met with feelings of dread. The climb over the Bump, however, is not as long from this side and, once you are over the top, you know that the worst is now over. By this time the grey skies had cleared to a beautiful sunny afternoon and we were able to appreciate the final 20 km back to Yarra Junction. At the end of the ride several riders were commenting on their tired legs but all agreed that it had been a beautiful ride.