Western Ring Road Ride, Saturday, 29th April, 2006
On Saturday 29 April, six of us gathered at Brimbank Park, in Keilor. Robert on the Wilkinson, Rodney W on his Swift, John R on his SWB, Chris on the yellow Swift, George on the GT3,and a new cyclist joined our ranks, Sam with his 6 month old Greenspeed GT3. With a little help from a passing cyclist and more from Melways, we set off along the bikepath beside the Western and Northern Ring Roads towards Greensborough, returning along the same path.
After about 15km, we met Alan and Diane, who had started from Greensborough. Diane was riding her green upright, but Alan was taking the rebuilt orange trike for one of its first rides. Although many components have been carried over, the orange trike is now mainly blue (that may change), made of square and round tube, narrower, lower and has a rejigged steering system. It looks more upright and symmetrical than before. Alan says it is already greatly improved, though development continues.
We did encounter some navigation difficulties attemping to continue along the track which crossed many roads and at times led in confusing directions for the novice.
The path passes through some commercial and industrial scenery (indeed, some of it post-industrial), but also takes in some surprisingly open areas in Glenroy and Broadmeadows and several mobs of kangaroos in Greensborough. It connects with the Moonee Ponds Creek and Merri Creek paths, and with the new path along the Hume Freeway. The path is fairly level, well-surfaced and easy to follow, though there is not much signposting and where the path leaves the ring road, there are some hills and it is not always obvious where the path runs. There are a few crossings of major roads, and some short stretches of the path are on side streets.
The path was closed at Greensborough, for construction of the by-pass. We could have continued on the side streets, but we were running short of time, having already fixed three punctures, so we had lunch by the path and turned back. The run back to Keilor went well, with only one more puncture. (Another flat tyre showed up next morning.) We took a break for coffee at the Pipeworks Market, at the north end of the Merri Creek path, near the Sydney Road crossing. It was nearly dark when we arrived.
The ride was very enjoyable, cloudy, no rain & a cyclist's dream of virtually no wind & temperature around 17 degrees. There was a lot of glass and other trash on the path, and we had several punctures, though no mechanical problems. The return distance was about 60km. It would have been about 70km, if we had gone the full distance we planned.
"Scoaring a goal on your recumbent, as good as scoaring a goal any where else"
Another great ride, thanks for the organisation Robert!