The weather looked ominous when 10 cyclists met at the Westmeadows Bakery at 10:00am on 21st March. There was a strong breeze, but we would be riding downhill so that wasn't much of a problem - we were more concerned with the dark clouds. We set off soon after 10:00, but it wasn't long until we came across an obstacle: the path was being repaired just 50 metres from the start. There were no signs to warn of this nor to provide directions for an alternative route. We walked around the construction.
We made a cracking pace through Jacana, and met up with a couple of other riders at another section of path being repaired. This was at ?? Reserve, Strathmore Heights, though this time we were able to continue along the path proper by simply riding around the barriers.
Further along, a bit of a tangle with another cyclist at a bend that was difficult to negotiate slowed a couple of HumeBUG cyclists, while the others continued at the cracking pace.
Before long, we arrived at Docklands and stopped for a rest at The Coffee Club. The Southern Skywheel was like the path in the couple of sections - it was being repaired! Unfortunately, there are not many places to leave bikes in that retail centre, so we simply leant our bikes against the information display explaining about the Skywheel. I wonder if the people who came to read the sign were really looking over the bikes?
We had a nice chat, and decided to keep riding along the Capital City Trail. It was very busy with pedestrians along both sides of the Yarra River. At Federation Square, Stephen, Ann and John departed, leaving seven others to continue.
At the Gipps St steps, we detoured on-road around to The Convent in Abbotsford, back onto the Yarra Trail (Capital City Trail). A rest stop at Dight's Falls to top up with water had us sightseeing.
The Merri Creek Path begins here, so we rode up towards Rushall Station. The original plan had been to keep riding and make our up the Upfield Bike Path, but, except for one of us, we decided instead to keep riding up Merri Creek to the Ring Rd Path.
Again, the group split, with a few riding back towards Jacana to Westmedows and another few riding up the Galada Tamboore Path.
It had been a very fast ride today because of the type of experienced cyclists who showed up.
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