18C means head for the hills !

A sunny day in early August means a ride to the Dandenongs ! Getting to Sassafras via the Koonung, Mullum, Eastlink and Dandenong Creek Trails means 40kms of ups and downs (mostly ups ...) and a mini cherry cheescake and large hot chokky is ample reward for the effort ... well, in my opinion anyway.....





By the time I left home just after 10am the sun was poking through the fig and it was the first time for a few months I haven't donned 3 layers against the chill. There are enough hills on the way up the Koonung Trail to get you warm anyway and by the time I crossed the Hwy at Ringwood I was nicely cooked and rolling well. A PB on the fast run down from Maroondah Hwy to Canterbury Rd was up for grabs .... and taken !! Not that it's a race, or anything ..... :)

I rolled on up the Dandy Trail, paused briefly for water at The Basin and headed up to Sass - no records here as I seem to have settled for a steady plug up the 1:20 these days with very consistent 27:30 efforts under varying conditions and wheel/gear combinations - I very much doubt I'll ever see the underside of 20mins, despite an early best of 23:30 about 18 months ago, but you never know. maybe if I get the old roadie up there again I could improve that time a little.

I indulged at the Sassafras cafe - a problem with lone rides into the hills, no discipline !! But I made short work of this kilojoule bomb and headed back down after a 15 minute break. I always enjoy the descent and with the wind-chill still there it's just as well it only takes 9:30 or so to get back to The Basin and only 1 hour 35 min to get home again

All in all, a very good ride of just over 80kms, there and back in just on 4 hours all up.