Unlike every cyclist riding to watch the 3rd Stage of the 2015 Tour Down Under in person, I was riding off the beaten track to the race, thanks in part to suggestions by local lads Don and Johnny.
Blockers Road and others between Norton Summit and Lenswood were on the menu today.
Blockers Road is tough, not made any easier by a 20% section towards the crest. However, the scenery, lack of vehicular traffic, and great workout you’ll get ascending this road makes it all worthwhile.
In fact, I encountered only two cars during my time on the gravel, which is another reason to get off the beaten path.
As is typical with the Adelaide Hills, you’ll hear the sounds of local wildlife, and sometimes see signs of bushfires past.
H’eroica
Courtesy of Gus who chimed in to the blog recently, I learned of a yearly event held on dirt and gravel roads in the hills of Adelaide; H’eroica. I hope to ride the H’eroica route on my CX bike, before I depart my home town of Adelaide in a few days time.
I am pleased to learn there ARE people in Adelaide riding dirt and gravel roads. I sincerely hope I can join the H’eroica ride in the future.
Paging H’eroica Riders!
If there are photo, stories, or anything relating to this past event, I would love to share them on the Gravel Cyclist blog.
In the meantime, please enjoy the gallery of photos I took during this fantastic ride.
Gallery – Click a thumbnail image to see full size (hosted by Flickr).
[alpine-phototile-for-flickr src=”set” uid=”126879102@N04″ sid=”72157650446331781″ imgl=”flickr” style=”gallery” row=”10″ grwidth=”800″ grheight=”600″ size=”240″ num=”20″ shadow=”1″ highlight=”1″ curve=”1″ align=”center” max=”100″]
Amazing! These photos are magnificent! It looks like a very nice ride. It’s always nice to go “Off the beaten path!” Love your adventures! 😉
Hi Jayson, great pics. Blockers is a great ride, seriously underrated and very doable on normal road bike, albeit not as easy. Very impressed with your efforts with limited time back home. Also a great post on the Old Sellicks hill road, did that on the road bike last year (wrong bike for that hill) and it was really great fun also. Must get a bike with >28mm tyres.
Cheers
Don
Thanks Don. The irony of all this is I never cycled any of these dirt roads when I lived in Adelaide. What has really opened up riding for me the past seven years is the Garmin devices (705 / 800). With their abilities to follow a route I have planned off the computer, it takes a huge amount of thought away from worry about the riding the route… just follow the purple line on screen.
I think you need a CX bike, no worries with tyre clearance, and they look OK with 28mm tyres –> https://www.gravelcyclist.com/bicycle-tech/joms-dirty-40-race-bike/
Jayson
Its only been the last 3-4 yrs for me. Getting board of riding the same roads all the time. Groundhog day. Agree the Garmin is a great asset there.I’ll see if i can get Rod-man or Beerpig out on the dirt – no chance!
Rodman and Beerpig wouldn’t dream of getting their bikes dirty!!! John Sezenias is one of Beerpig’s associates who will take his bike onto gravel roads… and he’s a nice bloke.
Jayson, I am so glad that you got to do Blockers Rd – it really is the pearl in the oyster of H’Eroica! My highlight of that road has to be the Peugeot Graveyard.
Gus and I created this ride 4 years ago because it is a celebration of the road less travelled, which feels miles from anywhere, but is so close to where hundreds of cyclists ride every day of the week. Plus it ends at a winery that serves pizza! How’s the serenity?
I was also motivated by seeing Cadel’s epic win at the 2010 Giro on the Strade Bianche, but the weather has been pretty kind to us on the previous 4 rides, so no completely unrecognisable mud-splattered “heroes” 🙁
I haven’t documented H’Eroica very well, but you are quite welcome to use any of my photos or videos (such as they are). Here are a few things (I hope the hyperlinks work?):
A word from our ride patron!
https://vimeo.com/49536350
There was some coverage in “The Wheeler” magazine
https://www.adelaidecyclists.com/forum/topics/h-eroica-ride-report-in-the-wheeler-magazine
Here is my 2014 H’Eroica ride
https://www.strava.com/activities/203459638
I look forward to your next trip to Adelaide, hope we can catch up.
cheers Adam
Adam, thanks for chiming in! I’ve got footage of Blockers Road, although I don’t know if I filmed the Peugeot Graveyard. I was hurting too much on the grade to remember if I turned the camera on or off. Hope to publish that footage, as well as some of that links and photos you’ve shared!
Look forward to meeting you in person. Hope to be back home in late 2015 / early 2016.
Jayson