The Last Ride - Victorian High Country 8/10/25

 

We started the day with great coffee (at last), delicious pastries and a tour of the Beechworth Gaol. Not the warmest place to be. They hanged quite a few people from its second story, but they could have hanged one more today, the most annoying child in the tour group. Alas, no such luck, so we sped off on a 70.9km ride to Myrtleford. 

It was a very fast ride down, averaging 25kph, with a top speed of 54kph, but of course we had to come back up - not so fast. We joined the rail trail at Evendon for a constant uphill ride for 16 kms. Last year we rode that trail from Wangaratta which was a constant uphill climb for 30kms. So much easier on an e-bike. 

So we finished the trip on a high. We rode 384 kms, ascending 6053m. There was hardly a fly or a magpie to write home about. It didn't rain on us and we didn't get lost at all. Happy days.

There were a lot of very well fed cattle and sheep encountered on our travels. In this case some well fed bulls and a horse.

This was also typical of the countryside we passed when not in the bush. Lush pastures and healthy gums.

Looking pretty smug after going up Beechworth hill - around 13 klms at around 3%. Speed? Around 15kph. Not a steep climb, but pretty consistent.

Looking pretty buggered after going up Beechworth hill - around 13 klms at around 3%. Speed? Around 15kph. Not a steep climb, but pretty consistent. Na, just kidding.

This ride completed the complete Murray To Mountains Rail Trail apart from 2 klms where we turned off about 2 klms before the Everton Railway Station. We had previously ridden to Everton before climbing up to Beechworth (return) last year (2024)

Historic Beechworth Post Office. Not being used as a Post Office at present but under renovations. That weather looks threatening.

More of historic Beechworth.

Ride Notes

This was a pretty good all tarmac ride. There were a couple of short hill prior to going down about 5klms at close to 60kph. I am sure you could get up to closer to 80kph, but there is a 60kph speed limit on the road, plus we are old farts, not daredevils.

• The ride below is not ours, but we followed this map
• We started from Beechworth and took the road to Mytleford and came back on the Rail Trail
• Plenty of food and drink available at Mytleford.
• I wouldn't recommend doing this in the opposite direction as there is not a lot of verge on the road out of Beechworth. At least you are going around the speed of the traffic going down, whereas going up, you would be being passed by many cars whilst struggling up quite a steep hill.
• Plus of course the uphill along the Rail Trail is pretty gentle
• We cut out the short section from Diffey Road to Everton Station, as you can ride up Diffey Road and joing in with the Rail Trail where they almost intersect
• This saves around 2 klms
• We averaged around 20kph for the entire journey, riding time.
• Brenda's electric bike said she had done over 70klms, so I'm not sure why her measurement was longer