Regular Road Group Rides around Ballarat

Here's some information about group road rides that occur in Ballarat each week throughout the year, so long as the weather isn't too bad.  In some cases, even if it is.  There's some variety: groups that cater for beginners, intermediates, club racers, pros, and social cyclists.  All these rides welcome visitors, so if you're visiting Ballarat, or if you're a local looking for a new group ride, please come along, introduce yourself and join in.  Follow the group back to its preferred cafe for a bit of bragging about your cycling prowess!

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Basics

When you're new to a group ride, usually they know the way and you don't.  Please remind the person you're riding next to that you don't know the route, otherwise you'll probably get some surprises.  The rides that have been going for a while on the same route do it their way.  Please do the ride a few times before smashing everyone.  Attacking on the re-group bits is never popular.  And if you show up 2 minutes after the scheduled departure time, bring your time trial bike.  Enjoy! 

Tuesday

• Tuesday Night Chain Gang's Hour of Power. The ride leaves from Gove Cycles 524 Doveton St, Ballarat. Gang members start loitering around 530pm before a 535pm departure.  The 36km lap takes about 60min + /- a couple of min. Rolling even turns the whole way along. Sadly no prizes along the way. Despite a fairly mean pace at times - the group does it's best to keep everyone together. All comers welcome. If you're feeling a little under done. Get a head start on the group before we come along.
  Check out the current course by logging onto Facebook or Mapmyride - sundaymass
  

  http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/58067972
  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sunday-Mass-Mollongghip-Cycling-Club/158861160879859?v=wall

• The Yabby Divers leave from the main gate to Ballarat Grammar School on Forest Street, Wendouree at 6 AM. They do a loop around the White Swan Reservoir and return to the starting location by about 7.15am.  Many of the core group are middle- to back-markers in local races.  It's two abreast, conversation pace on the flats, brisker but still disciplined on the two or three 3- to 5-minute climbs, and rolling regroups after each climb. 
• Gary's group meets along Main Road in Ballarat East just before 6am. The group forms along Main Road heading north (towards Ballarat), and departs for a ride of about 1 ¼ hours.  The core group are national-level vets racers, with guest appearances from local pros.  Depending on the route, weather and whims of the leaders, the ride will include moderate climbs, sprints or a straight-out hills session.  If you're at the roundabout near Canadian Lakes by 5.50am you’ll see them blast  past.  Bring a hammer. 
• The Mount Clear Group meet at the Sovereign Hill roundabout at 5:50 AM on Tuesdays for a tough hill workout.  They ride up Peel St., Walker St., past the water towers to Five Ways to Longs Hill Road, descending White Swan Road and then do it all again on the way back. The ride leader says that the pace is "honest but not excessive."  The ride finishes at Cafe Bibo at 6:55 AM.
• A slower group meets at the Lake View hotel, Wendouree Parade and Mill Street, at 8 AM Monday to Thursday.  This group rides at a recreational pace. 
• Between October and March, a group leaves from the Lake View Hotel, Mill Street and Wendouree Parade, at 7:30 PM on Tuesdays to do a hilly circuit.  The pace is fast.

Wednesday

• Gary's group meets at the same place as on Tuesday and rides for about 1 ¼ hours around town.
• The Mount Clear Group meet does their Dunnstown Loop on Wednesdays.  Click here for a map of the route. 
  
  Meet at the Sovereign Hill roundabout at 5:50 AM.  Return to Mt Clear by about 7:10 AM. 
  
• A slower group meets at the Lake View hotel, Wendouree Parade and Mill Street, at 8 AM Monday to Thursday. This group rides at a recreational pace.

Thursday

• The Yabby Divers leave from the main gate to Ballarat Grammar on Forest Street, Wendouree at 6 AM and do (almost) the reverse course of the Tuesday ride. Same pace, same people mostly!
• Gary's group meets at the same place as on Tuesday and rides for about 1 ¼ hours around town. 
• "Gruppo Compacto" leaves from Cafe Racer, Wendouree Parade and Webster Street, on Thursday at 8 AM.  The pace is steady.
• A slower group meets at the Lake View hotel, Wendouree Parade and Mill Street, at 8 AM Monday to Thursday. This group rides at a recreational pace.

Saturday

• Yabbies meet at the City Oval Hotel at 6.30 AM and ride for about 2 hours. The route varies depending on the wind (the local convention is always tail wind home), but common rides take in Creswick, Learmonth or the Buninyong area.  Two abreast, solid conversation pace, and there are always a few hills (but rarely either of the "big" ones) on which the pace is brisker, rolling regroup afterwards, brisk again the last 10 km or so.  Sprints are rare.  Each week this group concludes its ride at Cafe Lekker on Doveton Street North for coffee, toast and general banter.  Please check this cafe out and say g’day to Ben - they are a proud sponsor of our club.
• Gary's group leaves from Main Road just before 7 AM, once again meeting up as you head along Main Road towards Ballarat.  This group rides for about 2 hours.  The pace is solid. 
• The Myer bunch leaves from the portico of that store on Sturt Street at 6.30 AM.  Decades ago, this was the official BSCC weekend training ride.  These days it is usually similar to the Yabbies or the Lake View ride: core group of vets, two abreast, some brisk bits, few big climbs, two hours or so, coffee afterwards. The ride leaves at 7:30 AM during the "winter months," but the exact definition of winter remains a secret guarded closely by the more ancient members of the group.  (We think it's simply June, July and August.)
• Lake View Hotel group leaves from the hotel on the east side of Lake Wendouree at 7.30 AM.  Similar deal to Myer and the Yabbies. 
• Recently this group has been in recess, and most of its regulars (the so-called "Gruppo Compacto") ride from Racers Cafe, Wendouree Parade and Webster Street, at 8 AM.  Similar pace and routes.
• The Saxons group leaves from the Mair Street entrance to the City Oval at 7:30 AM on Saturdays.  This is often a large group - thirty or more riders.  It often splits into two groups along the way, with one part taking a shorter route at a more sedate pace, and the other going further and less sedately.  Still more sedate than any of the above groups though. 

Sunday

• Karen's group, occasionally known as the Sunday girls' group - it's actually a mixed group - meets at 8.30 AM at the City Oval Hotel on Pleasant Street North. The pace is pretty casual, ideal for a recovery ride or an easy spin and a chat.  Coffee and cake follow at a cafe in town, chosen by the person who's in charge on the day!
• The Turret Cafe group leaves from the corner of Sturt St. and Errard St. North at 8:30 AM. Many of the riders from the Saturday Lake View ride do this ride.  Typically 2 - 2.5 hours, no major climbs, friendly two-abreast, steady pace, brisker at the end.  A tad faster in the summer. 
• The Myer bunch leaves at 7:30 AM from the Sturt Street frontage. This features many of the crew from the Saturday 6:30 AM Myer bunch.  Another 2 - 2.5-hour steady ride with little climbing, a similar pace and feel to the Turret & Lake View rides.

  • Cycle City, 8:30 AM, is the meeting place for a fairly easy ride from 50 km up to around 80 km at times in better weather. The pace is fairly easy, typically averaging 25 to 30 km/h. The circuit varies according to the wind direction. For the most part the terrain is fairly flat with the odd hill or two, but these guys steer clear of them mostly. They are a friendly bunch of guys (and a few girls), and the ride features the occasional Cycle City race team rider looking for a casual pedal with the team boss. It all finishes back at the shop with a brew from the shop coffee machine (Kev’s special brew) and a snack of some sort provided by a regular member. It’s all over by 11.30 usually.

  • Here's a new one, as of October 2011: Father Josh's Sunday Morning Mass.  The goal of the ride is practice and refine group racing skills, race level fitness and race etiquette of inexperienced and experienced riders alike.  It's a suitable ride for anyone who wants to improve their race fitness, or wishes to learn how to ride more efficiently in a group at speed.

    The group, which consists of some seasoned road and track racers, meets every Sunday at GCs, corner of Sturt & Dawson Streets, at the old red letter box, at 8.00 AM.  We leave at 8.10 AM, and usually finish by 10.40 AM.  (Note the new start point - not Racers any more.)

    Course: 80-85km, up over White Swan, before tackling the lane-ways (occasionally hard packed dirt) and hills of Mollongghip, Dean, Bungaree and Creswick.

    Intensity: 32-36 km/h depending on the wind and course. The pace is similar to riding in a long breakaway or handicap, with the group working together to maximise the speed of the group, rather than to attack specific sections of the course.

    Format: rolling 5-minute turns, two abreast, for the first half of the ride. A sprint or hill climb at half way, before rolling turns in echelon formation for the remainder of the ride, which is usually finished with a sprint on the city limits.

    Golden Rules:
    As with most groups and subcultures there are some rules (usually unwritten), etiquette and philosophy.
    Sunday Morning Mass riders subscribe to the following beliefs.
    1. Speed and intensity is maintained on downhills, for the sake of fitness and safety
    2. Corners, descents and dirt pavement are opportunities to improve technical skill
    3. Regular (five minute) turns ensures that everyone gets a fair share of work and rest
    4. Tired riders can help maintain group synergy by calling "in" before missing their turn.
    5. The echelon changes in real time to relative to wind and road direction to maximise the speed and efficiency of the group.
    6. It's worth double in the rain.
    7. 32km/h is the minimum acceptable average speed.

• New in January 2012: Currently unnamed - A small hill climbing group departs from Gove Cycles on Sunday mornings at 8:30 am, ( weather permitting) The ride is at a casual pace of around 20-25 km/h depending on the amount of climbs during the ride, The ride covers between 50-60 kms distance.