Brompton Anywhere to Go: Brompton climbs in Victoria

While I have spent a couple of months here in Melbourne, I have been looking for the best hill climb course for a Brompton ride. In the past my favorite hill climb routes were the Mt. Fuji Hill Climb course (Fuji Subaru Driveway) in Fuji Yoshida City (Yamanashi) and the Yabitsu Pass route in Hadano City (Kanagawa).

If you have been in Japan (Tokyo) and was a rider there, you might have participated in Mt. Fuji Hill Climb Race, the largest hill climb race in Japan with more than 8,500 participants. I loved the course and practiced several times the course before the race. It has a distance of 25 km and elevates by 1,270 meters towards 2,304 meters above sea level. Average 5.1% ascending. Very good!

Mt. Fuji Hill Climb Race (Click the photo to read.)

Maybe you also have heard the name of the Yabitsu Pass where any hill climber in Japan knows and frequently visits for his/her training. Some cyclists call Yabitsu as the holy site of hill climbers. The Yabitsu pass has an elevation of 761 meters but, if you start from Minoge where the very steep ascending begins and lasts to the end, the difference in elevation is about 450 meters to reach the pass while its distance is only 7.2 km. 6.25%. Wow.

Yabitsu, the best hill climb place (Click the photo to read.)

There is an emergent need of the hill climb training for me. I am planning to take a part in the Brompton World Championship 2016 on Saturday 30 July. I want to train my physical to improve my result in the race from last year's three digit place.

BWC 2015 in London (I was a green guy in the center back. Click the photo.)

If it had been Tokyo, I would have visited the Yabitsu for training every weekend but now I need a replacement for the Yabitsu here in Australia. There are three conditions to be satisfied with for my Yabitsu replacement.

1. not too hard

2. not too far

3. public transportation (I do not like to drive back after a heavy hill climb.)

I am not at all an idiot to risk a heart attack during training. In addition, I am a Brompton rider. What I want is just a moderate hill which is adequate for a 2-speed or 3-speed modest bike to go with a short distance hopefully less than 20 km which does not affect my professional life during week days (my job is of course not a Brompton racer or an Onsen explorer).

I avoid a long trip to the site. I like a half day return in case of training. During weekend I have many things to do, including a rail trail ride and nap.

Public transportation is essential for my hill ride. When I train myself, I tend to try my limit of capacity and will be too exhausted to drive back. It had better getting on the train and sleep toward Flinders Street Station or Southern Cross Station on my way back.

After I started a thorough research to find the best place to go with Brompton, I shortlisted the following seven places which can be my Yabitsu in Australia.

1. Mount Buller (1,805 m)
2. Mount Donna Buang (1,250 m)

3. Mount Macedon (1,001 m)

4. Mount Buninyong (719 m)

5. Mount Franklin (648 m)

6. Mount Dandenong (633 m)

7. Mount Diogenes (718 m) which is famous for "Hanging Rock"

This weekend, I climbed up the two most promising candidates among all; Mount Macedon and Mount Dandenong.

In Saturday afternoon, I went to the area of Yarra Ranges or Danddenong Ranges. When I got off the train at Boronia Station of Belgrave Line, time was already 3:30 pm because of cursed bus replacements between Richmond and Camberwell. Immediately I headed to Mount Dandenong, clicking my garmin to start here.

Gradually acquiring elevation.

Yarra Ranges. Still in the mid of the mountain highway.

Getting closer to the goal.

Arrived at Sassafras. Total ascend was 350 meters and distance 9 km. Average percentage of slope is 3.9% and maximum about 10%. Not so bad.

On Sunday, I departed Southern Cross Station for Mt. Macedon at 8:32 am.

When I arrived at Woodend Station of Bendigo Line, I looked over the goal, the peak of Mt. Macedon with an elevation of 1,001 meters above sea level, from the station. Let`s start.

There were a lot of riders already their jobs done though it was still in the morning.

I put my garmin on to time when the slope started at the foot of the mountain. The slope was not that tough.

It was already about 900 meters. Clouds were passing among the trees.

Getting closer to the peak!

Finally I arrived at the peak cafe to drink cafe latte. From the foot to the peak, a distance was 11 km and total ascending was 500 meters. Average percentage of slope was 4.5% and maximum around 12%. It's a good figure for a Brompton hill climb!