ALPINE VALLEYS & COUNTRY ROADS
Victoria's High Country is one of Australia’s premier road cycling destinations. From its stunning valley roads to the towering heights of the mountains and the beautiful towns and villages, the region is a cycling mecca for all roadies.
They say you're not a real roadie until you've ridden the mountains. The 7 Peaks of Mt Hotham, Falls Creek, Mt Buller, Lake Mountain, Dinner Plain, Mt Buffalo and Mt Baw Baw offer more than 7,000m of climbing over just 160km. They're road cycling icons, and if you haven't ridden them yet (and even if you have), your time is now.
Yet in the High Country the valley roads offer just as much reward. You can listen to your tyres on the smooth tarmac, not the snarl of city traffic. Watch the road unfold ahead of you, without traffic lights or roundabouts to negotiate. On these country roads you're more likely to encounter a tractor than a car.
It's time to plan your trip, set some personal goals, and experience road cycling at its finest.
Alexandra, Marysville and Surrounds
The southern end of the High Country provides for scenic countryside and some of the most stunning valley ride views in the region, all within close proximity to Melbourne.
Wangaratta
Sitting on the edge of the Warby Ranges National Park, the vibrant regional centre of Wangaratta is the ideal base for a long weekend of road riding. Take your pick with beginner, intermediate and advanced rides on offer. The roads around Wangaratta are generally open and flat, but that's "High Country flat". There's always a hill somewhere.
King Valley
If rolling along a valley floor through vineyards and past scenic lookouts is your thing, the King Valley should be on your road cycling bucket list. Just be sure to save your "sports drink" winery refreshments until after your ride!
Mansfield
When most riders think of cycling in Mansfield it is usually as the starting point for the 7 Peaks ride to Mt Buller, but that is selling the destination short. There's plenty of riding around here, and road to Whitfield has to be ridden to be believed - each corner reveals a different vista as you work your way across the Tolmie Range.
Beechworth
Famed more for its gravel loops than its tarmac, the historic town of Beechworth is nevertheless a solid base for some rewarding road cycling. But be warned, Beechworth is perched atop a hill, 550m above sea level, so whichever way you return to town there's a hill involved! If you're a good climber try testing yourself against the locals on the Back of Stanley, Buckland Gap and Las Serena climbs...
Corryong and Tallangatta
Blessed with the ideal combination of sweeping roads, scenic countryside and classic High Country vistas, the roads around Corryong and Tallangatta are where you can really get away from it all on your bike. Use either town as a base and enjoy empty roads through farmland and national park. It's worth it.
The Ovens Valley
Base yourself in Bright, Myrtleford or one of the Ovens Valley villages and enjoy spectacular valley riding in all seasons. Many of these routes can be linked up to create longer loops that offer up just the right amount of climbing alongside the fast flat riding.
