Cumulus Test Ride

After two attempts to complete a test ride of the Cumulus course I'll have to leave it as mission unaccomplished. As some of you will have noted on the Monaro Cloudride Facebook page, my fist attempt was interrupted by a disturbing heart rate spike [bit of heatstroke/exertion/medication conflict?]. After consultation with my GP I headed back out a week later and on day three wrapped my rear deralliur around the cassette for a ride ending mechanical. There are still a few sections of the course I need to ride and I will have to do these as day rides later in January and report further.

For the time being prospective Cumulus riders will have to make do with the following ride detail and my ride time estimates of the sections covered so far. My time estimates are based on the premise that you will stay on the bike and keep riding. If you wish to smell the roses, photograph every vista and generally dawdle .... it will take you longer! Faster riders will probably clip an hour off these times. However, as we have found in the past, if the local shire road team have recently put a grader over any of these roads they can be considerably slower and more difficult on a bike.

Resupply and water opps will be detailed in the rider notes provided to entrants after registration.

START: BRADDON-HOSKINSTOWN 60k Est. 4:00h

This section follows the Cloudride course [subject to permission to go through Mill Post farm] and is for the main part on good dirt forestry and shire roads and some pavement.

HOSKINSTOWN-WILD CATTLE FLAT RD 45k Est. 4:00h

This section now includes a re-route from the .gpx file sent out earlier. From Hoskinstown the route will now continue south on fast dirt shire roads that climb gently up to Rossi [a rural community with a sealed section] and then commence a steady climb up on Louden Forest Rd. At the summit of the climb swing right on to Cox's Creek Rd for a fast transition over to Harolds Cross Rd, then to Rocky Pic Rd. Rocky Pic has sections of rough exposed road base but it's not too difficult to pick a line through on a bike. Rocky Pic exits down onto Captains Flat Rd and after some sweeping fast turns you take a left fork on to Wild Cattle Flat Rd. All of these roads are formed and maintained shire/forestry roads ... some in better condition than others. There is 1000Vm of climbing through this section and if you're loaded up it can be quite slow.

JERANGLE RD-NUMERALLA 70k Est. 5:00h

Wild Cattle Flat Rd exits on to Jerangle Rd and from here all the way through to Numeralla you're on mostly fast undulating dirt shire roads. The final 10k descent into Numeralla is on sealed road.

Numeralla should be a reasonable target for most riders. 10 hours if you're quick, 13h if you plug away at it. As with the Cloudride we hope to have the tennis club rooms open. Tea, coffee, microwave, power, undercover floor space. No-showers, no commercial services, no visiting girl/boy friends, wives/husbands please. Read the Rules.

NUMERALLA-NIMMITABEL 65k Est. 5:00h

The first 11k out of Numeralla is on sealed road and has some nice little climbs to work the legs over. Once you swing on to Tuross Rd it's mostly fast undulating shire road with a random 4k sealed section and another 4k into town also sealed.

NIMMITABEL-BOMBALA 100k Est. 8:00h

Exit out on the Old Bega Rd, 4k of pavement, then good shire road takes you through rural farm land before some rougher forest logging roads exit on to the Snowy Mountains Highway.

Allow 1:15h.

Once across the highway you enter the South East Forests National Park which generally has well maintained fast forest roads that undulate over to the turn on to The Cattleman's Track. Allow 1:00h. The Cattleman's Track commences with some fast, little used, forest tracks that eventually lead to a series of roller coaster water bars [30-40 of them] as you descend down to Tantawangalo Creek. A lightly weighted mountain bike can handle these with ease however those riding a CX or touring bike might be a little more circumspect at picking a line. There are some washouts and gutters that require a keen eye and nimble bike handling skills. I haven't ever ridden a loaded CX or touring bike but I would imagine that racks and panniers would be in grave danger of disintegrating in this sort of terrain.

It's 23k from the commencement of the The Cattleman's Track up to the exit on to Tantawangalo Mtn Rd and there are some steep hike a bike sections to push up on the way out. Allow 3:00h.

The remaining 40k into Bombala is on fast rolling forest and shire roads and should present no problems. Allow. 3:00h and there goes your 8 hours.

BOMBALA-DELEGATE 60k Est. 4:30h

Some sealed sections and generally fast hard packed shire roads should have you humming along on this section. Delegate Hotel has a $60 package dinner, bed & breakfast. Great value if you need a shower and a decent feed before the push through to Jindabyne the next day.

DELEGATE - TUBBUT 50k Est. 3:30h

An easy roll out of town on sealed road before turning on to Brown's Camp Rd a well formed forest access road that climbs up [8-10%] before a fast run over to the pine plantation compartments. The route then follows the plantation fence line swinging south towards the Victorian bo

rder on slower variable little used two track. Sections of this have been chewed out by 4WD however the crown between the rutted deep wheel tracks is quite rideable ....... if it's dry. Cumulus riders

will now continue south at the junction with the Tingaringi Track [known well to Cloudriders].

From this junction the forest track returns to a well made fast farm road [Hobbs Rd] that winds down through the open pasture land of the Dellicknora Valley. Hobbs Rd intersects Dellicknora Rd which in turn joins into McKillops Rd and then follows the Deddick River down to Tubbut. Pin your ears back and make some good time along these fast shire roads.

And thats where I came to grief.

TUBBUT-JINDABYNE

My intention is to ride from the McKillops Rd/Amboyne Creek Rd junction then the fire trail over to the Snowy River later in January to benchmark some sort of ride/hike time. This 15k section [of the Victorian Alpine Park] is very tough..... you will wonder why you bothered taking your bike. After checking the environmental

flow releases on the Snowy River I do not anticipate and difficulty for the 2016 Snowy crossing [storm flooding like 2015 excepted] however, for those who don't like wet feet and don't relish the hike-a-bike I will include an 'alternate' option via McKillops Bridge and Suggan Buggan. This alternate is 85k and 2200Vm..... against the direct route 24k and 925Vm .... the choice is yours.