Melburn Roobaix 2013

Yesterday (23rd June), I participated in my first Melburn Roobaix - organised by FYXO.



Me under the Citylink Overpass towards Manifest 8

This year was the 8th year and it has turned from 100 ppl to 2000 (capped). Tickets sold out in a matter of hours. The route for this event changes every year, you only find out the routes the morning of registration when you pick up your musette. This is a fun event, no prizes for coming first or second. Some choose to wear costumes, some choose to ride their crappiest bikes. I would definitely not bring out the good bike for this event - the cobblestones don't place nice.  

There are 13 Manifests on the 40km(ish) route. Each manifest has a cobblestone laneway and at the end of each segment has a question you have to answer (to make sure you cover off all the manifests). The questions ranged from how many speed humps, the number on the road, the letter on the power pole through to year of establishments on certain buildings.

I did this event with the Canadian. He rides bikes of all shapes and types and he knows all the bike paths and routes throughout Melbourne which wasa great advantage for me...as I know very little apart from the bike paths along Beach Rd.













So we started our day from Abbotsford and rode along the path along the Yarra down to Toorak road. I rode my single speed (George) so I didn't have any gears to worry about. When we reached the Hawthorn Velodrome, the registration process had just started but the line for registration alreadt stretched out from one end to the other.

Once we picked up our pack, off we went. I wished I had gears when we rode up Auburn Rd...I had to stand up on my pedals for most of it and so did most people who rode with single speeds.

My first cobble stone experience was not the greatest. I very rarely ride along cobblestones and my bike skills are not that great. I had to quickly learn to pick my line, relax the shoulders and arms and slightly lift my bum off the seat. The more lanes I rode through, the more comfortable I got. Towards the end, I was riding through them without hesitation.

What I couldn't ride were the cobblestone laneways where it was too steep to pedal through and I had to either edge the stroke through and pulled back and forth or I had to quickly hop off and pushed the bike through. The questions at the end of each segment were easy enough to answer.

My George and the Canadian's CX

At the start of the day - before registration

We did get a few people who complained about the day, the first was when a lady drove their massive 4WD past cyclist on Auburn Rd...they told us that we had to ride single file....on the bike lane. I bet we totally ruined her day! The second incident happened when we crossed the road to go to a cafe for lunch a person asked what was happening and we cheerfulyl explained its the Melburn Roobaix - kinda like a scav hunt on bikes but he ended up whinging that he couldn't get a table in a cafe for lunch because they were full of cyclist, I bet his day was ruined too! Seriously...lighten up!

I was so hungry after we finished manifest #9 that I ordered a massive breakfast to eat for lunch. It has been about 5 years since I had a massive breakfast.

I really loved it how some of the locals got into the spirit of things and provided directions (and even officialling the routes) through to selling drinks and snacks from their garage (as it faces the laneway). Kids were really rallying around the many people riding past especially for the ones who dressed up in superhero costumes.

The route finished at the Brunswick Velodrome where you got to ride a third of it before ending it at the finish line. I wasn't too confident on the velodrome so I ended up just riding on the bottom.

Before I handed in the Manifest

The crowd at the end

As I had mentioned before - this is a fun event - there is no prizes for being fast. There were prizes handed out for the cutest couple (which went to a Horse - tandem bike), cyclist who travelled the furthest for this event, ones who have participated in this event the longest, random prizes of bikes and coffee machines and the grand prize - random draw of the manifest (with correct answers) which included a trip to Paris for the Roubaix in 2014!!!! Amazing prize hey?!

My highlight was taking a photo which I had to collage to make the complete photo (see below) - Cancellara & Sagan. If you don't know the story, I suggest you do some google searching:



Me as Cancellara & Sagan

Overall, I had one of the best days ever. Not only was it a fun day, the weather was perfect. I got to ride the bike trails which I would not have ridden ever and I got to explore the many side streets of Melbourne. Thanks to the Canadian though, without him, I probably would have been frustrated as I would have been riding the main roads rather the bike paths.