The Best Coffee In Town
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Where: Strathbogie Ranges—Central Victoria
Length: 134km
Difficulty: moderate
Terrain: some moderate climbs, then flat
Surface: sealed, some chunky gravel and some smooth gravel
What: rolling pastures, pretty rural areas, local produce, quiet roads, small towns, a great gravel descent, the Great Victorian Rail Trail
THE RIDE
The Best Coffee In Town is named after a sign that was for years on the front window of the Strathbogie General Store which read: “the best coffee in town.” It was also the only coffee in town.
This is a great ride if you’re a beginner wanting to extend yourself, or an experienced rider after a pleasant roll through the countryside. This is ACV’s third route in the Strathbogie Ranges, and that’s because it offers scenic riding, quiet roads, and it’s easy to get to from Melbourne.
From Violet Town you’ll climb into the ranges on sealed roads before arriving at the small settlement of Strathbogie. The Strathbogie General Store is a lovely place to stop for a coffee and muffin. You’ve then got a really fun gravel descent out of the ranges towards Merton, and at Merton you’ll join the Great Victorian Rail Trail all the way back to Tallarook, where you can catch a train. Another good place to stop is the pie shop in Yarck.
That’s it, in a nutshell. I won’t go into great detail about this region because I have already done that on other ride pages of this site. In short, the Strathbogie region offers heaps of delightful country riding and you’ll be glad you went.
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ATTRACTIONS
A really enjoyable gravel descent
ACCOMMODATION/CAMPING
Sunnymeade Gardens—cottage style accommodation
If you wanted to stealth camp the best place might be in the forested area starting at 38km. Remember to respect private property and leave no trace.
Yarck, Molesworth and Yea (all on the rail trail) have various camping and accommodation options.
WHEN
Any time of year, however be prepared for extreme heat in summer and very cold temperatures in winter. Strathbogie often records some of the coldest temperatures in the state. In warmer months, be aware of bushfire danger: Incidents and Warnings - VicEmergency
GETTING THERE
There are V-line train stations at Violet Town and Tallarook.
MAPS
Download GPX file for this route.
Strathbogie State Forest (free)
OTHER RIDES LIKE THIS ONE
Disclaimer: should you choose to cycle this route, you do so at your own risk. Although all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure its accuracy at the time of writing, Adventure Cycling Victoria cannot guarantee that the information herein is 100% correct. The information published is meant as a guide only, and should be combined with your own due diligence and planning. Adventure Cycling Victoria and its contributors are in no way liable for personal injury, damage to personal property, or any other such situation that might happen to individuals following this route.
Where: Strathbogie Ranges—Central Victoria
Length: 134km
Difficulty: moderate
Terrain: hilly/flat
Surface: sealed, some chunky gravel and some smooth gravel
What: rolling pastures, pretty rural areas, local produce, quiet roads, small towns, a great gravel descent, the Great Victorian Rail Trail