Half ARST.

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Half ARST.

UpDave and Adele invited me on a ride. An A.R.S.T. ride. All Roads Sport Touring.

There are HARD A.R.S.T. rides, for me it was Half A.R.S.T. as I only rode the first day.

The last big ride I did with then was the Woods Point Epic. That was on one 60" gear back in the heat of February. I've since geared 'The Gaz'to a 16 speed setup, with S.I.S indexed shifting.

One of the rules of A.R.S.T. is 'it doesn't have to be fun to be fun', which from my Double Warrnambool experience I can relate to.

I jumped on the bike, road into civilisation (25km) and met UpDave and Adele, and we drove the boring section out East.

We unloaded at Longwarry and headed for Warburton.

Here's the elevation.

Travel 'back' in time with us.

Country roads, lined with fresians. Rolling hills of green and smatterings of sunshine through grey clouds. That was just the morning.

We had a late lunch at the Noojee pub, and the hostess told us the weather was about to get 'snotty' with snowfall down to 1000m.

After a parma and pot, and then a hot chocolate we took a locals advice on direction. He said he'd 'driven that road' before and he thought it would never end. Comforting words. The first 40km of the day had all been on sealed, and from here on in it would be all dirt, mud, scree and assorted rutted roads. The road climbed straight up out of Noojee, as we went up the weather came down.

Don't ask me why or how.

Personal highlights was the descent into Warburton, mud flicking up and bunny hopping the huge ruts in the road. Then the clouds peeling back and the sun shining down for the last half hour of the day. Just like the movies.

I'll let the photos do the talking. All the goodness below including the fabulous grub at The Polish Jester in Warburton.

Not enough?

Check out Adele's new Cross Bike. 'Pink Bits'.

Carbon/Alloy job with Campagnolo Veloce, TRP brakes, Time, Thomson where it counts, and handbuilt C-4 wheels by Shifterbikes. Pink nipples, cable ends, cages, seat clamp and bar tape.

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