Finally some decent weather for a ride even it's 0.4°C at one stage #fromwhereiride #framemywheels #rapha

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Route: The roller to Jamsville

@thunderceptor "One of the Melbourne cycling scene's best kept secrets"

@paddles8 "No traffic jams, vistas that could be in Europe, and jam toast you'd ride 100km for"

@goran_macht "One small step for cycling, a 'Giant Steps' for us"

The reward is magic jam and toast making, after a spectular route in the northeastern Melbourne countryside.

Ride from anywhere in Melbourne. We gather near Blackburn to start our journey. This is a great spot to access to Dandenong and Kinglake. This course does not consist of any major climbs but any climbers will say they have a good workout with this route.

The course to "Jamsville" outlined in Strava as below: http://www.strava.com/routes/404169

Mapview: From Doncaster East to Healsville

From Blackburn we start and first lovely road we encounter is Old Warrandyte road. This has become a lovely quiet inner suburb street, with a little climb at the end to On Luck Chinese retirement village at Tindall road. The name puzzled me for direct the Chinese pronunciation (Strava segment).

Tindalls Road (On Luck retirement home)

Take a left and continue in Tindall road and drop on via Harris Gully road. Glorious views awaits there and the descend is breathtaking!

Road best taken upon sunrise (Harris Gully Road) and drop down 10% to the left

Going though Warrandyte and half way though the arc of Warrandyte roads we climb Jumping Creek road. It is a narrow hideaway road lined with tall Eucalypts of Jumping Creek reserve to Wonga park. One should take care but traffic is sparse in early hours. It has 3 steps to the top and Strava segments shows the terrain 

A cold day in Jumping Creek Road

The best thing is from there the scenery changes into open space and flat farm lands. Soon you are doing "mooo…" to the roadside spectators through Coldstream and north of Gruyere. 

Check out this view Gozza!

Coldstream is officially the coldest place in Melbourne. It's often 3-4 degree lower than Melbourne CBD and can go subzero in winter, and you have to prepare for it. And also prepare for the best and the quietest road that Killara road has to offer as most 98% of traffic are in Maroondah highway. And that view often foggy in low wind days!

The Strava route does not allow but we normally like to take Hills road for the best road and quietness before facing some traffic near Healsville.

Once you get to the real world and traffic, there is a bike lane taking you to cafe called Giant Steps. There you have good coffee, lovely toast and amazing jam. Something that Goran often begs us to ride there because of it. We are there so often recently a lady, a regular, approached us last week saying, "Where are you guys riding from? You are here every Saturdays…."

After a rest and fuel up. There are 3 ways to go back.

1. Massive: via Myers Creek road and Kinglake  https://www.strava.com/routes/404225

2. Hilly: via Old Healsville road and Yarra Glen https://www.strava.com/routes/404262

3. Or the original route back.

All is good because of the jam we had.