Green Wedge 100

I found this ride on Ride with GPS and it’s credited to who I understand to be a little bit of a local Audax legend “Jon Thornton”. Jon also created the Green Wedge 200 which is obviously a similar yet longer route.

Coming out of the 5km lockdown late pandemic, I was looking to build my endurance and I was looking for something close to home. In fitter times I had completed the Green Wedge 200 and I remember it being tough, but this is just the 100 so It should be easy right? Na.

Although I rode from home which added on about 10km each way, on the map, this ride starts at Eltham Lower Park. You might be familiar with the miniature trains.

Straight out of the blocks you hit a hard right turn and bang you are into a pinch in its high teens before taking on an even pinchier Mt Pleasant circuit.

A popular cycling route in the North East of Melbourne, Mt Pleasant is short, sharp and just an entrée to what you are about to face.

Over the first 50km of this ride, you’ll come up against roughly 1000m of vert, all of it pinchy, all of it with sections of high gradient.

The ride does mellow towards the second half although only mildly.

If you after some time of flat roads, this is not the ride for you. I can’t think of a ride more rolling than this. Its straight up, straight down and repeat.

The ride twists and turns and weaves in and out through the region and give you three opportunities to stock, supply or stop for coffee in Hurstbridge.

I’d recommend you grab your coffee on your first approach as you will have already faced half the prescribed climbs for the day and you’ll definitely need to resupply on your final pass.