3.30am is a rude hour any day. There were less gripes and groan than you would expect. Maybe when you are in the head space of this sort of event, it is purely an acceptance of what would normally be the unacceptable that gets you through it. Light rain was making its presence known on the roof of the cabin. It would be another wet start.

The road east out of Bendigo rose and fell in a serious of rollers, the subtle change of gradient helping to temper the monotony of straight roads and total darkness. As the day came up, the fog rolled in making for an erie ride - the silence only interrupted by the sound of humming gears and creaking knees. With daybreak came our first stop at the Rushworth bakery, another one where we would be back, this time before lunch. It was early and the bakery had only just opened but the coffee was good and the food welcome. The rain had stopped on the run in, but not long after we rolled out, the rain jackets came back out. The road briefly offered some interest as we passed the Waranga Basin, by Australian standards an immense body of (shallow) water used for irrigation. Once through Tatura, however, the roads were straight and flat and suddenly busy and we lingered only briefly in Shepparton before the return leg.

On the way back we started to see riders coming the other way, waving as we passed. The rain had stopped and the roads were starting to dry out. Back through Rushworth - more chocolate milk - back on the same familiar roads. Terry was complaining of pain on one side so we tucked him in behind a wheel and kept on rolling as a slight headwind began to bite - after 550km, any kind of headwind hurts!

30km out from Bendigo and the roads were busy but at least the sun was threatening an appearance. Terry seemed to be struggling. We pulled over and he described the classic symptoms of a hunger flat, otherwise known as “le bonk”, as it turns out the first one he had ever had!. Sugar came out of pockets as we resurrected him on the roadside. Ten minutes later he was back to the old Terry.

With weary legs, it was one last little pull into Bendigo and here we were, back in the surrounds of the APCO servo where it had all begun 33 hours earlier.

Every bike is a gravel bike

13 of the best from a year of limited adventure

Part 3 - Downhill to the Med

Part 2 - Les Grandes Alpes

Part 1

Finally!