Mareeba to Alamaden 109k.
(with thanks - Michael Bolt)
START – Post Office Byrnes Street Mareeba. The train stops behind the post office on the return from Almaden. There is plenty of space to park your car. Macdonald’s is two blocks further up the road and is open at 5am if you need a coffee.
MAREEBA TO DIMBULAH - A gentle roll out of Mareeba for 2k and then left turn for Dimbulah. Undulating uphill for 12k until we cross the Top of the Great Dividing Range. Then undulating with a general downhill aspect to Dimbulah - 46k. Rest and re-fill water bottles. No other water is available until Almaden which is two good climbs and 64k away.
DIMBULAH TO PETFORD – Undulating for 33k to the 79k mark when we arrive at Petford which was once a bustling crossroads so it is worth a stop at the station. See picture on Strava. https://www.strava.com/activities/452499944
PETFORD TO ALMADEN. 4 K out of Petford we get the Lapis Range, a climb of 3k with a challenging steep pinch of about 800m in the middle of it. It is worth a stop at the top to take in the view. Then down towards the last and easiest of the climbs – the Bismarck Range at the 92-95k mark. Once over the top it is mostly downhill to Almaden at 110k
<774 metres of climbing>
OVERVIEW OF PLANS
We’ll meet at the Post Office parking in Byrnes Street Mareeba by 6AM. As per the previous ride, we will head off in 2 groups - a faster and a slower. The slower group needs to leave Mareeba at 6.15am and the faster group at 6.30ish.
You will need to get your bikes to Mareeba so car pooling is not a bad idea. If you have extra space you can advise on the Whatsapp group. There are 20 of us coming back on the train. It’s a 4 hour journey and leaves at 12.15 regardless of who is not on it…. There is usually an eski on the train and you can purchase drinks from the pub in Almaden to enjoy on the trip back. There will be some space on the support vehicle for a drinks too if you prefer to bring your own.
The support vehicle with trailer will be behind the last rider and can pick up a limited number (3 or 4) of people and bikes along the way should someone experience a mechanical issue or runs out of puff. The vehicle won’t necessarily trail the last rider, so if you have an issue, turn your bike upside down and remain with it until the vehicle arrives.
We’ll make a stop at the bakery in Dimbulah (46km mark). This will be the only opportunity to purchase a snack, get a coffee and refill water bottles.
A further stop is possible at Petford (79km) and a at the lookout at the top of the coming climb
The Almaden hotel are doing a buffet lunch of cold meats and salads from $17 served from 11am. There are other groups there too, so please ensure you have time to eat etc before the 12:15pm departure.
It’s advisable to bring a change of clothes. These need to be placed in the support vehicle before leaving Mareeba. The smaller the bag the better.
The bikes will be returning on the support vehicle (not the train). Please ensure your bike is loaded in Almaden before you board the train. Bikes will be stacked side-by-side with blankets between each. If you have a removalist blanket or similar, please bring it along. Bikes will be returned back to the starting point in Mareeba.
This is a self-supported ride (with a little help from your friends - please ensure you have spare tubes and related equipment with you