About the Ride: Every second sunday of the month. SPACE was started by riders in: Supply, Property, Architecture (and design), Contsruction and Engineering.

Anyone is welcome to join.
Flat ride on odd months, hills on even months. Usually around 60km mark. Steady pace not too fast…

About the Ride: This started out as my personal training ride for a quick sprint from Bridgewater to Mount Lofty and back after work. Over time, a few local cycling mates have joined me, and it has become a regular ride for a few of us now.
The route starts climbing immediately from the Bridgewater CFS through pleasant rural surroundings, past Mt George, on through the Hills villages of Uraidla and Summertown, then on to Mt Lofty Summit. There we enjoy the view for a few minutes before heading down the other side, returning through the back of Crafers and Aldgate. The pace depends on the night, and who we have with us, but no one gets left behind. During Summertime especially, the possibility exists for those who want to go further, to extend the ride back by another 10 – 30km or so.

Additional Notes: The core ride usually varies between 1:00 and 1:20, depending on who is riding. ‘Be seen’ lighting is required during Daylight Saving Time, and ‘See’ lighting is strongly recommended during the rest of the year – going downhill fast in the dark is not the time to realise your lighting does not show you the road ahead.
We are a friendly bunch of supportive cyclists, and welcome other guys & gals looking for a quick weeknight ride with some mates, to help improve / maintain fitness.

About the Ride: We are a group of VERY casual cyclists, aged between 40-50ish. Most of us only ride once a week. As we live in central Tour Down Under country we are trying to get fit enough to ride the Challenge Tour. As of August 09 we are doing 60 km per ride with an average speed 20-22kph We have a dozen or more cyclists but only 4-6 turn up on any given ride and never the same ones. The Adelaide Hills live up to their name. Nowhere we ride is flat but we wait at hill tops and intersections so we don’t lose anyone. Bring a banana etc and some money in case we stop mid ride for a coffee.
We usually have one back at the Blumberg when we get back to Birdwood as well. When the weather warms up we will make our start time earlier. Email me to be put on the weekly email list.

Additional Notes: We are definitely not serious cyclists so if you are looking for a fast and furious ride we are not for you.

Every now and then we come across some wicked ride locations. Melrose located in the outskirts of South Australia has trails from Blue to Black Diamond. But as any mountain biker would know, single track is where it’s at, and the crew at Over The Edge Bike (OTE) shop can hook you up with over 80kms of singletrack!

We managed to talk the the team at Over the Edge to find out more about this Mountain Biking heaven….

How did this bunch ride originate?
Our morning rides originated with the owners of Over the Edge, Alastair Smart and Richard Bruce just going out for their own ride, riders that we would meet in the shop would join them which was a great opportunity for any rider who was in town to see the trails from not only a local but from the guys that built and designed the trails! Now on most mornings we have the tourists and the locals heading out.

What makes this ride is so popular?
The rides leave from our doorstep – all of the trails are all in town so anyone who stays in Melrose can literally be on the trails within minutes – no need to get into your car and load up the bikes! The trails look awesome anytime of the year but during the winter months the creek beds are flowing, the countryside looks so lush and green and the rides also go from Blue to Black Diamond so depending on the groups ability we have the options to go easy or hard! This way it doesn’t put first timers off.

How many people come out to this ride?
It really depends on the weather and time of year – obviously summer days temperatures reach over 40 degrees so we try and go out earlier before it gets to hot! But during the peak season we can get up to 10 people.

Do many of the original riders still frequent this ride?
We have over 80kms of singletrack here in Melrose ( 30kms in Melrose and 50kms in Bartagunyah ( 5mins down the road ) and there is more to come – the regulars keep coming back for more to nail their favourite trail!

Has the route changed over the years?
There is not a specific route for our rides – every ride is different.

What’s the best part of the ride?
SWEET Singletrack – all purpose built trails, dodging kangaroos and riding past historical ruins and 100 yr old gumtrees, also knowing that you can come back and chat over a coffee at Over the Edge.

What advice would you give to someone who is considering taking on this ride for the first time?
Ensure you are well equipped – if the bike isn’t made for mountain biking you can hire our quality dual suspension mountain bikes for the day, if you want to treat yourself – hire our demos, these include Spot/Knolly/Ibis or Santa Cruz, they are all equipped with Ergon grips. Make sure you have spare tubes and water. Call us so we can arrange to meet up.

Which Pro bike riders frequent this ride?
We now have Sarah Holmes working at OTE and training in Melrose – she is in the top Under 23 in Australia

What’s the best coffee shop to go upon completion?
Definitely OTE – you can come back chill out on our lounge and watch our mountain bike DVD’s, and now that you now the trails, go out again and do more riding on your own – There is also the North Star Hotel that serve James Squire on Tap and you can indulge in their homemade cakes!

• For more information on the ride click here
• Click here to visit the Over the Edge website

Ride Contact Details: Eddie @ Kilkenny Cycling Club or www.sa.cycling.org.au
Additional Notes: Beginner session every friday. Loan bikes available. Learn the basic track technique or just ride around to get a feel for the bankings. Completely non intimidating environment.