The ROVE One Day Classic - Toodyay
The ROVE One Day Classic - Toodyay20Apr12:00 am11:59 pmDisciplineRoadPerth, WA
Event Details
The ROVE One Day Classic is a long distance endurance ride with quite a few challenging climbs The ROVE One Day Classic –
Event Details
The ROVE One Day Classic is a long distance endurance ride with quite a few challenging climbs
The ROVE One Day Classic – Toodyay is exactly that! A classic long distance endurance ride from the town of Bullsbrook near the Pearce Air Base heading northeast towards Toodyay. This is an out and back route with a great climb or three!
Bullsbrook is about 40 km north-east of Perth CBD, and about 10 km north of the Vines or Ellenbrook area. The best way to arrive for this early morning start would be by car as you’ll be too early for the bus services to have started.
This event is organised by The ROVE, a group of endurance road racing cyclists based in Joondalup in the northern suburbs of Perth. They also organise the Bunbury ROVE which takes riders from Perth to Bunbury. Their motto is ‘redefine your limits’ and their events will provide you with the opportunity to do just this!
Having ridden this route myself many a time, make sure that you are warmed up before you start as you’ll immediately be climbing up Chittering Road. Then it is through to the Lower Chittering area before turning east towards the Julimar State Forest. You’ll then be taking the local iconic climb up Julimer Road before descending down into Toodyay.
You’ll have a pitstop and then it’s time for the return trip home. By the time you have returned to Bullsbrook, you will have ridden 140km, climbed over the undulation and a couple of great climbs for over 1500 m of elevation gain.
With all the events that available for riders to do this, would have to be one of the ‘best value for money’ rides going around. For the price of this ride, they must be just breaking even or they must have some very good sponsors, as you scratch your head wondering how they could do it.
The weather in Bullsbrook and Toodyay during the middle of April is fairly pleasant as this is in the middle of autumn, which tends to be very pleasant riding conditions with a cool morning but nice temperate days. You can expect temperatures to range from 5 to 10 degrees on starting and warming up to 20 to 25 degrees. You would count yourself very unlucky if it rained during this ride, as the cold fronts that bring the winter rain have not yet started.
This is a great ride with many riders then completing the Bunbury ride or visa versa.
You’ll find other cycling events, like the ROVE One Day Classic – Toodyay, in our online Cycling Event Calendar.
Enjoy!
Number of days
1 day
Location: Start
Bullsbrook, Perth, WA
Location: Finish
Bullsbrook, Perth, WA
The Rove 2019 was a great event with a cool morning but the enthusiasm was high to keep the chill at bay. The start was a venture into the fog that had gathered, which the sun had yet to burn off. This was one of those times that I wished that glasses came with wipers. after a few of the rolling hills with the local wildlife saying “Hi”, namely a Big Red Kangaroo across the path, heart rates were now high. Then onto the CLimb of Julimar and the rolling undulation and wheat fields before the descent into the Toodyay townsite.
this is where John and his crew of the Rove have done the organisation of a roll and coffee style lunch stop at one of the local cafes. As a side note; try the local pastry and pie shop, when in Toodyay on another event. back to the ride with a small peloton of riders to make the return journey enjoyable. with most of the climbing done and a couple of small punchy climbs the remaining 70 km’s goes under the wheels rather easy, as can be. Once the final climb is reached after a steady 2% climb, the 60km sign and view over Bullsbrook is very much a welcoming sight. After pulling into the car park, the local hospitality is shown at the community centre club rooms where a few yarns are spun over a light liquid refreshment.
Well done to John and Crew, another great Rove into the countryside of Perth.
Love this event! Great value and an enjoyable day out. the climb of Julimar rd is a good KOM to test the legs. A cafe stop at Toodyay that is part of the price, makes for a event to remember.
my 2017 Rove: https://www.strava.com/activities/952366097
Not the best known ride on the calendar, but almost certainly the best value. You get bananas, gels, electrolytes, and a roll for lunch, all for $35. Bargain! And Rove organisers John and Rhode are legends. Usually just over 100 riders set off in 4 waves. You cover two-thirds of the 1400m elevation heading out to Toodyay, so the return journey is a little easier. The front of Group 1 usually averages about 33km/h, the front of Group 2 around 30, Group 3 27, Group 4 24. But you’ll find riders to work with if you’re anywhere in that range – the groups split naturally once you hit the hills.
There’s a KOM challenge for the first climb up Julimar Rd, if you’re that way inclined, but for the most part this is a relaxed ride with great company, where you can challenge yourself about as much as you want to. The lunch stop is usually just under an hour, depending on when you arrive, which gives plenty of time to chat and eat.
Do this, then take on Bunbury next!