Sunday Ride - EPIC - The Meadows loop

Okay it's that time of the year, the first Epic ride of the season. We discussed this on Sunday and have decided to retain the EPIC but give both escape routes and a Slow Group option for those who haven't got a lot of kilometers in the legs. So please don't be put off and come out at least for the early stages of the loop if you feel your not up to the full journey.  Remember Amy's ride next week and there are a number of events coming up. Its now or never for getting some distance.

We are doing the Meadows loop in the clockwise (Mt Lofty first) direction. This allows a selection of escape routes of varying degrees of distance and difficulty. The anticlockwise direction doesn't work as well for escape routes.  

The full loop is mapped here and I suggest if you haven't ridden it before to download the map to either your GPS or phone . The first part is easy to follow but there are a few roads less traveled on the southerly return. 

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/896816431  94 km (from the city) 1338 m of ascent

Meeting Times 

7:30 am in the City

8:00 am at the Tollgate (bottom of the freeway bike track)

8:30 am at the Bollards 

Coffee at the Meadows bakery

Escape Routes 

I have plotted a set of escape routes (distance from city)

Escape Route 1: Bollards, Mt Lofty etc (for those who just want to say hi.)

Escape Route 2: Mylor out and back. 58 km 

Escape Route 3: River Road to Hahndorf and return 75 km

Escape Route 4: Echunga, Echunga Rd to Hahndorf, river Road home  82 km 

Escape Route 5: Meadows - Out and Back. Debatable if this is easier but I have included it as it sticks to the hills and avoids some of the pinches on the return loop. 

Groups 

As always this is numbers dependent but the rough plan is a fast and a slow group. If possible we will try to have a couple of fast guys act as sweepers to make sure no one is left behind.

Full Loop or out and back will be decided at Coffee depending on how people are feeling. 

PS: Warwick's bike was built by http://www.astirframes.com/