Race the Overland

[Taffey]

FarRoad Encore Ride – Race the Overland (Melbourne to Adelaide)

So... a small confession. Coleraine may have been billed as the finale, but there's an opportunity too good to ignore — particularly for South Australian–based riders. FarRoad is putting on a special Encore Ride: a return challenge to race the Overland train from Melbourne back to Adelaide. We only just beat it last time, with the train in front of us for much of the ride in 2025 — which makes this the perfect question to ask: can we pull it off twice in a row?

This will be a single-category ride only: 800 km in 12 hours, using a proven route. The ride will be conducted as a group, with disciplined pacing, clear decision points, and no deviation from FarRoad principles — this is about precision, planning and execution, not speed. It's a shared challenge, a nod to last year's effort, and a fitting way to close the book on the 2026 calendar. If you were there last time, you'll know why this matters. If you weren't — this is your chance.

[ZigZag]

I'm keen to have a second go at this one. The ride from Southern Cross station to Geelong on the first attempt was hairy, heavy rain and zero visibility. It improved from there but when I got home I realised I'd ridden the day ignoring what I thought was a mild cold but in hindsight was quite nasty. It was a good days riding other than that.