'La Ride' with La Ridley Ambassador Hannah Geelan
La Ridley Ambassador Hannah Geelan talks about 'La Ride' the 100km in a day cycling challenge set for the month of September to encourage more women to get out on the bike, be active and test their limits in true La Ridley #BeTough style!
In the heart of the Yarra Valley in Victoria is a gorgeous town called Warburton. Fondly known as ‘Warby’ to the locals, this town is perched neatly on either side of the Yarra River as it meanders it’s way to the upper catchment at the Upper Yarra Reservoir. Surrounded by mountains, with Mt Victoria and Donna Buang on one side and Mount Little Joe on the other, this town is the perfect setting for the my inaugural La Ridley Retreat. The retreat is being held in celebration of La Ride which has been created by La Ridley to encourage women to ride 100 km on any day during the month of September.
With its delicious local eateries and beautiful cafes where we will be sure to get our daily dose of caffeine and seemingly endless roads covered in fernery, it’s not hard to see why Warby was a stand out location to hold a women’s cycling weekend! We will be staying in accommodation on the side of Mt Little Joe, near LaLa Falls, a great place for an afternoon hike if we have the energy! Our Saturday plan is to complete our 100km La Ride, and I have chosen (in my opinion) the best loop in Australia! What is this magical loop? The challenging but equally rewarding Reefton, Lake Mountain, Marysville, Acheron Way loop! It is a total of 127 km including 2600 vertical metres of climbing and 30 km of up hill gravel road near the finish with an optional climb up Donna Buang if we so please. This loop is nothing short of spectacular!
We will be sure to be challenged on this ride, especially with the amount of climbing in the area and weather that can change at the flick of a button! We will need to mentally prepare for a long but adventurous day out. I chose such a hard route as I wanted to showcase the gorgeous area that I had been living in for the last 18 months and of course because La Ridley’s hash tag is #BeTOUGH so that’s what we are going to do!
On the Sunday, we will likely wake with sore but satisfied legs and I have prepared another ripper of a local ride for the ladies. Albeit somewhat shorter, riders can expect a different kind of challenge on day two with repetitive, short and punchy climbs. It’ll be sure to test the legs, mind and heart but again, the company and scenery will be top notch. Together we will support one another and I know there will be a lot of laughs and smiles and exclamations of awe along the way at the sights. I want this weekend to be an absolute stand out and stay in everyone’s memory for all the right reasons and to further encourage the riders to keep challenging, to keep pushing the limits on what they can achieve, especially in each other’s company.
Our La Ride weekend will be held on September 15-17 and social media coverage can be found on Instagram by searching the hashtags #LaRide, #LaRidley #BeTOUGH and following the @laridley @ridley_australasia and @fe_sports accounts. I hope it inspires riders to get out and ride themselves and even come to explore the Yarra Valley and the depths of what they can achieve on a bike! My partner Roey will be our soigneur with riding nutrition, spare kit choices and mechanical support so we will be living life like a pro for one weekend!
Training plans are being posted by La Ridley on Instagram and Facebook and I encourage riders to use these resources and to plan an awesome and inspiring 100+ km ride by yourself or with friends in the month of September for La Ride.
Thank you to Ridley Australasia and FE Sports for supporting me in the first year of La Ride. This is only be the beginning. Let the good times roll (ride)!
Hannah.
