Organised in the sense that it has start and finish points, yet unorganised in the sense that there’s no support, no traffic management and no feed stations, the Victoria Divide 550 is an off-road bikepacking event that travels from the Yarra River in Melbourne to the Murray River in Wodonga via the Great Dividing Range.
The route is Melbourne > Marysville > Jamieson > Mount Buller > Whitfield > Myrtleford > Yackandandah > Wodonga via backroads, singletrack and forest trails, with most of the 100-strong field expecting to complete the course in 4-6 days. Riders carry everything they need with them on their bikes, with the fastest racers packing little more than a quilt and a bivvy bag and the slower tourers loading up with tents, sleeping mats and changes of clothes. This is the beauty of bikepacking – there’s no right or wrong way to do it.
It’s a niche event, but with gravel riding, exploration and bikepacking becoming more popular it’s natural to ask yourself this question: could I do this next year?
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/630936843996846
Maprogress Dotwatching: https://victoriadivide500-2021.maprogress.com/
Rider: Jules Wearne