This descent kills disc brakes!

Ever wondered what happens when you take a gravel bike down Mount Buffalo during Tour of Bright weekend? Spoiler: it sounds less like cycling and more like a stampede of elephants once the brakes start squealing.

Set in the heart of the Victorian Alps, the Tour of Bright is one of Australia’s most iconic cycling weekends, pulling in road cyclists from across the country. While they were all on sleek road sleds, I rocked up with a gravel bike to see if it could keep pace on one of the most legendary descents in Melbourne and Victoria’s High Country.

What followed was: fast sweeping corners, endless hairpins, breathtaking Alpine views, and the constant soundtrack of disc brakes echoing through the mountains. Can gravel bikes really hold their own against road bikes with rim brakes?

If you’re into Melbourne cycling, Victorian Alps climbs, or just want to hear what an elephant parade sounds like at 60kph, clip-in, the Mount Buffalo descent doesn’t take pity on the tympanic membrane or brakes.

Distance - 18.27km, Avg Grade -5.1% Max -11%, Lowest Elev 409m, Highest Elev 1,347m
Route:   / strava  
Bike:    • Cannondale Gravel Bike - SuperSix Evo SE  
Instagram:   / 11thwombat  

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