When a guy like Jeff Curtes shoots photos and writes a bit of copy, you don’t paraphrase his work. Sure, you edit it down a bit but it’s best left untouched. When he contacted me to share a recent photoshoot for Australia’s MAAP, I very much obliged to let him do just that. Read on for the full account and a selection of photos from Jeff’s recent shoot on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia…

It’s still hard for me to believe that it’s winter right now here in Australia… like winter, you know, WINTER. I grew up in the Midwest about an hour North of Chicago and let me tell you, get’s pretty damn WINTRY up there every year. So yeah, 11 days into the season officially and I think I’ve worn gloves once, knee warmers maybe twice, and haven’t touched the wool hat. Seriously, if you haven’t ridden here in Australia, plan a trip. I think the mornings have indeed had a little bite to the air and that’s when most are out on the roads, I’ll give them that.

So perfect timing really for MAAP to roll out their new Fall Winter 2015 line. I was lucky enough to bounce down to their home base of Melbourne and join their crew on a nice morning ride down on the Great Ocean Road outside of Lorne.

First time down the coast from Melbourne for me, about 2 hours, and let me just tell you it’s gorgeous a true cycling paradise. The route we chose was nearly exactly the route they use for the Annual Amy’s Gran Fondo that takes place in September. I wanna go back already.

After a couple of hand ground AeroPresses and a medley of cereals, we started out early to try to get a jump on traffic on The Great Ocean Road, and as the sun rose, the road came alive. At about 50km down the fast and mostly windings ribbon of tarmac we turned right at Skenes Creek and headed up into the forest on a nice little climb.

Everything about this day reminded me of my time in Portland…the coffee, the small group of friends simply riding hard and having a good time smashing themselves, and the roads…winding and climbing under a canopy of green with gorgeous dappled light enticing us on…not much better than that.

Riders;
Riley Wolff
Dave Mclean
Michael Moore
Gene Kehoe