PINK PASS RIDE.

A four-day female-only journey of discovery.

By Black Sheep Cycling

May 5^th, 2017

be inspired.

Inspired by women who have achieved the seemingly impossible and in the spirit of exploration, we asked our Melbourne-based Black Sheep to embark on a journey of human discovery. A four-day ride weekend for which they came up with a mixed terrain route through Marysville, Merrijig and Wangaratta, Victoria.

We said great, now do it with only what you can carry …

the unknown.

Mel, Emma, Sarah and Bridget departed from the city by train and adapted to the new handling of their former race bikes on rail tracks and loose gravel. What was stiff and eager to sprint was now weighed down and awkwardly balanced. It was with this change that racing was left behind and room for adventure was made.

lush life.

The Yarra Valley, just east of Melbourne, is an evolving landscape of lush rainforest canopy with impenetrable mist to rolling plateaus of dried brush. As scenes evolve, so too does our awareness. It’s in these open spaces that we are in touch with our inner selves, unable to get lost in the distraction of daily life and errands. It’s on these climbs that we wear empathy readily and learn how to extend ourselves in support of others.

be in the moment.

On Day One, surpassing climb after climb, Emma proved that willpower is greater than leg power. Her deep attention to breathing and steadfast practice of advice from those around her dissipated the moments of panic, turning time on a mountain to time in the mountains.

no boundaries.

It’s hard to say what you’re capable of without testing your limits. We all know the feeling of potential – that feeling of lust and appetite for the world around us. What these women show us is that the difference between knowing the feeling and knowing the extent is just a weekend, a route, a bike pack and a few mates.

"Watching my sister push herself through 500km, climb by climb, on willpower over leg power inspires me to reach deeper." - Melita Van Steel

home.

And so our Melbourne girls completed the inaugural Pink Pass Ride – a journey of discovery and showcase of collective spirit. To have set off with only what they could carry was a testament of character. It ultimately became an incredibly liberating experience.