OK so you can choose between a genuine Century at 100 miles (160 ks) or you can go metric and ride the 100k option. Either way the Century: Brisbane to Noosa is a first class ride taking in all the best the southeast has to offer.

Don’t be bothered by the cold at the 6.30 am start from Brisbane City Botanic Gardens in the big smoke. You’ll be bound to warm up by the time you hit Gympie Road cruising through Lutwyche headed north.

By this time, the groups will have formed with the legends touching the better side of 40ks an hour. The ‘not as fit as I thought I was’ group will be plugging away at about 25 and the rest of the pack will settle in to something in between.

Brisbane at this time of day isn’t such a bad place after all with almost no traffic and a fresh morning chill to let you know you’re alive. Progress will be smooth with the usual nervous chitchat of a bunch settling into serious one on ones by the time the Caltex at Castledine becomes a memory. NO HILLS YET

From here it’s onto the Old Gympie Road through Strathpine before a right at the Anzac Avenue round-a-bout takes you towards the Bruce Highway until a left onto Narangba Road.

From here, the bush gets bushier and the city is just a memory. You’ve covered about 25ks so far. From here, the roads narrow considerably. Single file is a necessity in some areas as the four-wheel traffic imposes the ‘right of weight’ at every opportunity.

In the next 20 ks you will flick up through Burpengary, Morayfield and Caboolture headed towards Beerburrum via Dances Road. At Cotrill Road, the gathering in the distance is no doubt the hundreds of cyclists waiting to start the 100k ride. Remember they are fresh so choose your breaks carefully if you want to make them stick. NO HILLS YET

Whilst the road surface deteriorates a bit through the next section, the scenery improves dramatically and the traffic drops off to almost nothing. For the next 30 ks or so you wind through pine forests and farming communities headed north towards Landsborough. NO HILLS YET.

Full of confidence after skipping through Landsborough a left turn to Tunnel Ridge Road gives nothing away in the next kilometre. Then………the reality of 85 ks in the legs hits home with the first of the HILLS. Not that long but with a couple of kicks at around 12% its enough to sort the crew into smaller bunches which is probably a good thing as the roads narrow a bit more as they wind through stunning undulating forested country.

Tunnel Ridge Road ends with a steep drop at 17% headed towards a T-intersection. No heroes allowed here. This is slow, slow, slow before a left towards the beautiful little town of Mooloolah for a lunch stop.

After a bit of re-fuelling with renewed freshness in the legs its off towards the Eudlo Valley via a decent hill within the first 2 ks of lunch. This climb isn’t heart breaking but its honest followed by an awesome down hill run if it’s dry. The speeds through the next section are high with hard bitumen and flowing roads keeping you itching to set decent averages.

A left into Chevallum Road followed by a right in the township of Palmwoods has you starting to feel the bite of 105 ks of good hard riding. Hopefully lunch will be settled by now as you cross the Nambour Connection Road just up the hill from the famous Big Pineapple and march on towards Keil Mountain.

Flying down Keil Mountain road across the Bruce Highway overpass gives no hint you are but seconds away from ‘RESTAURANT HILL’ (so named as the lunch time menu is likely to be deposited all over the side of the road). This little baby hurts like no tomorrow. Its not vertical but might as well be. After 107ks, the legs scream for mercy for the three minutes of hard climbing at what feels like at least an 85% gradient!!!

Great news……from here on in the road undulates before turning right to Petrie Creek Road then right again at the Bli Bli Castle headed towards Mudjimba.

The bunches will form up again along the David Low Way as it heads north towards Perigian and Noosa. The views become increasingly spectacular with the best of the Sunshine Coast beaches easily visible from the saddle.

As you enter Noosa Junction at the 150k mark the impending relief from 5 or 6 hours of sitting pretty on your bike is tangible. A quick whip along Eenie Creek Road will no doubt see the pace pick up again before you snap left onto Mary Street headed towards the Esplanade for a flying finish after 160ks of honest effort.