Whittlesea cycling ambassador Shannon Johnson moved from motorcycle racing to road cycling in 2011. He finished fourth in the 2011 Belgium Masters Cycling Championships, has won two Australian titles and scored a win in the Jayco Bay masters’ criterium support series. Johnson cycles up to 500 kilometres a week around Whittlesea.
What do you like about living in Whittlesea?
I’ve spent the best part of 30 years living in the area. I have so many fond memories of growing up here and I’m glad my children Ryan, 8, and Emily, 6, will be able to experience similar. It’s just far enough out from the city to be country but close enough
if you wish to venture into the hustle and bustle.
Where is your favourite place to spend a weekend afternoon?
To be honest, most of my weekends are spent either racing or training on my bike, but I do enjoy jumping on the bike with my wife and kids and riding to the local playground in the Hillcroft Estate (off Red Oaks Way, South Morang, next to Plenty Road) and kicking the footy and spending time as a family. We’re pretty spoilt with playground locations in our area – we have a few options to choose from.
Where do you ride your bike?
The thing I enjoy most about riding in the Whittlesea area is that I can ride anywhere between 50 and 140 kilometres and not have too many sets of traffic lights. The terrain is an added bonus. Depending on my training program, I can go and ride up hills, most notably Humevale … for a sprinter like me, it’s a challenge to ride up fast. Or I can do my sprint work on the flats. I enjoy riding around Eden Park also as it’s where I grew up and perfect for training. It’s great that we have so much choice and most roads have a bike lane, which is a big plus.
Where is the prettiest spot to ride?
I do have a favourite spot. I train near and often stop at – Yan Yean Reservoir (Recreation Road, Yan Yean). It’s a beautiful place to relax after some hard training and to spend some time admiring the view, being grateful for what you have.
Where do you stop to eat or drink while riding?
I prefer to stop at the end of a ride so I normally always stop at Ferguson Plarre in Mernda Village (7a/57 Mernda Village Drive, Mernda). The coffee is always good and it’s a bike-friendly location. I always give in and get a sweet treat …
What’s the region’s best attraction for families?
We really like Funfields (). We had Ryan’s eighth birthday party there. There’s so much for them to do and at the end of the day the kids are in bed early and fast asleep, so it’s a win for us parents, too. As far back as I can remember, I’ve gone to the Whittlesea show () and for the past four years we have taken the kids there. It’s a great family day out.
