Local Loops Riders with Sammy Muscat — Melbourne’s Ultra Endurance Cyclist

About Sammy

BMX to ultra endurance cycling & finding cycling again during COVID

Tell us a bit about yourself, what kind of rider are you, and how did you get into cycling?

I am an ultra endurance rider from Footscray, Melbourne, the kind of bloke who somehow thought pedalling 4,000 km across Europe would be a good idea. I am a plumber by trade, had to put the tools down for a bit to chase this adventure, and now I am back looking for plumbing work again.

Bikes have been part of my life since I was a kid, BMX dirt jumps, motocross, anything with two wheels and a bit of chaos. At 15 I stacked it hard on the BMX, ended up with a serious concussion and weeks of amnesia. Maybe that is why I am still a bit mad now.

But the proper cycling bug bit a bit later. I swapped a slab of beers for an old single speed bike and left it in the shed for years. When COVID hit, I dusted it off and started riding, and that turned into something much bigger.

I am still a full time plumber on big Melbourne sites, but training before and after work became my way of getting stronger, physically and mentally. After a heart scare in my twenties, I did not know what the path back looked like, but I knew the only real fix was to ride. The hardest part was not the riding, it was stepping outside, showing up, and trusting the process.

Living an unorthodox training life as a cyclist

You have described yourself as both a plumber and a heart failure survivor, what shifted for you on that recovery journey toward ultra distance cycling?

Most of my training has been commuting. Seventy five kilometres each way, out before 4 a.m, then a ten hour shift lifting steel pipes, and riding home again. That builds a different engine. I have never had a cycling coach. Not because I think I know best, but because I live a bit unorthodox. Seven day fasts, one meal a day while training more than twenty hours a week, and rides that run to thirteen hours. It is not a textbook, but it is me.

I still work full time as a plumber, and I am also chasing something new by racing bikes across continents. It is a juggle, the tools and the pedals.

Overcoming heart failure through cycling

How has that second chance shaped your outlook on riding and life, what inspires you to do these epic rides?

It taught me that life is not guaranteed. Cycling is proof of life for me. It gave me grit, patience and resilience, and showed me that when things get dark there is always a way forward if you keep turning the pedals.

Mission and Motivation

Big rides: Melbourne to Sydney via Hunt 1000

What is one of the most epic rides you have ever done?

In April 2024 I set out on my first long bikepacking trip from Melbourne to Sydney, following the Hunt 1000 route. Not the event, just the route. I had zero gravel experience, bought a gravel bike only weeks before, borrowed bags from a mate, and sent it.

Europe ultra – 4,000 km

By July the same year I was on a plane to Europe for my first proper ultra, a 4,000 km monster. From buying that gravel bike to lining up on the other side of the world, it was all a blur, and that is where the journey really began.

Kühtai summit, Austria 2,000 metre climb

Any particularly memorable moments from your ultra distance rides, good or challenging?

The Kühtai summit in Austria. I tried to check into a hotel at 2 a.m., saw racers coming from behind, and decided to push to the summit with no sleep. Kühtai sits over 2,000 metres and the weather is unpredictable. I had not slept for 48 hours and crawled up zigzagging just to keep moving.

Near the top at about 8 a.m. I reached the ski village plateau and broke down a bit. Then a herd of wild albino alpine donkeys surrounded me. In that sleep deprived state it felt like guardian angels turning up to keep me going. Surreal and beautiful, and one of those moments that makes you reflect on how far you have come.

Style and Kit

Pedla Super System cargo bibs

What is your go to riding kit, any favourite Pedla pieces you have tried?

The Pedla SuperSystem cargo bibs. I wore one pair for a 4,000 km ultra and did two forty eight hour stints on the bike in them. By the end the cargo pockets were so sticky with food remnants I had to peel them off in the shower. If bibs can survive that, they are the real deal. I am a cargo shorts convert.

Mission and Motivation

Riding for the Heart Foundation

You are raising funds for heart research, how does that mission fuel your training and rides?

It gives every pedal stroke meaning. Last year I raised eight thousand for Camp Quality. This year I raised ten thousand for the Heart Foundation.

Local Riding Culture

Cycling in Footscray and Melbourne

Where are you based, and what makes your local riding scene special?

Footscray, Melbourne. It is a playground. Beach Road bunches that feel like crit races, endless climbing in the Dandenongs, and a coffee culture that keeps the pedals turning. Plus our four seasons in a day weather keeps you honest.

Best Melbourne Rides: Footscray to Mt Macedon

Can you describe your favourite local route or terrain, what makes it memorable?

One of my go to training rides is a loop from Footscray out to Mount Macedon, which I call the Cross After Dark route. I roll out around 1 a.m. and reach the Memorial Cross for sunrise. Climbing in the dark with only your lights and the sound of the bush, then watching first light hit the valley, is unreal.

Quiet cycling back roads: Sunbury and Gisborne

Once you get out of the inner west toward Sunbury the roads go quiet. Rolling into Gisborne you will spot Scottish Highland cows, and if you are lucky a wombat or two. On the way back I usually tag Mount Gisborne to keep the legs honest.

All up it is about 160 km and 2,000 m of vert. Tough and beautiful, and I finish at the Inner West Swedish Bakery for coffee and baked goods. The cardamom rolls are a must try.

View the route on Strava: https://www.strava.com/routes/3292877450324291266

One-day Melbourne cycling hit list

If someone came to visit your city for a ride, where would you take them?

A Beach Road smash to start, then either the Dandenongs or Macedon for climbing. On Thursday night I would send them to Hawthorn crits. It gets spicy there and if you are not careful you will leave part of your pedal at the bottom of the hill. Then a taco stop on the way back.

Local Strava segments and routes

Could you share some Strava segments of good routes in your area?

Marty’s Monsters is the local cult loop. Sharp corners, punchy rises, and quick little descents through the suburbs. The 50 kilo blokes fly around it like it is nothing, but I am coming for it one day.

Beach Road from Footscray Bridge to Mordialloc is the fast line. I actually hold the KOM there and took it solo at 3 a.m. under a dynamo powered light. Riders know a dynamo hub costs a touch of speed, which makes it even sweeter.

For climbing I love Alton Road up to the Mount Macedon Memorial Cross. Quieter, more sheltered, and it feels like a small adventure. If you time it right you get sunrise at the Cross, and sometimes you see wombats or echidnas.

Marty’s Monsters

Distance: 5.38 km
Elevation gain: 95 m
Average grade: 01%
View on Strava: https://www.strava.com/segments/3467470

Footscray Bridge to Mordi Lights, Beach Road Fast Line

Distance: 33.37 km
Elevation gain: 97 m
Average grade: minus 0.1%
View on Strava: https://www.strava.com/segments/2562471

Alton Full to Summit, Mount Macedon

Distance: 6.27 km
Elevation gain: 400 m
Average grade: 6.0%
View on Strava: https://www.strava.com/segments/12010971

Cyclist-friendly cafes in the inner west

Fave local spots for coffee, food or beer pre, during or post ride?

Frankie’s Tortas and Tacos is number one. The pork tacos are fire and they are the perfect Thursday night treat after getting my legs ripped off at Hawthorn Teardrop. Number two is the Inner West Swedish Bakery for a proper fika. The cardamom cinnamon scroll, a bulla in Swedish, is a favourite. The Swedish meatball pasty is another must try. For a classic stop there is T. Cavallaro and Sons on Barkly Street. A proper Italian espresso bar and one of the oldest in Melbourne. The cannoli is legendary. Bonus if you can find it, Vy Coffee on Byron Street near Barkly. Tiny hole in the wall, cash only, and the sugarcane and kumquat juice is my top post ride refresh.

Headspace

The mental side of endurance cycling & fueling for long rides

What is going through your head on a solo ride?

Everything and nothing. Problem solving, laughing at myself, silence, and sometimes talking to animals. Those chats with cows or donkeys can keep you sane.

Finish this sentence, I keep pedalling because...

Because when everything felt uncertain and dark, cycling reminded me the world is a beautiful place. Rolling into small towns and feeling the kindness of strangers brought me back and reminded me why I ride. In the end it is that human connection and the beauty out there that keeps me going.