If you’re not quite into the idea of being in a sweatbox of a gym with other people sweating everywhere but still want to get a good workout in, or maybe you just wanna explore around a bit while getting some kms in your legs. Getting on the bike is the perfect solution for both of these things, and you can either go at a leisurely cruising pace or click it up a gear or two and put some work in. But where’s good to get the pedal pushers out? Here are a few cycling tracks and routes around Australia to get the cogs moving.
Very Good Cycling Tracks To Burn Through On Your Silver Steed
New South Wales
Outside of ski season, the alpine regions are a lot of fun for kicking up some dirt and dust, and the Thredbo area has a bunch of cycling tracks that range from beginner to advanced for you to burn around.
The Bay Run and the Cooks River paths are all really fun to ride along while being near a patch of water. Or if you want to get a good workout in, a few hot laps of Centennial Park is always good fun, and a great spot to people-watch all the Very Serious Cyclists in their racing kits.
Head out west and you’re bloody spoilt for choice. Prospect Reservoir is probably the most popular spot after its huge $13.7million upgrade that was completed back in 2015.
And if you’re really keen, the M7 Cycleway is a solid 40km cycling track that slips alongside the freeway. Here’s a very handy and extensive rundown of that track and everything it connects to.
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Victoria
There are oodles of bike tracks that zip through the city, and there’s set to be another 40km of bike lanes in the CBD alone within the next couple of years.
In the inner suburbs, you’ve got the Capital City Trail which feels like it goes on forever, the Upfield Bike Path is an easy under 10km jaunt that’ll take you from the northern end of the CBD to Coburg (though some has been closed for a level crossing upgrade.)
Along the water of Port Phillip Bay, you’ve got the Bay Trail that’ll take you from the top end of Brighton right around Ricketts Point and up to Beaumaris.
Further afield, there’s the Mount Buller and Alpine regions’ cycling tracks to have a burn through, including the High Country Rail Trail from Wodonga to Shelley. Or if you want you can cycle along the stunning Great Ocean Road. Maybe take some snacks for that one though.
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Queensland
In Brisbane, you can turn the legs over with a 35-40km loop around the Brisbane River, or a gentle pedal along the Jim Soorley Bikeway.
If you’re further north, the Esplanade in Cairns takes you along the stunning Trinity Bay, or if you wanna slog it out, the Goldfield Trail between Goldsborough Valley and the Mulgrave River top camp is accessible for mountain bikers.
If you’re REALLY adventurous, you can ride along the famous Triple-R MTB race track, which zips through cane fields between Mt Molloy and Four Mile Beach up in Port Douglas. Just make sure you close the gates on the private farmland you traverse through.
Tasmania
Down in Hobart you can zip along cycling tracks through the city from Sullivan’s Cove up to the Cascade Brewery with the City & Nature Trail, or push it a little more and bike your way out to the MONA Museum with a cruise along the Inter City Cycleway.
In Launceston, you can crank the gears around the city and take in all the sights (make sure you stop in at the park to see the monkeys) or you can do a winery loop from the city out to the White Hills, which is pretty much a fancy-ass version of the classic fridge-to-fridge.
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South Australia
South Aus is home to one of our biggest wine regions, and exploring it by bike is some true Marianne-and-Connell-riding-in-the-Italian-countryside shit.
There’s the Riesling Trail that takes out through 35km of wine country in the Clare Valley, and you can stop in at various wineries to rehydrate.
Or you can explore the mountains with a bunch of trails winding through the Flinders Ranges. Depending on what your skill level is at, there’s some gentle rides or the more adventurous full-day rides.
Staying in the city, the River Torrens Linear Park Trail is a stretch of paved path that goes for 30km, or about 3hrs of cycling time, winding from Athelstone right down to either Henley Beach or West Beach. Or you can ride along to coast with the Encounter Bikeway on the Fleurieu Penninsula, stretching from Laffin Point all the way along to The Bluff at Rosetta Head.
Western Australia
There are obviously an incredible number of bike trails and routes in Western Australia, ranging from cruise gentle rides right through to arduous mountain bike expeditions through the desert.
Sticking to the city, you can ride around the Swan River loop at Herisson Island in the south, cruising along the Esplanade and crossing the water at Narrows and Goongoongup bridges.
The Ride Around The Rivers trails explore the Swan and Canning rivers, giving you plenty of cycleways and flats to explore on a good day.
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Northern Territory
Up in the top end, you’re quite spoilt for choice with lots of flat terrains and dedicated cycling paths to see the NT.
Up in Darwin, the East Point Reserve track down to Mindil Beach is a super popular path to take, and it gives you a stunning view over Beagle Gulf.
Down in Alice Springs, there are great tracks that wind through the city, and can spit you out at Telegraph Station or over to Flynn’s Grave. Or you can take a full day to cycle out to the Simpson’s Gap – it’s about 24km from the centre of the city.
ACT
The nation’s capital is riddled with bike paths and cycleways so you can roll your way through all the suburbs of the ACT. The shorter middle Lake Burley Griffin trail zips past the museums, galleries, National Library and (importantly) Questacon at Parkes. Or you can push it out to the longer path that goes right over to the National Zoo & Aquarium in the west, and over to the eastern loop around the Kingston foreshore.
The ACT also has a bunch of mountain biking trails in world-class spots like the Majura Pines trails and the dedicated cross-country trails of the Stromlo Forest Park.
