5 great cycling routes in Melbourne and regional Victoria
Cyclists of Melbourne, Geelong and surrounds don’t know how good they’ve got it. Forget Copenhagen. Move over Amsterdam. If you love riding, you live in a special place. Here’s why.
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Melbourne has some of the best places to ride a road bike anywhere in the world.
Even the best riders on the planet think that.
From the Herald Sun Tour to the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, we are blessed with world-class racing events that draw the best pro riders.
The top people’s rides - from the Peaks Challenge to the Giro della Donna - can haul in the big names, with superstar Alberto Contador (three Tours, three Vueltas and two Giros to his name) joining cyclists on the tough Giro ride up Mt Donna Buang just last month.
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PORTE HEADLINES HERALD SUN TOUR LINE-UP
Those who get on a bike every weekend might take it for granted but they can easily enjoy a taste of this incredible cycling smorgasbord.
The following five routes lay claim to being among Melbourne’s best for riders who love to suit up in Lycra before sun up on a Sunday.
Epic. Iconic. Bucket list.
These are the must-do rides for the guys and gals in clicky-clacky shoes who love to clog up local cafes on a weekend.
ICONIC ROUTE #1: BEACH RD, PORT MELBOURNE TO MORDIALLOC
Distance : About 60km, return
Degree of difficulty: Confident beginners to wannabe pros.
Scenery type and rating : Bayside. 7.5/10
Safety risks: Impatient pelotons, Toorak tractors, beachgoers.
This is the Mecca for Melbourne cyclists.
Which can be good and bad.
Sometimes really bad.
Beach Rd is either a favourite route to ride or the one to avoid like the plague, but anyone who takes cycling seriously enough has traversed the tarmac that snakes around our beautiful bay.
The upside.
Firstly, it’s by the water. Can’t knock that.
Secondly, there are many cafe stops along the route and, thirdly, you can turn around at various points and still say you’ve done Beach Rd for the day. Great if feeling under the weather.
Fourth, it’s pretty flat and lastly, the road surface is mostly excellent.
It’s where everyone goes so there’s a sense of community for riders.
There is no shame in pulling out of a bunch who are tearing your legs off to join another who is riding more your speed.
Which brings the bad.
It’s a drawcard for kitted-up posers wanting to show off their shiny new $10,000 BMCs, and for Tour-sized pelotons, which can be overwhelming for newer riders, drivers and pedestrians alike.
It’s unbelievable how many bikes are on this road early on weekends.
The road can resemble the final stage of a grand tour race.
You wouldn’t be surprised if a bearded bloke in a Devil’s costume popped out of the bushes.
Accidents and incidents on Beach Rd have delivered more headlines and road law reviews than almost any other cycling route in Australia.
So while it can be a nice beachside jaunt, it can’t be taken lightly and is best approached for the first time with a friend.
Tip: Check the wind direction. And Strava is your friend to find a bunch who rides at your fitness level.
ROUTE #2: 1/20 + THE WALL, DANDENONG RANGES
Distance: About 25km from The Basin, return
Degree of difficulty: Intermediate to experienced riders (steepish climbs, winding descents).
Scenery type and rating: Tall timber forests and sleepy villages. 9.5/10
Safety risks: Tight corners and two-lane roads with hidden driveways. Weekend car clubs. Motorbikes. Keep your wits about you.
This is one of the most stunning routes near Melbourne — or anywhere in Australia.
All this serenity starts straight after clipping in at The Basin pedestrian crossing — the official start of the 1/20 climb up to Sassafras.
Winding up at a steady gradient into the tall trees and valleys of the Dandenong Ranges, this route has become a drawcard for riders who enjoy a climb but don’t weigh 45kg.
Regular riders can rattle off their fastest 1/20 time by heart.
Regular riders know every pothole (there’s a couple) and tiny rise in the road as they climb towards the finish.
Sassafras at the top of the 1/20 section is akin to a ski resort, with multiple descents and climbing routes branching out in all directions.
There’s Perrins Creek Rd or The Crescent, with its tough final pinch, or the hike up to SkyHigh to gaze out and see if you can spot your house.
To complete the next tough section of this route — The Wall — head out from Sassafras through Sherbrooke, Kallista and along Sassafras Creek (note: in winter the temperature here drops sharply, well below anything the Bureau warns) to the switchback at the Olinda-Monbulk Rd corner.
This is the foot of The Wall. Aptly named.
The climb is a bit more serious than the 1/20, with a couple 12 per cent gradient sections as it pushes its way towards the town of Olinda.
After pedalling in with heavy legs, the next reward is a fun descent during the loop back to Sassafras.
This is the time for a quick refuel — and share over-filtered Instagram photos — at one of the village’s thriving cafes.
At Proserpina Bakery and Cafe where staff wake at 2am to bake cyclists fresh pastries, or the Ripe Cafe across the road.
After downing a coffee and doughnut, the final stretch is downhill back to The Basin.
Another pro tip. If it’s winter, rug up.
ROUTE #3: WARRANDYTE TO KINGLAKE
Distance: About 70km, return
Degree of difficulty: Intermediate to experienced.
Scenery type and rating: Windy roads, sleepy towns, mountain views. 8/10
Safety risks: Tight corners, narrow roads. 4WDs with trailers. Horse floats. Keep your wits about you.
This is a favourite route for Melbourne cyclists wanting to hit Victoria’s country roads without needing to put the bike on a roof rack.
Returning to its green glory a decade after Black Saturday, cyclists are back venturing up to Kinglake to test themselves against the iconic 7km climbing section into the town itself.
There are a couple of ways to approach the Kinglake climb depending where you call home.
Setting off at the Warrandyte Bridge is a popular pick for those who live in the northern and eastern suburbs.
The route takes you through Kangaroo Ground, Panton Hill and St Andrews before the final stretch to the peak in Kinglake at an elevation of 550m.
Then come the most fun part, the descent down the winding Heidelberg-Kinglake Road.
Anyone who doesn’t have a smile on their face during the drop doesn’t love being on a bike.
There are multiple places to stop for a caffeine hit along the way.
A popular one is A Boy Named Sue, the pizza joint that opens at 7am Saturdays and 9am Sundays to cater for weekend cyclists.
Riding Kinglake requires a bit of experience and cyclists are at the mercy of drivers needing to be alert. But all in all it’s a truly memorable ride.
Tip: Wear bright colours.
ROUTE #4: AROUND THE BAY, ANNUAL PUBLIC CYCLING EVENT
Distance: From 20km to 300km
Degree of difficulty: Beginners to experienced.
Scenery type and rating: Freeways, bridges, a ferry, winding coast roads. 7/10
Safety risks: Well planned but large groups and other road users — plus fatigue if tackling the longer routes — signals the need to be cautious.
For a quarter century Melbourne cyclists have used this event as a rite of passage (as they say on their own website).
No doubt.
Although pro Tour riders eat 200km stages for breakfast, for even the most committed weekend riders it’s a bloody long stretch to spend in the saddle.
A drawcard of this event, held in October, is the chance to ride over the Westgate Bridge.
For those who actually ride around the Bay it’s a challenging circuit that stretches all the way from Melbourne to Geelong, from Queenscliff to Sorrento (via ferry) before the final leg back ‘up’ the coast to Melbourne along Beach Rd.
10,000 riders sign up each year for a range of routes from a 20km ride through to a 300km epic — or, nuts — route that deviates to take in the Arthurs Seat climb and Flinders.
Because, why not.
Cyclists who have attempted enough Around the Bay events have plenty of war stories to tell — including battling 100km/h northerly winds in 2016.
Tip: Use the rest stops wisely and don’t overindulge on jelly snakes.
ROUTE #5: THE CADEL EVANS PEOPLE’S RIDE, GEELONG
Distance: 35km to 115km
Degree of difficulty: Intermediate to experienced.
Scenery type and rating: Spectacular coast roads, wild beaches, rolling countryside, who knew the back of Geelong was so damn hilly? 9.5/10
Safety risks: Same as Around the Bay.
Cadel Evans is the greatest cyclist this country has produced, so it’s no surprise his event follows possibly the greatest route you can do on a bike anywhere in Australia.
Those who tackle the 115km route are treated to the sights of Barwon Heads, Torquay and Bells Beach while peddling along The Great Ocean Road, a challenge trying to keep their eyes on the wheel in front rather than the rolling surf crashing on the white sand below.
The rolling hills on the return from Bells Beach to the back of Geelong are some of the most fun you can ride, like taking the rollercoaster at Luna Park.
But, here’s the rub.
Cadel had to climb the legendary Alpe d’Huez and Col du Galibier to win the Tour de France in 2011, so he decided it would be fun to chuck in a devastating little climb of his own on this ride.
Challambra Crescent in Highton.
It might only be an 830m section but it’s almost vertical. Straight up.
Cycling fans who head to Geelong to watch the pros in the major road race on the Sunday write messages of encouragement in chalk on the road here - just as fans do in the mountains of the Tour de France.
This little stretch is epic and it’s cruel.
It’s no shame if you have to dismount and walk up the final few metres because your legs are cramping. No shame at all.
What routes do you think we’ve missed? Add your favourite cycling routes below.
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