What's Your Favourite Bike North Ride?

With around 500 members, Bike North is catering for a huge range of rider interests and skills. To assist in catering for such diversity, we have over 600 mapped rides. Whilst some riders revel in long, fast and difficult rides such as To the Reptile Park, other riders are happy doing more scenic or artistically focus rides such as Art in the City and Pyrmont. Maybe it's the coffee stop and conversation with like-minded friends that is important to you. So, what is your favorite ride and why? Let's hear about your favorite ride and give us some photos as well.

To get things started, here's one from our Rides Coordinator, Brian Lynne.

Having just completed this ride, as a Bike North Ride Leader, I would have to nominate Sutherland to Wollongong as my favourite Bike North Ride. A distance of 64km and 822m of climb, at 22 to 25kph average, this is for fit, strong riders and is best tackled mid-week, to avoid traffic. It replicates the best part of the annual MS Gong Ride, but without the mass of bikes. The first section of the ride uses the Princes Highway to Waterfall and is a relatively flat section on shoulders and the left lane of a three-lane highway riding two-by-two. The road surface is excellent, and a good group can easily achieve an average pace of 25kph for the first 15km. After a drinks stop at Waterfall, we are ready for the next 16km to Stanwell Tops.

The McKell Avenue descent to Lady Wakehurst Drive is exhilarating but unfortunately it comes to an end too soon and the right turn starts us through The Royal National Park, headed towards Stanwell Tops. The first half of this section is undulating, with a slight tendency to descend so riders are feeling good, however the section half is undulating to with lots of climbing until you see the ocean for the first time. There's only 2 km to the rest stop and an 11% climb to tackle!

The run along Lawrence Hargrave Drive was used in the 2022 UCI World Cycling Championships, and for good reason. Across the Seacliff Bridge and then a challenging, undulating ride to Thirroul and on to the recently renovated Bulli Surf Club for coffee, looking over the ocean. The run through the back roads of northern Wollongong is another opportunity to stretch out as the ride goes to Coniston Railway station for the express train back to Sutherland.

This ride is always memorable with a great course, great friends and an enjoyable coffee stop. One of the best Bike North rides and definitely my favourite.

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