Possible move- Syd/Bris- Advise needed

[London Boy]

possibily Redcliffe area, in between Bribie and the CBD.

also not too far from the city via public transport.

plenty of good hilly riding in the samford valley area (well, not in the actual valley itself, around it), which is very accessible from the northside. If you end up on the southside of brisbane, not so much.

Apart from the likes of Mount Cotton and around past Redland Bay, or out of Beenleigh towards / over Mount Tamborine, Scrub Road and the territory round it, and so on. Rolls a lot out this way. Not considered hilly, exept by those of us who ride the area a bit... Not obviously hilly like Nebo, Glorious or even Coot-tha, but still have to work the legs a bit.

[baarg]

Forest lake in the western suburbs is a good place to live and only about 17km to the CBD
We have a train station in richlands which is only a few mintues away and a new bikeways that takes you directly to the city ....about a 45min commute each way.
Population is about 21,000 and affordable in terms or rentals or buying in comparison to other suburbs closer to the city
Easy access to major motorways and a 45 min drive to the gold coast (for the beach kick) but there is always the artificial beach in south bank
Some good rides around here and it makes the popular ones like the bay or redcliffe a bit more of a distance if you enjoy doing the ks

All the best in finding your new home

Agree, Forest Lake is good and underrated somehow which makes it cheaper than other areas. I enjoy living there.
If you are planning to commute though, it's more than 17km on the bikeways, it's about 27km each way, but it's safe and the road surface is really good. I wouldn't live anywhere the but South West, best commuting routes of Brisbane IMO and not too far from Coot-tha. A bit far from Nebo, but you can always drive and ride.
Good luck!

[RonK]

There a two kinds of people in Brisbane - those who live on the the north side of the river, and all the rest

Actually Redcliffe is becoming quite gentrified these days, and the bogans have been pushed out to Deception Bay - definitely stay away from there. But I believe Redcliffe is still fairly affordable. Sandgate and Shorncliffe are lovely upmarket areas and quite expensive. Brighton, Deagon, Boondall and Brackenridge are more affordable and beter serviced by public transport. North Lakes is a huge estate with a lively cycling scene happening but it's a long commute at around 35km from the CBD.

My 66km Saturday morning loop from the CBD takes Kingsford Smith Drive/Nudgee/Toombul/Sandgate roads to Shorncliffe and Sandgate with a loop round the back of Brighton along Lascelles and Nash streets.

There's a 100km Cycleogical ride from the CBD through Strathpine to Redcliffe and back through Sandgate on Sundays, averages around 32kph so doable for the average fit. The Zupps ride starts at Zupps Aspley and takes in Burpengary and Deception Bay as well as Redcliffe and finishes at the BP servo in Sandgate. It's a hard ride, mostly clubbies. For hills there's Mt Nebo/Glorious and the Northbrook Parkway. If you are a real hardcase there is a ride through Samford/Dayboro/Mt Mee/Cabooture and return. There are crits at Nundah and at Lakeside Raceway.

If you are a roadie the main forum is Road Grime. I'm not certain but I think this forum is connected with Hamilton Pine Rivers Wheelers, a very active club in SEQ.

[London Boy]

Don't ride up Nebo, Glorious unless you have a death wish.

Do ride up Nebo, Glorious. No death wish required, just a keen ear for motor sickles and the odd bogan Falcodore. Terrific ride. Hard, but good.

[winstonw]

+1 for Hamilton Pine Rivers Club, based at Nundah Criterium Circuit. They also race at Lakeside, a brilliant old motor racing circuit. a quick entree into cycling culture in Bris if you train and race with them.
http://www.hamiltonwheelers.com/
Zupps Aspley is the takeoff point for a lot of long northern burb rides - Dayboro Mt Mee; Strathpine Petrie Scarborough Sandgate loop. Sunday 615am groups start taking off. There's a couple of different levels so rides for everone. Last Sunday, 620am there were 100-120 riders gathered when I got there, which split into 3 or 4 bunches.

+1 for north side, esp if relies at bribie. If you want more nature, I'd favor
north east = Nundah, Northgate, Banyo, Boondall, Deagon/Shorncliffe/Sandgate.
north west = Everton Hills to Eatons Crossing.
The former has the Wetlands, Moreton Bay, and quick access to Gateway Arterial and airport. though it is true the Gateway is a parking lot during peak hour. fine at other times though. probably the lightest traffic and longest ride in Brisbane is Kedron Brook down to Boondall Wetlands, Boondall, Deagon, Shorncliffe, Sandgate, Redcliffe Peninsula. This is about 80km of low and slow traffic. all flat though.
The latter has access to Samford Valley and Bunya State Forest, and Old Northern Road which has a great shoulder (though this disappears closer to town).

I'm a northside boy though. If I was in your shoes, I'd get your work sorted first, then come up and have a sniff around for at least 4 days. I know a good Buyers Agent who is very methodical for things like this. Though I'd suggest you rent first. Prices aren't likely to go up in Brisbane significantly, even if we have an interest rate cut.

I knew Sans Souci well in the 1980s. Worked on the weekends sometimes for a mate who owned the Sans Souci pub. If you are partial to the water, I'd suggest you stick with the North East. The South East Bay burbs are very nice (Wynnum, Manly, Wellington Pt, Cleveland) but more exy. I have friends there but they always seem to be heading up to Brisbane or the northern burbs, where the action is.

I lived in the Western burbs (St Lucia, Taringa, Indooroopilly, Kenmore, Chapell Hill, Brookfield, Chelmer, Corinda, Graceville) years ago and the socioeconomic demographic is high there, but is exy, and a bit grid locked these days.

met a cyclist who moved up to Banyo from Maroubra last year, and joined HPRW. He is pretty happy with the move.

[London Boy]

Wynumn is a nice suburb, almost as nice as Shornecliffe but also relatively expensive.
Cleveland is not as nice, only suitable if you like fishing and mudflats.
Alex Hills is not as nice as Cleveland, and quite a distance from the train line.

Manly is better than Wynnum, which is a bit too close to Hemmant and Lytton for my liking (touch industrial). Wakerley is ok, and Gumdale is pretty good, though prices start to climb a bit around there.

There's not a lot wrong with Greenslopes or Holland Park, or Tarragindi come to that. Convenient for the city and so on.

I live in <whispers>Capalaba</whispers>, which is bogan central to be honest. Saving grace is I am in the suburb, not far from Sheldon and Mt Cotton, but not in the town.

Not a lot wrong with living down the Gold Coast, say Runaway Bay or around that area, or over towards Oxenford. Commutable to the city (reckon on an hour each way) and if you want hills to climb, there is Tamborine and most of what's around it. North of Gold Coast you've got the cane fields, mostly pancake-flat, so good for just racking up the miles.

Probably avoid Beenleigh, but there are some reasonable little places around it, thinking Bannockburn one way, or Bethania the other.

[lethoso]

Not a lot wrong with living down the Gold Coast

Other than the fact you'd be living on the gold coast.