River Loop over the Green Bridge at UQ

[Sam_boss260]

So how is the short version of the River Loop, with Green Bridge? Coming from South Brisbane, we'll be going over GoBetween then down Coro, through St Lucia and over the bridge and back through Dutton Park.

Are the hills over the bridge really that bad?

All things considering I am just picking up the pace and slowly getting stronger, particulalry doing hills.

[sumgy]

There is only really 1 hill after the bridge and that is Dutton Road.
Turn left at the little shopping centre at the top and head down the hill to the rover and follow that all the way through to Southbank.

[lethoso]

Are the hills over the bridge really that bad?

No, the only "bad" hill on the riverloop is if you're coming from the corso past the cemetary back up to gladstone rd. Which you won't be doing, if you're going across the green bridge.

[Queestce]

Google maps is your friend... Do the route from your door on walking mode, drag route points where you want them and find out. How can anyone tell you how long a route is if we don't know where it starts or finishes...

From New Farm (approx New Farm Park) it's about 24km's across the Story Bridge, in front of the KP cliffs, up Gladstone Rd, across the Green Bridge, back through Coro, over the Go Between, and back past the cliffs and over the Story Bridge again. The hills are more crests, if you're easing into hills they should be totally fine. I prefer doing that loop the other direction, mainly because too many people do it that way and overtaking people on Gladstone Rd with traffic coming past is never ideal - and it happens frequently when you have half of Brisbane on there of a morning...

Edit: Sorry my bad, I thought you asked "how short is...", not "how is the short..."

[Sam_boss260]

There is only really 1 hill after the bridge and that is Dutton Road.
Turn left at the little shopping centre at the top and head down the hill to the rover and follow that all the way through to Southbank.

Yeah, I believe that is the hill....

[sumgy]

There is only really 1 hill after the bridge and that is Dutton Road.
Turn left at the little shopping centre at the top and head down the hill to the rover and follow that all the way through to Southbank.

Yeah, I believe that is the hill....

Nah, you will be fine.

[Sam_boss260]

Cheers... will report back tomorrow, if I make it back in one piece !!! lol

[Comedian]

We call it a half loop. A typical morning for us is a couple of laps of Mt Cootha and a half a loop going to Coffee at the Garage and then on to work!

[marinmomma]

So how is the short version of the River Loop, with Green Bridge? Coming from South Brisbane, we'll be going over GoBetween then down Coro, through St Lucia and over the bridge and back through Dutton Park.

Are the hills over the bridge really that bad?

All things considering I am just picking up the pace and slowly getting stronger, particulalry doing hills.

When I started riding bikes 18 months ago on a mountain bike I could manage all the hills on the river loop, even coming up from the river at Dutton Park via the road and then crossing over to the path that connects to the uni bridge, I was slow but I didn't have to walk any of it....if I could manage it with zero bike or other fitness on a mountain bike I'm sure that you'll be fine.

Get out there and ride it and keep at it and soon you'll be looking for some real hills to be challenged with

[Sam_boss260]

Well I didn't do the half loop this morning.... I got talked into doing the full river loop instead. OMGosh !!!

Was a real eye opener with so much riding on the roads with traffic, instead of bike paths or back streets. We did the longer loop, with 36.55kms. I really started to struggle around Graceville / Chelmer and by the time that we got to The Corso it was hard. But I did manage to get up that big hill from the river up to Gladstone Rd (I now call that Dead Man's Hill). But by the time that we got to that long hill on Gladstone Rd, I had run out of petrol and had nothing left, so I had to walk 3/4's of it. But at the top, I did manage to get back on and ride back to South Brisbane.

SO all in all, I'm chuffed that I did it, but as I thought it was very hard and I'm not ready for this sort of ride yet! Next time will do the half loop.

CHeers

[Kenzo]

Good work Sam.
Do the loop again but cut out Sherwood/Corinda.
When you exit the Indooroopilly Bridge, just go straight across to Roseberry Ave...
Also - when you are on Kadumba St in Yeronga, turn right on Rhyndara, dog leg down to Orsova St then the Corso to 'Dead Man's Hill'.
When you start to feel stronger you can include those longer sections again.

[Sam_boss260]

Good work Sam.
Do the loop again but cut out Sherwood/Corinda.
When you exit the Indooroopilly Bridge, just go straight across to Roseberry Ave...
Also - when you are on Kadumba St in Yeronga, turn right on Rhyndara, dog leg down to Orsova St then the Corso to 'Dead Man's Hill'.
When you start to feel stronger you can include those longer sections again.

Yes, I agree with you Kenzo, it was just a bit too much for me, for where I am now. We had an issue at Yeronga, not sure the name of the street, but it was as we wnet downhill towards The Corso, they had the road closed due to roadworks, so we had to go another way, which probably made it longer.

[goneriding]

First time I did a Loop I got talked into doing Mt Coot-tha (front side). I bonked about half way along the Corso. Luckily, I was living in Sherwood but it still wasn't a lot of fun! The bunch I used to ride with took me 4 goes before I managed to stay on. My last ride with them (15 months) I beat them all back by 3 minutes!

The moral of the story? Keep chipping away at it and the strength and endurance will come. A judiciously placed coffee stop helps enormously. The Garage is a good stopping point but for the direction you are running I'd recommend Miette's on Graceville Ave.

[Comedian]

Well I didn't do the half loop this morning.... I got talked into doing the full river loop instead. OMGosh !!!

Was a real eye opener with so much riding on the roads with traffic, instead of bike paths or back streets. We did the longer loop, with 36.55kms. I really started to struggle around Graceville / Chelmer and by the time that we got to The Corso it was hard. But I did manage to get up that big hill from the river up to Gladstone Rd (I now call that Dead Man's Hill). But by the time that we got to that long hill on Gladstone Rd, I had run out of petrol and had nothing left, so I had to walk 3/4's of it. But at the top, I did manage to get back on and ride back to South Brisbane.

SO all in all, I'm chuffed that I did it, but as I thought it was very hard and I'm not ready for this sort of ride yet! Next time will do the half loop.

CHeers

well done!

[franklin]

in some circles that hill is known as "The Duttonberg".

[Sam_boss260]

in some circles that hill is known as "The Duttonberg".

It is just a monster of a hill...

[Queestce]

Yea, that hill is long indeed. As I said I always ride the riverloop in the opposite direction. It's funny, I guess no matter which direction you end up scaling the same elevation - just over a longer distance/shallower gradient or whatever. But it still feels harder your way Both directions are a climb from ~ "river level", either South Bank, or the Corso... I guess the little bit of a shallow climb from Southbank to the start of Gladstone cuts down the length a little.

[master6]

The fact that this question arises is interesting. As a Brisbaneite, now spending a considerable part of each year in southern Tasmania, I was amased when I first hit the Tasmanian roads 4 years ago. Of necessity, people around Hobart accept hills , and make a point of challenging themselves on the most demanding cycling courses, one of which is known as "The Commando Course". Even beginners, the overweight, and those who are obviously sprinter types , just get on with the job of climbing. I have not seen anyone here seek out "flatter" courses, which do exist on the east side of Hobart, and around Richmond.
Dont avoid hills; ride them and you will soon find out what sort of pace is sustainable for you, and the gearing to give some comfort. If your mates are decent people, they will understand that you are feeling your way on hills, and either wait at the top, or turn and ride down to meet you if you are more than a few hundred metres behind.

[Yongkun]

The cemetary hill is rated more than 10%, pretty steep but its very short, which is beside the green bridge.

I have seen people ride up with granny touring and single speed bike, so i think it should be possible.