Good Roads Bad Roads

[TheKaptone]

Being a newish bike rider I thought i might start a thread with the roads that people like to ride and others they avoid in and around the Metro Adelaide area, I live in the western suburbs so i regularly ride to outer harbour which is mostly safe and many riders on it so other road users are aware of bikes. I also go the other way to Hallet cove which is again a popular route

I have seen the bike lane on Shephards hill road but not anyone riding it so I wonder if people avoid it for any reason, it seems like a challenging hill and i mihgt give it a go. Is cross road a safe enough road to take to get me to the tollgate or am i better off driving and parking and strating my ride up there already.

I used to go down to Port Adelaide but nearly got knocked off on my second ride so I dont go down that way anymore.

I start my longer rides at 5am which is great for traffice but eventually the roads get busy so coming back on some of the roads that were quiet could be very different in a couple of hours time

Would love to hear of any roads people like to avoid or love using to help me gain a better knowledge of where to ride and where not to

[HappyHumber]

Might be a little better under the SA specific subforum, matey...

The question, as well as being relative to individual experience and confidence, is pretty locale specific to the roads you're talking about.

[TheKaptone]

Good idea, any clue on how I get it changed

[mikesbytes]

Good idea, any clue on how I get it changed

Done

[TheKaptone]

Many thanks

[TheKaptone]

Little bump, anyone from sa.............

[gdt]

It's a tad hard not knowing what sort of cycling you like.

The entry to Port Adelaide from the west can be a little tricky, but straight down Port Road isn't too bad if you're used to traffic. There's a new bike route marked out roughly parallel to -- but to the north of -- Port Road: it sucks for going into the city (because it drops you on the worst section of South Road), but is excellent for going to the Port as it crosses under Grand Junction Road and drops you into the Port back streets. You can then continue up to the docks, which are great for casual cycling (although keep an eye out for abandoned railway tracks, I broke three ribs finding one unexpectedly).

Avoid Grand Junction Road.

It sounds like you've found Military Road (for roadies) and the Coast Path (for families).

The PAE Council has installed an excellent cycling and walking loop around Inner Harbor: most notably there's a fully protected bike path over the Jervios Bridge (thus giving a very safe Military Road -- Port Adelaide route).

Almost all of Semaphore Road now has a protected bike path. There's only a block when you are coming from the the Birkenhead or Diver bridges which you need to share with traffic.

If you head out east from the Diver Bridge you'll quickly find that the bike path is poorly designed, poorly maintained, and peters out as soon as the Port River Expressway starts. It's the very definition of "missed opportunity" considering they could have built a seperated path to the north of the expressway which could have carried people right through to Port Wakefield Rd (the Parks, Mawson Lakes, etc).

However if you turn up Grand Trunkway you might enjoy the ride out to the Torrens Island power station and Garden Island. It looks really exposed, but the dead straight road gives drivers a massively long sight line and most change lanes as they pass.

Heading back west from the Diver Bridge is a bikepath which takes you alongside the rail corridor as it turns north up the Peninsula. This runs right through the middle of the cement factory, and is worth seeing once. After that you'll be breathing the tinged air of the petrol storage. You can continue up to Snowdens Beach, which is a nice stop to raid the jersey pockets.

There's a nice new park at Outer Harbor. Try to time that with the arrival or departure times of a ship. They are astongishingly large standing on the shore of the channel.

Both sides of the Port River offer many opportunities for industrial archeology. Although there's a lot more fences than in the 1980s after the crackdown on access to "infrastructure" following 9/11/2001.

[rustychisel]

I avoid South Road north of Anzac highway, leaving the city via Botanic Road from current RAH to Maid 'n Magpie corner, and whatever goes straight up the hill to Aberfoyle Park from Main South Road. Other than that I ride where I ride.

Portrush Road is fine, for example. Most truck drivers are thorough professionals. It's d!7khead Sharon rushing to get home to Mt Barker who usually is too busy to bother driving safely.

[TheKaptone]

Thanks for those replies, looks like I have many new routes you try and some roads to avoid. Cheers

[you cannot be sirrus]

Shepherds Hill is OK once you have got past the weird merge lanes near the bottom of the hill, the climb is OK and usually the traffic is light and well mannered. The roundabout at Blackwood is a nightmare though.

[Frostee]

Hi Kaptone welcome to SA.
After you get to Hallett Cove you can cross the railway line at the station, and take the sea to vines trail all the way to Willunga. Its a nice ride.
Cross Rd is ok, but as a warning, stay alert at peak hours, Ive had one or two very close calls during those times. Cross Rd will also link you to Belair Rd, a nice climb, which in turn goes to many nicer places both south and east . As you live in the west you can also use Cross Rd as a loop into the city via Duthy St, coffee, then back down Henley Beach Rd.

As a former early morning commuter starting at 5:00 will let you get a long way before the cars take over, then it is a matter of finding quieter roads to return on.


Check the climbs sticky for other great riding roads.