sydney to canberra

fujiboy
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sydney to canberra

Postby fujiboy » Sun Jul 02, 2017 12:37 pm

hay guys how you doin?

new to the forum but obsessed with riding :)

i was thinkin about doing a sydney to canberra ride on my own. i think that it just falls short of 300km and was planning to do an overnight stop at goulburn.

can anyone suggest the best route to take? ...or offer any advise to someone who started riding only a month ago? ive looked at the sydney to CAMberra charity ride route and it looks doable; but just concerned about the quality of the roads on route.

thanks a mil!

brumby33
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Re: sydney to canberra

Postby brumby33 » Sun Jul 02, 2017 12:53 pm

Crikey you're keen this time of year, Yesterday Goulburn reached something like -9C and Canberra -6C, the coldest day in 42 years I heard...bbrrrrrrr......better take more than a beanie :lol:
"ya gotta hold ya mouth right"

VWR Patagonia 2017
2003 Diamondback Sorrento Sport MTB

fujiboy
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Re: sydney to canberra

Postby fujiboy » Sun Jul 02, 2017 1:57 pm

brumby33 wrote:Crikey you're keen this time of year, Yesterday Goulburn reached something like -9C and Canberra -6C, the coldest day in 42 years I heard...bbrrrrrrr......better take more than a beanie :lol:
keen as mate. its one of those itches that needs to get scratched :P

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RonK
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Re: sydney to canberra

Postby RonK » Sun Jul 02, 2017 2:48 pm

Cycle touring blog and tour journals: whispering wheels...

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Derny Driver
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Re: sydney to canberra

Postby Derny Driver » Sun Jul 02, 2017 3:21 pm

RonK wrote:Read this. House to House Sitting on a Thorn
Take note of the route map. You cannot use the freeway from Waterfall to Wollongong. These guys use the National park which is lovely and scenic but very hilly and will kill you. You can take the old Princes Highway from Waterfall to Helensburgh and then head east to join the other route at Stanwell Tops. (You could continue south on the old highway at Helensburg but you would then need to descend Bulli Pass... as its freeway from there south and bikes are not allowed).
Also once in Wollongong I would head west up Crown St (the main street) and get onto the old Princes highway again at Figtree. Follow that to Dapto shops and just south of the shops take Marshall Mt rd. After Marshall Mt (a small hill) turn left onto Calderwood road and 2 km later at the Christian school turn right on to North Macquarie Rd. This will bring you out about 5 km from the base of Macquarie Pass. Macquarie Pass is a safer and easier way to get to the Southern highlands. Once at Robertson you follow the roads marked on the map Ron has linked.
These small changes involve flatter roads and less distance. Not sure why anyone would want to go to Kiama and then backtrack.
Anyway, I live in the Illawarra and have ridden all these roads, let me know if you have any questions.

fujiboy
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Re: sydney to canberra

Postby fujiboy » Sun Jul 02, 2017 9:29 pm

Derny Driver wrote:
RonK wrote:Read this. House to House Sitting on a Thorn
Take note of the route map. You cannot use the freeway from Waterfall to Wollongong. These guys use the National park which is lovely and scenic but very hilly and will kill you. You can take the old Princes Highway from Waterfall to Helensburgh and then head east to join the other route at Stanwell Tops. (You could continue south on the old highway at Helensburg but you would then need to descend Bulli Pass... as its freeway from there south and bikes are not allowed).
Also once in Wollongong I would head west up Crown St (the main street) and get onto the old Princes highway again at Figtree. Follow that to Dapto shops and just south of the shops take Marshall Mt rd. After Marshall Mt (a small hill) turn left onto Calderwood road and 2 km later at the Christian school turn right on to North Macquarie Rd. This will bring you out about 5 km from the base of Macquarie Pass. Macquarie Pass is a safer and easier way to get to the Southern highlands. Once at Robertson you follow the roads marked on the map Ron has linked.
These small changes involve flatter roads and less distance. Not sure why anyone would want to go to Kiama and then backtrack.
Anyway, I live in the Illawarra and have ridden all these roads, let me know if you have any questions.
Cherrs for that Derny Driver! the map is very helpful and quite involved. talk about documenting everything haha lots of literature there. seems like a short distance to cove in 7 days. im going to go through each of the roads he used with a fine toothed comb.

doing the ride by myself i really want to make sure to minimise any issues. cheers again!

uad782
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Re: sydney to canberra

Postby uad782 » Sun Jul 02, 2017 10:09 pm

I am not sure how long you want to take but going by the 'gong is taking the long way. Look at starting at Campbelltown to Picton to tahmoor to Mittagong to bundanoon. I have ridden there many years ago with the old highway being quite low in traffic. I think it is a lot quicker.

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Derny Driver
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Re: sydney to canberra

Postby Derny Driver » Mon Jul 03, 2017 1:42 am

uad782 wrote:I am not sure how long you want to take but going by the 'gong is taking the long way. Look at starting at Campbelltown to Picton to tahmoor to Mittagong to bundanoon. I have ridden there many years ago with the old highway being quite low in traffic. I think it is a lot quicker.
Good idea

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baabaa
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Re: sydney to canberra

Postby baabaa » Mon Jul 03, 2017 5:43 pm

The audax way down is a good one.
http://bikeroutetoaster.com/BRTWebUI/Course/543307
But if you just keep off the Hume/ freeway and go down east or west of it and you will be fine. Hard to avoid the bit around Marulan but keep to the far left and try and ride around most of the dead truck tyre wire and other road junk which will give you endless punctures... Also do expect some nasty cross winds south of Goulburn and in and around Tarago.

fujiboy
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Re: sydney to canberra

Postby fujiboy » Mon Jul 03, 2017 7:46 pm

uad782 wrote:I am not sure how long you want to take but going by the 'gong is taking the long way. Look at starting at Campbelltown to Picton to tahmoor to Mittagong to bundanoon. I have ridden there many years ago with the old highway being quite low in traffic. I think it is a lot quicker.
nice one! ive seen a few reviews from riders starting from campbelltown and following this exact route. im leaning most towards this. not looking for a scenic route.
baabaa wrote:The audax way down is a good one.
http://bikeroutetoaster.com/BRTWebUI/Course/543307
But if you just keep off the Hume/ freeway and go down east or west of it and you will be fine. Hard to avoid the bit around Marulan but keep to the far left and try and ride around most of the dead truck tyre wire and other road junk which will give you endless punctures... Also do expect some nasty cross winds south of Goulburn and in and around Tarago.
thanks for this. punctures are what concerns me the most. being a new rider i havent had a puncture yet or had practice changing a tube. but ill definitely deflate, remove and change and reinflate (is that a word?) for practice. i think around marulan, i wont be on the m31 for too long, right?

robbo mcs
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Re: sydney to canberra

Postby robbo mcs » Mon Jul 03, 2017 8:18 pm

uad782 wrote:I am not sure how long you want to take but going by the 'gong is taking the long way. Look at starting at Campbelltown to Picton to tahmoor to Mittagong to bundanoon. I have ridden there many years ago with the old highway being quite low in traffic. I think it is a lot quicker.
Agree with this. However, why not start in Sydney? Depending on where you are you can go full length of the M7 cycleway. Then hook up with the new Camden Valley way, which now has a dedicated cycleway for nearly the full length, or alternatively a very good and wide shoulder if you find the cycleway too stop start. That takes you to Camden, then go the back way to Picton and pick it up from there.

Another way is to go to Goulburn, take a short segment on the hume and then pick up the old hume highway (Cullerin rd) at Breadalbane. Follow that to Gunning, then take Gundaroo road towards Canberra. Old hume highway (cullerin) is a great road and extremely quiet. Gundaroo is not such a good road (less shoulder), but still quiet.

uad782
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Re: sydney to canberra

Postby uad782 » Mon Jul 03, 2017 9:52 pm

I agree with robbo-mcs

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baabaa
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Re: sydney to canberra

Postby baabaa » Tue Jul 04, 2017 3:03 pm

A start at Waterfall railway station gives the option of going via the Royal National Park and then up Macquarie Pass to Bundanoon. If you are not in any rush, this makes the ride much more scenic and just a little more special.

fujiboy
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Re: sydney to canberra

Postby fujiboy » Sat Jul 08, 2017 8:00 pm

thanks guys! robbo i think ill take the route you just pitched. so yeh, thanks baabaa but im not really looking for a scenic route. going to be grindin hard to get there as fast as i can. will start as soon as tour de france finishes.

will stop at a motel at goulburn overnight and continue the following morning.

ummm... headphones. i plan on pumping 80s music while i ride. is this an issue? the fact that i am using headphones, that is, not the music i listen to :P

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baabaa
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Re: sydney to canberra

Postby baabaa » Sun Jul 09, 2017 2:17 pm

Headphones? Why not but would suggest best not when on the freeway bits of the Hume as the trucks will spook you if you cant hear them coming.
The B-doubles will blow you out and then suck back in when doing 100 kays.

fujiboy
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Re: sydney to canberra

Postby fujiboy » Wed Jul 12, 2017 9:29 pm

baabaa wrote:Headphones? Why not but would suggest best not when on the freeway bits of the Hume as the trucks will spook you if you cant hear them coming.
The B-doubles will blow you out and then suck back in when doing 100 kays.
not gona lie that sounds scary as !! BAN ME NOW FOR SWEARING !!!

...i tried mapping the sydney to CAMberra charity route... google warned me that a few roads on the selected route were unfit for cycling. so i've decided to do the hume highway the entire way to goulburn. i'll be doing it right after le tour de france finishes. wish me luck! thanks for the replies guys!

irvs.

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fatherofmany
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Re: sydney to canberra

Postby fatherofmany » Fri Jul 28, 2017 11:52 am

looking at doing this too... so how'd it go?
15 Bikes 2 adults 6 children, 2 dogs, 10 chooks and a heck of a lot of fish

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