Long, flat(ish) rides in Sydney?

[george-bob]

I am currently training for the coffs harbour tri in march next year. The course is close to dead flat, a type of riding I do not do a lot of in Sydney (seems there are hills just about everywhere). Does anyone know of anywhere nice and flat and fast to get some training in? The race is 40km, so ideally I want somewhere with at least 10km of uninterrupted flat road that I can get out and hammer, so the dream is finding somewhere flat, safe and free of interruptions.

So far the closest is centennial park, but it is quite dull for any extended period...

[milkman]

Is the m7 cycleway too hilly? I see a fair bit of tri bikes on it..

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S3

[g-boaf]

M7, but go the other direction rather than towards Prestons - that might be the way. There are lots of people on triathlon/tt style bikes on there. You've got a long distance you can use with some hills if you want to add them. The hills aren't all that heavy, more rolling hills that are just gentle and long with a few steeper bits that are fairly short.

Even better, there are very few pedestrians on the M7.

[george-bob]

The M7 is a good idea, I will try and head out there this weekend. Thanks

[grimbo]

Captain Cook Drive, from Taren Point to Kurnell in Sydney's south-east is fairly flat. When our group of four is feeling like a heads-down-bum-up ride, it's where we head. They also have tri-comps out there, and we often see TT guys on the road as well.

[NhiTrac]

Failing the M7, you can try the M5. The only disruption you'll have are the on/off ramps though most of the time you can cross without having to stop at all... With the exception of one or two where you'll almost always have to stop.

The most gradient you'll get is 1 or 2% according to my 500

[Boognoss]

Or Old Windsor Rd/Windsor Rd from the M2/M7 end of the M7 cycleway out to McGraths Hill and back. Wide shoulder and about as flat as you will find in Sydney.

[goneriding]

Captain Cook Drive, from Taren Point to Kurnell in Sydney's south-east is fairly flat. When our group of four is feeling like a heads-down-bum-up ride, it's where we head. They also have tri-comps out there, and we often see TT guys on the road as well.

+1. Kurnell is an out and back. Mostly flat with a couple of small bumps.

If you keep on going south you can keep on heading out to Waterfall as well.

[wombatK]

Captain Cook Drive, from Taren Point to Kurnell in Sydney's south-east is fairly flat. When our group of four is feeling like a heads-down-bum-up ride, it's where we head. They also have tri-comps out there, and we often see TT guys on the road as well.

+1. Kurnell is an out and back. Mostly flat with a couple of small bumps.

If you keep on going south you can keep on heading out to Waterfall as well.

+1.

"Fairly flat" and "mostly flat" is under-stating it. It's as flat as a pancake. Start from Kyeemagh, along General Holmes Drive and Grand Parade to (almost) Taren Point will add another 6 km of flats to it, then a small hill over the Bridge, and it's then flat all the way around to Kurnell. Really quite flat from Eastlakes/Centennial Park if you're game enough to ride on the Airport Drive etc (maybe not so fearsome just after dawn - many groups do it).

Enjoy !

[sogood]

Or just go round and round and round without stops in Centennial Park.

[george-bob]

Thanks for the advice guys, time to go exploring!