This video is really for the rest of us—the ones who make progress in fits and starts and often find ourselves taking the long way around. Mike’s multi-day trek shows that you don’t need to be a professional to explore your own world; you just need the grit to handle the rain, the mechanical hiccups, and the occasional hour-long wait for a rescue when things go sideways [11:18]. It’s a great reminder that there is a quiet dignity in the grind, even when you feel “rubbish” at following the map [17:52]. If you’ve been feeling like you’re just wandering or moving too slowly, watching Mike find genuine joy in the middle of a messy, beautiful detour might be exactly the encouragement you need to keep pedaling.

Watch the full video here:

So I start this beat the bus trail at the South Turramurra shops. You ride down Kissing Point Road till it turns into a shared path track for walkers and cyclists. Then it gets steeper to the river You cross the river on a weir that can flood so don’t cross it then. Then its a solid climb to the tunnel under the M2 and a ride into Macquarie Park shops and Uni. Pretty good really. Total time 18 minutes at 17km per hour. The great part about this path is the busses and cars have to go the long way round.

If it rains when you are across the creek, you can ride a really long way around via Yanko Rd. The footpath looks ok if you hate busy roads like me. Otherwise leave your bike and catch the bus.

The bus takes about 26 minutes. Driving the car will be a little quicker but free parking is a going to see you walking about 2km to work or the uni.

Summary – South Turramurra Shops to Macquarie Shops is 17 mins by bike at 17km per hour saves 10 minutes on the bus – There are hills in this trail but not for that long.

A great option could be to park on the north side of Lan Cove National Park, pull your bike out of the car and ride through Browns Creek.

The Ride with GPS Trail here >>

Other Cycling Options to Macquarie Park and Uni

From the south there is a great flat 5 km trail from Top Ryde

From Epping there is a good enough 5km trail

From the East you can come in through Lane Cove National park on a really hilly route of 8kms

From the South East, Epping Rd Cycleway is a very good route with hills that extends off road to St Leonards

All are on the map of Sydney here >>

What happens when it rains ?

If you use the Browns Creek Path after rain, be careful as it could get slippery, worse still it may close or you may think you can cross it when it floods (well don’t). Anyway the obvious option is to ride down to the A3 and cross the bridge on the path on the west side and go up Yanko. This is OK for a bit and then it gets downright dangerous. Would be more so in wet weather. Maybe you lock up your bike and catch the bus.

In the following map snippet I show how you can ride to Lofberg Oval in West Pymple using shared paths. Not a bad ride. The roads in that area north of Yanko are generally all decent enough though they could be rat runs at peak time. See the map >>

Overview: I am writing a series of articles called Beat the Bus in Sydney. The purpose of these articles is to come up with popular ride where you can easily beat public transport whilst not riding too fast. To qualify, a ride needs to be going to a place with a decent sized working population, the roads need to be shared path or at least a decent enough well marked council road. Average speed must be under 20km per hour. And the whole journey needs to be under 45 minutes.

Anyone can do this in any city, just study your maps, do a few practice rides on Sunday morning, get fit and ride some or all the way to work if you can find decent enough roads. If you can’t find a way, can you ride to a station or take your bike part of the way in a car. Give it a go.

Read on at the Proper location of https://www.cyclesydney.com/p/ride14

Notice how each ride has a name ending in the code rideXX eg ride14

🗺️ Map links follow if that is all you want
RideWithGPS City Ride Collection (ride 14) On CycleSydney Map

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So I set off on the shared paths from NSW University to ride to Circular Quay where the tram ends. On the cycle ride I skipped the tram crossings near the end of Kensington Ponds on the bike by going around Martin Rd and through Fox studios. That way I didn’t have to stop.

Easy win to the bike and it was wet so I took it easy on the tram. The tram schedule was seven minutes longer than the 45 mins the ride took so it could have been an easier win.

Result: a Win to the Bicycle by 9 minutes

See the RideWithGPS route here

The Tram

Not to be too negative on the tram, the run from Central to NSW uni is quite efficient especially the section under Anzac pde.

You can join this trail near the Top Ryde shops. Ride up Blaxland Rd and make a tricky crossing to Reservoir Lane. Do a little zig zag down to Santa Rosa Park. Cross on a better crossing and now you are heading north on the trail for 3 km to Waterloo Rd. Its always, fun, there are a few walkers so take it easy and you can do this on any old bike which is probably what you will need if you are doing a lock up.

At Waterloo, the Metro station is across the road with the shops and you will know all about the university.

The bus takes about 28 minutes at peak. Driving the car will be a little quicker but free parking is a going to see you walking about 2km to work or the uni so thats a bust.

Cycling will take about 25 minutes

Summary – Top Ryde to Macquarie Shops is 25 mins by bike saves 2-5 minutes on the bus – No hills in this trail unless you live in Meadowbank where there is a big hill. Blaxland Rd runs along the ridge.

The route is Purple on the Sydney Map here with the extension to the Top Ryde shops in commuter green. On RideWithGPS here

Photos near Macquarie Shops

Other Cycling Options to Macquarie Park and Uni

From the north there is Browns Creek Waterhole

From Epping there is a good enough 5km trail More to follow

From the East you can come in through Lane Cove National park on a really hilly route of 8kms

From the South East, Epping Rd Cycleway is a very good route with hills that extends off road to St Leonards

All are on the map of Sydney here >>

Overview: I am writing a series of articles called Beat the Bus in Sydney. The purpose of these articles is to come up with popular ride where you can easily beat public transport whilst not riding too fast. To qualify, a ride needs to be going to a place with a decent sized working population, the roads need to be shared path or at least a decent enough well marked council road. Average speed must be under 20km per hour. And the whole journey needs to be under 45 minutes.

Anyone can do this in any city, just study your maps, do a few practice rides on Sunday morning, get fit and ride some or all the way to work if you can find decent enough roads. If you can’t find a way, can you ride to a station or take your bike part of the way in a car. Give it a go.

We had just completed a ride up the railway from his bus at Central Station.

I was glad to show him some of our specials like the Goods Line, Wilson St, the new cafe in Camperdown Park and the Stanmore cycleway. Oh yeah and The Greenway 💚♻️

Enjoy my 🗣️🎙️

More Map Specific Articles here

This layer is packed with the practical stuff: where to park your car to start a ride, where to find the best historic sights, and where to take the kids for some off-road fun. Here is what we’ve included beyond the local pools which we feature when tomorrow is going to be 35 degrees hot ☀️.

For the Thrill-Seekers and Families

If you’re looking for something a bit more rugged than a smooth cycleway, we’ve mapped out the best dirt and pump tracks across the city:

• MTB Parks: Major hubs like Bare Creek in Belrose and Wylde in Western Sydney Parklands are detailed with current entry info.

• Pump Tracks: We have a growing list of tar and gravel tracks, including the “epic” Kirkham Park (named Pump Track of the Year) , St Peters at Camdenville Oval , and the three-track facility at Haslams in Olympic Park.

• Kids’ Tracks: For the little ones, we’ve highlighted spots like Wangal Park, the Meadowbank bike track , and the Bicycle Education Centre in Campbelltown

Find the MTB, Pump tracks in the legend on the left on a PC

History and Sights Along the Way

We love a ride that ends with a bit of culture or a great view. This layer points out:

• Historic Houses: Take a detour to Old Government House , Elizabeth Farm , or the picturesque Hambledon Cottage.

• Engineering Marvels: Look out for the Johnstons Creek Aqueduct, Australia’s first reinforced concrete structure.

• Viewpoints: We’ve marked the best aerial views, such as the lookout over Barangaroo from High Street and the high point at Vaucluse Water Tower.

On a phone, the Legend is a link once you click on a feature in the map

How to Turn This Layer On

Because there is so much information, we usually keep this layer “hidden” so the main map stays clean. Here is how we can enable it:

1. Open the CycleSydney Map: Access the main Google My Maps link on your phone or desktop.

2. Open the Legend: Click the “View Map Legend” or sidebar icon (usually on the left).

3. Find the Layer: Scroll down until you see the layer titled: “MTB, pump, sights, pools and parking”.

4. Check the Box: Simply click the checkbox next to the title. All the icons for pump tracks, historic sites, and parking will immediately appear on your map.

Pro Tip: If the map starts looking too crowded, just uncheck it again to go back to the basic route view!

Now we get into the parking spots. We wouldn’t want those to get too busy ….

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From the airport, we head along the canal for a bit and then we are on the road to Mascot. It is called Coward St. There actually is a shared path on the south side that switched to the north side near Mascot. Its ok but most folks take the lane and ride the road. Once you hit Bourke Rd, you’ll be on a dedicated northward bike path that starts outside Mascot Station (Central - Revesby line). See the 3D Flyover

As we progress, the scenery shifts from the dense apartments of Mascot into a corridor that is, shall we say, “less than splendid.” This is a working-class industrial stretch. The off-road cycleway here is popular but requires your full attention. You’ll be weaving through multiple industrial driveways and bus stops. Keep a sharp eye out for construction, roadworks, and the narrower shared path sections where the path can get a bit tight.

The Alexandria Pit-Stop At the cafes of “The Mills Of Alexandria” it’s a great spot for a snack and a selfie, but a word of advice: take a bike lock. You won’t be able to drag your bike into the cafe areas or the market itself, and you'll want it secure while you grab a coffee.

The Green Square Avoidance Trick Green Square can be a bit of a maze and very heavy traffic with scant regard for the cyclist. So we use the City of Sydney cycling bypass to keep the momentum going. We duck off the main drag via Mandible St in Waterloo—stay alert for concrete trucks here!—then transition through Allen St and Short St to rejoin Bourke Rd. This "trick" saves you the hassle of the busiest intersections while keeping you on track.

The Final Bourke Rd section is average. Its a not so wide shared footpath and now there are gigantic apartment blocks being built in the Dank St area. Take it easy. It ends and the fun begins at Waterloo near Coles where Bourke Rd becomes Bourke St - Our Ride Numero Uno.

Distance: 5.8 km RideWithGPS link See it on the Google MyMaps

Where to next?

• 🌳 Sydney Park: A perfect spot to end the day with a snack before heading to St Peters station. Soon after leaving Mascot you passed Campbell Rd. Take that to Sydney Park.

For Our Paid Subscribers

A huge thank you to our paid subscribers who are joining up during these petrol deprived times ! Your support is motivating to keep these guides and maps detailed and up-to-date.

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If you ride your electric bicycle to work, you have made your car 100% percent more fuel efficient.

If you find a consistently half empty train service in Sydney, cheating with your bike on the train is really efficient. Same applies to ferrys.

I know lots of good car parks where I can take my bicycle and unload. I keep these spots to myself.

I am a bicycle car cheat and an ebike cheat and I am saving the planet at the same time. Bicycle cheating is good…

Whether school is in session and the campus is buzzing with students, or it’s a quiet holiday break, there is always something to explore within the university grounds. This ride maps out the quickest way through the campus to High Street—just be prepared to work for it. You’ll need to climb a bit as you head toward Wansey Road, but the payoff is worth the effort.

At the top of High Street, you immediately pick up the modern “tram cycleway” infrastructure. The tram path simply didn’t exist a few years ago, and it has transformed the area. It serves as the perfect jumping-off point for a ride toward the city, whether you’re coming from the hospital or the university gates. Your first major landmark is the edge of Royal Randwick Racecourse. This is a top-tier trail that runs directly beside the tram tracks. It’s a nostalgic stretch for me; I once saw the legendary Black Caviar through the fence here on her very last win, you can see great things when you are out riding.

As you hit the intersection of Alison and Darley Road, you transition to the southern edge of Centennial Park. While the internal 4km loop is the “ultimate spot” for many Sydney riders, staying on the Alison Road shared path allows you to bypass the park’s one-way system if you’re on a mission toward the city. I’ve always loved this path. You’re positioned up high, giving you a fantastic vantage point to watch the trams and buses glide by below while spotting the birds in the ponds.

See the RideWithGPS of the ride here and the Map Link here

If you followed my strava, you would know I love exploring NSW Uni and going around the racecourse using this ride.

Much of this ride also appeared in the Beat the Bus series that is slowly being reworked for todays times.

The ride in 3D follows.

Eventually, the ride turns onto Anzac Parade, running alongside the light rail tracks through Moore Park. It’s a fast, separated run that avoids the six lanes of heavy traffic. You’ll pass the SCG and Allianz Stadium, which always provide a great backdrop to the ride, especially on game days.

However, any honest review needs a Reality Check. While I like this path, I have to be honest—I deplore the long wait at the crossing of Anzac Parade and Lang Road. Because of that frustrating light cycle, I tend to use this final section less on my casual explores, even though it remains a vital link for this particular ride.

The final leg takes you toward the Oxford Street West cycleway. As you hit the home stretch, you’ll enter the bus lane where Anzac Parade becomes Flinders Lane. This section is a firm favorite for the high-speed commuting crowd who are looking to shave seconds off their morning run. Whether the bus lane is a “must-ride” or a “skip” is a taste you’ll have to decide for yourself. Regardless of your choice, the final arrival at Taylor Square is an achievement. It has become a mecca for active commuters and tourists going in all manner of directions.

Much of Ride 12 was 2nd in the Infrastructure awards run by CycleSydney in 2019. Why not explore all the infra winners with this article.

See more Eastern Suburb adventures

“I generally do Alexandria to the Darling Quarter in 15-20min by bike and it takes 30min+ for train or bus in peak hour.”

Back to me, I needed an easy ride after a few weeks of feeling poorly, this was a perfect choice. Looking at the maps I realised that the trail would go near the Australian Technology Park which I had never gone to. I decided to try that first before heading down the usual paths that I go through Redfern and Chippendale. I am so glad I did. The tech park is so good, I would love to cruise thru that area every day. Then there are other great treats on this ride like Chippendale Green and The Goods Line and then there is Darling Harbour. This could be Sydney’s best short commute. Ok there is a few metres of Redfern station to negotiate and a busy road to ride alongside but that’s not much of a penalty. If you live in Erskineville or Alexandria and work on the Darling Harbour side of the city, give this track a go. Its now my favourite way to get to the city from Sydney Park.

I headed to Erskineville Oval as my starting point, it seemed quite central to Alexandria. I didn’t look at my maps at all and easily rode through the technology park, snapping away. On the way back, I went straight through Chippendale Green and retraced my ride and did the whole trail in 17 minutes on a perfect Sunday morning. I cannot see it taking much more than 20 minutes any day. I have reviewed the bus time tables from Alexandria and a good time is well over 25 minutes on a Sunday, peak hour Monday morning is worse according to Google directions.

Find RideWithGPS here and a ride in the other direction here on Strava

Summary – ALEXANDRIA TO DARLING HARBOUR PRECINCT 18 mins by bike at 16km per hour saves 7 to 12 minutes – Well done Nick

Safety Note: Take it really easy around Redfern station, lots of cars and people.

Overview: I am writing a series of articles called Beat the Bus in Sydney. The purpose of these articles is to come up with popular ride where you can easily beat public transport whilst not riding too fast. To qualify, a ride needs to be going to a place with a decent sized working population, the roads need to be shared path or at least a decent enough well marked council road. Average speed I will must be under 20km per hour. And the whole journey needs to be under 45 minutes.

Anyone can do this in any city, just study your maps, do a few practice rides on Sunday morning, get fit and ride some or all the way to work if you can find decent enough roads. If you can’t find a way, can you ride to a station or take your bike part of the way in a car. Give it a go.

Beat the Bus 3 for Glebe to Martin Place and The Goods Line

Find this trail and others in the area on The Sydney BikeTrail Map >>

I have always looked at the wild forests where the M5 Motorway goes underground at Bexley North in Sydney’s south as a place that we really should have built a cycleway above the M5. Alas this didn’t happen. I have ridden the roads from Bexley a few times and I hate them. So when I found a little path near Turrella across the railway and river into a big park, I realised that there was an opportunity for locals to ride to work from Earlwood. I also knew how poor the traffic is in that region so I guessed the buses and cars were going to suck. And they do.

This beat the bus is simply a ride from the Earlwood Post Office to the giant Ikea store in Tempe.

The trail is all pretty fun to ride except for the hill upto Earlwood Post office which is quite steep. My trail relies on a really small footpath called Finlays Lane and then a footbridge over the river. To get through Turrella, you also need to duck under the pipeline using a tunnel and ride a dirt track to skip a couple of roads. Its actually quite easy to get to Wolli though it looks complicated on the map. Cross the busy highway carefully and then go the back roads to Ikea behind the giant golf tee. And you are there. I don’t recommend carrying too much shopping when riding home.

Summary – EARLWOOD TO IKEA IN TEMPE 25 minutes by car in peak hour, about 35 minutes by bus and 20 minutes by bike – easy win

Find Ride 34 on RideWithGPS Here and the actual 6km trail on RideWithGPS here

Overview: I am writing a series of articles called Beat the Bus in Sydney. The purpose of these articles is to come up with popular ride where you can easily beat public transport whilst not riding too fast. To qualify, a ride needs to be going to a place with a decent sized working population, the roads need to be shared path or at least a decent enough well marked council road. Average speed must be under 20km per hour. And the whole journey needs to be under 45 minutes.

Anyone can do this in any city, just study your maps, do a few practice rides on Sunday morning, get fit and ride some or all the way to work if you can find decent enough roads. If you can’t find a way, can you ride to a station or take your bike part of the way in a car. Give it a go.

Note: There are a number of options like walking to the T4 trainline which also take 40+ minutes. If you brave, you can simply roll down Homer St to intersect with the Cooks River trail using your bike. The return journey will probably require you to go a different way as the hill will smack you hard (non E-Bike).

Find Turrella on the map here >> Find other Bike and Bus Stories Here

In one last gesture, I asked an AI if I could convert my website to a Substack, as so many of the YouTube channels I follow kept mentioning it. It said yes. I started the conversion, 100 folks subscribed, and then, completely out of the blue, Peter joined as a founding member. I was stunned—I didn’t even know that paid memberships existed.

Cut to the chase: we now have 330 members and 15 paid supporters. I am fired up again—not “just: because of the money, but because cyclists are actually interested in what I’m attempting to do for our Sydney community.

I’m now using some of these funds to highlight cycling-related organisations in Sydney. This time around, I’m donating to Revolve ReCYCLING They do incredible work recycling old bikes and refurbishing kids’ bikes for families in need. They maintain bicycles as well, this is another way to keep this group going.

Revolve ReCYCLING is always looking for donations, so here is a picture of your scribe handing over “Dennis” to help raise funds for this terrific group. They are based in Alexandria if you are interested in handing over a “used chariot” of your own.

Stop Press:

Earlier I donated to Tanya’s Charity Ride to Melbourne. At the time of writing this article, she had just made it to Talangatta on the Victorian border. Go Tanya

Housekeeping

Given that it is now highly likely that a petrol crises will send many riders to their cobweb covered bicycles in their steel cages under their unit blocks, I will start repurposing old articles like my Beat the Bus series and sending out emails 2 and maybe 3 times a week. When the petrol starts flowing again, I will likely return to an article in an email once a week or so

Garry

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Thanks to my paid subscribers for encouraging me with this

First of all, where is the M12 and where is the track. The M12 starts where Elizabeth drive intersects the M7 in the east. The Emu trail starts about a km south of the intersection on a new Parklands track down to Wylde MTB park. The first time the path follows the M12 is after Wylde MTB park. Lets check out the ride in 3D with a few photos in location. The ride is shown from the Northern Rd back to the M7. If you want to see path, head here and look for the green trail in the west of Sydney.

Lets Check the riders on day 1. It looked like every M7 rider diverted and then some.

No what follows is the huge crowds I encountered at the Emu in the Sky. I surmise this 30m steel beauty. "The 'Great Emu in the Sky' is a 30-metre-high, illuminated public art sculpture located at the Western Sydney Airport interchange on the M12 Motorway. Created by Balarinji and local Aboriginal artists, it represents a giant emu nest that transforms at night to symbolise the Dharug Dreamtime story of Mariong, the Emu Mother Spirit, serving as a landmark to welcome visitors."

Now I will go into a few extra details for my paid subscribers.

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As a paid subscriber only post, let me know if you want to check it out and haven't ridden in the area before

https://youtu.be/kHTBhMwNiNQ?si=gsS53-WAI932gjjA

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For years, the default move for anyone riding into the city from the Inner West was City Ride No. 2—bombing down George St and Elizabeth St. But those with extra network knowledge might tell you, there is another way.

If your destination is anywhere on the western side of the city, you really need to experiment with this ride. While the George/Elizabeth run is direct, Ride 11 (the “West Side” trip) features some great buildings and some quiet streets, and—depending on the lights—maybe potentially even quicker for many.

Here is the RideWithGPS

The Ride Breakdown

1. The Darlington Hub
We kick off on Wilson St—the backbone of the inner-west-to-city run. From there, we navigate the transition through Shepherd St and Myrtle St. These are classic Sydney backstreets: narrow, historic, and increasingly bicycle-friendly.

2. Chippendale Green & The Education Corridor
The ride opens up as we hit Chippendale Green. It’s a fantastic bit of “green lungs” for the city. From here, we pick up the Jones St cycleway, which flows seamlessly into Mary Ann St.

This is where the visuals really ramp up. You’ll ride right past the Frank Gehry-designed UTS building (the “crumpled paper bag”) pictured above. Seeing it from the seat of a bike gives you a perspective you just don’t get from a car.

3. The Goods Line & Dancers Alley
Next, we hit The Goods Line. This is Sydney’s version of the New York High Line—an elevated park built on a former rail corridor. It’s flat, wide, and perfectly separated from traffic.

We follow Darling Drive down toward the tram stop and pass through Dancers Alley (Moriarty Walk). If you’re lucky, you’ll catch some of the local breakdance crews practicing under the urban canopy.

4. Darling Harbour to Kent St
The final leg takes us across the wide-open spaces of Tumbalong Park and up Liverpool St to connect with the Kent St cycleway.

The Great Debate: Ride 11 vs. City Ride No. 2

So, which one should you choose?

• Heading West? If you’re going to Barangaroo, Darlinghurst, or the Wynyard end of town, Ride 11 is the clear winner. It drops you right onto the Kent St cycleway, bypassing the bus-heavy congestion of the eastern corridors.

• Heading East? If your destination is closer to Hyde Park or Town Hall, it’s debatable. City Ride No. 2 via George/Elizabeth is more direct, but it can feel more “urban” and high-pressure around Central.

• The Fun Factor: Ride 11 wins on building scenery. Between the Gehry building, the Goods Line, and the harbor views at Tumbalong Park, it feels less like a commute and more like a tour of Sydney’s best modern architecture. Ride 2 goes through Prince Alfred Park

Watch the 3D Map & Ride Video

The video for this ride features a full 3D map flyover so you can see exactly how these “West Side” links stitch together.

Resources

For more deep dives into the best ways to get around the City, check out our dedicated section on the city.
👉 Cycle Sydney: City of Sydney Area or the RideWithGPS collection of the city

Enjoy the explore, and I’ll see you on the path!

Rooty Hill Station is the closest station to the M7 Cycleway, it is currently getting upgraded to include lifts and bike support. The ride from there to the Old Wallgrove Rd turnoff is a great section of the M7 Cycleway, its flat, you get to cross the spectacular M4 – M7 crossover on your own bike track and the turn off is simple. The ride along Old Wallgrove Rd is on a perfect concrete bike path with a couple of crossings of dead end streets. You then cross a big crossing where Old Wallgrove actually turns and there is another perfect cycleway. The ride to Oakdale Estate is very pleasant, there are a lot of giant warehouses around. All up the ride is a shade under 10km. Perfect for a spot of morning exercise and it took 26 minutes at 20km per hour.

The bus option though is not the best. The best time is 45 minutes which includes a walk of 20 minutes. Off peak, busses can be well over an hour. The real story here is probably 99% of people drive their cars and are missing a great opportunity to park somewhere else or just ride and get some great safe exercise. Minchinbury, Doonside, Rooty Hill, Quakers Hill and maybe Cecil Hills are all within range of a 45 minute cycle, especially on an eBike. Rooty Hill Station has bike lockers so I believe which means you can just leave your bike at the station and train home. My son may be doing just that.

The full ride around St Clair to Rooty Hill and then back to Oakdale Estate is on Strava Here and just the commute from Rooty Station is on RideWithGPS here

Summary – Rooty Hill to Horsley Park is 25 mins by bike at 20km per hour saves 20 minutes in the bus – Everyone that lives in the area should be doing it once a week for exercise and leaving the car at home.

Overview: I am writing a series of articles called Beat the Bus in Sydney. The purpose of these articles is to come up with popular ride where you can easily beat public transport whilst not riding too fast. To qualify, a ride needs to be going to a place with a decent sized working population, the roads need to be shared path or at least a decent enough well marked council road. Average speed must be under 20km per hour. And the whole journey needs to be under 45 minutes.

Anyone can do this in any city, just study your maps, do a few practice rides on Sunday morning, get fit and ride some or all the way to work if you can find decent enough roads. If you can’t find a way, can you ride to a station or take your bike part of the way in a car. Give it a go.

G’day everyone,

If you’ve been following the Sydney cycling scene with me, you’ve probably noticed things are moving fast. To keep up, I’ve officially moved everything from a wiki over to cyclesydney.com.

The goal is to provide a single, clear resource for anyone navigating Sydney’s cycling network—from daily commuters in the CBD to weekend explorers in the West.

The New Interactive Launchpad

The biggest change is how you access our data. I’ve built a dedicated “launchpad” for our custom route guides at maps.cyclesydney.com.

This site is the permanent home for our Sydney Cycling Google MyMaps. It’s designed to be the fastest way to load routes directly onto your phone or GPS device. Whether you’re navigating the Sydney Harbour Bridge or the latest Inner West upgrades, the launchpad is where it starts.

See all the latest articles in the substack

The Evolution of Our Maps: Longer, Better Rides

I’m also changing how I build our route data. We are currently transitioning away from small, overlapping segments toward longer, distinct Rides.

The “New Ride” strategy means:

• No Overlaps: Clear, independent routes that don’t clutter the map.

• RideWithGPS Integration: Since so many of you use RideWithGPS for turn-by-turn navigation, every new ride will include an activity link you can sync directly to your device. See the city collection

• The Story Behind the Path: Each ride will have a dedicated post here on Substack, covering the infrastructure, the safety, and the “why” behind the route. Rides one, three and eight as examples

Watching the M12: The Gateway to the West

On the infrastructure front, we are keeping a very close eye on the M12 cycleway. This path will run from the M7 all the way to the new Western Sydney International Airport. It’s a massive project that will fundamentally change how we access the West, and I’ll be tracking its progress to ensure our maps are ready the moment the rubber can hit the pavement. We are always on top of the latest infrastucture, we run the cycling infra awards

Join the Journey

Sydney’s cycling network is vast and growing every day. My fun is to help you work out where—and how—to explore our great city.

Why not sign up for the newsletter? I’d love for you to join me as we map out these new routes and stay on top of the infrastructure changes across our city.

Your local Aussie guide to the Sydney streets. (Garry the retired guy)

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Explore Sydney’s cycling routes with maps, photos, and videos!

The Districts Map Links Top 10 Bike Trails YouTube Greater Sydney Trail Articles

Loops like Centennial Park

What are you on about Cycling Syd 🤔

CycleSydney.com is more than a website, it is actually a SubStack. If you so wish, you can have new rides and ride descriptions delivered to you by email every week as well as acting as a website. You can actually sponsor us by taking out a paid subscription.

Mapping articles Eastern Sydney Western Parklands Northern Sydney Commuters CycleSydney Facebook Page

Find the City of Sydney RideWithGPS Collection here

Heffron park If you need to just work out and want to get away from the crowds, Heffron Park is close to Centennial and offers up a few kms of track with few distractions and some small rises. This is also a good place to take teens who don’t always go in a straight line. There are track races sometimes and then you can just head off to La Perouse for a road ride or ride on the shared path that goes around Heffron Park. Map Link »

Oatley Park A wonderful 2.5km trail in the bush high above the Georges River. Get there by hopping on the train on the Eastern Suburbs line and you should get there (Oatley station) with your bike without changing trains. It’s a couple of kms to the park and you can also head down to the Como Railway Bridge for a bit of sightseeing. There is a lower speed limit in the park than Centennial and there are a lot less cars. Walkers share the road. More on the Bankstown area here Map link »

Lane Cove Park Possibly the best unencumbered riding in Sydney. No cars are allowed in the park before 9am any day. Its not a loop but by the time you have ridden nearly 6 kms, you will never know the difference and it’s a full sized road. You can drive there down the M2 in less than 30 minutes from Coogee if you go early. For parking, its 8$ inside the park. The road next to the cemetery has some parking and it’s a 70m descent down to the cycling road from there. More on Lane Cove here Map Link here »

Parramatta Park With the recent train timetable changes, there are lots of express trains to Parramatta from Redfern that take less than 25 minutes. The park is popular with cyclists and is about 3kms around. When you get bored, ride down the Parramatta River to Rhodes station and get the train back to the city. Perfect day out. Find some more Parra riding pleasures here Map Link Here »

The Sydney International Regatta Centre

Not far from Penrith and part of our Emu Plains bike loop is a perfect track around the 2km rowing lake. Whilst high speed is not encouraged, you will generally have the place to yourself for a great ride. Its a 5km loop and 5km ride from Penrith. Map Link»

Mt Annan – Australian Botanical Garden

In the far south west of Sydney is the Australian Botanical Garden. It is called Mt Annan and it has a good road trail for riding around. Its 10km long, it forms a figure 8 and it is all one way. It is only good for experienced riders because the edge of the road is dirt and the road is not very wide. Thankfully the speed limit is 30 but if you are grinding up the steep hills at 10km an hour, a car is going to come along quite fast. This wont matter to good road riders or people with eBikes. Here are some photos.

Here is the Mt Annan trail in black. >>

Louisa Reserve / Crest Criterium Cycle Track

Next to the Dunc Grey Veleodrome is an outside circuit. Its about 800m from memory

Here it is on our Western Parklands maps >>

Lansdowne Park Criteron Track

A pretty good 2km circuit in the middle of the bush that is used by the Bankstown riders
See it on the map in purple here >>

Waratah Park

You can find it near Loftus Station > and Dulwich Hill Bicycle Club has a drome that you can ride if you are qualified

M7 Cycleway

Once those circuits are ticked off, head on the train to Rooty Hill and ride 60+ km on the M7