Canberra is one of the most cycle-friendly cities on earth – and it is getting better.
The bush capital has numerous cycleways because the city was planned with wide stretches of bushland and series of walkways. Cycles and cars were separated. More recently, construction has begun on a series of on-road cycle lanes. The importance of the separate cycle lane is that cars which cross the lane to turn, must give way to cycles in the lane, just like they give way to any traffic.
The cycleways weave through the suburbs and you can create any number of trips simply by buying the Canberra cycleways map from any newsagent.
A starting point, though, has to be the three lakes.
Lake Burley Griffin. The path goes around the lake and over all four crossings – Scrivener Dam, Commonwealth Avenue Bridge, Kings Avenue Bridge and Dairy Flat Bridge. It makes for a dozen combinations. The Commonwealth-Kings circuit is about 6kms. It takes in Commonwealth Park, the Carillon, the High Court, National Gallery and National Library and the flag display.
The full circuit is about 32kms, but the path is not quite complete. If you head east from the southern side of Kings Avenue, you have to go along Mundaring Drive in Kingston and through the Jerrabomberra Wetlands before picking up the path on Dairy Flat Road. I often come across bemused tourists at the path’s end at Mundaring Drive who have been told you can go right round the lake. A few signs would fix it.
Excellent bird life can be seen at Jerrabomberra Wetlands. The cork forest near Scrivener Dam is a delight. Or you can do one of the bridges and either Scrivener Dam or Dairy flat for trips of between 16kms and 23kms.
Watch for pedestrians especially on Sunday. Many pedestrians have this bizarre idea that they are on a road and should face on-coming traffic by keeping right. But unlike on a road they do not get right off when oncoming traffic arrives. They expect the cycle to dangerously go on to the wrong side for them while they stay on the path. A few signs “all traffic and pedestrians keep left” would obviate most of the danger.
Lake Ginninderra. The circuit is about 8kms. It has a lot of close lakeshore sections with good birdlife.
Lake Tuggeranong. The 7km circuit takes in suburban, urban and bush settings. The trees have grown recently improving the ambience.
There would be few cities in the world with such delightful circuits. They can be done on road bikes or mountain bikes.
A bigger road-bike trip is out to Tharwa. You share the road with cars, however. Take various cycle paths to far south Tuggeranong. Follow the signs to Tharwa. Visit Lanyon and the Nolan Kelly collection on the way there or back. In summer swim in the Murrumbidgee at Tharwa.
Mountain bikers have plenty of options, including a tough circuit at Mount Ainslie and Mount Stromlo. The roads through the pine forests at Stromlo were a good spot, but the bushfires have changed things.
There is some terrific mountain biking to be had in the Namadgi National Park – once there is regrowth after the fires.
Namadgi is great for cycling because the dirt roads and tracks are in fairly good nick, but they are closed to all vehicular traffic except rangers and fire vehicles who do not drive maniacally and are rarely seen anyway.
The trip into the Cotter River from Orroral Tracking Station is a sheer delight – about 15kms each way. Don’t forget to put on the knobbly tyres. The other way is from the locked gate at Mount Gingera on the Mount Franklin road – about 18kms each way. It is a great trip down – a drop of 700 metres in about 3kms in one stretch. But a big slog back, unless you get someone to pick you up at Orroral Tracking Station (or leave a car there and do a shuttle).
Alternatively, get the 1:100,000 ACT map or the NSW mapping service’s 1:50,000 series and create your own trip on the four-wheel drive trails – particularly those with a locked gate. But note the contours. You are supposed to be cycling, not walking.
I thoroughly recommend ACT Pedal Power’s website for hints on where to go in the ACT. http://www.pedalpower.org.au