canberra.bike
There are OpenStreetMap updates for both Mount Mugga Mugga Nature Reserve and Isaacs Ridge Nature Reserve. Unfortunately, no new paths come out of it. One route is now closed down to Mugga Lane as a result of new fencing along Old Quarry Road. Big trucks come labouring up this hill all day long. More about the changes below.
Mount Tennent, Honeysuckle Creek and Mount Rob Roy belong to the great hill climbs in the south. Mount Tennent, south of Tharwa, is usually walked but it can be run. Honeysuckle Creek is a popular road ride (the road is currently closed), and Mount Rob Roy a gravel ascent on Banks Steep Track management trail.
Tharwa is a great idea for a day out and there is a lot to see in a small area. You could consider riding there south through Canberra, or if you are keen then try the loop ride from Stromlo Forest Park south through the suburbs to Tharwa, where you cross the Murrumbidgee River and return to Stromlo Forest Park on the other side of the river via Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve and Cotter.
The Namadgi National Park, including the visitors centre, and Lanyon Homestead are currently closed (as of 6/6/2020). Please check before departure.
Why not cycle from home? There is a Canberra Nature Park within 500m from home for 75% of Canberrans. CyclOSM helps you find a ride at your doorstep by highlighting all the bike paths.
As a cyclist, you will quickly notice the number of obstacles that are thrown in your path. The older areas of Canberra were not built for the cyclist. As a cyclist, we are accustomed to being careful, and we know that many motorists and pedestrians do not seem to notice us. A bike is either too fast or too quiet for many people. This is one of the reasons why we need to be seen – as we cannot be heard. We need to keep our eyes open crossing roads and travelling along community paths. The barriers are an extra burden and sometimes it gets a little too much. 🙂
Exploring Canberra Nature Park is easy with a smartphone. An app will help you find your way. You may use different apps for walking and cycling and that’s not surprising at all. In the car, you are likely to use something different again. So, what do we use and recommend for the walkers and hikers among us?
In 2019 the Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate (Environment) released the Canberra Nature Park Draft Reserve Management Plan. The Murrumbidgee corridor, the Molonglo River Reserve, the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve and the Namadgi National Park are not part of Canberra Nature Park. The Canberra Nature Park reserves are ideal for recreational cycling.
I am not going to do product reviews on canberra.bike unless it is a problem specific to Canberra. At this stage, I cannot imagine that that will happen often. Canberra.bike is all about getting around Canberra with a bike, and sometimes we need to be quite determined to make it work. The missing links and patchy network do not make it easier. This is nothing new, and that the ACT Government is slow to fix the problem is also nothing new.
Without good directional signage, getting around Canberra requires you to take a map. The best map for the ACT is OpenStreetMap. You will need to take this map with you on your ride, and the easiest way to do this is to use a smartphone. Komoot is the best app for cycling with OpenStreetMap and also provides turn by turn navigation. You can plan your trip on the move with nothing but your smartphone. Komoot and OpenStreetMap are free.
“I recently moved to the northside and I don’t know the area”. We want to start riding but it is hard to know where to ride. The first steps are always the most difficult.
Drivers tend to be familiar with the routes that are best for cars. If you walk your child to school, you will know that route best. But there are other possibilities that you are probably not aware of.
I read an article in The Conversation regarding the 20-minute neighbourhoods. (People love the idea of 20-minute neighbourhoods, The Conversation, 19/2/2020)
Would the 20-minute neighbourhoods work for the ACT? The answer seems to be yes.
I calculated with OpenRouteService for each town and group centre, the area no more than 20 minute distant for a normal cyclist. The green colour is 10 min and red shows the 20-minute distance. Most of the city is covered.
