Weekend in Adelaide

[hez]

Hi, I'm planning a long weekend trip to Adelaide in April. We will stay at the CBD, rent road bikes there and we would like to ride 3 days, 2 in Adelaide and 1 in Barossa (we will rent a car for that day).
We would like to do 3 medium length rides or 2 longer and 1 shorter.

What would you recommend?

Maybe:
1.- the gorges/mountains, around 80-90km:
https://www.strava.com/routes/11194032
https://www.strava.com/routes/6867620
https://www.strava.com/routes/11314487
which one has better views and less traffic?

2.- shorter one in Barossa, 55km
Kapunda-Nuriootpa https://www.barossa.com/visit/see-do/cy ... ing-routes

3.- The Roundabout Beachie 60km
https://www.strava.com/routes/11372405
is it ok or would you go south instead?

We would also like to go to McLaren/Willunga but starting and finishing in Adelaide CBD I haven't found anything shorter that 120km and that's a little bit too much for our plans. Any alternatives? https://www.strava.com/routes/16376455
Would you do this one on the first day and go east on the third day?

[MichaelB]

Hiya,

Most of those routes are good, but some of them have plenty of climbing in them. There are some other good routes if you look at the La Velocita page.

There are sooooo many good routes in the hills of Adelaide, and many of them on the quieter backroads too.

Re doing Willunga from Adelaide, no way to make it much shorter.

[Ratts]

For a shorter Willunga ride, catch the train to Brighton, Hallett Cove or Seaford (end of the line). Hallett Cove to the top of Willunga hill and back using the veloway is around 70km. Seaford return should be about 45 to 50km.

[Prydey]

1. If the three routes listed I'd probably do the first one for keeping out the way of traffic. Up the old freeway to crafers is dedicated bike path. Back down Norton's should be relatively quiet too. The middle part will just depend when you ride, as in time of day, and mid week or weekend.

2.I've only ridden a few times in the barossa. It's an awesome place to ride around. There is a off road sealed bike path (Jack bobridge bike path) if you prefer. Menglers hill is a decent climb if you're in to hills.

3.If you head to glenelg between 6:30 and 8:00 on a Sat morning there will be quite a few large groups riding the coast to outer harbor and back. Probably one of the most popular routes in Adelaide.

As for McLaren vale/willunga, I would recommend driving all the way down to McLaren vale and ride around the area. Lots of great scenery to enjoy, although I may be biased as I live down south. McLaren vale, McLaren flat, blewitt springs, willunga, across the range etc. Even aldinga beach isn't that far although depending on wind direction can be a slog.

[hez]

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions!

So, we will do one of the suggested ones east (probably the one with less traffic), the 55km on Barossa and then we will visit some wineries and for the third day what would you choose: the north beach loop or taking the train to McLaren and go to Willunga?

[Prydey]

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions!

So, we will do one of the suggested ones east (probably the one with less traffic), the 55km on Barossa and then we will visit some wineries and for the third day what would you choose: the north beach loop or taking the train to McLaren and go to Willunga?

i'm biased but that's a no contest for me. I'd head to the vale every time.

There is a small parking area on River rd at Pt Noarlunga adjacent the Coast to Vines bike path. This will join the path about 10km out of McLaren Vale and is a nice gentle ride in. You can then tackle some of the roads and hills around McLaren Vale and Willunga before riding back. The path goes all the way to Willunga also. The start point I mentioned, to the top of Willunga Hill and back is about 40km. I would recommend not heading back down Willunga but instead turning left at the top and then left on to Range Rd and riding the full length of the range and down Wickhams hill rd. Left at the bottom brings you back to McLaren Flat, and then there is a few ways to get back to the bike path. I'd probably go right on to Foggo Rd then left on Chalk hill rd. This will take you back to the main rd in McLaren vale. The bike path is just a bit further along to the right.

like I said, i'm biased. the beach route is riddled with roundabouts and traffic and no scenery.

[hez]

i'm biased but that's a no contest for me. I'd head to the vale every time.

There is a small parking area on River rd at Pt Noarlunga adjacent the Coast to Vines bike path. This will join the path about 10km out of McLaren Vale and is a nice gentle ride in. You can then tackle some of the roads and hills around McLaren Vale and Willunga before riding back. The path goes all the way to Willunga also. The start point I mentioned, to the top of Willunga Hill and back is about 40km. I would recommend not heading back down Willunga but instead turning left at the top and then left on to Range Rd and riding the full length of the range and down Wickhams hill rd. Left at the bottom brings you back to McLaren Flat, and then there is a few ways to get back to the bike path. I'd probably go right on to Foggo Rd then left on Chalk hill rd. This will take you back to the main rd in McLaren vale. The bike path is just a bit further along to the right.

like I said, i'm biased. the beach route is riddled with roundabouts and traffic and no scenery.

Sounds good to me. We wanted to rent a car just for going to Barossa, but maybe we do it again for that day and we can also visit some wineries there

Something similar happens in the northern beaches of Sydney. Most people choose to take the beaches road to go north all the way, but from Balgowlah to Narrabeen there's a lot of traffic, 8925324 traffic lights (always red when you come) and you can't really see much... When we go to Palm Beach we always take the forest way to Narrabeen lagoon (much nicer road, deep bush, shade and views of the lagoon) and from there to Palm Beach, the beaches road which is the only part that actually has views of the beaches and cliffs.

[Prydey]

I quickly mapped it out in strava. Roughly 60km and 700vm
https://www.strava.com/routes/23640665

Kangarilla rd is a main rd, so as an alternative to stay off it a bit more, just before entering McLaren flat, turn left on to Oakley rd and then right on to Sand rd. This runs parallel with Kangarilla rd and is very quiet and a good road. It joins back up with Kangarilla rd just a short ride away from where you join back on to the bike path.

As another alternative, there is plenty of parking spaces in and around McLaren vale (a good park just as you enter McLaren vale, with facilities) so rather than park on river rd and ride down, you could drive all the way and spend more time riding around the area. The path down is quite nice though once you get past seaford.

[hez]

I quickly mapped it out in strava. Roughly 60km and 700vm
https://www.strava.com/routes/23640665

Kangarilla rd is a main rd, so as an alternative to stay off it a bit more, just before entering McLaren flat, turn left on to Oakley rd and then right on to Sand rd. This runs parallel with Kangarilla rd and is very quiet and a good road. It joins back up with Kangarilla rd just a short ride away from where you join back on to the bike path.

As another alternative, there is plenty of parking spaces in and around McLaren vale (a good park just as you enter McLaren vale, with facilities) so rather than park on river rd and ride down, you could drive all the way and spend more time riding around the area. The path down is quite nice though once you get past seaford.

Thank you very much! but your route is private, I can't open it

[Prydey]

Can't see a way to change it so I'll do it again when I get home from work later tonight or in the morning.

[Prydey]

Try that. Turned private off.
https://www.strava.com/routes/23640665

Or an alternative, parking at McLaren vale
https://www.strava.com/routes/23645366

58km 700vm

[hez]

That's great! Thank you very much!

So we will do:

- 1st day: Adelaide Hills, 90km
https://www.strava.com/routes/11194032
It has quite a lot of climbing but we will compensate the other 2 days with shorter and easier rides
Going from and to the B'n'B will extend the route to 90km or so

- 2nd day: Barossa, 55km
Kapunda-Nuriootpa https://www.barossa.com/visit/see-do/cy ... ing-routes

- 3rd day: McLaren vale, Willunga and Blewitt Springs, 57km
https://www.strava.com/routes/23645366

I hope we have time and energy enough to go to some wineries and visit Adelaide every day after the rides, that was the point on doing shorter ones!

About the bike hire, I've found this place:
https://www.adelaidebikehire.com.au/?gc ... l1EALw_wcB

The bikes are ok, I would have preferred something with sram and disk brakes but... it's cheap and they bring the bikes to wherever you say! That's a plus.

Any other recommendations (places to visit, eat, drink, wineries, breweries, museums, other bike rentals)?

[thomas1987]

Hez, I just came back from TDU. I suggest you do this route for the Adelaide Hills. https://www.strava.com/routes/11314487

It goes pass Gorge Rd, which has great scenic view. You can also do side trip to Corkscrew road. Mt Barker Road is overrated. You are riding along side a major highway, not very scenic.

[hez]

Hez, I just came back from TDU. I suggest you do this route for the Adelaide Hills. https://www.strava.com/routes/11314487

It goes pass Gorge Rd, which has great scenic view. You can also do side trip to Corkscrew road. Mt Barker Road is overrated. You are riding along side a major highway, not very scenic.

Thank you! in fact, that was more or less the one I planned on doing but a friend of mine told me we have to modify it a little bit in order to do Norton Summit and Lofty, yet avoid roads with a lot of traffic and not going crazy with the climbing (the bikes we are going to rent have 28t, i'll ask if they can change the cassette for a 11-32 but it doesn't seem likely).

This week I'm quite busy and I'll be out of the country on the weekend but I hope I have time to make the modifications and I'll show you...

[Prydey]

I rode gorge road during the tour down under, and yes it's a nice scenic route however I had the luxury of it being closed to traffic and being able to ride in the middle of the lane. Even then it was rough but not as bad as the edges. I've only ridden it once prior to that, and that was very early on a weekend.

[you cannot be sirrus]

11:28 with a compact or mid compact will get you up pretty much everything in Adelaide with reasonable cycling fitness.
I can't remember the last time I did the beach run at the weekend, it's horrible. Head for the hills and McLaren Vale, better wineries than the Barossa too, but I am biased living down south.

[AdelaidePeter]

I can't remember the last time I did the beach run at the weekend, it's horrible.

Horrible in what sense?

[you cannot be sirrus]

I can't remember the last time I did the beach run at the weekend, it's horrible.

Horrible in what sense?

Too many large groups full of egos who show little regard for other riders.
Too much traffic but mostly too many roundabouts and intersections to deal with.
I occasionally ride to OH if I have a day off in the week but tbh it's a 3hr round trip. I can head south and do McVale or OWH in 3 hrs and that is much better.

[AdelaidePeter]

I can't remember the last time I did the beach run at the weekend, it's horrible.

Horrible in what sense?

Too many large groups full of egos who show little regard for other riders.
Too much traffic but mostly too many roundabouts and intersections to deal with.
I occasionally ride to OH if I have a day off in the week but tbh it's a 3hr round trip. I can head south and do McVale or OWH in 3 hrs and that is much better.

I don't mind all that stopping/giving way because I'm happy taking it easy; it is a very scenic ride and there are plenty of nice places to stop for refreshments. And almost no hills!

I just wanted to make the point that it's not necessarily horrible, it just depends on why you're riding.

[hez]

needless to say we've cancelled the trip, but I hope this thing ends soon and we will do it as soon as I can