From Boroondara BUG

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News Rides Maps and Routes Campaigns Our Successes Cyclist Crash Data Belford Rd/Eastern Fwy Darebin Creek Link Gardiners Creek Gap Yarra Trail: Chandler Hwy Gipps Street Stairs Leonda Link Trail names East West Link Minor works required Melbourne Area Our Council Boroondara Bike Strategy Local Councillors Bicycle Information Commuting Crank Busters Types of Bike Lanes Bike Setup Bike Lights Skills Cycling Kids Local Bike Shop About BBUG Contact us or Join us Disclaimer/Copyright Documents Our Authors' Pages Help on Editing Affiliates Useful Links The Stonnington Pages The Whitehorse Pages

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The Stonnington Pages Maps and Routes Campaigns Brixton Rise - Gardiners Creek Trail Cyclist Crash Data Chapel St Malvern Valley PUBLIC Golf Course Gardiners Creek Gap Yarra Trail Urban Forest Trail Sandringham Trail Destructor Trail Murrumbeena Trail Minor works required City of Stonnington Stonnington Bike Strategy Local Councillors Disclaimer/Copyright Useful Links The Boroondara Pages The Whitehorse Pages

Maps and Routes

News

Boroondara Maps and Routes

Stonnington Maps and Routes

Around Melbourne

Google Maps

• Melbourne and Geelong's shared paths in Google Maps
• Melbourne and Geelong's shared paths in Google Earth

Wikipedia

• Bicycle Trails in Melbourne

Council TravelSmart Maps and others

• Banyule - contact council
• Boroondara TS (2.64 MB pdf)
• Casey (4.85 MB pdf)
• Darebin - contact council
• Deakin University area TS (6.8 MB pdf)
• EastLink
• Hobsons Bay TS (4.8 MB pdf)
• Knox Cycle Ways (5.1 MB pdf)
• Maribyrnong (2.7 MB pdf)]
• Melbourne TS (6 MB pdf)
• Moonee Valley - contact council
• Moreland TS (8 MB pdf)
• Stonnington TS (5.12 MB pdf)
• Whitehorse - contact council
• Yarra TS (5.9 MB pdf)

Regional

• Ballarat (1.72MB)
• Greater Bendigo TS (0.9 MB)

Publications

For hard copy while out riding we recommend:

Bike rides around Melbourne 3rd edition, 2009, Julia Blunden, Open Spaces Publishing, ISBN 978-0-9752333-4-4

Route Planning

When cycling from "A" to "B" there are several aspects of the ride to be considered and prioritised. They are: Interaction with traffic eg. crossing and use of busy roads

• Condition of road/path surfaces Wheel-friendliness i.e. smoothness of transitions in levels
• Gradients
• Directness of route
• Time factor

Generally, the less interaction with traffic, the better. Apart from the safety factor, more traffic means more exhaust fumes and more noise. Also, while there is plenty of room for bikes on some busy roads, especially if they have designated bicycle lanes, others simply feel unsafe and intimidating.

Observation and gut feeling should influence final choice of roads. Road surfaces can vary. This is where the choice of bike may determine where you can go. Roads are generally maintained with cars in mind; road edges and cycling paths are often neglected.

Being close to trees, paths suffer from tree-root damage, so this is where suspension is useful. Most bike paths in Boroondara are of a high quality and underpass major roads, but they can meander a bit. It would often be quicker to take a more direct arterial road. When making a trip regularly, it can take months to refine. This can be very satisfying. It's worth exploring apparently dead-end streets as there is often a way through for bikes, sometimes with a connection through a park and beyond. It's sometimes better to take a different way home with less climbing, or a safer approach to an intersection. For the same reason, it may be more efficient, safe or pleasant to take a slightly longer route. Always be open to doing something different but do make self-preservation your number one priority.