If ever there was a classic example of the saying ‘build it and they will come’, it would have to be the Central West Cycle Trail in New South Wales.

What started out as the ambitious plans of a handful of enthusiastic locals keen to guide people to safe cycling opportunities and attract more visitors to their wider region, has developed into an increasingly popular cycling destination.

Yes, we are talking about the Central West Cycling Trail, a four-hundred-kilometre gravel loop that takes in the regional NSW towns of Dunnedoo, Mendooran, Ballimore, Dubbo, Geurie, Wellington, Goolma, Gulgong and Mudgee.

Known as the CWC (Central West Cycling), the trail is well-marked with hundreds of yellow CWC decals on signs, stores and even letter boxes of welcoming locals along the way. Well-supported by visionary locals – from residents to farmers, hoteliers, publicans, cafes, motels and other businesses along the way – the trail attracts thousands of eager cycling tourists each year and is fast becoming a ‘must-do’ destination ride.

How It Started

It was mid-morning, we’d covered a reasonably taxing 40 or so kilometres, and we were sitting on the expansive front veranda of historic grazing property Cobbora Station. Sipping coffee, enjoying neatly-cut sandwiches, and eyeing off a plate of freshly-baked scones, it was fascinating to listen as station co-owner Sally Dent explained the history of the home, and how the region was adapting with the times.

A local school teacher and keen advocate of cycling tourism, Sally told us how 150 years or so ago Cobbora Station, that sits just off the Golden Highway was a designated Cobb & Co stop.

Complete with rudimentary accommodation that included a locked ‘strangers room’ for travellers, these days the station has morphed from a Cobb & Co stop to a popular destination for touring cyclists. Sipping a second coffee and tucking into those famous scones, it was easy to imagine a slow-moving coach appearing up the long driveway before the weary travellers make their way to rudimentary rooms.

These days, some two centuries later, Cobbora Station does much the same by hosting weary cyclists in purpose-built accommodation that ranges from boutique cottages through to a re-purposed shearing shed.

‘Hundreds of kilometresof quiet roads’

Yes, six magic words that would have to be music to any cyclist’s ears, but where’s the best place to start?

The CWC trail follows the quiet backroads in a circuit through Mudgee, Gulgong, Dunedoo, Mendooran, Ballimore, Dubbo, Geurie, Wellington and Goolma. Yes, that’s a fair few country towns – places that have significantly changed. Typically, the smaller towns have lost businesses and become a lot quieter over recent decades – so the idea of attracting bicycle tourists to the region is a popular one.

In the planning stage, the passionate locals behind the CWC say they poured over maps, rode all possible routes, and worked out a potential circuit.

“We wanted, above all, to create safe cycling routes,” they say. “And provide commercial opportunities to the villages, towns and farms along the way. We chose a circuit so that cyclists could begin and end at the same place and join the trail from any direction. We came up with a variety of options and the team set out to cycle and drive them all.”

“As cyclist numbers grew the local businesses along the way saw opportunity; the clients were riding right past their doors.”

“…Still in its relative infancy, the CWC has attracted tens of thousands of riders over the past few years…”

Businesses included accommodation, refreshments, farm stays and tours, local produce artisan demonstrations such as cheese making and distilleries, charities, tour support, bike hire and repairs. Some were expansions of existing businesses while others were completely new. These many businesses became our stakeholders.

Along the route, there are a handful of busier sections of road, sectors that need to be ridden to get to the next quieter section, but in our time out there drivers seemed to respect riders and give a wide berth.

The majority of the circuit takes in predominantly well-kept gravel roads and is primarily made up of 10 sectors that can be down to the following:

Mudgee to Gulgong (30km)

Gulgong to Dunedoo (50km)

Dunedoo to Mendooran ( two routes – via Digilah (51km) or via Cobborah (63km)

Mendooran to Ballimore (60km)

Ballimore to Dubbo (55km)

Dubbo to Geurie (28km)

Geurie to Wellington (30km)

Wellington to Goolma (48km)

Goolma to Gulgong (30km)

Gulgong to Mudgee (30km)

Armed with that information, it’s clear to see this is a ride for a wide range of cycling enthusiasts – from tourers content to cover 30 to 50km a day, those who are more comfortable with 80 to 100km rides, and even those keen on the ultimate CWC challenge of a fast loop (search for it on YouTube!).

Mudgee and historic Gulgong are popular starting points, as is the smaller town of Wellington and the regional centre of Dubbo. With those various entry points in mind, let’s take a look at the highlights along the way.

Where To Stop

Dunedoo

Dunedoo – it’s such a classic name for an Australian town and it really is a memorable place to stop for food, fuel and rest. We found the ‘Dunedooians’ to be very welcoming of cyclists with coloured bikes hanging outside the pub and other small businesses proudly showing off the CWC logo.

Dunedoo highlights include:

The Royal Hotel, accommodation and secure bike storage.

Accommodation at the Dunedoo Swan Motel.

Stay Dunedoo Caravan Park

A B&B cottage: ‘the Caddy Shack’.

Sue Graham’s Redbank Gums Bed & Breakfast (0428751218).

Sue Stoddart’s flat and motor home accommodation (0458524445)

The White Rose Cafe that has breakfast, lunch and refreshments & located in the main street.

There are two bakeries in town.

Dinners at the Dunedoo Hotel, the Dunedoo Bowling Club (on weekends) and the Dunedoo Sports Club.

Farm Stay on the way into Dunedoo at ‘Bolinda Vale’ –’Dunedoo Shearer’s Huts’.

The local Thrifty Link is starting to stock repair materials for cyclists and looking to sell bike tubes.

Cobbora

25km from Dunedoo by bicycle on backroads is Cobbora Station, offering cottage beds, camping and meal options. (0498542689)

Dubbo

Famous for Taronga Western Plains Zoo, you can ride your bike direct to the zoo. Once you sort out entry, you can even follow the pathway around the zoo! Featuring giraffes, lions, elephants, cheetahs, tigers and many other creatures great and small, the open plan zoo is well worth visiting.

Dubbo offers a myriad of accommodation both in hotels, motels, camping and Bed & Breakfasts, and special camping at the Zoo (02 6884 1700). Cyclists have told CWC organisers some of their favourite accommodation options including East End Apartments and camping at the Zoo!

Mudgee

Enjoy great wine and sensational cycling? Cellar doors abound around Mudgee, and we all know how good the road and gravel riding is around the region. Market St is a great place for coffee and a big breakfast. Just across the road, you can find out about all the things to see and do at the Visitor Information Centre. There are plenty of good pubs in town with many also offering accommodation.

Gulgong

Historic Gulgong, what a town. The narrow roads meander around a small village that is much the same as it was during the gold rush boom period of the 1870s. The Holtermann Museum in Mayne St is a must-see and offers a fascinating insight into Australia’s Gold Rush years. The afternoon we were in town we spent a full afternoon at the Gulgong Pioneer Museum in Herbert Street. Yes, it was raining outside, but the museum proved to be the perfect place to stay occupied.

Gulgong is a very popular start and finish point for many riders. There are many great coffee shops such as The Butcher Shop Café and Gulgong bakery.

Accommodation options include the Prince of Wales hotel, The Showground camping area and the infamous Ten Dollar Town Motel.

Wellington

Wellington offers a wide variety of accommodation in hotels, motels, bed & breakfasts plus cafes and places for a great meal.

Options include:

The Riverside Caravan Park welcomes cyclists and has on-site cabins and a camp kitchen.

The Lion of Waterloo hotel at Montefiores

The Bridge Motel

Jespresso Coffee Co is very popular with cyclists.

Arthurs View café

Birriwa

A smaller and quieter town, but still some limited facilities for riders just outside town including:

Refreshments at Mayfield at 591 Bus Route South – but you need to book ahead.

A farm stay at Roxanna on Bus Route South with accommodation for up to 4 riders.

Mendooran

A smaller village with food and lodging options including:

The Royal Hotel (02688862043) accommodation, dinner and lunches.

Crackerz Bakery in Bandulla Street

Manusu House and Cabin, has been upgraded to accommodate cyclists.

The Mendooran Black Gate Distillery

The Sky Blue Cheese factory offers cheese-making demonstrations to cyclists

Mendooran B & B, in a former pub with a lovely dining room.

Wongarbon

Another small village that features:

Billy’O Bush Retreat on Barbigal Road – also an option to park a vehicle for the week as a start/finish point.

The Wongarbon Post Office does fantastic scones for morning tea if pre-warned!

‘’Peppercorn Cottage’, behind the Post Office sleeps four.

Wongarbon Hotel open from 12-noon for lunch & dinner.

Geurie

A very small village that welcomes cyclists and has several outlets for coffee. The local pub, the Mitchell Inn, also has accommodation for cyclists.

Ballimore

Cold beer, great food and good country accommodation at the pub, The Hair of the Dog.

Goolma

Goolma is little more than a locality but the Goolma Hall, managed by the Goolma Amenities committee, is made available to passing cyclists. E-bikes can recharge there for a small fee. They have also provided fresh water to passing cyclists.

A local, Jean Ellis offers farm stay and is now well known on the trail for providing morning tea or lunch.

Nearby an old farmhouse has been fantastically renovated for a quiet country stay.

Getting To The Central West

Still in its relative infancy, the CWC has attracted thousands of riders over the past few years.

Driving to any of the start points is popular, but there’s something very special about leaving the car at home and taking a train-based cycling trip.

But many supporters of the trail initiative say success could be vastly improved if Transport for NSW, the department that looks after Trainlink and the state’s regional railways, relaxed rules over the carriage of bikes.

Under the present rules, bikes can be taken on a regional train however they must be dismantled and packed into a box. By comparison, trains on the urban Opal network allow riders to roll an unboxed bike straight on.

“To take bikes on Endeavour, XPT or Explorer trains, the bikes must be dismantled, boxed and they can’t weigh over 20kg,” Tim Coen from Rail Trails NSW recently told 7 News Riverina.

Riders have been petitioning rail authorities and citing examples of the popularity of train-based bike trips in Europe and many other countries.

Members of the CWC Committee have put a lot of work into the bikes on trains issue. To see a PDF of their elaborate notes on the topic visit www.centralwestcycletrail.com.au

They are also asking the public to have their say on the issue via the feedback section on the www.transportnsw.info/contactus page.

Summing It All Up

Writing this around 6-weeks after the last trip to the trail, we are absolutely itching to get back. It offers safe, mesmerising and iconically Australian cycling, and is a truly memorable cycling experience. With immense credit to the locals who dreamt up the CWC and established it in such a relatively short space of time, it has quickly become New South Wales’ top ‘must ride’ cycling trail.

Our tip – whatever you do, ride the CWC. It’s a truly memorable experience. 

Keen To Ride It? For more on the CWC visit www.centralwestcycletrail.com.au. Organisers are currently compiling a guidebook and this is expected to be available soon. It’s also well worth joining their popular Facebook group. Search the ‘Central West Cycling Trail’.

^{Supporting Locals}

A key premise of the trail is that small towns benefit enormously from the creation of cycling tourism and the far-reaching opportunities it delivers.

Mudgee’s David Allworth, a member of the close-knit team behind the trail, said the grassroots initiative had wide and far-reaching potential for the greater region.

“Even a kid on the side of the road with a table of 10 fruit juices will sell something to passing cyclists,” he told us.

“Cyclists seek to carry a minimum, and arriving at a town like Dunedoo will likely be looking for afternoon tea, accommodation, dinner, breakfast and supplies to cover the next 60km to Mendooran.”

He explained how CWC riders are generally looking for a town every 30 to 60km.

“There’s not the option of winding up the car windows, turning on the air conditioning and keeping the foot on the accelerator to get to a larger centre,” he said.

“Cyclists love their food – it is as essential for cyclists as petrol is for a car. If the news gets out that someone is serving tasty scones along the way, the itinerary is changed and the venue booked.”

“Word gets out quickly, and the talk in the peloton becomes focussed on highlights along the way such as ‘how far to the famous scones?’”

The smell of scones from 50 km away will lure cyclists, he said.

Top Local Tips

And David’s local tips for visiting riders?

“Take some time to soak up the character of the towns – even the tiny ones,” he said.

“Mendooran is your classic small town which has been battered by the bank leaving and the now fast road to bigger centres.

“The mission style Mendooran Mechanics Institute was built just after the Great Depression of the early 1930s from funds raised from within the community. This shows what a vibrant town it was in days gone by.

“At its time of construction, a regional centre would have been very proud of it.

“That community ‘can do’ attitude and the people’s faith in the town is shown by the recently-opened Blue Sky Cheese and Mendooran Cottages.

“Take time to talk to the locals,” he suggested.

“Blue Cheese proprietor Deb Kiem has ridden hundreds of kilometres through outback Australia,” he continued. “All done on a 3-speed bicycle and often she slept in culverts.”

And another locals’ tip for those really wanting to get off the beaten track?

“If you really want to get away from cars, the Goonoo State Conservation leg is for you,” he said.

“Lying between Ballimore and Mendooran, this has become one of the highlights of the trail.

“These fire trails offer hours of quiet cycling, but make sure you have your mapping sorted out. Signage won’t lead you through.

“Wider tyres are recommended and not too much pressure in them – yes, you really want to have a bike pump with you.

“Novice riders have handled it with aplomb, but you need to keep an eye on the changing surface. Know your skill level because a few short sandy sections will test you out, and never be afraid to get off and push your bike through.

“In the southern section of the trail, Wongarbon is a surprise package of wonderfully treed streets amongst the wheatlands.

“Nearby Dubbo is the hub of the Orana region which has a gross agricultural revenue of $2 billion, that is a lot of food. Having arrived to the railway line at Wongarbon towns are closer together, Dubbo 20 km to the west, and Geurie 12km, and Wellington a further 30 km.

“Speaking of Geurie, a number of cyclists have taken off the luggage panniers and set off on the MTB trails on Bald Hill immediately behind the town. But leave enough energy in the legs for the sharp climb up Mt Arthur to arrive in Wellington 30km away.”

More at www.centralwestcycletrail.com.au

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The final weekend of racing at the 2024 Santos Tour Down Under history will feature both Willunga Hill and Mt Lofty when the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) WorldTour race returns from Friday 12 to Sunday 21 January.

Stages for the 24th annual TDU men’s and women’s races have been announced, with exciting new start and finish locations, picturesque routes and fan favourite elements on offer – including the introduction of the first men’s stage start in Murray Bridge to further showcase the region as it recovers from the recent flood event.

Fans can enjoy a combined 1,116 kilometres of action across 10 days. The women’s race will be in the spotlight on weekend one, kick-starting the racing on Friday 12 January with a fast-paced stage from Hahndorf to Campbelltown.

O’Grady, Edmondson & Taylor At The Helm

Race Director Stuart O’Grady OAM said he and Assistant Race Directors Annette Edmondson and Carlee Taylor were excited to build on the success of this year’s event. 

“The 2024 race routes will test the elite international cyclists like never before. The Santos Tour Down Under is Australia’s unbeatable cycling race and we are proud to present another edition,” Mr O’Grady said.

The new race format will see women’s racing held on the first weekend to enable more fans than ever to get out and see elite cyclists in action. 

“We made history in 2023 with the first women’s stage race in the southern hemisphere at UCI Women’s WorldTour level. Next year we will see the women racing across the first weekend. We have elevated these stages and hope to give fans even more opportunity to get out and enjoy the highest level of competition,” Mr O’Grady said. 

“The women will also tackle Willunga Hill for the first time, and we hope to see its slopes lined with cheering fans.

“The men will need to give absolutely everything out there on the road in what will be the toughest final weekend in Santos Tour Down Under history. Competition is going to be furious as riders battle it out to secure their place.”

2024 Santos Tour Down Under women’s stages:

Friday 12 January
Ziptrak Stage 1 – Hahndorf to Campbelltown, 92km 
A picturesque start in the main street of Hahndorf will see the women off for their 2024 Santos Tour Down Under. The rolling roads of this stage will prime the peloton for an exciting bunch sprint to the line. 

Saturday 13 January
Stage 2 – Glenelg to Stirling, 104km 
After record crowds at last year’s Glenelg start, the Santos Tour Down Under returns to Glenelg beach. The women will travel to Cherry Gardens and through Adelaide’s southern hills before tackling two-and-a-half laps of Stirling in their longest race stage to date.  

Sunday 14 January
Stage 3 – Adelaide CBD to Willunga Hill, 93km
Riders will cover a range of Adelaide highlights in this stage for the climbers, starting in the city centre before moving to the hills and then along the coast. The finish line awaits atop the famous Willunga Hill – a first for the UCI women’s WorldTour race. Who will take the coveted crown of the inaugural Queen of Willunga Hill?

2024 Santos Tour Down Under men’s stages:

Saturday 13 January
Down Under Classic – Adelaide CBD
Fans will have their first chance to watch the men up close across this fast-paced city circuit. Riders will race along Flinders, Wakefield and Pulteney streets and beside the Tour Village in Victoria Square/Tarntanyangga, with new start and finish locations.

Tuesday 16 January
Ziptrak Stage 1 – Tanunda to Tanunda, 144km 
Returning to the beautiful Barossa for another blistering sprint stage, riders will tackle three laps of the region, travelling through Seppeltsfield, Greenock, Nuriootpa, Angaston and Tanunda. 

Wednesday 17 January
efex Stage 2 – Norwood to Lobethal, 141km 
The Adelaide Hills will be on show in this exciting stage. It will finish with three 35-kilometre loops and three ascents of the Fox Creek Climb – a short but super-steep climb set to be a launchpad for multiple attacks.

Thursday 18 January
Stage 3 – Tea Tree Gully to Campbelltown, 145km 
A new start in Tea Tree Gully will initiate an aggressive stage set to skirt the edge of the Barossa before a speedy finish down Gorge Road and into Campbelltown. 

Friday 19 January
Hahn Stage 4 – Murray Bridge to Port Elliot, 136km
Showcasing some of South Australia’s most beautiful regions, this stage will travel from the Murray River, past Lake Alexandrina and into the Langhorne Creek wine region before a first-time finish at Port Elliot’s stunning Horseshoe Bay.  

Saturday 20 January
THINK! Road Safety Stage 5 – Christies Beach to Willunga Hill, 129km
Fan favourite Willunga Hill is making a triumphant return, not once but twice in this stage. After a new start location at Christies Beach, riders will make their way around McLaren Vale before two laps of the district. King of the Mountain points on Willunga Hill are on offer in the first, while the second promises an iconic finish atop Willunga Hill. Who will take the crown from Richie Porte?

Sunday 21 January
Stage 6 – Unley to Mount Lofty, 128km
Mt Lofty returns for the final showdown in what will be the toughest final weekend in Santos Tour Down Under history. It will be time for riders to go all in, and the last chance for general classifcation contenders to make their move.  

You can visit tourdownunder.com.au for more information.

The post Tour Down Under: Willunga & Mt Lofty To Feature In 2024 Edition Of TDU appeared first on Bicycling Australia.

The post Gravel Video: Highlights From The Inaugural Dirty Mudgee Gravel Event appeared first on Bicycling Australia.

The post Mudgee Classic: The Official Event Day Video appeared first on Bicycling Australia.

Back in the autumn of 2021, I was lucky enough to be an ambassador for the inaugural Mudgee Classic. Whilst I’d been reasonably close to the area before, having ridden several times around places like Bathurst, Orange, Hill End and Dubbo over the years, it was my first time based in Mudgee itself. I absolutely loved my four-day stay and have since returned on two more occasions with bikes and friends in tow.

Yes, the riding in and around Mudgee is brilliant. But what really stuck with me on that first visit was the complete experience that comes with it. The food and the wine. The scenery. The history. The friendly and relaxed locals.

The 2023 Mudgee Classic takes place on April 29/30 – you can register for the road & gravel fondos here, with a special offer for those who ride both!

There are some places where you just tend to feel more welcome – and Mudgee is one of them. Nestled in Wiradjuri country along the Cudgegong River, it’s a truly fabulous part of regional Australia, brilliantly geared for cyclo-tourism. Not too big, but big enough. Not too far from Sydney, but far enough to feel a million miles away.

If you’re considering making the trip out to the third annual Mudgee Classic on the weekend of 29/30 April 2023, I’d simply say: “What are you waiting for?” Grab your mates. Register your spots. Book your accommodation. You won’t regret it!

The Riding

Regional Australia is renowned for ‘dead’ roads and the Central West of NSW is no exception. If you’re planning a long day in the saddle, be prepared for tired legs and, at times, inconsistent road surfaces; also stay alert for potential damage from the record rainfall and flooding seen over the past 12 months or so. 28mm+ tyres and/or lower pressures are the order of the day, as well as plenty of spares.

The riding terrain around Mudgee isn’t especially flat, but nor is it brutally hilly. Sure, it has its moments. But overall, I’d describe it as ‘rolling’.

On my visits I’ve also experienced relatively little traffic and those vehicles I have come across have been generally accommodating, providing plenty of space. Don’t forget to gaze upwards from time to time either, especially if you’re riding in the serenity of the early morning. You might see a hot air balloon or two floating gently above some of the many vineyards.

Of course, if the dirt is more your style, the Mudgee region also boasts some of NSW’s most outstanding gravel riding – around 55km of which will feature in the inaugural Dirty Mudgee gravel event on Saturday 29 April.

The town itself actually sits at the south-eastern tip of the popular Central West Cycle Trail, a 400km(ish) loop which passes through Gulgong, Dunedoo and Mendooran to the north and Wellington, Geurie and Dubbo to the west.

The Weather

Mudgee can get stinking hot in summer. But in the autumn months riders can expect crisp mornings, often with some fog or mist, which slowly give way to reasonably mild days.

In April, temperatures average between 9 degrees (low) and 23 (high) degrees, while the month typically sees just 3 days of wet weather.

My time at the Mudgee Classic in 2021 was defined by clear blue skies stretching as far as the eye could see and very pleasant riding conditions. Just glorious.

The Region

An established wine producing region that’s well used to welcoming tourists, Mudgee is 260km north-west of Sydney, roughly a 3hr 30min drive. Basically, you turn right when you see the power stations just past Lithgow, then follow the Castlereagh Highway all the way to Mudgee.

The vibrant wine, food and artisanal produce scene – including bustling pubs, first-class restaurants, cellar doors and numerous options for fresh coffee and pastries – is accompanied by super friendly locals and there’s certainly no shortage of things to see and do, making it well worth allowing a few extra days before and/or after your weekend’s riding. Rest assured, non-cycling partners and family will have plenty to keep them occupied while you’re out on the road. (Oh, there are also a couple of bike shops in town should you require last-minute spares or supplies.)

The Event

I’ve always loved regional fondos and the Mudgee Classic is right up there with my favourites. There’s just a wonderfully authentic camaraderie amongst the riders and locals that you don’t get in the city.

As mentioned, Saturday April 29 will see the first-ever Dirty Mudgee Gravel Fondo held over a scenic 55km loop taking in the rural lanes, trails, wineries and grazing lands to the north of Mudgee. The following day it’s the turn of the roadies – although many visitors will no doubt take the opportunity to back up and ‘do the double’.

On Sunday April 30 an estimated 2,000 riders will roll under the starting gantry on Church Street in Mudgee, tackling their choice of four magnificent courses ranging from relatively-leisurely 35km (377m climbing) and 65km (573m) options, to far sterner tests over 125km (1,069m) and 175km (1,470m).

The two longest rides stretch all the way out to the northern townships of Ulan and Gulgong. But while the shorter routes will have you back in town much sooner, they still take in some spectacular local scenery.

I rode the 35km Social Classic course back in 2021 as a Saturday warm up, and it’s a wonderful little ride, winding its way up towards St Fillans before you hurtle back home along Henry Lawson Drive. Whichever route you choose, your day’s work will end back at the event village in the Glen Willow Regional Sports Complex with cold beer, tasty food, live music and possibly the word’s comfiest bean bags.

The 2023 Mudgee Classic takes place on April 29/30 – you can register for the road & gravel fondos here, with a special offer for those who ride both!

The post Destinations: Magnificent Mudgee & Surrounds appeared first on Bicycling Australia.

Although most of us have been riding bikes offroad since we were knee-high to a grasshopper, there’s no doubting that things have become a lot more sophisticated since those knee scathing days of bodged scrapheap bikes and planked ramps.

Gravel riding, as it has come to be known, may well have been seen by some as a way for the bike industry to simply sell you a new bike, and to an extent that is true. However, those who do dip their rubber into the dirty world of curly bars and skinny rubber riding offroad will soon tell you that gravel is so much more than a marketing ploy – arguably, it is the future for many of us, not only in a practical and fun way, but also from a safety point.

For those new to gravel, or those still sitting on that jaded fence of decision, here are a few basics to help keep you grinning and rubber side up when the going gets fast and loose, ohh, and with a few dirty secrets thrown into the mix from non-other than Mr Wout van Aert.

Do you really need a gravel bike?

There’s a big difference between want and need – but unless you’re all fixed on road racing and sportives then a gravel bike is quite probably the most versatile allrounder ride there is, and for those who do not partake in chasing grams and split seconds then it is possibly the only bike you will ever need.

Gravel bikes have come on in leaps and bounds in the past 3-4 years, and there is no industry standard. They have evolved from simply being guesswork adapted touring and cyclo cross bikes to precision offroad speed machines, and with almost as many variations as a mountainbike offers.

For smooth and dry stuff, lighter riders can get away with a road bike and fatter tyres, as we saw at the UCI Gravel Worlds (ahem), but for more serious stuff you will want something a tad beefier and more robust, and with gearing to suit. Sure, you can lockout the suspension and adapt an old mountainbike, but it does come up short when compared to a modern gravel bike – so, if you can afford it a dedicated gravel bike is a noble and worthwhile investment.

It’s a set up

You will probably not want to shift too far away from your regular road position, but if you are taking on regular rough rides (especially if they are technically demanding) you should try riding around 1-1.5cm shorter and marginally higher at the front end.

This will ease back, arm, and neck fatigue and also help to stabilise the ride and allow you a more loose front end grip, which helps with control and visibility.

Rolling stock

Your choice of wheels, and even more so tyres, is almost as important as the actual bike, although these can of course be easily changed as and when and at a reasonable price.

It’s great that manufacturers and research have finally woken up to the theory that wider wheels and tyres are not a hindrance, and that is even more so when it comes to gravel and rough riding.

Slightly wider rims and more spokes will give a softer ride with considerably less chance of impact punctures. Deep alloy road rims may look and feel nice, but they also make for a very rigid ride, which is more prone to impact punctures, and induces rider fatigue – especially if you’re a bigger rider.

Tyre choice can change your whole ride; and not all tyres and manufacturers are even. Depending on the terrain, 28-46mm tyres are best. If it’s dry and not so rough 30-36mm tyres are great for every day road and light gravel use.

More chunky 36-46mm tyres are super grippy and comfortable offroad, and they rarely puncture. If run hard off the road they also roll smoothly. It’s also well worth considering going tubeless for gravel riding, unless you frequently switch between tyres that is, as sealant can be a messy affair.

As long as you’re at ease with your bike handling skills you can usually afford to have a lighter tread pattern on the front tyre; it makes for a more precise feel, and helps you to roll faster on hard pack. Be aware that the knobbier the tyre is the faster it wears on the road – especially the rear, so after a while switch the rear tyre to the front to increase longevity.

As for tyre pressures, that varies depending on the tyre, your weight and the terrain. Fatter gravel tyres (especially tubeless) allow you to run lower pressures (25-40psi being the regular range), which makes for more comfort and grip, but this can be sluggish if you do a lot of road/hard pack riding.

In the wet it pays to soften things up some to keep traction, but do not go too low as impact punctures will become a potential issue.

The right gear

Even ultra-smooth gravel will slow you down by around at least 10-20%. The rougher it gets the slower you will go – and consequently the lower the gears you will need. Although many of us old timers may still feel confined by the bravado of bigger gears, it really has been proven to be a fallacy – keep your gears down, and always have at least one lower gear than you think you will need. Pushing a bike up a loose and steep gravel climb is not much fun.

Compact 34/50 cranks with 28 or 32 tooth rear sprockets are the regular offering on mid-range gravel bikes, which is very limiting if you want to hit some serious offroad trails.

The latest 1x systems are clean and simple but can be restricting if you also do road rides on the same bike.

After much trial and error I managed to convert my double chainring ride to a 40-tooth bottom rear sprocket, which allows me to tackle some more serious offroad climbs, while also retaining a fine selection of fast moving gears for road work. Even so, for real offroad goodness and ageing legs it’s not quite low enough for me.

The secret ingredient here was a small adaptor called a Wolf Tooth Road Link; it was $40 or so well spent. Be sure to check compatibility before attempting a conversion, it can prove frustrating if your cogs don’t align.

Climbing

Stay in saddle and keep it light on the bars as much as you can. When you do stand up do it gently and avoid rapid acceleration. Keep your cadence smooth, and your weight over the saddle and back of the bike until you sense the balance of traction versus gradient and move accordingly to keep your wheels pinned to the ground.

Climbing on dirt is much heavier and slower going than on the road, and grades can suddenly ramp up, and so keeping in a low gear is essential. Always look ahead, especially at switchbacks. The lines you take will not be as ideal as they might be on the road, as you need to look for a smooth and grit free ride, which is often in vehicle tracks.

Descending

Be sure to know how your tyres, your bike and the brakes react – and how far you can push them. Look well ahead, and also constantly scan the ground 20-50 metres in front – if you hit a hole or rock at speed it will hurt.

Scrub your speed off gently and evenly between any corners, and allow at least double the braking distance that you would on the road, and do not brake in a corner.

Unless the road is very smooth, then stand or push off the saddle using the the pedals and keep your weight back slightly, with your arms and legs slightly bent to absorb the bumps and to allow the bike to bounce around some. Always keep a firm grip of the bars, while also allowing them to move around – almost as if they were a lightly greased pole.

Keep your distance from other riders, and don’t automatically follow their lines. If it’s dusty ahead ease off and allow for it to clear some. Try and stay relaxed physically and yet very alert mentally, but don’t be too nervous.

If it’s not too steep and brakes are not crucial then riding on the tops or hoods will give a better lookout and also make for a more stable and comfortable ride, but you will lose some braking power.

…Play with your tyre pressure and feel the small differences. I think people often ride their tyres too hard, especially on gravel…

Cornering

Racing lines are rarely an option on dirt and gravel, as vehicles, weather and erosion take away their feasibility. You should always look for the safest and smoothest option.

Look well ahead, especially at what lies on the other side of the corner, and then kill your speed very evenly with both brakes.

The edge and centre of any offroad bend is rarely a safe option. Avoid cutting centre ridges in an approach to a corner, and unless you know the line well stick to the well-worn rails and play it safe.

Look out for the gritty and off-camber edges and avoid them. If you do hit them by mistake then be sure to not lock the brakes, it’s better to maintain as much tyre grip as you can.

Leading lines

On gravel safety outweighs drafting benefit by a fair few lengths. Being on the front gives you prime position when the going is slow and technical, but naturally when it’s open you will want to take shelter and share the load; however, there are a few things you need to take into account.

If you’re tucked in behind a rider with your head down, you will not be able to see those inevitable gritty patches, holes, or even predict lines. Consequently, it will be tough to react, so do allow half a wheel of extra room for error, and always leave an overlap that allows you a reasonable view of the trail ahead. Increase that buffer zone when things get rough and tricky, or better still get pole position for the really tricky bits.

Stay aware of the dust and mud too; this can mean riding “side saddle” on the windy side when it’s downhill and fast, or hanging back a length when it’s super wet.

Wout van Aert dishes his dirty secrets

Steve Thomas: For a race like Strade Bianchi or Paris-Roubaix what tyres do you use, and who makes those choices?

Wout van Aert: We have a tyre sponsor – Vittoria, and luckily they have some good tyres, which is not a commercial thing, it’s true. We can choose what we want from the range, so choice is personal. I don’t think it’s best to leave this choice to the mechanics, but of course it’s good to have advice.

With my cyclo cross experience I feel the difference more between the tyres – or that’s how it seems when talking to teammates.

Strade Bianchi and Paris-Roubaix are very different. In Strade Bianchi you have a lot of gravel, but also a lot of steep uphill on asphalt, so you don’t want too much resistance, and so I usually ride 28mm there, and I don’t like a heavy profile.

For Roubaix you want tyres that can survive the roughness and also stay on the cobbles, and so there I ride 30mm and with more profile – more tough.

ST: What would be your top tips for gravel riding?

WVA: Tyres are really important. Play with your tyre pressure and feel the small differences. I think people often ride their tyres too hard, especially on gravel.

The preparation for racing or riding gravel is more important than on the road; the best thing is always to practice. There are also lots of corners, which are quite technical at speed. During endurance training use your gravel bike and not a road bike, and get offroad to get used to it.

Wide open spaces and a dream gravel destination, but planning, knowledge and self-reliance are critical aspects of adventure riding.

The post Mastering Gravel: Taming True Grit appeared first on Bicycling Australia.

Things began innocently enough. At the end of a leisurely ride over the Christmas break of 2017, I decided to include a quick lap of the inauspicious suburban street that surrounds my parents’ home in Brisbane’s western suburbs. For purely nostalgic purposes, I then made it a Strava segment and, given no-one else had ever ridden the same anonymous 760-metre loop with a whopping five metres of elevation, I instantly became KOM holder.

For the next four or so years, nothing changed. In fact, there was so little activity on the segment I forgot it even existed. Until April 2022, that is. One morning back home in Sydney, I received the tell-tale notification from Strava. “Uh oh! You just lost your KOM.” Really? I had a quick check and it was the loop surrounding Mum and Dad’s place.

I had a chuckle. I wasn’t annoyed, but I certainly was a bit surprised, largely that anybody even cared enough to take such a nondescript KOM from me. Maybe they didn’t care? Maybe it was purely accidental? Oh well, whatever the reason, given I was living 950km away there wasn’t much I could do about it and I quickly forgot about it again.

Fast forward seven months, however, and I found myself laughing with a few mates about the phenomenon of Strava segment hunters and recounted the tale of my lost KOM. I mentioned I would soon be heading back to my family home in Brisbane for Christmas 2022 and everyone joked that I should try and reclaim it. I always take my bike anyway, and the new time was only a few seconds faster than the original (casually ridden) record, so I was pretty confident I could get it back. I assumed the holder was probably long gone anyway and no-one would even notice. How wrong I was!

Brisbane’s River Loop

I arrived in Brisbane a few days before Christmas. On the first morning, I set out for a traditional ‘River Loop’, but first I rode a few laps of the segment around Mum and Dad’s place. It was 4:45am, not another human in sight, and my Garmin told me I’d successfully lowered the mark by two seconds. I smiled.

For the next few hours, I rode triumphantly around Tennyson, West End and St Lucia, satisfied in the knowledge that order had been restored, not to mention a bit of family honour. However, within barely an hour of completing the ride, I received a notification on Strava. “Uh oh! You just lost your KOM.”

“No way!” I thought to myself. Far from no-one caring, it became clear there was someone who cared about this little segment very much. Closer inspection showed the previous KOM holder, who obviously lived nearby, had lowered my new time by a full four seconds. I told my family the somewhat unexpected news and they all had a laugh. But I cannot lie. I was a bit pissed off. My teenage son then piped up, “Well, you better get back out there Dad and take it back!” He was right. Game on.

It’s On!

Within a matter of minutes, a segment I’d barely thought about for years started to consume me. Wars have started over less. I considered my next move, and the following morning I set out to correct things. I rolled out early once again, this time enroute to the iconic Brisbane climb, Mt Coot-tha. I did a quick local warm up, then laid down a new PB for the prized segment. I actually thought I’d broken the KOM by two seconds. My Garmin suggested as much at the time. However, Strava had different ideas. According to them, I’d recorded the exact same time. It was a tie. Oh, the drama.

What now? Would my newly-discovered nemesis set out to reclaim it immediately once more? He certainly had a big advantage in the sense that, as a local, he could ride endless 760-metre laps until the record duly fell, whereas I’d soon be returning to Sydney. Given the circumstances, my strategy was simply to wait and watch. The suspense was very real. Yet nothing happened for the next four days of my stay. On reflection, I figured this was likely my best chance to keep the KOM, as a joint holder. No shame in that.

Then, with just 24 hours until our departure, my family started to agitate things. In particular, my usually mild-mannered partner suggested I stop mucking about. I should get out and “smash” the time on my final day in Brisbane, or I’d regret it all year. My impressionable son whole heartedly agreed and so did my parents. I wasn’t entirely convinced. But peer pressure is a powerful force. I caved. I couldn’t back down now. Family honour was once more on the line.

My final morning in Brisbane duly arrived. The last chance. Off I went for a short, sharp burst around the local streets. The plan was to bury myself and lower the record by so much the other guy might simply give up. Initially it seemed like I’d done just that, too.

I rode four pretty brutal flying laps, back-to-back, and my Garmin told me I’d set not one, but two new PBs including a cracking fastest time that shaved a full six seconds faster than the previous record! I was stoked. However, my joy turned to disbelief about 30 minutes later, as upon uploading the ride to Strava, it once again told me I had ridden somewhat slower than my Garmin initially suggested.

According to the Strava leaderboard – the only one that matters – I was actually still a second behind the official KOM. It was a scarcely believable seven-second discrepancy and wasn’t even my fastest time. WTF?!

I stewed for 30 minutes or so, cursing the vagaries of GPS technology. Then I did a bit of research on a few Strava help forums which suggested it might be worth deleting and reloading the ride file. I’m so glad I did. I have no idea what had happened, but it seemed to be some kind of data glitch. On reloading the file, Strava had suddenly changed its mind. I’d done the segment in 1:14. Oddly, it was still four seconds slower than my Garmin time, but regardless it meant I would leave Brisbane as the KOM holder after all. You little beauty.

How long will the new record last? That’s anyone’s guess. In fact, there’s every chance by the time you read this it’s already gone. Fortunately, I’ll be back in Brisbane again next Christmas… 

The post Mano a Mano: Pete’s Strava Battle appeared first on Bicycling Australia.

Extending over 24 kilometres of countryside in the Tweed’s lush valley, the Tweed trail connects via the townships and villages of Crabbes Creek, Mooball, Burringbar, Stokers Siding, Dunbible and Murwillumbah, all once key train station stops along the original railway line, built in 1894.

The Tweed trail is the first section of the full 132 kilometre Northern Rivers Rail Trail to open and welcomes walkers, runners and cyclists to breathe in nature, explore country towns and immerse in the region’s rich agri-tourism offerings, from farm-gates to foodie hot spots.

The trail features 2 original tunnels – including the 500 metre long Burringbar Range tunnel – and 26 bridges, with 16 of these on the track itself. It’s a smooth and picturesque trail with both sealed and gravel sections, passing through landscapes from lush tropical settings to local farm life.

Better yet, this new trail is much more than just a ride with plenty to see and do along the way.

Murwillumbah to Dunbible – Art Deco to Art Gallery

Riding north to south, the trail heads out from Murwillumbah Railway Station, a beautifully restored original building that also houses a Visitor Information Centre, bike hire and coffee – so you can fuel up before hitting the trail.

Take time before or after your ride to explore Murwillumbah’s original art deco architecture and vibrant cafe scene, with plenty of shops to browse and food stores to stock up on locally made pasta, cheese, gelato and more.

A couple of kilometres in, you’ll find a stop-off point to visit the Tweed Regional Gallery and Margaret Olley Art Centre, one of Australia’s leading art spaces. You can lock up your bike and take a short stroll to the gallery, and also grab coffee or a bite at Apex Dining.

Dunbible to Stokers Siding – Historic Bridges and Creative Villages

This section of the ride features some of the major bridge highlights of the trail including the Dunbible Creek Bridge, a beautiful heritage feature that has undergone major repairs and restoration as part of the trail development. 

Said to mean ‘black apple tree’ in the local Bundjalung language, Dunbible grew as a farming district in the 1880s with farm life still a feature of the area today. 

You’ll cycle over more scenic bridges on the way to Stokers Siding, home to a creative arts community and the Stokers Siding Art Gallery, housed in a 1921 heritage building. Also in town is the Community Printmakers Studio, where inspiration can be found for fans of etching, lino and woodcuts.

Stokers Siding to Burringbar – Farm Life and Burringbar Tunnel

Onwards from Stokers Siding village, take a moment to immerse in local Tweed farm life with a stop at Hosanna Farmstay.

This haven for resident farm animals brews a great coffee and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner onweekends. You can also choose to break up your ride with an overnight stay in a homestead, cabin or your own tent. 

Riding on to Burringbar you’ll traverse gorgeous countryside and encounter one of the trail highlights, the 500 metre long Burringbar Range Tunnel – note that it’s a dark tunnel so bring a head torch!

The township of Burringbar also invites a pause, with the iconic Heath’s Old Wares and Collectables store tempting vintage-lovers and the bustling General Store on hand for all manner of on-the-go needs. 

Nearby, Tweed Valley Whey Farmhouse Cheeses is also a great place to stop, sample artisan cheeses and buy your favourites to enjoy later.

Burringbar to Crabbes Creek – The Home Stretch

This last tranquil stretch of the trail passes by fertile farmland and pine tree canopies, crosses a number of bridges and through the arched Hulls Road Tunnel on the way to Crabbes Creek, originally known as ‘Pimble’ to the local Bundjalung people, for whom this area holds Ancestral significance.

The small village of Mooball, distinguished by the various black and white cow prints found around town, is a great place to circle back to and finish the trail. Enjoy lunch and a refreshing drink at the 1930s Victory Motel or cafe fare at the Moo Moo Roadhouse. 

A shuttle ride from Mooball back to Murwillumbah can also be booked.

More information at northernriversrailtrail.com.au or visitthetweed.com.au

The post Destinations: Tweed Section Of The Northern Rivers Rail Trail Is Officially Open appeared first on Bicycling Australia.

Back again, and with more riders expected to take on the nation’s best climbs and descents, the 2023 Snowy Classic is on Saturday April 1.

With the event just weeks away, registrations are closing soon and the start line list is filling fast. Keen to join the action and ride the 110km or 170km Snowy Classic course? Our tip is to register via the event website ASAP.

Jindabyne Start Then Up Up Up

Riders from across Australia will again descend upon Jindabyne to tackle one of two epic courses – the 170km Maxi Classic with 2830 meters of climbing, or the 110km Challenge Classic with 1451 vertical metres.

Both routes showcase some of the nation’s best rural and alpine cycling, and take in iconic Australian pastoral vistas prior to hitting the challenging climbs such as the mighty Beloka. 

Offering a true European-style cycling experience, the event features fully closed roads extending from Jindabyne to Hilltop, Rocky Plain, Berridale, Dalgety, Beloka and Perisher Valley.

For further details on the 2023 Snowy Classic, and to register, visit www.SnowyClassic.com.au

Riders will depart from Kosciuszko Rd, Jindabyne from early on Saturday April 1, and pass through the finish line (at the same location) later in the morning and into the afternoon. 

Locals, whether cycling enthusiasts or not, are encouraged to join the action in decorating their front gardens, cheering on the riders and taking in the festival atmosphere.

The Event Village at Town Centre carpark, Jindabyne (opposite Banjo Paterson Park) will be cycling central as fans and supporters cheer on the riders. The village will feature something for everyone – from local produce at the food stalls, to a beer and wine bar, live music, cycling industry exhibitor stands and more. 

The Snowy Classic is proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.

Snowy Classic organisers extend a special thank you to Destination NSW, Snowy Monaro Council, Tourism Snowy Mountains, Department of Transport and Main Roads, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, and NSW Police for their ongoing support and assistance.

Register & Book You Accom Now!

The Snowy Classic is a significant challenge and a great way to kickstart your 2023 cycling year. Our tip is to sign up for the event, book your accomodation, and start training! More info on training for the 110km and 170km course can be found here on our website – here’s a helpful article to help get you started.

About The Classics

The Snowy Classic is part of The Classics series by Bicycling Australia, the nation’s most established and highly respected cycling media platform, in print and online for over 30 years and 237 editions. 

There are five national events which form The Classics series: the Bowral Classic, Clare Classic, Mudgee Classic, Noosa Classic and Snowy Classic.

The team are proudly the primary and most experienced providers of Gran Fondo cycling events in Australia with safety always the number one priority.

For further details on the 2023 Snowy Classic, and to register, visit www.SnowyClassic.com.au

The post Register Now & Ride: Jindabyne & The Snowy Mountains Primed For Second Annual Snowy Classic appeared first on Bicycling Australia.

It was Day One on the riding trip of a lifetime. Acclimatising in the Catalan hills near Girona in northern Spain, in preparation for later tackling the most revered cols of the Pyrenees as part of the Haute Route 2018. But in the blink of an eye – or, more precisely, the pop of a tyre – everything changed for accomplished Sydney rider and racer, Matt Wells, from Dulwich Hill Cycle Club.

“We’d been out for our very first ride in Girona, up through the mountains, and were about 20km from home,” Matt recalls. “We were descending back towards town, taking things pretty easy, when one of the guys we were with from Israel Cycling Academy had a tyre blow out. Without warning he cut straight in front of me and took out my front wheel. I went into the air at about 50kmh and ended up unconscious on the roadside. They thought I was dead.”

Thankfully, Matt wasn’t dead. But he was left with a frightening catalogue of injuries including severe concussion, six broken ribs, broken clavicle, fractured hip and fractured pelvis. It was the beginning of an exhausting journey through the Spanish health system that, by the time he arrived back home more than a month later, had included lengthy stays at two separate Girona hospitals, major orthopaedic surgery on his clavicle, and business class repatriation to Sydney accompanied by his own personal nurse.

Conservatively, his medical expenses from the accident were in the vicinity of $40,000 – not to mention the additional costs of his ill-fated assault on the Haute Route.

The one ray of light was that Matt had made the very wise decision, as he always does, to arrange personal travel insurance through his travel agent before leaving home. The policy itself cost $250, but as he reflects today it saved him so much more, both literally and figuratively.

“After I regained consciousness I was put in a neck brace and taken by ambulance transport to one of the hospitals in Girona. But when I arrived the first thing they did was ask for my credit card,” Matt recalls. “They said, ‘before we treat you we need you credit card because we have no surety from your travel insurance.’ Fortunately we were able to urgently contact my insurer and they sorted it out with the hospital, in fact, I had my credit card back in just a few minutes. Without their help, I would probably have been kicked out, back on the street. That’s the reality in many parts of the world, if you don’t have insurance they won’t touch you.”

As for his bike? “It came back with me in the ambulance too, but it was fine,” Matt laughs. “In fact, I’m still riding it today. Just a small paint chip and a scrape on the tyre, that was it. It wouldn’t have been covered by my travel insurance, but I have another policy for my bike here in Australia (providing international coverage) so it would have been alright.”

These days Matt is back on his bike and, until Covid-19 at least, had been racing again at all the usual haunts in and around Sydney including Heffron Park. Looking back, he has nothing but praise for his insurer and the way their team helped him through the ordeal. “Everything they did for me was amazing, from the moment I arrived in hospital in Girona to landing back home. There were four contacts helping me, two during the day and two at night, and they were all across my incident. They were just brilliant. Seriously, cyclists who baulk at getting decent travel insurance are crazy.”

We can only agree with you, Matt. Well said.

The Expert View

Like most things relating to insurance, the devil is very much in the detail when it comes to choosing the right travel insurance. Experience shows different riders can require vastly different types of coverage for many different reasons. To better understand some of the key watch-outs, we spoke with certified insurance broker, Scott Saunders of Adelaide. In addition to being an insurance industry veteran of almost 40 years, Scott also brings a keen knowledge of road cycling through his company’s sponsorship of the Butterfields-Insurance Advisernet p/b Van D’am Racing Team in the National Road Series, for whom his son, Tristan, currently rides.

BICYCLING AUSTRALIA: When should cyclists be considering travel insurance?

SCOTT SAUNDERS: Well, that depends on several factors. Where you are going is probably the most important consideration. If your travel is within Australia, some domestic building and contents insurance policies provide cover for bikes. So, excluding the other benefits of a travel policy, if your bike is your number one consideration, that may be an option.

These policies may provide cover anywhere in Australia and some even extend to New Zealand. So, if your domestic building and contents insurance policy includes cover for bikes and your travel is purely within Australia, that might be sufficient. Beyond that there are also dedicated insurance policies for cyclists that cover bikes while in use. Some of these will also cover you whilst racing.

However, it’s important to note domestic building and contents insurance policies and dedicated cyclist insurance policies
do not cover many of the benefits provided by a travel insurance policy – things like medical expenses and cancellation or curtailment expenses. So if your travel is overseas, then it’s important to purchase a policy that provides protection for the numerous risks you might face.

BA: Specifically, what types of things does travel insurance cover for a cyclist?

SS: Travel insurance policies, not just for cyclists, provide benefits for a wide range of risks. These include things like medical expenses and additional costs such as emergency evacuation expenses; death and personal accident benefits including weekly payments as a result of an injury; the loss of any deposits or cancellation, curtailment and delay expenses; and lost or damaged baggage and even your money. The other big one is cover for personal liability, should you cause damage or injury to another person or their property.

BA: There’s no shortage of choices out there. What are some of the things cyclists should be considering when choosing a travel policy?

SS: There are various levels and types of travel insurance protection offered by travel insurance providers. They range from very basic individual cover to a larger limit type policy for families travelling to countries like the USA where, as we know, medical expenses can be significant.

Some policies offer extensions for adventure type activities so if you’re planning on downhill mountain biking for example, this type of extension may provide the cover you need. That’s why you really need to ensure the policy you purchase is appropriate for your needs and not just the cheapest or solely determined by your budget.

BA: What about protecting your bike? In most cases that’s going to be even more expensive to replace than things like cameras and computer equipment?

SS: As a cyclist, whether you’re taking your own bike on holidays or renting one at your destination, it’s important to ask your travel insurance provider if their policy includes cover for loss or damage to bikes? If it does, you also need to check if it includes cover when the bike is being ridden and, if applicable, when racing? It’s fair to say few travel insurers will offer cover for damage to bikes when racing.

BA: What are some of the other travel insurance ‘watch-outs’?

SS: All insurance policies contain terms, conditions and exclusions and they’re normally in the policy wording for good reason. Things like pre-existing medical conditions are often excluded but can be included in the policy subject to declaration by the insured traveller and acceptance by the insurer. We can’t stress enough the importance to read the policy in its entirety!

BA: What about a situation like we saw with Covid-19? Is a typical travel insurance policy likely to cover something like that?

SS: Covid created enormous issues for everyone, including the insurance industry. Insurers include exclusions in policy wordings in respect to certain events, where the results of such events, could be so large in terms of a dollar cost, insurers just can’t charge enough premium to ‘build a bank’ for a potential loss of this nature. Thus, insurers have no choice but to exclude cover for such events. Examples of such events are war, nuclear explosion, asbestos and highly contagious and infectious diseases. Many leisure travel insurance policies contain specific exclusions for epidemics and pandemics, and would therefore exclude cover for the costs associated with the cancellation of travel as a result of Covid-19. But not all travel policies will contain this exclusion. Most travel policies also contain a condition or exclusion that says if, at the time of taking out the policy, the traveller was aware of or could be expected to be aware of something that could bring about a claim, then that claim will be excluded.

So the outcome of some claims will also depend on when the trip was booked and paid for and when the insurance policy was purchased.

FOOTNOTE: The information in this article is of a general nature only. While we absolutely recommend every cyclist has adequate insurance before heading away with their bike, exactly what that is will depend entirely on your personal situation. So, please think about it well before you leave and, if in any doubt, speak with an expert like Scott Saunders. Many thanks also to Lachie Ambrose and the crew at Butterfields-Insurance Advisernet p/b Van D’am Racing Team for their help with this story.

The post Bike Insurance 101: Have Bike, Will Travel appeared first on Bicycling Australia.