In an effort to better acquaint himself with his new city, Ali spent a weekend riding a 230km loop around Sydney on the Greater Sydney Bike Trail.

 

I’m sitting against a brick wall, my eyelids are heavy. The warmth of the mid-morning sun is comforting. On the fields nearby come the rallying cries of local sports matches, which fade into gentle conversation taking place around a sausage sizzle. Wafts of cooked onions drift beneath my nose. I’m ready to break another $10 note and eat again. It’s the familiar routine of an Australian weekend.

But the Chipping Norton sausage sizzle is a new one to add to my list. In fact, every single place I’ve passed through this morning is new to me. From Brighton Le-Sands and Cronulla, to Sutherland and Milperra.

Over a beautiful winter weekend, I rode the Greater Sydney Bike Trail. A 230km loop that connects a tapestry of shared paths and cycling infrastructure. It’s an advert for adventure in an urban environment. A weaving journey of new sights.

 

For the most part, my discovery of cycling has allowed me to develop a sense of adventure, explore remote landscapes, and enjoy solitude. From the plains of the American mid-west to the Pamir plateau of Tajikistan.

Growing up in the English countryside, I’ve always found comfort in space, while cities, particularly dense ones, have always been inherently challenging. But cycling around them, whether commuting or making utilitarian journeys, helps me to connect and build an understanding of how they’re shaped. To find my own place in them, a favourite spot for a drink, or even to discover why the very spot that serves the drink exists in the first place. My curiosity to discover things in a city goes beyond alcohol, but you get the point.

Having only arrived in Australia in November 2024, the discovery of the Greater Sydney loop had a similar appeal. A chance to explore and understand where I’d found myself. A reason to visit the peripheral parts, areas like Parramatta, Liverpool, and Chatswood, and see more than Freshwater Surf Club, the beach kiosk at Bronte, or wherever Brits on a working-holiday visa usually end up.

Riding this route meant I spent the entire weekend as a passive observer, drifting through people’s weekend routines: the smells of home cooking in Liverpool, families enjoying a day out to Luna Park, or 11-a-side football matches in Mascot. Simply watching the regularity of life in a corner of the world where everything was unfamiliar and new.

But even if you’ve lived in Sydney all your life, it’s likely that the Greater Sydney Bike Trail would send you to new places, sights, and sounds. For that reason alone, I recommend it.

The Route

Check out my route

I decided to split the route over two days. The first day I started from my front door in Erskineville and rode 120km clockwise around the loop, detouring slightly from the official track to take the train home from Quakers Hill. The following morning, I made my way back out to Quakers Hill from Redfern Station, and resumed the loop, riding another 110km in the direction of the city centre and the eastern suburbs. I was in La Perouse just in time for the late afternoon snake show, and back home just before dark.

Accessibility is one of the biggest appeals of this route. The nature of a suburban route means that you can get away with very little planning. No matter how far you’re capable of riding, or want to ride, there’s always an option to hop on or off public transport.

Some people ride the entire loop in one go, whilst others take up to five days, stopping at random motels along the way.

There’s also something for everyone. Extensive sections are 100% cycle lanes, where even the most beginner of riders could feel comfortable. The paths overlooking Botany Bay and along the Parramatta River were peaceful and very popular with more leisurely riders. Whilst other sections like the M7 cycleway or through Lane Cove National Park, are a good excuse for more experienced cyclists to open the legs and pick up some speed.

 

Greater Sydney Bike Trail Highlights

My aim was to make use of all the daylight hours that a winter weekend had to offer and leave enough time to stop whenever I felt inclined, travelling a little slower than usual. With less of a premeditated agenda, there were a few unexpected highlights from the journey.

Existing Outside of My Usual Routine

I set off from my front door in Erskineville while it was still dark. It’s not often that I’m up two hours before sunrise, so I found this time of day interesting. An insight into all the morning routines of my local area that I usually miss. Mainly the winding up of nighttime construction works, coffee shop lights flickering on, and people walking their dogs, one or both of whom looked like they still wanted to be in bed.

The sun came up as I passed the international airport, casting an impressive orange glow across Botany Bay. I watched the engines roar during each take off, and felt the usual pangs of homesickness, thinking about the destinations of each plane.

 

 

Discovering a Surprising Amount of Nature

At first glance, the route falls short of reaching the more popular nature spots such as Royal and Ku-ring-gai National Parks. But, there are plenty of kilometres to yourself, free from the sounds of traffic, whether it’s stopping for a moment by the lakes in Chipping Norton or slinking through the backstreets of Cammeray.

Many moments I suddenly found myself away from a road, overlooking a park, and listening to the sounds of Australian wildlife. It’s a reminder that there are lovely moments to be had in the busyness of urban living, and often you don’t have to go as far as you think to find them.

Enjoying Sydney’s Cycling Infrastructure Network

Shout out to CycleSydney.wiki for creating the route and the wealth of knowledge that the website provides. The Greater Sydney Bike Trail really highlights some of the city’s best cycling infrastructure. From the Parramatta Valley Cycleway to the path between Liverpool and Glenfield, large sections of the route showcase how far Sydney has come in being cyclist-friendly – although there’s plenty of work yet to be done!

 

Route Planning in a Digital Age

As is standard these days, I rode the Greater Sydney Bike Trail following a GPX course, which made for a hassle free weekend, without the unnecessary stresses of getting lost. The route impressively stitched together signed paths and cycleways, and at times I actually found myself following physical infrastructure, rather than a breadcrumb trail on my Wahoo headunit.

This left me feeling inspired for future rides to escape the conveniences of apps like Komoot or RideWithGPS, which make it effortless to discover new routes, and do some planning of my own. The Sydney cycling map has been on my shelves for a while; perhaps it’s time to use it.

Find More Sydney Adventures

At We Are Explorers we take great pride in presenting content that is fact checked, well-researched, and based on both real world experience and reliable sources. As a B-Corp we uphold high ethical standards and strive to create content that is inclusive, with an an increased focus on underserved communities, Indigenous Australians, and threats to our environment. You can read all about it in our Editorial Standards.