Cycling in Melbourne Australia
Which part of Australia?
I'm thinking of coming to Australia next year as an exchange student from the UK, I have the option to go to the University of Melbourne, University of Queensland, or University of Sydney. I am a keen road racer and this is one of the main things influencing my decision.
What is the cycling around Melbourne like for training? Is it relatively easy to get out into the countryside? Of the above options which place, as a cyclist, would you choose?
What is the cycling around Melbourne like for training? Is it relatively easy to get out into the countryside? Of the above options which place, as a cyclist, would you choose?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Steve Jay on -
It's a big city with big city pressures, but it's also well catered for with cycling infrastructure and has a high cycling rate for an Australian city. My personal opinion is that it would be suicidal to cycle in Sydney (and I'm as happy as a pig in muck, mucking in with motor traffic), but it's quite popular there, too. If you're coming from the UK you'll probably hate the heat in all three cities, but the heat in Queensland never lets up, Melbourne only has it over summer with the rest of the year being mostly mild and only a few really cold months.
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Permalink Reply by Guav on -
Melbourne. Hands down.
On top of that, as simply a place to live, Melbourne is the best in Australia, and it has to be said, one of the best places in the world to live (just don't drive or take public transport to work....ride your bike!). Cafe culture extraordinare, live music, bars, clubs, restaurants, arty farty blah de blah de blah - will rival anything in London or elsewhere in Europe
From a training perspective, Melbourne is flush with options.Check out this incomplete list from Canadian import, Wade Wallace: http://www.cyclingtipsblog.com/melbourne-rides/ (also, generally a good cycling blog to follow). There is such a varied array of cyclists in Melbourne that you are just as likely to end up in a group ride next to a full-time mother of two kids, as someone who has earned the rainbow stripes on their sleeve (sometimes this can even be the same person)
Additionally, the racing scene in Melbourne is year round with Crits almost every day of the week over summer, and multiple road race options every weekend during the winter (coincides with the Euro road season). If you're into track, then there are heaps of options available - the world class DISC indoor velodrome is about 10-15 mins ride from Melbourne Uni - but why would you want to be stuck inside going round and round and round when there are hundreds of miles of open road and lovely hills on your doorstep
To put it simply, Melbourne is the place to live and enjoy your life, Brisbane and Sydney are good for a weekend trip to see the pretty lights.
Good luck with your studies
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Permalink Reply by Steve Jay on
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"just don't drive or take public transport to work....ride your bike!"
The drive I can agree with, but my experience of trains in Melbs is fantastic. In my 5 months here, using trains as my "plan B" (plan A is the bike), I've had one bad train day and that was due to the ultimate "act of god", lightning.
Try catching a bus in Hobart. If you survive the gear change whiplash, you'll still be late to your destination, every journey, and forget a cross-town connection, just forget it.
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Permalink Reply by Vicky on -
Was thinking you might know - what is the support for racing like out there? I'd be looking for a women's race team, can't find much online. Ideally I'd be looking for a team which would supply a bike for the time I was there, as shipping is ridiculously expensive/takes ages and I can't afford to buy another bike out there which would be suitable for racing.
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Permalink Reply by Steve Jay on
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Not a racer myself, but I imagine the best bet for a club which might be able to provide a bike would be the club at your choice of university.
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Permalink Reply by Guav on
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Hi Vicky, at the risk of excommunication from my own racing club, you might try the biggest club in Melbourne: Carnegie Caulfied Cycling Club (or CCCC), I'm pretty sure they have the facility to lend out club bikes (cost??)
The other alternative, if you're good enough, is to hook up with one of the local bike shops who might sponsor small racing teams. Sometimes they bestow bikes upon local racers.....it might help if you look like Ana Ivanovic. I don't think there are any women-only teams (well, at club level anyway), some of the bigger pro\semi-pro trade teams will have a women's team, but you'd want to be pretty handy. Some of these teams are: Drapac-Porsche, Savings and Loan, Fly V, Team Type-1 (if you have Diabetes, then this team is for you), etc etc. Then there's some of the shop teams: TFM (The Freedom Machine), Omara Cycles, Bike Hub, Rapido, CBD cycles.
Your best bet is to really start with one of the clubs (like CCCC or Melbourne Uni) and branch out from there. Here's a link to most of the clubs affilicated with CSV - CSV - Clubs
Otherwise begging and eBay are your friends.
As far as shipping your bike out....it's actually not that difficult - you should be able to bring it with you as part of your check-in luggage. The airport should have some cheap bike boxes for sale (say $20). It might be bit of a pain in the bum, but if you are coming out here for several months (year even), then you only have to do it twice. If you're good enough to be getting a free bike from a team in the UK, then they might help you out with shipping one out here.
good luck! Hope to see you out ripping up the tarmac.
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Permalink Reply by Vicky on
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Awesome, thanks for the advice guys. That blog is ace, with exactly the kind of info I was after - even a section on which cities in Australia are best for riding. Perfect.
Its also good that there is road racing during the euro season, as that was one cocern I had, not wanting to go from winter here to no racing there either.
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