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Planing for 2020 is complete. Route and itinerary details for Melbourne Sydney Melbourne are published here - there may be minor changes. The itinerary is here and includes details of upgraded meals and accommodation. Places are filling fast "If you want an epic adventure, very reasonably priced, you should ride with Cycle Across Oz" says Ingrid |
2020 - Melbourne to Sydney to Melbourne
Cycle Australia - 2020 Tour - Luna Park to Luna Park
'Cycle Across Oz' is the leading long distance cycle touring business in Australia.
Riders keep asking: "When are you going to do Melbourne to Sydney?". It just seems to be the iconic trip that everyone wants to ride but nobody wants to offer. The time for waiting is over. The 2020 edition will run from Luna Park in Melbourne along the South Coast into the heart of Sydney taking in bays and beaches and forests. The return trip will be quite different too bringing together a journey over the mountains and down to the source of the Mighty Murray River and down the Murray until branching back down to Melbourne from Echuca, home of the old steamboat Murray River life.
Set up in 2002, Cycle Across Oz has now run 14 cycle tours across and around Australia. These tours have included point to point tours covering pretty well every way across Australia and 2 major circumnavigations. 2018 saw a loop ride taking in the South Western corner of Western Australia over a 5 week period. 2019 was also a loop ride around Tasmania. The 2020 edition is also a loop ride but can also be run as a point to point if time is tight for you. The distances will be a bit longer than Tasmania and there are some hills, mountains even, especially on the leg back to Melbourne
Riders keep asking: "When are you going to do Melbourne to Sydney?". It just seems to be the iconic trip that everyone wants to ride but nobody wants to offer. The time for waiting is over. The 2020 edition will run from Luna Park in Melbourne along the South Coast into the heart of Sydney taking in bays and beaches and forests. The return trip will be quite different too bringing together a journey over the mountains and down to the source of the Mighty Murray River and down the Murray until branching back down to Melbourne from Echuca, home of the old steamboat Murray River life.
Set up in 2002, Cycle Across Oz has now run 14 cycle tours across and around Australia. These tours have included point to point tours covering pretty well every way across Australia and 2 major circumnavigations. 2018 saw a loop ride taking in the South Western corner of Western Australia over a 5 week period. 2019 was also a loop ride around Tasmania. The 2020 edition is also a loop ride but can also be run as a point to point if time is tight for you. The distances will be a bit longer than Tasmania and there are some hills, mountains even, especially on the leg back to Melbourne
Can I do it?
Any reasonably fit person can do these trips - whether you are 25 or 70 (the age ranges for previous trips). The alpine region is a lot more hilly than other parts we have toured. So you will need to do more hill training and make sure your bicycle has good gearing to help you over the hills. You don't have to be super fit - just committed enough to ride 5 to 8 hours a day for at least 5 days consecutively and able to ride (or push) a few hills. Of course, making the ride as comfortable as you would like is your priority - increasing your mileage before the ride will help enormously. Doing some hill training is essential.
Every tour is a little different. The 2020 tour has a number of short days and no rides longer than 110 kms (70 miles). In all there are 9 days with rides 100 kms and over (65 miles) and only 2 days at 110 kms (70 miles) - both on the first leg. The South Coast leg is less arduous with fewer hills while the Inland Leg is much hillier. Both legs have only one spell of 5 days consecutive riding between rest days.
Cycle Across Oz provides a unique opportunity to travel very cost effectively in Australia without risk and without losing that pioneering feeling. The trip is primarily a camping trip. We use 4 star caravan parks wherever possible, which have good facilities for dealing with camp life. We are planing two National Park camping stops - one at Wilsons Promontory and one in Snowy Mountains. On many nights, you can choose to upgrade your own accommodation by staying in a cabin or motel room. You do need to be comfortable in a tent on a few of the nights you have only the tent as an option.
Rather than provide all your food needs, we have had great success in leaving food under your control. We will be providing evening meals on specific nights along the way - 3 in all for the whole trip. There are a few breakfasts too. We also provide coffee and tea and biscuits and local treats for morning and afternoon breaks (when a ride includes an afternoon break). For the remainder of the time, you can then choose your own budget, your own styles of food and your own mix of eating out or eating in. Typically what riders have done is provide for breakfast in camp and lunch on the road and use local facilities (the pub or club or restaurant in town) for evening meals. The van does have cooking facilities and most caravan parks have too, making it possible to cook in camp should you so choose and whenever you choose.
What kind of bike?
You need to be comfortable on your bike. You need to be able to get over some hills. Road surfaces are good, meaning road bikes are workable. There are some hills to climb and some are pretty steep. There are some hard packed gravel surfaces but road bikes should cope just fine. Make sure your bicycle has appropriate gearing, say 11:32/ 50:34 for a double chainring bicycle. A triple will work even better. On past trips, we have had a range of road bikes, more conventional touring bikes, hybrid bikes and mountain bikes. The unusual bike brigade has been represented by a Moulton, a Bike Friday and a Thorn tandem. Whatever you choose, your bike should be in good mechanical shape as there are long stretches between bike shops. You do need to be able to carry 2-3 litres water, provisions and spares for a day - no more than a pannier or handlebar bag will be needed.
Any reasonably fit person can do these trips - whether you are 25 or 70 (the age ranges for previous trips). The alpine region is a lot more hilly than other parts we have toured. So you will need to do more hill training and make sure your bicycle has good gearing to help you over the hills. You don't have to be super fit - just committed enough to ride 5 to 8 hours a day for at least 5 days consecutively and able to ride (or push) a few hills. Of course, making the ride as comfortable as you would like is your priority - increasing your mileage before the ride will help enormously. Doing some hill training is essential.
Every tour is a little different. The 2020 tour has a number of short days and no rides longer than 110 kms (70 miles). In all there are 9 days with rides 100 kms and over (65 miles) and only 2 days at 110 kms (70 miles) - both on the first leg. The South Coast leg is less arduous with fewer hills while the Inland Leg is much hillier. Both legs have only one spell of 5 days consecutive riding between rest days.
Cycle Across Oz provides a unique opportunity to travel very cost effectively in Australia without risk and without losing that pioneering feeling. The trip is primarily a camping trip. We use 4 star caravan parks wherever possible, which have good facilities for dealing with camp life. We are planing two National Park camping stops - one at Wilsons Promontory and one in Snowy Mountains. On many nights, you can choose to upgrade your own accommodation by staying in a cabin or motel room. You do need to be comfortable in a tent on a few of the nights you have only the tent as an option.
Rather than provide all your food needs, we have had great success in leaving food under your control. We will be providing evening meals on specific nights along the way - 3 in all for the whole trip. There are a few breakfasts too. We also provide coffee and tea and biscuits and local treats for morning and afternoon breaks (when a ride includes an afternoon break). For the remainder of the time, you can then choose your own budget, your own styles of food and your own mix of eating out or eating in. Typically what riders have done is provide for breakfast in camp and lunch on the road and use local facilities (the pub or club or restaurant in town) for evening meals. The van does have cooking facilities and most caravan parks have too, making it possible to cook in camp should you so choose and whenever you choose.
What kind of bike?
You need to be comfortable on your bike. You need to be able to get over some hills. Road surfaces are good, meaning road bikes are workable. There are some hills to climb and some are pretty steep. There are some hard packed gravel surfaces but road bikes should cope just fine. Make sure your bicycle has appropriate gearing, say 11:32/ 50:34 for a double chainring bicycle. A triple will work even better. On past trips, we have had a range of road bikes, more conventional touring bikes, hybrid bikes and mountain bikes. The unusual bike brigade has been represented by a Moulton, a Bike Friday and a Thorn tandem. Whatever you choose, your bike should be in good mechanical shape as there are long stretches between bike shops. You do need to be able to carry 2-3 litres water, provisions and spares for a day - no more than a pannier or handlebar bag will be needed.