Gundaroo is a rural village north of Canberra, about 25 minutes from Gungahlin shops and 40 minutes from ANU Sport. We start from Gundaroo oval where there’s plenty of free parking, taking the main road south. After a brief asphalt section, we turn right onto Back Creek Road and soon begin our first serious climb of the day, gaining about 100m over 2km. From the top, the road is undulating and it’s possible to carry speed all the way until the turn off to Yass River Road, where the gravel begins in earnest. Yass River Road soon joins Dicks Creek Road, a gravel road pleasantly bordered by native forest. We turn off again onto Boutcher’s Drive after a long descent. Boutcher’s Drive climbs until it reaches a crest with impressive views of the Yass Valley before gradually narrowing until it becomes Boutcher’s Lane. After the crest there is a steep descent which lasts for about 1km. Boutcher’s Lane meets Greenwood Road where we turn right, cross the Yass River and rejoin Yass River Road. We meander through farmland and native bush near the Yass River for the next 20kms, then take the main road back into Gundaroo. The route is on Komoot, though note that the starting point is marked as the pub rather than the oval: [https://www.komoot.com/smarttour/34291547?ref=itd].
The ride is about 53km in total, with 30km of gravel and 560m of elevation gain. Having done the route in the past I estimate that it would take around 5 hours going at a leisurely pace (with snack breaks). Afterwards there’s the option to have a late lunch at Cork Street Café, an award-winning pizza joint which operates out of the old police horse stables.
This route is only suitable for experienced cyclists (this includes cyclists with an intermediate level of fitness) because of the distance, variety of surfaces, number of hills, and the need to negotiate traffic on public roads, some of which don’t have a shoulder - for this reason I’ve limited the number of people to 5. I've done my best to describe the route but PLEASE HAVE A LOOK AT IT AND MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION FOR YOURSELF. It goes without saying that road bikes won’t cut it - a hardtail mountain bike, hybrid bike or gravel bike would all be fine. As trip leader I will be bringing my phone as a communication device, communal first aid kit and basic repair kit (pump, Allen keys and puncture kit). Outside of this, you need to bring all your own equipment: bike, helmet, rear flashing light, weather-appropriate clothing, snacks, spare tube suitable to your tyre size, etc.
Because it’s a half day ride there’ll be no pre-trip meeting. In the event of inclement weather the trip will be cancelled. You’ll have to arrange your own transport to and from Gundaroo, so tick the "I have a car and am able to drive" box - for those who’re keen and able but can’t arrange logistics I’m able to pick up/drop off two people with their bikes from/at ANU sport on a first come first served basis (incurring fuel costs). Please email me using the address provided if this is the case for you.