Our social rides for March are a mixed bag, from e-bikes and bike commuters in Hobart, a scenic roll on Maria island and loop between Latrobe and Sassafras in the north west.
Domain Triple Loop
E-bike Coffee Club – City to Pipeline
This is a good one for e-bikes as ride leader Di will be taking you up hills to get to the Pipeline Track at Waterworks Reserve and the wider the tyres you have the better as the Pipeline Track and parts of the Rivulet Track are dirt/gravel.
The 18 km route will take the group through South Hobart to Waterworks Reserve and the Pipeline Track up to Fern Tree. After a short ride down the track we’ll turn around and head back to town via Huon Road and Strickland Avenue and the Hobart Rivulet Track.
Meet at Hamlet Café at 9.45 am on Thursday 18 March and bring water and snacks for the ride and windproof jackets. The finish will be at the café at about 12.30 pm so you can stay for coffee or lunch.
This is a fair weather ride so please RSVP so you can be notified if it’s cancelled.
Maria Island Jaunt
This is a new one for our social rides, thanks to ride leader David, happening on Sunday 21 March leaving on the 10 am ferry and returning on the 4.15 pm ferry.
Meet before 9 am at the Triabunna Visitor Information Centre at the end of Charles Street on the wharf – checking in is 45 minutes before departure time. You can bring your own bike ($10) or hire one on the island for $33 from https://encountermaria.com.au/bike-hire/. The ferry costs $45/39/28 and you need a national parks pass, if you don’t have one you can buy a day pass for $20.
The group will take the coastal track – all dirt/gravel so you’ll need a mountain bike or wide tyres – to Encampment Cove with stops at the Painted Cliffs, French’s Farm and Darlington. Bring your own lunch, snacks and water as there is no shop on the island.
David will try to organise share car travel to Triabunna so please RSVP before 19 March and talk to him about whether you need a lift or can offer one to someone else.
Commuter Practice Ride
One of the easiest ways to start riding to work is to try your route on a weekend to get used to it, which is the purpose of the Commuter Practice Run ride on Sunday 28 March.
You can do the full ride from Claremont into the city or join along the way at set points:
2 pm: Start of the Intercity Cycleway, next to Claremont RSL, 9 Bilton Street, Claremont - 15.4 km
2.25 pm: Intercity Cycleway shelter adjacent to Transport Museum. Across the road from Northgate carpark. King George V Ave, Glenorchy - 10 km
2.40 pm: Station Street Reserve, adjacent 14 Station Street Moonah (cnr Albert Road & Station Street) - 6.9 km
2.50 pm: Cornelian Bay boatsheds car park, cnr Bellvue Parade and Queens Walk, New Town - 4.8 km
3.10 pm - Bright Eyes Café, Brooke Street Pier, Franklin Wharf, Hobart.
RSVP to Ride Leader Pippa in case the ride has to be cancelled.
Latrobe–Sassafras Loop
The Latrobe–Sassafras Loop on Sunday 28 March is a decent 37 km route, with a few hills climbs to test the legs.
As usual the group will work out a less demanding route if there are enough riders, and for those who want an extra difficult return and have mountain bikes there’s the possibility of taking the Wild Mersey Railton Express track back into Latrobe.
Note that there is 4 km of unsealed road between Old Deloraine and Native Plains roads, so you will need to have tyres wide enough to handle that terrain.
Meet at the car park at Bells Parade, Latrobe (just north of the Axeman’s Hall of Fame before 11 am. The group will aim to return by 2 pm
Please RSVP to ride leader Patrick in case of cancellation.
Upcoming rides & events
Social rides are featured in each edition of In the Loop, but if you want more notice visit our social rides calendar, which is regularly updated.
- Bike Week Family Ride to Cornelian Bay: Saturday 13 March
- Kingborough Treasure Hunt: Sunday 14 March
- E-bike coffee club– City to Pipeline: Thursday 18 March
- Maria Island Jaunt – Sunday 21 March
- Commuter Practice Ride – Sunday 28 March
- Latrobe–Sassafras Loop – Sunday 28 March
- Two Bridges Easter Challenge – Saturday 3 April
- Women on Wheels– Location TBC: Sunday 4 April
- E-bike coffee club– Lap of North Bruny: Thursday 15 April
Bicycle Network Tasmania accredits Social Ride Leaders and requires anyone interested in leading rides to be accredited. If you would like to be one of our Ride Leaders, please email our Rides Coordinator with your contact details and what sort of riding you are interested in and we'll let you know when the next Ride Leader Skills Development Workshop is scheduled.
COVID-19 guidelines
Our social rides leaders are following a set of protocols to help make our rides compliant with government directions:
- Meeting places for rides will have plenty of space for people to maintain 1.5 to 2 metre distancing while unloading bikes, listening to the briefing, and getting ready to ride.
- Riders are asked to register online or via phone so there is no paper being handed around on the day.
- Ride leaders will have sanitiser on hand in case of needing to touch bikes or riders.
- People are asked not to attend rides if they have fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue, shortness of breath or runny nose.