Along the beach from St Kilda

Pick up the beachside cycle path in St Kilda and pedal along the bay towards Brighton and Sandringham for beautiful coastal views and a great vibe – particularly when the sun is shining.  There are 13kms of path, and it’s an easy ride with loads of opportunity to stop off for a coffee or a bite to eat along the way. The beach trial is a great spot to TeamUp with like-minded social cyclists for a casual ride.

Capital City Trail

A 30km loop, which takes in some of Melbourne’s most iconic sites, the Capital City trail is a must for the casual cyclist or cycling enthusiast alike. Southbank is a great starting spot from which you can travel along the Yarra towards the mighty MCG, passing the Arts Centre and Botanic Gardens.  From there you pass into suburban parklands including Herring Island Environmental Sculpture Park, Burnley Gardens, the beautiful Dights Falls and Yarra Bend Park.

The circuit then takes you along the Old Inner Circle Railway, through Royal Park and along the Moonee Ponds Creek to Melbourne’s Docklands precinct.  The final stretch back to Southbank takes in the Polly Woodside and Exhibition Centre.  If 30kms is a bit daunting, there are plenty of shorter stretches that take in these sights and offer an abundance of cafes, picnic spots and shops for a rest and recharge.

Murray to Mountains Rail Trail

In the off-season many AFL Players’ love to escape to regional Victoria, packing the bike and heading north east to the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail, where there is more than 100kms of cycle path to explore between the delightful regional townships of Wangaratta, Bright, Beechworth, Rutherglen and Wangaratta.  A mix of flat, moderate and significant gradients along various stretches of the trail mean there is something for everyone in the region; there are three separate trails of note – each with a sealed surface along their entire length.

For the adventurous, the main ‘Mountain’ section runs from Wangaratta to Bright and Beechworth for around 97kms, taking in the Ovens Valley and stunning views of Mt Buffalo.  The Murray section of the trails takes you from Rutherglen to Wahgunyah and is a flat and easy 9kms in length through the picturesque wine region.  The Heritage trail is also 9kms long and takes riders from Wangaratta to Oxley towards to delightful gourmet region of Milawa.

Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail

Another of our players’ regional recommendations, this pretty spot to Melbourne’s east is a short 40 minute drive from the CBD to the starting point at the end of the Lilydale train line.  Following the Yarra River Valley, the trail features a stunning mountain range backdrop as it winds along the bush landscape along the old rail trail 40kms to Warburton.  The scenic route features many of the original station platforms complete with replica signage and there’s many a pub, winery, restaurant or café to call by for a refresh and refuel.