**This is a free easy 14km bike ride at a slow relaxed pace (15km/hr).** **Enjoy an easy, social community ride, suitable for most skill and fitness levels.** **What we'll do:** **Starting at Wickham, we cycle an easy 14km loop around the city, passing all the city beaches, with a stop for morning tea at Nobbys Beach cafe. It totals around 80 minutes of riding.** **Map:** **https://www.komoot.com/tour/2894889466?share_token=awWZzSaGh6WUBoDo9lrU9JIJjMVkK2qzUEU4CX0Y3qrrFlp2yt&ref=wtd&t_s=referral&t_cid=route_share&t_ref_username=4040550065485** **This scenic route takes in the best of the city: the beautiful coastline, from Merewether Beach to Bar Beach to Nobbys Beach, as well as the leafy quiet inner city suburbs.** **Start/finish point:** **Tree of Knowledge Park, Wickham (the little park next to the outdoor carpark, at the corner of Honeysuckle Dr & Hannell St)** **Start time:** **meet at 8:45am for a 9am departure** **Finish time:** **approx 11:30am** **Relative cycling fitness level:** **very easy/** **EASY** **/medium/hard/very hard** **Infrastructure:** **8km of shared paths, 6km of low-pressure, low-speed, low-traffic streets, 300 metres separated cycleway** **Topography:** **flat, except for one 100 metre steep hill, and one 30 metre steep hill** **Learn your way around the city by bike!** **No main roads, and we avoid the big hill on Memorial Drive.** **New people very welcome! Children permitted ONLY if they are a passenger on an adult's bike.** **.** **You’ll need:** * **helmet** * **bike with good working brakes and tyres pumped to the recommended PSI** * **bike lock (for when we stop, or for if you get a mechanical issue)** * **phone & opal card in case of puncture** * **a repair kit, if you have one (spare tube, tyre levers, patches, pump etc)** * **water bottle** **.** **Where we will ride:** **✨First, to Merewether Beach via the foreshore path, the quiet streets of Cooks Hill, & the Merewether Watkins St shared path. (22 minutes)** **✨Then along the coastal shared path to Bar Beach, pausing at Dixon Park Beach lookout to enjoy the ocean views, before heading back to the CBD via low-speed Brooks St. (15 minutes)** **✨ After a little zig-zag through Civic Park & Wheeler Place, we rejoin the Honeysuckle Foreshore shared path, which takes us directly to Nobbys Beach. (10 minutes)** **✨ Approx 10am: morning tea at Nobbys Beach cafe. Buy something to eat/drink, or bring your own.** **✨ After morning tea, we go around the coastline path to Newcastle Beach, before riding along Hunter St Mall, including on its new separated cycleway. (7 minutes)** **✨ Then we rejoin the Honeysuckle Foreshore shared path back to Wickham (5 minutes) to finish by 11:30am.** **.** **Getting there** * **By Bike:** [https://www.newcastlecycleways.org.au/way-finding,](https://www.newcastlecycleways.org.au/way-finding,) **or find routes on the group’s Komoot account** [https://www.komoot.com/tour/1831416099?ref=itd](https://www.komoot.com/tour/1831416099?ref=itd) **, or message me for a low-pressure route :)** * **Coming by train?** **Bikes travel free. Alight at Newcastle Interchange.** * **Parking:** **free unlimited weekend parking at the outdoor carpark, cnr Honeysuckle Dr & Hannell St, or park in Carrington.** **.** **Suitable for** **those who have recently learnt to ride through to those who are experienced.** **However,** **you must be able to effectively:** **stop and start, pedal, steer, signal left and right, look over your shoulder to check for what's behind you, be always alert to upcoming hazards, and anticipate the behaviour of pedestrians and vehicles.** **.** **Indemnity and release of liability** **By participating in this activity you unconditionally indemnify the organiser/host against any and all claims, demands, losses, injuries, damages, liabilities or other costs, whether present or future, relating to your participation and/or dealings with Bike About Town - Newcastle, including but not limited to, any accident, loss or damage to property or death or injury to any person.** **.** **How We Ride Policy** **& the** **RSVP Policy** **located on the group's homepage.** **You are responsible for your own safety at all times.** **.** **If the weather is looking unfavourable, check the comments below for updates; heavy rain may result in cancellation.** **.** **Transform your journey, ride & drive more safely, and change Newy's street culture.** **These videos explain international best practice cycling principles for everyday city trips:** * **How to cycle safely at junctions:** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CG0VTwevoU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CG0VTwevoU) * **Road positioning for city cycling explained:** [https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/road-positioning-cycling-explained#:](https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/road-positioning-cycling-explained#:) **.** **The Magic of Street Design** * **How the Dutch Slow Drivers for Safer Streets: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGOBOw9s-QM** **.** **Facebook** [https://facebook.com/BikeAboutTownNewcastleNSW](https://facebook.com/BikeAboutTownNewcastleNSW) **Komoot:** [https://www.komoot.com/tour/1831416099?ref=itd](https://www.komoot.com/tour/1831416099?ref=itd) **Newcastle Cycleways Movement:** **https://www.newcastlecycleways.org.au/way-finding** **The aim of Bike About Town** **is to give people the knowledge and skills to use their bike for everyday short trips, eg. to work, the shops, to hobbies, to the beach. Add a low-cost, low-carbon, mood-boosting, quick transport option to your repertoire! 🤗😎**