Heading to Wagga Wagga for the annual epic that is the Gears and Beers Dirty 130, CyclingGravel decided to add to the adventure with a gravel warm-up. After all, if the back roads are so great around Wagga, surely this is replicable nearby?
Well, yes, it definitely is. I can’t confess to be a local expert, but after a little research I managed to plan an 80km route with 50% gravel, and almost all the rest quiet sealed back roads. Surprisingly, it actually worked!
The gravel is not hard to reach, and when getting there I found it really well maintained with limited corrugation. The first gravel stretch on Panuara Lane is typical of the road quality, and also exhibits the distinctly back road trend of straight lines with 90 degree turns to go around and between property boundaries.
Speaking of back roads, if you haven’t cycled many in Australia you may not be familiar with the experience that is a gravel road that the local council has decided to seal with one lane of asphalt. Coffin Rock Road was an example on this trip. I presume this arises on a cost/benefit basis when the traffic creates a heavy enough toll on gravel (on this road there is a large seed company that presumably brings regular truck traffic), but the two-way traffic is quite infrequent. For cycling it generally is a great indication of quiet back road goodness. To be honest, though, even the wider backroads (such as Turners Lane) were quiet and fun.
The most confusing part of the route was Strathbogie Lane. Or should I say track for part of it anyway. There is no signage to indicate this is anything other than a public road, but it is clearly less travelled and even had a flimsy livestock fence across it at about half way. The track remains cycleable, but obviously not a route to anywhere other than a paddock or two.
If you want to avoid these shenanigans, I suggest taking Pikedale Road from Coffin Rock Road, and then head to the good quality part of Strathbogie Lane via Bartons Lane. From this point on the scenic and great gravel conditions return.
The most scenic views of the trip are available after a quick run on the Canola Way to cross the railway. Rockview Road, although patrolled by an overly enthusiastic magpie when I cycled, offered broad panoramas.
The other part of the route offering fantastic views comes after crossing the Olympic Highway onto the “dry weather only” Davies Lane. Here you really are between and among farm fields, before things open up again on Aerodrome Lane.
Note that as you approach town there is one minor change you may also want to consider. At the end of Roedigers Lane it peters out into a track, running down and then behind the Roundhouse Railway Museum (worth a visit, see this ride). If this is not for you take Albert Street instead for your final kilometre into town.
How to make it all work
I drove to Junee on the day of the ride, and started with a coffee in town. There is plenty of parking on the main street (Broadway), and I felt pretty comfortable leaving the car with luggage given the busy-ness of the location. Post-ride involved a serviceable meat pie from the local bakery, but then a must stop detour to the fantastic Liquorice and Chocolate Factory. Don’t miss it!
I have also previously cycled from Wagga to Junee return – if you want to mix it up with a route that takes in Wagga, these roads are an option.
CyclingGravel 