Canberra's Best Cycling Routes: The Core 5

The Definitive Guide to Canberra's Best Road Cycling

Canberra is Australia's best-kept cycling secret. Designed around wide avenues, separated cycle paths, and stunning lake views, our capital city offers some of the country's best urban cycling infrastructure. From the iconic Lake Burley Griffin loop to the surrounding hills and national parks, Canberra combines accessible city riding with challenging mountain routes. At Caffeine and Cranks, we spend most of our mornings on these exact roads, testing our designs in the unique conditions of the capital.

Whether you are a local looking for a new loop or visiting from interstate, here is our tactical guide to the top 5 road cycling routes in Canberra, including distances, difficulty, and highly rated coffee stops to reward your efforts.

1. Lake Burley Griffin Full Loop

This is the quintessential Canberra ride. Lake Burley Griffin sits at the heart of the capital, and the full loop takes you past the national icons, through beautiful parks, and across some of the city's most impressive bridges.

The Stats: Approx 35km | Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

Directions: Start anywhere on the lake loop. Follow the dedicated shared path around the shoreline, crossing Commonwealth Avenue Bridge and Kings Avenue Bridge to complete the circuit. The path is mostly flat with excellent surfaces.

Key Challenge: Distance and navigation around the bridges. The loop is longer than it appears, and the various path connections around the bridges require some concentration to navigate efficiently.

The Gear: The lake loop is a social Canberra staple. We recommend our Core Jerseys for this high-visibility route, offering the perfect balance of performance and style for those laps around the lake. Explore our guide to choosing cycling jerseys.

The Coffee: Barrio Collective Braddon (Google rating 4.5). This café precinct favourite offers excellent specialty coffee and is highly rated among Canberra cyclists finishing the lake loop.

2. Mount Ainslie to Mount Majura Loop

The two dominant peaks on Canberra's northern side offer excellent climbing with spectacular city views. This route takes you up both summits, testing your legs while rewarding you with panoramic views across the capital.

The Stats: Approx 30km-40km | Difficulty: Moderate

Directions: Start at the Australian War Memorial. Climb Mount Ainslie via the summit road, descend into Hackett, then tackle Mount Majura via the fairways or the direct access road. Continue through Majura Pines and return via the eastern suburbs.

Key Challenge: The summit climbs. Both peaks offer sustained gradients that will test your climbing legs, and the double-header format means no real recovery between efforts.

The Gear: For repeated climbing efforts, our Pinnacle Bib Shorts provide the comfort needed for sustained hill work. Understanding saddle comfort helps on longer climbs.

The Coffee: The Cupping Room Canberra (Google rating 4.3). Highly rated for its exceptional specialty coffee and convenient location near Mount Ainslie, it is the perfect recovery spot after summit efforts.

3. Cotter to Uriarra Village

This route takes you out of the city and into the beautiful Brindabella foothills. Following the Cotter River and Murrumbidgee River valleys, this ride offers a taste of remote riding just 30 minutes from the CBD.

The Stats: Approx 60km-80km | Difficulty: Moderate to Hard

Directions: Start at the Cotter Reserve. Follow Cotter Road west through the valley, continuing to Uriarra Village. Return via the same route or explore the Brindabella Road options for extended riding. The route offers rolling valley terrain with some sustained climbs.

Key Challenge: Remote riding. Once you leave the Cotter, services are limited and the terrain becomes more remote. The exposure to the elements and isolation adds to the challenge.

The Gear: Remote conditions demand versatility. Our Core Gilet is ideal for the Cotter ride, providing wind protection on the exposed river sections and warmth for the shady forest roads. Learn about layering strategies.

The Coffee: Cotter Kiosk. This basic café at the reserve offers essential coffee before tackling the remote western valleys, with the real reward being the stunning scenery.

4. Red Hill Nature Reserve Loop

Red Hill is one of Canberra's most popular cycling destinations. The climb from the north side is a local testing ground, and the loop through the nature reserve offers great city views and some challenging pitches.

The Stats: Approx 25km-35km | Difficulty: Moderate

Directions: Start at Deakin or Kingston shops. Climb Red Hill via the steep northern approach or the more gradual southern route. Loop through the nature reserve and return via the eastern suburbs paths.

Key Challenge: Short sharp climbs. Red Hill is full of pinches and ramps that kick up unexpectedly, testing your power and gearing choice on the variable gradients.

The Gear: For punchy urban climbing, our Core Baselayers help manage heat during intense efforts. Learn about baselayer importance.

The Coffee: The Cupping Room Kingston (Google rating 4.3). Known for its excellent coffee and relaxed atmosphere, this café is the traditional recovery spot for Red Hill cyclists.

5. Mount Stromlo Loop

Mount Stromlo offers some of Canberra's best training terrain. The route around the observatory and through the pine forests provides sustained climbing with excellent road surfaces and minimal traffic.

The Stats: Approx 40km-60km | Difficulty: Moderate

Directions: Start at Weston Creek or head straight to Mount Stromlo Observatory. Loop through the forest roads around the mountain, incorporating Cotter Road for extended riding. The route offers rolling terrain with some sustained climbs.

Key Challenge: Accumulated elevation. While no single climb is extreme, the constant rolling terrain accumulates significant elevation over the course of the ride.

The Gear: For sustained rolling efforts, our Pinnacle Bib Shorts provide the premium comfort needed for extended training rides around Stromlo.

The Coffee: Several cafes in Weston Creek offer cyclist-friendly service for Mount Stromlo loops.

Ride Canberra with Confidence

Canberra's roads are best enjoyed in gear that is built for the challenge. Whether you are cruising the lake loop or tackling the local peaks, focus on kit that provides the technical support you need for the capital's variable conditions. Explore our complete guides on cycling apparel essentials and layering for early rides.

Looking for more Australian cycling routes? Check out our guides for Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide.

We would love to see you out there - tag us in your ride photos on Instagram @caffeineandcranks.

Ready to upgrade your riding experience? Shop our full range of technical cycling apparel and build your perfect Canberra kit today.