After years of volunteering as a cycling advocate and ride leader in Tasmania, one of our volunteers went a step further, creating a library of self-guided rides open to all to use.
The Bicycle Network Tasmania self-guided rides have been developed by Di Elliffe, who has worn many hats over the years, including Bicycle Tasmania President and now the coordinator of our free social rides program.
The ride library is housed on the RidewithGPS website, under its Ambassador banner: Bicycle Network Tasmania - Discover Tasmania on two wheels
The collection has been building since 2018 and each time a significant new piece of infrastructure is finished Di gets on her bike with other regular riders and maps the route for everyone.
Each year she takes a look at the popularity of each of the rides to better cater for her growing readership.
Not surprisingly, the Launceston to Hobart route via the east coast, which is part one of the Giro Tasmania ride, has continued to rocket up the charts since it was uploaded in 2023 and now sits as the second most popular with more than 2500 views in the past year.
This is probably the most popular touring bike route in Tasmania, known for the coastal vistas that take in Freycinet and Maria Island national parks.
The Giro Tasmania part two ride, from Launceston to Hobart via the west coast, has also proved popular, with more than 1000 views in the past year.
The most viewed is one of the earlier routes, the White Hills Winery Loop, and rounding out the top five are three other 2018 additions: Longford-Cressy-Woolmers Heritage, Oatlands-Andover-Parattah, and Devonport to Launceston.
The newest additions featuring the north-western Coastal Pathway are quickly rising in popularity: Turners Beach-Latrobe and Back and Turners Beach-Sulphur Creek and Back, as is the North-East Rail Trail route, all of which were only added 2 years ago and are receiving hundreds of views a year.
And Wynyard-Burnie and Back and Easy Lap of North Bruny have both just gone up, adding to the wealth of riding options available in our compact state.
The ride guides include a map and downloadable directions, with suggestions for where to stop for toilet breaks, photo opportunities, meals, and tourism attractions. They are designed for average ability riders who want to stop and enjoy what the journey has to offer.
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