As the biggest city of Australia, Sydney is great to explore by bike. While any type of bike will do, Sydney's hilly landscape, especially near the beaches, is perfectly suited for mountain biking. In this article, we are exploring the 7 best easy mountain bike trails in Sydney plus a few more further away from the city. Great for first-time visitors or locals who want to explore the city in a new way! We focus on the easy cycle routes and will leave the challenging mountain bike trails to the experts.
Mountain Bike Trails in Sydney
Sydney and its surrounding suburbs are home to a few famous and must-do mountain bike trails. From classics such as cycling across the Harbour Bridge to local secrets in the Inner Western suburbs. The Sydney-based mountain bike trails are suitable for all levels of fitness and for city bikes as well. If you want to rough it, skip the inner city and head to the below section where we discover mountain bike trails outside of the city.
From The Harbour Bridge to The Anzac Bridge & The Rocks
Let's start with the most iconic bike trail in Sydney, from the Sydney Harbour Bridge to the Anzac Bridge. You get to explore The Rocks and its iconic landmarks including great views onto the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House; locations that are not to be missed on a trip to Sydney.
Start your bike adventure in Kirribilli, the suburb on the other side of the bridge and home to spectacular views of the CBD, Opera House, and bridge. From here, take the dedicated bike path across the bridge into the city to reach Kent Street cycleway. Both the bike path across the bridge and the Kent Street cycleway are perfectly made for bicycles, meaning that it is very safe from the busy traffic this area is known for.
Follow the Kent Street cycleway to the luxurious finger wharfs of Millers Point and along Barangaroo to the Pyrmont Bridge. Don't forget to stop by the Sydney Observatory to see one of Sydney's most epic views onto the Harbour Bridge. From here, cross over to Pyrmont via the Pyrmont Bridge and discover even more of the Sydney harbour area. Make your way around the suburb via the water or ride through Pyrmont streets to discover it's beautiful historic buildings.
The Bay Run: Cycle around Sydney’s Inner-West
The Bay Run is a 7km long shared-use path for both cyclists and pedestrians along the water in the inner western suburbs and another great mountain bike trail in Sydney. To reach the Bay Run route, you need only to cross the Anzac Bridge and keep going straight until you hit the water on the other side of Rozelle. We highly recommend going zigzagging through the wonderful areas of Rozelle, Lilyfield, Drummoyne and the beautiful waterfront areas close to Birkenhead Point. This trail is easily combined with the previous route from the Harbour Bridge to the Anzac Bridge.
An alternative, one that we prefer for our Sydney mountain bike tours is bypassing the Anzac Bridge and riding along the gorgeous Blackwattle Bay of Glebe. As one of our founder Jared's favourite spots of all time, we consider it a must on your visit to Sydney. Besides, the view from across a bridge is always better than being on the actual bridge, am I right?
Narrabeen Lake Trail
For this mountain bike trail in Sydney, we head to the Northern Beaches. Narrabeen Lagoon is an 8.4km circumference, graded as easy and offering the perfect break from the big smoke. Surrounded by wildlife and nature, this cycle route replenishes the soul and will give you a good exercise fix. If you are looking to extend your day trip even more, rent one of the kayaks or paddle-boards and explore the area on the water.
Centennial Park
A green oasis in the middle of Sydney, Centennial Park is one of the most popular inner-city Sydney mountain bike trails. Centennial Park's Cyclists Avenue opened in 1900 and sees around 75.000 cyclists each year. It offers a 3.5km Grand Drive loop around the park showcasing the history of the park and its rich collection of native and exotic plants. While this might not satisfy your off-road cravings, it's an absolute cracker of a relaxing bike adventure in Sydney. We highly recommend sneaking in a cheeky picnic to complete the day.
Mountain Bike and Cycling Trails around Sydney
The Blue Mountains
Looking to go behind and discover your inner adventurer on real Sydney mountain bike that are fully off-road? The Blue Mountains is where you need to head! The mountainous forests of eucalyptus reachable by train or car from Sydney is famous for its blue hue and is home to many mountain bike trails. The trails through these forests are graded from easy to extremely challenging. Two easy mountain bike trails that we recommend are Hanging Rock Trail in Blackheath and Blue Gum Swamp Trail in Winmalee.
Both mountain bike trails are rated easy to medium difficulty and are a great way to explore this national park!
Hunter Valley
Sydney's favourite wine area, the Hunter Valley, is only a few hours north. Home to over 120 wineries, there is plenty of exploring to do. Offering a multitude of off-road locations, the Hunter Valley draws in all types of mountain bikers, from beginners to advanced. They even have an annual mountain bike festival! The Wollombi Wild Ride is a 13.5 km, 30 km or 60 km mountain bike trail all around the vineyards. Mountain biking is the perfect way to spend a day in the Hunter Valley and why not combine it with one of our Hunter Valley Wine Tours?
Mountain Bike & Cycling Tours & Bike Hire
There are many ways you get around the Sydney sights and bike riding is an absolutely fantastic option! There are a few locations that will allow you to rent you a bike for the day, have a look here to see where your closest bike rental is. There are even facilities both in the Blue Mountains and in the Hunter Valley that offer these services.
If you want to skip the research and jump on a mountain bike or cycling tour instead, we offer fully customisable bicycle tours for any size group. Focusing on local venues and showing you the spots that most tourists don't get to see, we absolutely love our exclusive cycle route. Jump on the chat if you have any questions or head to our detailed booking page to discover more!
Is Bike Riding Safe in Sydney?
We won't fool you to say that Sydney is as bike-friendly as Amsterdam or Copenhagen, but with a few precautions, you will find your cycling experience to be very safe. We have gathered a few safety tips if you are exploring Sydney by bike on your own. If you are partaking in one of our tours, we'll make sure that you are safe at all times:
Wearing a helmet is obligatory when cycling around Australia, please wear one at all times.
We recommend wearing a fluorescent vest if you are planning to bike ride around Sydney at dusk or in the dark.
Keep to the cycle paths as much as possible, if there is one available.
Try to keep to the left of the road as much as you can.
Use your arms to indicate your direction well in advance. Always look back to see whether it is safe before you cross the road.
Avoid busy roads if you are not comfortable with fast-paced traffic
That's it legends! Have a great time exploring the Sydney sights by bicycle or mountain bike!
