25 km loop ride through Thebarton, Adelaide, Gilberton, Joslin, Klemzig, Vale Park, Walkerville, Medindie, North Adelaide, Bowden Strava Link GPX Route
We’ve taken over the country’s capital, now it is time to takeover Brisvegas. Don’t worry there is much more to Brisbane than the Fortitude Valley night life. We will be exploring Brisbane, Adelaide Bromptoneering style.
We had a great time in Canberra with near perfect weather, fantastic company and excellent bike routes. We also met some local Brompton owners and Helen was interviewed by local radio. On top of all that we raised $1,150 for Mildura Days for Girls the charity supported by our most excellent supporter – Julie.
If you are curious about what we did or would like an indication about what Brisbane will be like is then checkout Canberra Takeover Ride Report by Helen
Next Adelaide Bromptoneering Social Ride
The May 2026 Adelaide Bromptoneering Social ride is leaving from Pirate Life in Port Adelaide at 11:00am on Sunday 17 May.
On Thursday 28 May, I am going to re-ride the Mismatch Brewing route that we rode on 17 March 2024. Times have changed, Mismatch is now closed. So I will be starting and finishing my throwback-Thursday ride at the Prince Albert Hotel. If you’d like to join, I’ll be passing by the Prince Albert Hotel around 10:30am. No need to RSVP.
My second throwback is to thirteen years ago when we rode the 5 Boro Bike Tour in New York with 32,000 of our closest friends. The 5 Boro Bike Tour happens each year and perhaps it something you might like to consider on your Brompton! I am sure Jeff would happily join you for a ride.
Brompton World Championship
Saturday 18 April 2026 was not a normal day at California’s Laguna Seca Raceway. While the circuit is more accustomed to motorcycle screams and tyre smoke, this time it hosted something altogether more civilised — and considerably more eccentric. The Brompton World Championship returned to the Americas for the first time since 2018, and it did not disappoint. Read more on Grand Fondo Daily News.
Or see it from a rider’s perspective in this video.
All the information about this April’s Canberra Takeover by Adelaide Bromptoneering can now be found on the Canberra Takeover page. There will be a total of 10 rides over 5 days, totalling 288km.
Welcome to Canberra. Today’s ride will take us to one of Canberra’s lesser known ‘industrial’ areas Fyshwick. The purpose is to find Capital Brewing a microbrewery that has been around 2016 and is the first brewery in Australia to be 100% Climate Active Carbon Neutral certified. The beer and food is pretty good too!
But being an Adelaide Bromponeering ride there are a fair few plot twists to be had before we arrive at Capital Brewing for lunch.
The ride starts out pretty simply by following the C3 and then the C1. But as Adelaide Bromptoneers we’re not going to stick the road well ridden. We’re going to leave the C1 to take some back streets and laneways. But for good measure there is 3.5km of dirt trail at the base of Mount Ainslie for us to try. All pretty easily handled by the Brompton. Fortunately, we have a rest stop at the Bragg Street Neighbourhood Park before we tackle the dirt track. Your thermos (that you placed in the support car before going) with your preferred morning drink and snacks will be available.
We leave the dirt track just behind the Australian War Memorial. We will leave the Australian War Memorial at 12 noon, which should provide us with an hour or so to look around. We then tour past the many memorials along Anzac Parade before scooting through Campbell and then crossing in to the heart of the Defence establishment in Reid before arriving at the shore of Lake Burley Griffin.
A gentle ride around the lake and past some cows will lead us to our lunch spot of Capital Brewing. After lunch we continue through the Jerrabomberra Wetlands back to the southern shore of Lake Burley Griffin.
We ride through Kingston Foreshore before passing the National Gallery, National Library and High Court. We will be back on Wednesday with a couple of hours set aside to explore. But, if you want stay here a bit longer and return at your own pace just let us know your plans at lunch. The main group, however, will continue back onto the C8 and then C3 back to Alivio.
Today’s ride will take us around the world by visiting many of the Diplomatic Missions located in Canberra.
We start with a quick mosey through Canberra CBD and then across the Waterloo Bridge. Not long after this our world tour starts with the British High Commission – an OBVIOUS spot for a Brompton line up.
The first coffee stop will be near Nara Peace Park and a bunch of other parks. A chance to go to the toilet and enjoy your coffee and a snack.
Part of the route is based on the National Capital Authority’s Diplomatic Missions Self-Guided Driving Tour. More details are available from their website. The first group of Diplomatic Missions involve some gentle undulations.
Before getting to the second group of Diplomatic Missions we will pop into the Royal Australian Mint for 60 minutes.
We visit a few more Diplomatic Mission (and a few more undulations) then we arrive in Woden for lunch. All being well the lunch spot will be in the park at Friends & Momos or you can bring your own. For those who want to turn their Brompton into a stunt BMX please visit the nearby skate park at lunch.
The final set of Diplomatic Missions involves some steady climbing (this were the bulk of the vertical gain is achieved). Then we head to the peak of Red Hill for some stunning views and another public toilet. For those wanting to avoid the climb, arrangements can be made at the lunch spot for transportation to the next meeting spot … with the appropriate foldable donation. Or alternatively, you can ask for the route with the shortcut after the Mint.
After Red Hill we scoot down the hill with a fantastic view of Capital Hill, we then pass by new and old Parliament Houses and then back towards Canberra CBD. We head around the other side back towards Alivio Tourist Park.
Parliamentary Triangle – Canberra’s Monumental Centre – Leaving 9:30am
Today’s ride will take us to the heart of our nation’s national monuments. But before we get there we will ride around Black Mountain starting with a steady climb through some lovely bush and long downhill towards the south western part of Lake Burley Griffin.
Our first stop will be a short toilet break at the beginning as the route joins Lake Burley Griffin. Those who are adventurous and with too much energy might decide they want to leave early to visit the National Arboretum. They can join us at this stop.
We continue on the Lake Burley Griffin Trail riding over the Scrivener Dam, around Government House and Royal Canberra Golf Course. The morning tea stop will be in Weston Park. You can consume your coffee with a snack or you can purchase your requirements from the Yarralumla Play Station. Toilets are also available.
We continue on the Canberra Centenary Trail past both Parliament Houses and then some pretty natty paths. Around the back of Parliament Houses and then we a small hill climb to enable a nice downhill run through Manuka past Saint Christopher’s Cathedral and Manuka Oval. Then it’s back to Lake Burley Griffin. We cross the bridge to continue on the northern shoreline. Our afternoon tea stop is the National Museum of Australia. We will be there for just over an hour.
After the National Museum of Australia we head through The Australian National University to Bent Spoke for dinner, a cycling themed microbrewery for dinner in the trendy inner city district of Braddon. Let’s hope we don’t bend a spoke en route. After dinner, we head up through North Canberra to Dickson to join the C6.
C9C7 Peripherique – Country Canberra – Leaving 9:30am
Today’s ride will take us around the northern and eastern extremities of Canberra. This is a chance to see what the countryside may have been like before they decided to plop a capital on it.
We start out by crossing North Canberra towards the new Garden City Cycleway. This is a new family friendly bike route the connects key parts of inner-northern Canberra. Some of the early birds may have decided to have breakfast in Braddon or in Canberra CBD. Your meeting point with the main group will be at the corner of Constitution Avenue.
The first rest stop will be near the Australian-America Memorial Eagle. There is no public toilet but in the defence buildings there are a bunch of cafes. If you need a public toilet the closest is about 500m away. First we acquaint ourselves with Duntroon the only Australian military base that the public can travel through (according the internet). Please note that the speed limit for passing marching soldiers is 15km/h. For those in need of an extra challenge you can turn left on to General Bridges Drive to climb Mount Pleasant \ to see the view and the Royal Australian Artillery National Memorial.
After this we spend quite a bit of time passing through the Canberra countryside. This includes Canberra Airport, the Canberra Truffle Farm, the Army’s Majura Training Area, Treetop Advenutres and Mount Majura Vineyard. While for various reasons we won’t be visiting these places, we will, however, take a rest stop at Majura Pines. Here there are picnic tables, basic toilet facilities and kilometres of mount biking. You will be able to get your coffee and snack from the car. From here the climbing begins. Most of it is gentle but steady.
We rejoin suburbia with a pretty scenic and fast downhill. You’ll get to spy on some of the latest suburban creations and venture into those suburbs for lunch at Cypher Brewing Co. Those of you looking for short cut can catch the new tram to Macarthur avenue and zip back to Alivio.
We will explore some more of the suburbs and lakes before we arrive at Cafe Birrigai on Lake Ginniderra for afternoon tea. From here it’s just 5km through the AIS back to Alivio.
This is the final and longest ride of the Canberra Takeover. The route will explore the outer southern regions of Canberra by following much of the cross town C5 cycleway from Belconnen to Tuggeranong.
But before we join the C5 we will visit Savoir French, a lovely French Patisserie nestled in campus of The Australian National University and then the Australian National Botanic Gardens for about an hour or so.
There will be options to visit the Botanic Gardens, ride up to the top of Black Mountain, or alternatively, you can sleep in and join us at the Botanic Gardens for our departure around 10:30am.
Before joining the C5 near the National Arboretum, we will circumnavigate Black Mountain Peninsula – a much calmer ride than the mountain itself. The route passes the same toilet stop that we passed on Day 3. This will be the last toilet stop before lunch in 14km. The morning tea stop will be at the Scrivener Dam (the dam that forms Lake Burley Griffin) lookout a few kilometres down the road.
We will continue to wind our way down the C5, taking small diversion into Waramanga and Fisher to explore the suburbs and reduce our kilometres by a little bit. Lunch will be at Kambah Village. Here you will be able to choose between the cyclists favourites of L’Epi Artisan Bakery or the Kambah Inn. You might choose to sample both?
After lunch, the route continue to circumnavigate Lake Tuggeranong where there will be opportunities to have a photo spot or two and a public toilet if needed. After the circumnavigation we will join the C4 for the return journey back to Alivio. There will be an opportunity to eat your cake and drink bought from the bakery in Kambah at Arabanoo Park in Woden. If there are any monuments that you’ve missed feel free to peel off as we pass them on the way back at around 4:00pm – but don’t forget to let us know.
