Cycling
Cycling in the Yarra Valley
The beautiful rural patchwork of the Yarra Valley, surrounded by forest-covered mountains, provides a perfect area for gentle rides, day tripping to cellar doors or, for serious cyclists, long rides with challenging climbs.
The Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail is the oldest and best known rail trail in Australia. It is well maintained and has many cafes and restaurants along the way.
Staying in the valley, there are many routes along country roads, past vineyards, orchards and pasture where you can cycle to cellar doors for coffee or lunch, or take day trips between Healesville, Yarra Glen, Warburton and Coldstream to name a few.
Serious hill climbers will enjoy the challenge of Don Road up to Pantons Gap, Mt Donna Buang from Warburton or the ride out of Healesville to Toolangi along Myers Creek Road.
The Yarra Valley offers all the drama of long hard days in the saddle with mountain climbs and steep descents combined with coffee and cake and gentle rolling roads.
Lilydale – Warburton RailTrail
Jump on your bike and cycle all or part of the 38km trail which passes through beautiful rural scenery. Bike hire available fromThe Cog Bike Cafe in Warburton.
The Carriage Cafe
Right on the Lilydale- Warburton rail trail at Seville. Ride in (on your bike or horse!) and enjoy one of the best food stops on the trail. Melanie, is a Yarra Valley chef who decided to buy a 100 year old railway carriage and operate it as a café.
The lovely setting is informal and is a meeting place for locals and the many cyclists, horse riders and walkers on the trail. Melanie has a large range of gluten free food on the menu and, of course, great coffee.
Try the links below for a few cycling ideas in the Valley.
The Giro Della Donna is a weekend-long festival of road and gravel cycling based in the beautiful Yarra Valley town of Warburton, approximately 90 minutes east of Melbourne and 30 minutes by car from Lyrebird Cottages. It features a 65km gravel ride on the Saturday and a 125km road ride on the Sunday.
There is a festival atmosphere with food and wine and music to celebrate the event on the weekend. The festival In run in tandem with the Ciao Yarra Valley Ciao Festival, a month long festival celebrating everything Italian and held over the whole of the Yarra Valley.
You can cycle to the top of Donna Buang the mountain summit of the event along the beautiful quiet ridge road a 40 minute ride from Lyrebird Cottages.
There are some great trails to ride in the Yarra Valley, click on the link above to view.
The Warburton Mountain Bike project will be a trail network designed to appeal to riders of all skill levels from beginner to advanced, across a range of differing terrains, outlooks and environments.
The first stage has 110 km’s of trails.