GillyG

My husband is a very keen cyclist and would like to be able to cycle from home on the Gold Coast to work at Brisbane Airport. Is this possible? From looking at the map it looks like the only way over the water is via the motorway! Maybe there is a pedestrian bridge that I am missing on the map. We have considered him cycling part way and then getting the train but have discovered that bikes are not allowed on trains at peak times!

bcworld

I've done the Brisbane CBD to Gold Coast (Southport) cycle before - the route was 100km - we were generally fairly close to the motorway although obviously not on it- I'm guessing it would be even further to BNE airport!!??

The closest river crossing to the Gateway Bridge (there is no pedestrian crossing on it) would probably be the CityCat ferry crossing from Apollo Road, Bulimba to Bretts Wharf - then continuing along Kingsford Smith Drive towards the airport. Definitely not a nice route to cycle though at any time, let alone peak time.

I reckon this journey could easily take 3 - 4 hours door to door - even for an experienced cyclist.

However.......

http://www.mainroads.qld.gov.au/en/P...y-Project.aspx

The Bloke

If he is willing to risk it, he could leave his bike chained at one of the bikeracks which are now springing up around train and bus stations.

fish.01

At the moment he might be better picking up the bikepath that runs down the side of the south east freeway, over the goodwill bridge and into the Brisbane CBD and then head east out to the airport. Other option is the Story Bridge.

With a daily training routine like that maybe we could recruit him into the australian cycling team to beat those pesky british?

fish.01

A bit of a palava but he could also ride down the bikepath into Brisbane CBD, park his bike at the underground bike centre, have a shower and get ready for work (they provide towels) - and then catch the air train out to the airport (I think they give airport workers a discount fare?).

See more here: http://www.cycle2city.com.au/site.php?content=home

"...daily access to secure bike parking, a fresh towel, air conditioned locker rooms, and plenty of showers and toilets. An optional and convenient laundry service is also available and our full service workshop is an integral part of the centre, while also open to the public."

Broad Shoulders

I don't know your husband, but I think it is fair to say that there is no way he could cycle the whole way and back everyday. As a crow flies it is 100kms. If you take paths etc to take a realistic route you can probably add 10-20kms to that journey. Making a round trip of 220-240kms a day. The guys in La Tour De France do not even do that per day and it would be fair to say that those guys are the pinacle of cycling

The Bloke

Some with a little bit of chemical help.....

Oh la tour de pharmacy.........

GillyG

Thanks fot the link, very interesting stuff. Doesn't look like it is going to be open for another year or so though but something to look forward to!

He would happily leave me chained up all day but not his bike, it's far too presious to him

Good to know it can be done and he would KILL to be on the Australian cycling team!

[QUOTE=fish.01;7776991]A bit of a palava but he could also ride down the bikepath into Brisbane CBD, park his bike at the underground bike centre, have a shower and get ready for work (they provide towels) - and then catch the air train out to the airport (I think they give airport workers a discount fare?).

See more here: [url]http://www.cycle2city.com.au/site.php?c

Thanks for link, also fantastic to know.


We wouldn't be living as far down as Southport, hopefully northern GC so maybe nearer to 100 KM round trip? He would probably only cycle 3 or 4 days a week and then sit in traffic, get stressed and wish he had cycled the other days!

nevsy

In a word NO!!

spalen

I do 35k each way to work + back sometimes

The worst thing is - traffic on the roads , cycle lanes are great when they exist, but they are not there all the way and some of the roads are just scary.

It gets dark here at 530pm in winter - dark enough to need to be litup like a christmass tree, and its light at 6am. In summer that slips by only about 35 minutes - so unlike UK it is usually dark at 6ish at latest all year around.

There is a cycle lane all the way along the pacific motorway on a service road next to it - at least from Yatala there is I havent been further than that.

Even on a good day because of the amount of traffic and traffic lights and lack of good cycle lanes he'd do well to exceed 30kmh average I reckon so you can do the math on how long it'd take. Its pretty impractical.

You can put bikes on train as long as you finish your journey by 7am or start it after 6pm I think. So could train in some way and then ride, and then ride someway back and train

there are a lot of cyclists here - the climate is brilliant for it. Although last month or so its been freezing at 5am in the dark on the bike and mine has been in the garage for way too long :-(

fish.01

Brisbane earliest sunset 5pm - latest 6:45pm so max difference of about 1hr 45 mins. Spring arrives in 5 weeks!!!!

cookiestar

This is a fanatastic thing to offer in town. I'll definitely look into using that when it's up and running (and I've moved)

spalen

My sunset/sunrise memory is destroyed by my brain being frozen because Im too tight to buy leg warmers and a headscarf for my bike.