Gear up Girl SA offers a choice of three routes making it suitable for women of all ages and abilities.
All loop rides start at 9am and all distances start and finish on the banks of the River Torrens at Elder Park, King William Street.
From the start, the SA Police will provide an escort for all riders from Elder Park, along King William Street through the city centre, as far as East Terrace and the parklands near Victoria Park. This first leg of the ride, under escort, will be at a leisurely 15km per hour.
more info on the police escort
The Police escort includes a lead Police vehicle at the front plus another Police vehicle at the back. By riding at the same consistent speed, and communicating with Traffic Control, riders should also benefit from continuous green traffic lights all the way through the city! Normal road rules apply, however, so should you come to a red traffic light, you have to stop. If you drop off the back of the escort, whether you have to stop to make a bike adjustment, answer a mobile call or you pick up a puncture, there will be Bicycle SA volunteers who will provide support until you catch up with the others. At the very back is a Sag Wagon with flashing lights and signage, and this will never move in front of the last rider. No one gets left behind!
All the maps will be made available online at www.bikely.com, where you can zoom in and out of certain details, view the route profile, see it using satellite images and even do a flyover of the whole thing. Hard copies of the maps will also be made available at Bicycle SA, and spare copies will also be available on the day.
Ride Options
1. Linear Park Loop 15km
The 15km Linear Park is a circular route around the River Torrens following the Linear Park.
This ride is suitable for all levels of ability.
MAP COMING SOON!
Beach Ride 35km
From the start, Beach Ride participants are part of the whole group as far as East Terrace, where the River Ride group separates. From there the Police continue to escort Beach Riders along South Terrace with the Hill Ride group splitting off near Pulteney Street. The Police escort continues all the way along Anzac Highway at a slightly faster 18km per hour average speed. Again, this provides maximum safety and also ensures riders enjoy the benefit of green lights all the way!
At Glenelg, the Police escort stops and riders head north along the foreshore, using a mix of quiet roads and shared use paths past Adelaide Shores to West Beach, crossing the River Torrens at Henly Beach South.
Riders then head east along the Linear Path, which follows the meandering path of the River Torrens, all the way back to the Elder Park finish.
The Beach Ride is almost half Police escort on roads; as well as un-escorted sections along quiet roads, some with bike lanes, plus shared-use paths.
The Beach Ride distance is suitable for all riders with moderate fitness levels.
MAP COMING SOON!
Hill Ride 50km
The Hill Ride is the most challenging of the Gear Up Girl rides. Hill Riders are part of the Police escort as far as South Terrace, and from there split off and continue along roads with bike lanes all the way to the Mount Barker Freeway. From there riders start to climb along the bike path, which runs parallel to the Freeway, before turning off at Devil's Elbow and continuing up via Eagle on the Hill. The bike path exits onto open roads again at Crafers, where the route continues up to Mount Lofty summit. From there it twists and turns along the top of the range, pass Cleland National Park, through Summertown to Norton Summit. From here it's a thrilling downhill ride to Magill, then some zig-zagging through the eastern suburbs before crossing Victoria Park, through the city centre to the Elder Park finish.
The Hill Ride includes the Police escort, sections along suburban roads with bike lanes, major roads with bike lanes, plus the bike path up to Crafers. It is suitable for reasonably fit riders keen for a challenge.
MAP COMING SOON!
At the finish
All Gear Up Girl routes start and finish at Elder Park, King William Street, in the city centre. The Event Village is on the beautiful riverside, with the Festival Centre as a spectacular backdrop. There is plenty of shade and open space ideal for a relaxing picnic at the end of a challenging but fun ride.
There is plenty of nearby parking on the street and at Torrens Parade Grounds.
And if you don't pack a picnic, there will be outlets offering food, snacks, coffees and cold drinks.
Refreshment Stations
Each refreshment Station offers water, Nippy's juices and Powerade; as well as snacks such as fresh fruit and cake.
There will bike maintenance facilities as well.
Refreshment Stations are the ideal places to step off your bike for a moment, have a rest, catch up with your riding buddies, enjoy the scenery and importantly, re-apply your sunscreen and make sure that you keep your hydration levels up.
More information about the event will be posted in the coming weeks. For information on preparing for the day please take a look at the following docs:
PREPARATION
VOLUNTEERING
BE PREPARED
IS YOUR BIKE FIT?
ROAD RULE AWARENESS
SECRET WOMENS BUSINESS
BUNCH RIDING SKILLS
