Two Big Hills - Hickson St Lookout & King Edward Park - 18km Scenic City loop

Join us for a free guided scenic bike ride.

Starting at Wickham, we'll do an 18km loop around Newcastle City, tackling two long steep hill climbs, each with a beautiful ocean lookout at the top, plus coffee by the beach at halfway.

We ride at a slow, leisurely pace of about 15km/hr. It's a slow social ride, showcasing quiet cycle routes around town.

We stick together the whole way.

Map (map is also in photos below, along with elevation and gradient): https://www.komoot.com/tour/3302045702?sharetoken=axqNYyiMLvHqKDMugf5XQGvdnTFcRKLlw2diu8m0BHb3SKXc9u&ref=feed&ts=referral&tcid=routeshare&trefusername=4040550065485

The two lookouts we will visit are:
Hickson St Lookout (Merewether) - 1km steep hill
King Edward Park/Anzac Bridge Walk - 1.5km steep hill

Get those legs pumping as we tackle two big long steep hills!

Be rewarded for your efforts and enjoy beautiful ocean views when you get to the top.

After the first lookout, we'll stop halfway, at about 8:15am, at Dixon Park Beach cafe for breaky/coffee.

Take the big hills at your own pace. We will stop at the top for a well-earned breather, until everyone is ready to continue.

This route uses low-traffic streets & shared paths.
We don't ride on busy, high-speed roads.
Explore safe cycling routes linking Hamilton South, The Junction, Merewether, Bar Beach, Cooks Hill, Newcastle East, The Hill

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Start/finish point: Tree of Knowledge Park, Hannell St, Wickham (the little park with the big tree, next to the outdoor carpark, at the corner of Honeysuckle Dr & Hannell St)

Start time: meet at 6:45am for a 7am departure (early start to beat the heat for the hills)
Finish time: approx 10am

Grade: very easy/easy/medium/HARD/very hard (ebikes will drop the grade down a level)

Suitable for: those who can ride at a leisurely pace for a couple of hours. Those who can ride up a 1km hill that is very steep the whole way. If you need to walk some of it, that's no problem. No experience riding around Newcastle or on roads is necessary. You just need good bike-handling skills, and good awareness of your surroundings. Legal e-bikes very welcome.

Infrastructure: 4km of shared paths, 14km of low-speed, low-traffic streets

Topography:

A 1km very steep hill (Merewether: Janet St + Woodward St + Hickson St)
A 100 metre steep hill (Dixon Park Beach hill)
A 1.5km steep hill (Newcastle: Bolton St + Newcommen St + York Dr through King Edward Park)
The rest of the ride is flat, with some slight undulation

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Water: we pass 3 bottle-refilling taps: near the start at Wickham; halfway at Dixon Park Beach; at the top of Kind Edward Park.
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You’ll need:

helmet
bike with good working brakes and tyres pumped
bike lock (for when we stop, or for if you get a mechanical issue)
phone & opal card in case of puncture
a repair kit, if you have one (spare tube, tyre levers, patches, pump etc)
water bottle

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Getting there

By Bike: https://www.newcastlecycleways.org.au/way-finding, or find routes on the group’s Komoot account https://www.komoot.com/tour/1831416099?ref=itd , or message me for a low-pressure route :)
Coming by train? Bikes travel free. Alight at Newcastle Interchange.
Parking: free unlimited weekend parking at the outdoor carpark, cnr Honeysuckle Dr & Hannell St, or park in Carrington.

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Indemnity and release of liability:
By participating in this activity you unconditionally indemnify the organiser/host against any and all claims, demands, losses, injuries, damages, liabilities or other costs, whether present or future, relating to your participation and/or dealings with Bike About Town - Newcastle, including but not limited to, any accident, loss or damage to property or death or injury to any person.
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How We Ride Policy & the RSVP Policy located on the group's homepage.
You are responsible for your own safety at all times.
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If the weather is looking unfavourable, check the comments below for updates; heavy rain may result in cancellation.
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Transform your journey. These videos explain international best practice cycling principles for everyday city trips:

How to cycle safely at junctions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CG0VTwevoU
Road positioning for city cycling explained: https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/road-positioning-cycling-explained:

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The Intriguing Power of Street Design:

How the Dutch Slow Drivers for Safer Streets: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGOBOw9s-QM

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Facebook https://facebook.com/BikeAboutTownNewcastleNSW
Komoot: https://www.komoot.com/tour/1831416099?ref=itd
Newcastle Cycleways Movement (maps, events, adovcacy): https://www.newcastlecycleways.org.au/way-finding

Enjoy the ride! Cycle for fun, for well-being, for everyday transport: to work, the shops, to hobbies, to the beach. Add a low-cost, low-polluting, mood-boosting, quick transport option to your repertoire! 🤗😎