Bruny Island (South)

5 Star Route / Hobart, Tasmania / Published: Dec 2018 / Directions

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Bruny Island Neck, gravel cycling, tasmania

Leading out from Bruny Island Neck. Westward look into the Great Bay.

The gravel roads of today are logging roads, be careful of trucks!

The first gravel road of the day, a few klicks in, gives you a taste of what is to come.

Beginning the climb of Mangana. It will be steep!

Near the summit, the grade lessens.

Done climbing!

The descent is also steep. Greater than 15% at times.

Stop here for a bit of a break.

Some history - in words.

Some history - in machinery.

Clennetts cutover road feels a bit more rugged and less traveled.

The gravel can be demanding - eyeballs, and fisters! Loose. Compacted.

The crux of the ride is about begin.

Steep, loose sections in the beginning. Maybe some hike a bike.

Narrow and wet.

Chunky.

Preparing for rocky descent, bruny island, tasmania cycling

And then it finally opens up to something better at the summit. Be prepared for a rocky descent.

Whew! Adventure Bay!

Penguin and Pardalote stop on cycling route, bruny island

Coffee and sweets at Penguin and Pardalote cafe.

Great views, rolling hills, gravel cycling ,tasmania

Riding out from coffee with great views! But it still rolls up and down.

Riding back into the Bruny Neck at low tide.

Climb to the top of the lookout. It is a must do!

The parking area at Truganini Lookout (AKA the Neck Lookout).

Route:

Lollipop | 38 mi

Gain:

4,800 ft

Surface:

65% gravel, 35% paved

Technical Difficulty:

Very Demanding

Navigation:

Straightforward

Locale:

Rural

Tire Suggestion:

40 mm+

Options:

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This route rides like a Bruce Springsteen song: rough, course and gritty. There is gnarly eyeball and fister gravel, sometimes loose, sometimes embedded like cobblestone. The climbs are steep and demanding. You ride deep into the forest.

Map

Brown = gravel / dirt road

Blue = single track

Red = paved road

Purple = paved bike path

GPX Download Version 1.0

Ride Details

When We Like to Ride This

All year. Avoid if it is very wet.

Terrain & Riding

The route starts with a paved and flat spin out of Truganini Lookout / Bruny Neck Lookout for 4.5 miles (7 Km’s). Turn left onto the gravel road, it starts out inglorious but soon brings you into the forest with a small test of a first climb. Continue on for a bit until the right turn to Mt. Mangana where the real climbing begins. This climb averages over 10.5% for 1250 feet (381 meters). The descent is equally demanding and provides several glimpses of the D’Entrecasteaux Channel in the far distance.

Turn left and roll along the two Clemetts roads until you hit the sign to “Adventure Bay 17 Km”. This is the crux of the ride. The road is narrow, the gravel is loose, and at times steep (hike a bike steep for Gravel Girl). Near the summit, the road flattens and widens. **Click to Read Less

The descent is equally demanding with a one mile (1.6 Km) section of steep baby head cobblestone. Don’t let this deter you. A few miles / kilometers before Adventure the Bay the gravel becomes smooth and fast.

Stop in Adventure Bay for a bit of refueling. We recommend the Penguin and Pardalote Cafe. There is also a grocery market.

Leaving Adventure Bay, you are tested one last time with a series of steep rollers, but on paved road. However … after the last right hand turn, it is a flat run back into the Bruny Neck Lookout. Cross your fingers that the winds are with you.

You do this route for the adventure and to test your mettle as a gravel cyclist. This route does not ride like the North Bruny Island route where you have silky smooth gravel roads and undulating hills with no climb in excess of 300 feet (91 meters).

The Start

Lat / Long: -43.268451, 147.348985

Truganini Lookout / Bruny Neck Lookout parking lot. Pit toilets.
Lat / Long: -43.268451886453970, 147.348985169189520

Food & Water

Adventure Bay

Notes & Options

Route Notes

Of note, we recommend a gearing ratio of at least 1:1 and 40 mm tires.
This route is ideally suited for 650B bike.
We recommend a red blinky light with rear looking radar detector (i.e. Garmin Varia)

Comments

Have you ridden this route? Got a question? Join the discussion!

Ridden and Reviewed by:

KevinE / Team Dirty Freehub

He should have “Never Stop Exploring” tattooed on his chest! He loves adventures on bikes and is a Co-Founder of Dirty Freehub.

LindaE (aka Gravel Girl) / Team Dirty Freehub

She loves a good day of gravel, like most people like a good book. She’s always amused by the outdoors and the wild adventures. Gravel Girl is a Co-Founder of Dirty Freehub.