Grade: S-X
Distance: 10.1 km, one way
Road Conditions: Mainly cycle paths
Route: From Belconnen Town Centre via Lake Ginninderra, Wm Slim Dr, Giralang to Shannon Crct, Kaleen
Map: Location Map (Ride No 9) and detailed Map 8 of ride
Starting Point: Lathlain St/Luxton St, Belconnen Town Centre
Description: From the start, this route is the same as that for Commuter Ride 6 until you approach Ginninderra Drive Bridge. This time, for variety's sake, keep left where the bike path divides, 2.5 km from the start point, and ride under the bridge. The cycleway takes you up towards the bridge and turn right to cross it on the right-hand side. Move right with the path once over the bridge (ignore the offshoot which runs back under it) and find the cycleway continues its winding route around Lake Ginninderra, passing on the left the turnoff to Mckellar, the point where Commuter Ride 6 goes on to end at Holt.
About 1.1 km further on, the cycleway passes a tunnel (left) under William Slim Dr. leading to Wallan Pl., Mckellar, and shortly afterwards an underpass which leads nowhere. The path runs under Baldwin Dr., then moves down this road via a footpath before becoming a discernible bike path again on the left. It travels through open country and then at a T-junction turns left to cross Ginninderra Creek. (If, instead, you rode straight ahead you would find the cycle path ends at Capella Crct, Giralang).
The path reaches the intersection of Owen Dixon Dr./William Slim Dr. and crosses the creek again, running off to the right once over it and proceeding on to cross Dodwell St. It travels between sporting fields and parkland to leave Giralang at Chuculba Cres. and enter Kaleen. It crosses Maribyrnong Ave, care required, and then two small bridges over stormwater drains to begin a long, flat stretch of about a kilometre before passing under Maribyrnong Ave once more. Keep riding to the right and then left to pass a connector to the Kaleen Shops. The path runs behind a primary school to end at Shannon Crct, just over 10 km from the start point at the Belconnen Town Centre.
Pedal Power is grateful to Graeme Barrow for agreeing to allow this material and
maps to be reproduced here from his book "Riding Canberra's Bike Paths: A
commuter/tourist cycling guide". Other titles by Graeme Barrow include:
