Gears and Beers is the perfect weekend away at Wagga Wagga

Gears and Beers is a one day cycling event that is combined with a Craft Beer & Cider Festival. It has rides to suit cyclists of all ability both on and off-road, and makes a great excuse to head to Wagga Wagga for the weekend.

It’s a real interesting concept,  and ‘breaks the mold’ that all cyclists drink coffee! As they can now also consume beer and cider.

Wagga Wagga is about 460km from the Sydney and 450km from Melbourne ie almost halfway between these 2 major cities. There is a local Airport just on the edge of town, with regional flights from Sydney/Melbourne. Better still, grab the train which stops in the centre of Wagga Wagga.

There is a range of different rides (5, five in total) on to suit riders of almost all ages and abilities, ranging from 10km to 130km, and on both sealed and un-sealed roads.

The main event is the Dirty 130, which is a combination of sealed and unsealed roads ie graded gravel, making it a real adventure! It’s broken into 4 dirt sectors, with a total of 31 km.  Some of these sectors are technical, punchy climbs or a long hard grind it out climb. A basic loop heading north-west out towards Coolamon turning east at the Hotel Coolamon (a classic Pub) and through to Marrar, past the Royal Hotel. Then it is a turn south back to the start via some more gravel and pavement.

This year sees the inclusion of a 40km Mystery ride on the Saturday which will be a great way to get orientated and stretch the legs and test your stead. You can expect to see a mix of road, gravel and bike paths. the route notes have not been released but it is understood to contain some river views and a killer climb (expect to jump off the saddle).  Your will have to be self-sufficient and able to undertake small repairs if they arise, eg change a tyre. 

And then there is the Craft Beer & Cider Festival to enjoy. What could be better?  The registration for the ride includes entry to this. However, the first item on the agenda after your ride is the outstanding locally roasted coffee. Then you can head through the festival grounds for the hand-crafted beers and ciders and great local food. The festival showcases the best independent Beer and Cider brewers available. Enjoy the day and stay forever.

100% of registration fees go to local charities, distributed by the Wollundry Rotary Club.

You’ll find other great cycling events, like Gears and Beers, in our online Cycling Event Calendar.

Enjoy!