Le Tourde Bières

Inner North Brewing

10A Russell St, Brunswick. Tucked down the laneway. Arrive from midday for a settler and a bike once-over. Sample a beer or 2 before we roll.

Départ 12:30 sharp-ish

Brunswick → Playground

East to the Upfield path, south the length of Brunswick, then west across Royal Park and down beside Moonee Ponds Creek. On bike paths for nearly all of it.

5.2 km · Flat then mostly downhill · Bike path

NM Community Centre Playground

46 Mark St, North Melbourne. A short break for a cold refreshment while the kids burn off some energy — swings, a climbing arch, and grass to drop a bike on.

This is where the mini tour joins. Macaulay Station is 300 m west, an easy roll along Macaulay Rd, and the Upfield line runs both directions.

If you're riding with kids, this is the place to join us. Train in, ride the middle two stages, train home — the playground is a far better start line than a brewery car park, and it halves the distance.

Hydration break · Mini tour starts here

Playground → Hop Nation

South down the Moonee Ponds Creek trail, then up the ramp onto the Dixon Veloway — 2 km of elevated bike-only expressway riding above the port truck route, no intersections, no traffic lights, nothing but deck and sky. Down at Shepherd Bridge and into Footscray.

Fitting, for a tour run under French colours: the veloway was opened by Cadel Evans, and it's named for Iris Dixon, who took sixteen Australian titles and won all five national championships in 1951. Doff your cap on the way over.

The taproom sits 50 m off the Maribyrnong River Trail, but the entrance is easy to miss — go down the lane or in off Youlle Street and look for the light box.

5.8 km · The showpiece · Bike path throughout

Hop Nation

Unit 6, 107–109 Whitehall St, Footscray. Ninety minutes for beer and deep dish pizza at the end of a marine-industrial alley. The centrepiece of the day, frankly.

Try all the beers · Eat some pizza

Hop Nation → Macaulay

Not the way we came, and deliberately gentle. North up the Maribyrnong, then east along the flats to Macaulay — no hills, no veloway ramps, nothing that asks anything of you after ninety minutes at a brewery.

Mini tour finishes at Macaulay Station. Trains both directions, honour intact.

5.1 km · Flat · Mini tour ends

Macaulay → Rocky Ridge

The hardest stage of the day, saved for last. Out of the creek valley on a short 6% ramp, then a steady drag north-east that climbs 43 m over three kilometres into Brunswick. You were warned, catch the train if you aren't up to it.

Riders arriving under their own steam, spectators arriving by whatever means necessary.

4.4 km · The queen stage · Côte de Brunswick

Rocky Ridge Brewhouse

130 Barkly St, Brunswick East. Thirty-two rotating taps in a remodelled bluestone cottage, with the old Thunder Road tanks still standing over the tables and an Airstream slinging food in the front garden. Dogs welcome, which may be relevant to some of you.

A fitting place to finish: Rocky Ridge started in 2017 on a family dairy farm in Jindong, Western Australia, and took over Thunder Road to get a foothold out east. Same instinct as this ride — go a long way for a beer, then make a day of it.

Open until 21:00 · No further riding required