Casual Cyclist's Guide To Melbourne: Routes, Rides, Rants And Raves About The City And The Bike

by Matt Hurst

Melbournites everywhere are taking to their from commuters, fed up with the public transport squeeze, to families, tourists, hipsters, and urbanites. The Casual Cyclist's Guide to Melbourne brings a fresh and entertaining perspective to this much-loved mode of transport. Discover the quirky history cycling has in this fair the bone-shaker, the safety cycle, and the Malvern Star. Discover the secrets of Frocks on Bikes, the Naked Bike Ride, and how The Austral Wheelrace is the worlds' oldest continually held cycle race. Then take some of the historic rides around Melbourne, exploring its architecture, discovering little-known wonders in parks, and famous and infamous pubs, coffee spots, and cafes. This beautifully designed little package is an essential item for the Melbournite on two wheels or the visitor from afar! With routes that take riders from north to south, rides that take in pubs or parks, The Casual Cyclist's Guide to Melbourne is the inside story on where to go in Melbourne, and how to get there and what to see.

160 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2012

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some people may like this but it was not my cup of tea. It has no structure - the majority of the book is extracts from people who may be local legends in Melbourne, but they just ramble on about different types of food and markets like a group of old nannies at a CWA meeting. Who cares if they buy apples with their kids on a Saturday morning in a suburban market? The book did have a few interesting tit-bits about Melbourne's history, which is why I give it two stars instead of 1.

[Sasha Sheko · Rating 3 out of 5]

A handy guide to various cycle paths and themed (e.g. op shops, notable architecture) routes around inner Melbourne. As a frequent cyclist, I knew almost all of the main paths/routes mentioned in the book, but found the ideas for rides between various shops, bars, cafes, buildings, etc. interesting. Various small articles throughout on the history of cycling in Melbourne, etc. also interesting.

[dwillsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

handy guide to cycling around Melbourne

[Cameron Millsom · Rating 3 out of 5]

The anecdotes and historical stories were quirky and interesting. The cycle routes were not very inspiring for me.