Crookwell Cruise Challenge & Berramble

Further information, all gpx files and ride notes on both of these two bikepacking rides can be found on the Self powered cyclist group Facebook page

Crookwell Cruise Challenge (Updated Dec 2025)
To celebrate the start of spring and to test your winter body out, attempt the annual Crookwell Cruise Challenge rides on the last Saturday of September. The inaugural ride was held on the first Saturday of September in 2023 with 8 people starting and finishing the frosty morning original ride which is now called the Mini, which is an endurance/gravel ride being 250km with around 3,000m elevation gain. In 2024 there were 5 starters and finishers but most people kept away due to the 70kmph winds that day.
In 2025 a longer 500km route with around 6,500m elevation gain ride and a 1,000km route with around 15,000m elevation gain rides have been added, which are called the Mighty (500km) and Maxi (1,000km) and are bikepacking rides. 22 people were at the start and 19 people finished, 1 began the Maxi but fell ill so decided to change to the Mighty route from Crookwell. 6 began the Mighty but 3 exited after 3 nights as they were touring and were advised by the local publican in Tarago that on weekdays the roads around Tarago are busy with mining trucks. To that effect, I suggest people do not attempt to tour the Mighty route and to only ride it on the weekends through this section of the route. I have ridden out this way multiple times on the weekends and there has never been any mining trucks. When I say touring I mean riding at a slower, comfortable pace with a lower average speed, taking long breaks and not covering many kilometres each day. If you can make it to Collector by Sunday evening following the Mighty anti-clockwise route at the 265km mark, or to the corner of Sandy Point Road and Oallen Ford Road following the Mighty clockwise route at the 287km mark, you will miss the mining trucks that are on the roads throughout the weekdays. Bikepacking is all about being efficient with breaks, carrying minimal equipment compared to touring and moving along a route at a higher average speed than touring, to get to the finish as quickly as possible, as the clock never stops until you finish. Your training for this personal challenge should get you ready for carrying extra gear than you would on a regular commute to work, cycling longer distances each day, riding at a higher pace than touring (not a Fastest Known Time FKT pace though, but that’s up to you), taking less breaks and getting out of your comfort zone, as you are capable of more than you know.
Each year the rides will alternate between anti-clockwise, clockwise or your choice, so refer to the Events tab in this Facebook group page for current ride direction.
All rides start/finish from the BP petrol station in Watson Canberra at 6am (arrive 5:45am) on the last Saturday of September. Some free parking available on site or close by and there are four accommodation sites within 1.5km from the start/finish, not including Airbnb, for those coming from out of town. There are also many more accommodation sites within the city of Canberra so the choice is up to you.
Ride at your own pace, be self-sufficient, follow the tour divide rules, i.e. no drafting, no outside help from family or friends, use only commercially available retailers which everyone has equal access to, do not advance the course by other means except by bicycle, if you have a mechanical
issue that cannot be resolved on the trail you can leave the route but must continue from the place you exited, be as safe as possible wear bright colours but remember to have fun and bring a sense of adventure. In addition, I suggest carrying between 2-3 litres of water capacity and cold/wet weather gear at a minimum for all rides as it is the beginning of spring and the weather is unpredictable. All rides must be completed in one continuous single stage ride and cannot be done over multiple attempts, as in start at BP petrol station at 6am on the last Saturday in September and camp or get accommodation each night, then continue over multiple days until you complete the ride. You cannot stop at a location then return to that same location at some other time throughout the year to complete the ride.
Stay in towns overnight if you cannot make it back to Canberra or campgrounds along the way, or see if you can hit the cafes, restaurants, bakeries, small supermarkets, accommodations, petrol stations or pubs along the routes before they close. No staying at friends or families places whilst on the ride.
For the Mighty and Maxi rides, I suggest taking a bivvy as well, just in case as accommodation is limited but you will pass through multiple small towns so it is up to you.
Possibly an all-road/endurance or gravel bike with 35mm or wider tyres would be ideal for the Mini ride as it is mostly smooth gravel (rain, short deep gravel sections or no grading on some roads may affect this) and tarmac all the way.
Possibly a gravel/adventure bike with 45mm or wider tyres would be ideal for the Mighty and Maxi rides due to the first 10km being on some chunkier steepish gravel, the Queanbeyan River Trail, Attack of the Buns and some potentially loose and/or muddy gravel roads between Hoskinstown and Majors Creek and Brindabella Range, but it is mostly all smooth gravel and tarmac (conditions may vary). The Mighty and Maxi also share 115km of the Mini ride. The Mini and Mighty rides are roughly 60% tarmac, 40% gravel. The Maxi ride shares the first 190km of the Mighty ride, includes Attack of the Buns, Tumut and of course Crookwell, with roughly 45% tarmac and 55% gravel. If you want to be competitive on these rides then that’s up to you.
All gpx files can be found either on my Komoot page https://www.komoot.com/user/808039608646?ref=imk-qr or via the Files section of this Facebook group page. These gpx files are compatible with any GPS device (that you can download gpx files to) or GPS app on your smart phone.
If you do not have a Komoot account (which is free) or cannot locate the gpx files, DM me and I will send you the gpx file but it will not be any different to the files in the Files section.
In a homage to brevet cycling events and for memories, please follow the below rules;
Brevet cycling rules for the Mini ride;

1. When you get to Crookwell, take a selfie/photo with your bike out the front of the Lindner Quality Socks shop on Goulburn Street.
2. When you make it to the finish, take a selfie/photo with your bike with the kissing galahs (which is just around the corner from BP Watson on Antill Street).
3. Screenshot of the completed activity on Strava, Garmin or similar tracking site, and post all the photos in one post at the completion of the ride, to this Facebook group page.
   The Mini should not take longer than 18 hours elapsed time, for people with some reasonable level of fitness, if riding in one day. I have completed it in 13 hours elapsed time in both directions but most people who rode the Mini in 2025 decided to stay overnight in Crookwell on Saturday, then completed the remainder of the Mini route on Sunday which is perfectly fine, as it is still one continuous single stage ride.
   Brevet cycling rules for the Mighty ride;
4. When you get to Captains Flat pub, take a selfie/photo with your bike out the front.
5. When you get to Tarago, take a selfie/photo with your bike of the statue of the dog at the Loaded Dog pub.
6. When you get to Crookwell, take a selfie/photo with your bike out the front of the Lindner Quality Socks shop on Goulburn Street.
7. When you get to Yass, take a selfie/photo with your bike of the bust of Banjo Patterson.
8. When you make it to the finish, take a selfie/photo with your bike with the kissing galahs (which is just around the corner from BP Watson on Antill Street).
9. Screenshot of the completed activity on Strava, Garmin or similar tracking site, and post all the photos in one post at the completion of the ride, to this Facebook group page.
   The Mighty should not take longer than 72 hours elapsed time, for people with some reasonable level of fitness.
   Brevet cycling rules for the Maxi ride;
10. When you get to Captains Flat pub, take a selfie/photo with your bike out the front.
11. When you get to Kangaroo Valley, take a selfie/photo with your bike at the Hampden Bridge.
12. When you get to Crookwell, take a selfie/photo with your bike out the front of the Lindner Quality Socks store on Goulburn Street.
13. When you get to Young, take a selfie/photo with the big cherry sculpture on Main Street.
14. When you get to Wombat, take a selfie/photo with the wombat sculpture on Wombat Road.
15. When you get to Tumut, take a selfie/photo with your bike out the front of Tom’s Outdoors store on Fitzroy Street.
16. When you get to Piccadilly Circus, take a selfie/photo with the Mt Franklin Road intersection sign.
17. When you make it to the finish, take a selfie/photo with your bike with the kissing galahs (which is just around the corner from BP Watson on Antill Street).
18. Screenshot of the completed activity on Strava, Garmin or similar tracking site, and post all the photos in one post at the completion of the ride, to this Facebook group page. The Maxi should not take longer than 168 hours elapsed time, for people with some reasonable level of fitness. The brevet element of the Crookwell Cruise Challenge is not mandatory but taking the photos is a good way to look back at your time bikepacking and the patch is a reminder you achieved something that not many people have. If you follow the above brevet rules for the ride, you will receive a ‘self-powered cyclist’ patch in recognition of your achievement. You must begin your ride at 6am on the last Saturday of September from the BP petrol station in Watson Canberra, to be eligible. If you complete the rides on an e-bike you will be ineligible. There is no problem if you ride an e-bike but bikepacking is all about old fashioned human power hard work and the sense of accomplishment that you can complete it without assistance. If you complete your ride any other way i.e. individual time trial (ITT) at some other time throughout the year, you will be ineligible for the patch.
    These rides have been designed to be more accessible and less technical, compared to the Hunt or Cloudrides, but more arduous than the Mallee Blast. The Mighty and Maxi rides have double the elevation gain compared to both of the Mallee Blast routes. The Mighty has around 1,500m elevation gain less than the 500km Cloudride. The Maxi has around 5,000m elevation less than the 1,000km Cloudride and Hunt 1000. These rides are to encourage people to try their hand at long distance gravel and bikepacking, but there are a few obstacles thrown in there for good measure but I would not class these rides as beginner though, more for novices, for people with some cycling and bikepacking experience. Be prepared to lift your bike over gates (all rides) or fallen trees (Maxi ride), negotiate small river crossings (Mighty and Maxi ride) and possible snow down to 900m (Maxi ride) in the Brindabella national park during spring.
    Be seen, wear bright clothing, use a front and rear light, and wear a helmet as a minimum.
    There is no registration or tracking for the Crookwell Cruise Challenge rides, as this would add cost and unnecessary complexity, so just show up and participate in this social group personal challenge ride with other likeminded individuals.
    There is no timeframe to complete the ride, just suggestions on how long it would potentially take someone with some cycling fitness and bikepacking experience. There is an option to create a Maprogress event if people are interested, so that others can follow your adventures online in real
    time (participants to pay for their own registration), but for now just download and follow the gpx files on your preferred bike computer/phone app.
    Use the supplied ride notes and gpx files at your own discretion, as these rides are on public land and potential closures of roads/campgrounds/shops are out of my control. If you have to detour, return back to the route as soon as possible. If there are major issues along the route whilst riding, inform others by posting it to the Facebook group page.
    The participant takes part in this event at their own risk. They waive any claim against the coordinators for property and personal damage, suffered by the participants in the event. The participant will bear the costs of damages caused by themselves. All information is provided in good faith but it is up to the participant to work out if this is the right decision for them.
    The longer you are out there, the less time you have to recover.
    If you wait for perfect conditions, you’ll never get anything done.
    Choose your ride distance and have a great adventure!

Berramble (Updated Jan 2026)
To commemorate the service and show support to all our current serving and veteran military personnel, attempt the annual Berramble ride on the closest Saturday to Anzac day, starting at 0600 hrs (arrive at 0545 hrs), BP petrol station in Watson Canberra. When Anzac day falls on a Friday it will start that day. Look in the Events tab of this Facebook page for further information on the exact date for this year’s ride or for the latest promo poster.
Anzac Day (April 25th) commemorates the landing of Australian and New Zealand forces at Gallipoli in 1915, marking the birth of the “Anzac legend” of courage and mateship.
My charity of choice is Soldier On. In the past, I have created personal fundraising activities/events for Soldier On. I’m seeking to raise awareness for this worthy charity tying it in with Anzac day and this ride.
Soldier On is a charity that honours the Anzac legend legacy by supporting veterans and their families, connecting past sacrifices with present needs, running campaigns like “In Their Honour” to bridge generations and remember all who serve, making the link a continuity of remembrance from historical Anzacs to today’s service personnel. Through the shared disciplines of training schedules, physical endurance and mental resilience, cycling can serve as a coping mechanism along with assisting with physical readiness, not just the military but for civilians too.
Did you know that there was an Anzac cyclist battalion? Their duties included the guarding of machine gun posts, bridges and ammunition dumps, maintaining the light railways, running messages, performing reconnaissance, and the horrific task of recovering and burying the corpses of their Anzac comrades. Further information can be found via these links An Officer and a Cyclist | Australian War Memorial and Cycling Anzacs – Bicycling Australia
Berramble isn’t attempting to mimic the challenges that they faced but to honour, both past and present Anzacs. What you face on this ride might be difficult in parts but just think of what all our Anzacs went through and currently go through for the freedom that we all enjoy today. If able, please donate money or your time to this wonderful organisation or create your own fundraising activity/event. It is tax deductable if donating over $2. The name of this ride is a cross between two words, ‘Berra which is a short form of saying Canberra, with the other being Ramble.
After pouring over maps, scouting sections and then riding most of the full route in one go, I have put together a ride that has a lot of elevation with many rough, rocky sections along with sandy and loose surfaces with a few obstacles thrown in there for good measure. The inaugural Berramble ride will be held in April 2026 with the objective to give participants a tough but rewarding experience riding in some of the alpine conservation areas, national parks and nature reserves close to Canberra.
Berramble is roughly 580km with around 14,000m elevation gain, 84% off road and is designed in the same vain as the Victoria Divide 550, Cloudride 1000 and Hunt 1000, not a walk in the park, as a bikepacking ride most suited to a hardtail mountain bike or possibly a monster gravel bike with around 2.2 inch wide tyres. I wouldn’t ride Berramble with less than a 2 inch wide tyre due to all the rough, rocky, loose, sandy, rutted and corrugated sections. When scouting the route, we rode with 2.1 inch wide tyres on the mellow dirt and 2.4-2.6 inch wide tyres in the rougher sections and were glad we did. From the start of the Tour Divide (TD) in Banff Canada to Whitefish
Montana (first major town in US on the TD) it is 596km with 9,000m elevation gain through arguably the most scenic and iconic section of the TD and the tyre width of choice is 2.2 inch. Victoria Divide is 550km with similar elevation gain to Berramble with 2.2-2.4 inch wide tyre a popular choice.
Pretty much straight off from the start there will be a hike a bike section between Gecko and Old Joe Hills, as there is no actual path and has many rock features over 2km. With the ongoing construction at Strathnairn I have had to divert the route down a hiking trail. Caution here as there are steps for 1km so walk the bike down Nguurung Bila hiking trail. There is absolutely no riding when going down from Shepherds lookout as there are also many steps here and is also a hiking trail. You will have to walk the bike down 1.5km to Murrumbidgee river, where you can get off and on the bike along Uriarra Loop trail but there are more steps, fallen trees and crossings. Macanally Mountain is another highlight of this ride which is what I like to call a mini Billy Goats Bluff, with a few short steep sections requiring hike a bike. East Tinderry trail is the most remote section of this ride and is also the lumpiest, with basically no water resupply except for a small swampy creek but there is a dam on Sunnybrae Trail before McTernan Road which is before the main road, Urila Road. There are some good places for stealth camping along this part of the ride especially the flat open grassland next to the dam. There are other memorable highlights along this ride but I’ll let you find out where they are. Berramble goes through some conservation areas, national parks and nature reserves, taking slightly different paths to what others have done in the past, so expect a few sections to be a little difficult or slightly overgrown. I would class Berramble as leaning towards an expert ride as there are a few short technical sections along with minimal resupply locations and not to be attempted by people with limited experience. There is only one section where you will be on the highway and that is heading into Adaminaby along the Snowy Mountains Highway for 5km, the remainder is generally off-road or gravel/dirt roads. Snowy Hydro 2.0 is in the Adaminaby area so I recommend getting into Adaminaby before the trucks start up again on the next working day.
Bikepacking is all about being efficient with breaks, carrying minimal equipment compared to touring and moving along a route at a higher average speed than touring or commuting, to get to the finish as quickly as possible, as the clock never stops until you finish. Your training for this personal challenge should get you ready for carrying extra gear than you would on a regular commute to work, cycling longer distances each day, riding at a higher pace than touring (not a Fastest Known Time FKT pace though, but that’s up to you), taking less breaks and getting out of your comfort zone, as you are capable of more than you know. The quicker you get to the finish, the more recovery time you will have.
Berramble does go through private property for 1.5km on Circuits Trail to Bugtown Road via an unmaintained right of way “road” by the Snowy Monaro regional council. Permission from the landowner is not required but respect of the land should be adhered to, so no camping allowed and do not remove anything from the property. Stay on the trail at all times, close all gates and keep it as you found it, clear, neat and tidy so that we can continue use this section of the ride again in the future. Email from local council attached at the end of this document as evidence of legitimacy of your right to be on this trail, if the landowner ever disputes you being there.
Berramble will always be ridden in an anti-clockwise direction. Some free parking available at the start/finish on site or close by the BP petrol station and there are four accommodation sites within 1.5km from the start/finish, not including Airbnb, for those coming from out of town. There are also many more accommodation sites within the city of Canberra so the choice is up to you.
Ride at your own pace, be self-sufficient, follow the tour divide rules, i.e. no drafting, no outside assistance from family or friends, no food/water caches, use only commercially available retailers which everyone has equal access to, no staying at friends or family places during the ride, do not advance the course by other means except by bicycle, if you have a mechanical issue that cannot be resolved on the trail you can leave the route but must continue from the place you exited, be as
safe as possible and remember to have fun and bring a sense of adventure. In addition, I suggest carrying between 3-4 litres of water capacity and cold/wet weather gear at a minimum as it is the middle of autumn and the weather is unpredictable leaning more too being cold (below freezing at night) in the alpine regions. There are plenty of water tanks, creeks and rivers along the route but don’t 100% rely on them being full and I also recommend filtering just in case. The ride must be completed in one continuous single stage ride and cannot be done over multiple attempts, as in start at BP petrol station in Watson Canberra at 0600hrs on the closest Saturday to Anzac day and camp or get accommodation each night, then continue over multiple days until you complete the ride. You cannot stop at a location then return to that same location at some other time throughout the year to complete the ride.
Stay in towns overnight if you cannot make it back to Canberra, campgrounds or huts along the way, or see if you can hit the cafes, restaurants, bakeries, small supermarkets, accommodations, petrol stations or pubs along the route before they close. I suggest taking a bivvy or tent as well, just in case as accommodation is non-existent besides Adaminaby, Cooma and Queanbeyan along this route. There is no camping allowed in the Macanally conservation, Googong foreshore, Kowen and Greenways (Wamboin/Bywong) areas.
The Berramble gpx file can be found either on my Komoot page https://www.komoot.com/user/808039608646?ref=imk-qr or via the Files section of this Facebook group page. The gpx file is compatible with any GPS device (that you can download gpx files to) or GPS app on your smart phone. Make sure you can view it offline. Pro tip: Turn on airplane mode on your smartphone whist riding as it uses less power but the GPS function still works and Strava will still track you.
If you do not have a Komoot account (which is free) or cannot locate the gpx files, DM me and I will send you the gpx file but it will not be any different to the file in the Files section on Facebook.
In a homage to brevet cycling events and for memories, please follow the below rules, if you are aiming to receive the Self powered cyclist patch after the ride;
Brevet cycling rules for Berramble;

1. When you get to Adaminaby, take a selfie/photo with your bike at the big trout sculpture.
2. When you get to Cooma, take a selfie/photo with your bike at the nanny goat sculpture.
3. When you make it to the finish, take a selfie/photo with your bike with the kissing galahs sculpture (which is just around the corner from BP Watson on Antill Street).
4. Screenshot of the completed activity on Strava, Garmin or similar tracking site, and post all the photos in one post at the completion of the ride, to this Facebook group page.
   The brevet element of Berramble is not mandatory but taking the photos is a good way to look back at your time bikepacking and the patch is a reminder you achieved something that not many people have. If you follow the above brevet rules for the ride, you will receive a Self powered cyclist patch in recognition of your achievement. DM me after finishing the ride to arrange pick up of the patch if I don’t reply to your Facebook post within a few days. You must begin your ride from the BP petrol station in Watson Canberra at 0600hrs on the closest Saturday to ANZAC day or look for the event in the Event tab of the Facebook group page for further information on start date and time for the year you are wanting to ride Berramble, to be eligible for the patch. If you complete the ride on an e-bike you will be ineligible. There is no problem if you ride an e-bike but bikepacking is all about old fashioned human powered hard work and the sense of accomplishment that you can complete it without assistance. If you complete your ride in any other way i.e. individual time trial (ITT) at some other time throughout the year, you will be ineligible for the patch.
   There is no timeframe to complete the ride, just suggestions but it should not take longer than 5 elapsed days to complete, for people with some reasonable level of fitness and bikepacking experience and only riding during daylight hours and/or going at a slower pace.
   Be prepared to lift your bike over gates and fallen trees, negotiate small river crossings, along with rare but possible snow down to 1100m in the Bimberi, Kosciusko and Tinderry areas even during April.
   There is no registration or tracking for Berramble, as this would add cost and unnecessary complexity, so just show up and participate in this social group personal challenge ride with other likeminded individuals.
   There is an option to create a Maprogress event if people are interested, so that others can follow your adventures online in real time (participants to pay for their own registration), but for now just download and follow the gpx files on your preferred bike computer/phone app.
   Use the supplied ride notes, Whats all about information guide and gpx file, located in the Files tab of this Facebook group page, at your own discretion, as this ride is on public land and potential closures of roads/campgrounds/shops etc are out of my control. If you have to detour, return back to the route as soon as possible. If there are major issues along the route whilst riding, inform others by posting it to the Facebook group page news feed.
   The participant takes part in this event at their own risk. They waive any claim against the coordinators for property and personal damage, suffered by the participants or others in the event. The participant will bear the costs of damages caused by themselves. All information is provided in good faith but it is up to the participant to work out if this is the right decision for them. Be seen, wear bright clothing, use a front and rear light and wear a helmet as a minimum.
   If you wait for perfect conditions, you’ll never get anything done.

Further information, all gpx files and ride notes on both of these two bikepacking rides can be found on the Self powered cyclist group Facebook page

This is the link to the Self powered cyclist Strava group