Ride of the month: Challenging climbs for road bikers
Join Dale Manson as he takes you through a series of hill climbs on both sides of the Bridge.
Murray Bridge offers road bike riders a diversity of manageable hill climbs, despite
being thought of by many as a flat plateau landscape intersected by a gently flowing river.
While not for everyone, the climbing of hills and extended slopes is prized by road
bike riders who crave challenge, extreme fitness, leg muscle development and
personal goals.
In the spirit of well known professional German cyclist Jens Voigt, the cry “Shut Up Legs” may be just as apt in Murray Bridge as it was when Jens tackled the grueling climbs associated with his rides in the Tour de France.
On occasions, aching legs powering the pedals on uphill climbs need to be placed in the back of the mind in favour of reaching the ultimate goal of summiting hills.
For those cyclists not inclined toward gruelling pain and inner challenge, Murray
Bridge and environs still offers an excellent array of easy road bike rides on flat
roads, surrounded by beautiful scenery.
The advantage of the ten featured hill climbs is the relatively short length, with any
upward ride challenge quickly being rewarded by an exhilarating downhill sprint,
followed by repeats of the same climb.
Half of the road bike climbs are located on the Eastside of the River Murray, while
the other half are located on the western, or ‘town’ side of the river.
Murray Bridge Eastside Road Bike Climbs
The five featured road bike climbs on the Eastside of Murray Bridge could be linked together to provide quite a testing long ride, interspersed with thrilling downhills.
#1 – Pfeiler Road
The Pfeiler Road climb is located on the Eastside of Murray Bridge and extends from Long Flat Road up to the Adelaide-Melbourne Railway line.
Only 390 meters in length, this climb rises 34 meters at an average incline of 9%, but reaching as much as 42 % in places.
The great advantage of Pfeiler Road is the relatively low level of traffic use.
As a word of warning though, the return downhill sprint to repeat the climb ends up at a T-Junction, so caution needs to be exercised nearing the end of the downhill.
#2 – Lookout Drive
Also located on the Eastside of the river, the 538 metre Lookout Drive climb.
It commences at the Old Princes Highway adjacent to the RSL and rises a total of 44 metres until it reaches the Thiele Road intersection.
The average incline is 8%, with some parts up to 10%.
#3 – Thiele Road
After mastering the climb up Lookout Drive, a reward could be a thrilling ride down Thiele Road to Thiele Reserve on the river.
However once at Thiele Reserve, there is the opportunity to ride the climb back up
along Thiele Road.
The 565 metre Thiele Road climb rises 39 metres until it meets Lookout Drive again, averaging 7% incline, with some parts a little steeper at 9%.
#4 – Murray Drive
Further along Lookout Drive, the road name changes to Murray Drive around the
sweeping bend and at the intersection with Thule Drive.
At this point probably the most thrilling downhill road bike ride in Murray Bridge
starts.
Scooting along the boundary of Riverglades Wetland for just over a kilometre until the Tooma Drive T-Junction terminates the downhill.
Turning around at this Tooma Drive intersection and looking back up Murray Drive brings on the “Wow” factor for uphill road bike riders.
Riding back the 42 metre elevation up Murray Drive, the incline over the length is a deceptive 4%, but topping 10% in parts.
#5 – Tooma Drive
Heading back down Murray Drive to its termination again, the Tooma Drive uphill to Mitchell Avenue extends for 720 metres and rises 31 metres along its length.
Again, the incline is deceptive, averaging 4.3% but hitting a maximum of 18% in
parts.
The other reasonable climb on Eastside is from Avoca Dell Reserve up Avoca Dell
Drive.
However this road has a rough unsealed dirt surface and may only be suitable for
Gravel or Mountain Bike tyres.
Murray Bride Road Bike Climbs – Town Side of the River
Over the ‘town’ side to the west of the River Murray lay five more challenging road
bike climbs, but generally separated from each other by a bit of distance.
However linking them by riding on the flat bitumen roads between climbs provides a good day of leg exercise.
#1 – East Terrace / Bridgeport
Not to be messed with, this 220 metre climb proves to be extremely challenging,
despite measuring a 7.3% average incline and 16 metre rise from bottom to top.
Starting at the Mill Intersection of Mary and East Terraces, the hill’s incline reaches an incredible 19% in places, passing by the Marketplace Shopping Centre and Bridgeport Hotel on the lefthand side and the beautifully landscaped Council garden area on the right.
#2 – Usher Road
A longer 5.6 kilometre ride along Usher Road between Brinkley and Pope Roads at
Gifford Hill only averages 1.5% climbing, but is a test of endurance and persistence.
Rising 84 metres along its total length, the climb occasionally hits a 4% incline.
In the early morning, riders may witness racehorses undertaking trackwork on the
relatively new Murray Bridge Racecourse located adjacent to Usher Road.
#3 – Old Swanport Road
Starting at the roundabout intersection of Old Swanport and Brinkley Roads, cyclists heading toward the main Adelaide Road cover the 3.1 kilometre length of bitumen road on a deceptively mild climb that averages 1.5%.
However the image of it being a mild incline is soon shattered by sections of up to
12%.
This ride rises almost 50 metres over its length.
#4 – Adelaide Road & Old Princes Highway
Another lengthy climb starts at the Adelaide Road Linear Park adjacent to the
Truckies Memorial and heads all the way up to the Murray Bridge water tanks,
turning right into the Old Princes Highway just prior to reaching the Freeway.
Total length of the ride is 3.7 kilometres when terminated at the White Road
intersection on Old Princes Highway.
Total rise is 95 metres on an average 2.3% climb, although in places it does reach
6%.
#5 – Maurice Road
This ride commences at the front gate of the Mobilong Prison and terminates on the top of the hill just past the Kinchina Conservation Park parking bay on Maurice Road.
It extends for 1.4 kilometers at an average incline of 3.2%, with some sections
reaching 10.5%.
The total elevation accomplished is 45 metres, which creates quite a nice downhill
ride when returning to the starting point.
In comparison with some of the mammoth road bike hill climbs of the Adelaide Hills, the Murray Bridge slopes are considered to be somewhat less challenging.
However, the Murray Bridge hill climbs are considered to be far safer than slowly
grinding a bike up the very narrow Norton Summit, Greenhill or Mount Lofty Roads of the Adelaide Hills with a stream of irate banked-up car drivers lined up behind.