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🎄 Evening Christmas Ride 2025 - Easy Community Ride Around the City Beaches, with a stop for ice cream 🎄

Pedal your way into the Christmas spirit and join us for a free 15km leisurely guided bike ride, at an easy slow relaxed pace.

This slow easy ride is designed for most skill and fitness levels, from rusty through to experienced riders!

Quiet streets & shared paths only!

New people welcome! :)

✨ Starting in Wickham, we do a scenic loop of the foreshore, beaches, and city, stopping for icecream at East End Ice Creamery at Newcastle Beach.

Dress up in your finest (or most hideous) Christmassy attire! 🎄

Light up the night, - obnoxious Xmas shirts, red & green, Santa hats over helmets, tinsel, fairy lights, bells & sparkles 🎄

✨ Make sure decorations are attached securely, so that nothing can interfere with your wheels, chain & brakes ✨

✨ We'll be out at dusk/dark, so a front light & rear light are essential ✨

The route includes:

  • Throsby Creek shared path around Maryville & Carrington
  • the Honeysuckle foreshore shared path to Nobbys Beach & Newcastle Beach
  • leafy low-traffic streets of Cooks Hill & The Junction
  • one block of Darby St, along the traffic-calmed 30km/hr section (to spread the Xmas cheer!)
  • the 1km Watkins St shared path to Merewether Beach

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Start/finish location: Tree of Knowledge Park, Wickham (it's on Hannell St, next to the outdoor carpark at corner of Honeysuckle Dr & Hannell St). Meet beside the shared path, by the water.

Start time: please arrive by 6:15pm, depart 6:30pm
Finish time: approx 9pm

Relative cycling fitness level: very easy - EASY - medium- hard - very hard

Topography: flat, except for two 50 metre hills, which can be walked if you like :)

Total active pedaling time: about 1 hour 30 minutes
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What we'll do:

  • 6:15pm Safety briefing (non-optional), and sing a Xmas Carol to warm up (optional)
  • 6:30pm Departure: cycle a 15 minute loop of the Throsby Creek shared path over to Carrington and back
  • Follow the shared path for 5 minutes towards Honeysuckle
  • Turn off the path, and cross the CBD via Wheeler Place & Civic Park
  • Cycle 15 minutes to Merewether Beach via quiet streets of Cooks Hill & the 1km Watkins St shared path
  • 7:30pm Stop to enjoy the view from atop the hill at Dixon Park Beach, before continuing on the coastal shared path to Bar Beach
  • Cycle 10 minutes back to the CBD, via quiet Brooks St, and the 30km/hr traffic-calmed block of Darby St
  • Rejoin the Honeysuckle shared path to Nobbys Beach & Newcastle Beach
  • Approx 8:15pm: stop for ice cream at the East End Ice Creamery
  • Cycle 10 minutes back to Wickham via the foreshore shared path

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Suitable for: those who are new to riding a bike through to those who are experienced. No prior experience cycling on roads necessary.

You must be able to effectively: stop & start, pedal, steer, signal left & right, balance at an almost walking pace, look over your shoulder to check for what's behind you, be always alert to upcoming hazards, & anticipate the behaviour of pedestrians & vehicles.

You’ll need:

  • Front light and rear light essential as we will be cycling in the dusk/dark
  • water bottle
  • helmet
  • bike with good working brakes and tyres pumped to the recommended PSI
  • bike lock/s (important to have in case of an unfixable mechanical issue)
  • phone, opal card in case of puncture
  • puncture repair kit, if you have one

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Children permitted only if they are a passenger on an adult's bike.

Indemnity and release of liability
By participating in this activity you unconditionally indemnify the organiser/host against any and all claims, demands, losses, injuries, damages, liabilities or other costs, whether present or future, relating to your participation and/or dealings with Bike About Town - Newcastle, including but not limited to, any accident, loss or damage to property or death or injury to any person.
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Getting there

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If the weather is looking unfavourable, check the comments below for updates; heavy rain may result in cancellation.
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Transform your journey, ride & drive more safely, and change Newy's street culture. These videos explain international best practice cycling principles for everyday city trips:

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Facebook https://facebook.com/BikeAboutTownNewcastleNSW
Komoot: https://www.komoot.com/tour/1831416099?ref=itd
Newcastle Cycleways Movement: https://www.newcastlecycleways.org.au/way-finding

The aim of Bike About Town is to give people the knowledge and skills to use their bike for everyday short trips, eg. to work, the shops, to hobbies, to the beach. Add a low-cost, low-carbon, mood-boosting, quick transport option to your repertoire!

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