In 1997 the first local bicycle riders published their advice on how to undertake an 18-day tour (or giro in Italian) around our spectacular state on the Bicycle Tasmania website.
Their tips have undoubtedly come in handy for the many touring riders who visit the state and look for local expertise to help them plan their journey.
Over the years other riders have updated the giro notes – the latest being at the start of this year – and now they have been published on RidewithGPS with the exact distances and elevation of each leg.
To make it easier to digest, the ride is published in two parts. The first is the Hobart to Launceston leg via the east coast and the second the Launceston to Hobart leg via the west coast.
The notes are on our free Ambassador routes page which has been carefully curated by social rides leader Di Elliffe with help here and there from other riders across the state.
Cue sheets for the rides can also be downloaded, but importantly it shows riders what to expect in terms of elevation which can be a bit of a shock for people from flatter areas.
Unlike other Ambassador routes where we seek out paths and alternatives to main roads, the giro generally follows the highways to get to destinations quicker and allow more side trips.
Seeing the state
The 446 km route from Hobart to Launceston has been broken up into 8 days, with potential side trips to Freycinet, Maria Island and the Tasman Peninsula adding another 4 days.
While this mostly follows major roads, the trails in the north mean riders can utilise the Derby to Branxholm trail, North East Rail Trail and then the trails from the north of Launceston into the city centre to get a break from traffic.
The next leg from Launceston to Hobart is a significant 606 km before side trips, broken into the same number of days despite the extra 160 km. The downhill days help to rack up the kilometres but other sections like Queenstown to Derwent Bridge are long because there are few places to stop along the way.
Potential side trips include Cradle Mountain, Montezuma Falls, Gordon River and Lake St Clair.
Got an update?
The tips have always been updated by people who have ridden the route and noticed changes or come up with new suggestions. If you see an error in our tips or have new ideas, let us know by emailing ridestas@bicyclenetwork.com.au.