10 Gran Fondos to ride around Australia

Looking for your next cycling challenge?

Loosely translating to ‘big long-distance ride’, a gran fondo is a mass-participation road event that promises a great day out for any rider.

Gran fondos are organised events with support vehicles, food and drink stops, and a buzzing festival atmosphere.

They usually offer electronic timing, closed or low-traffic roads, and plenty of groups so you can ride at the pace that you want.

Some people treat a gran fondo like a race, some aim to set a personal best, while others just want a fun day on their bike with hundreds of other cyclists.

Riding a gran fondo is an exciting way to discover new places, so, in no particular order, we’ve put together a list of 10 events around Australia.

Add these to your bucket list and start training for your next big ride!

1. Amy’s Gran Fondo

Where: Lorne, Victoria
When: September
Max distance: 130km
Elevation: 1,903m
Why: Spectacular views along the Great Ocean Road

Famous for its breathtaking scenery, Amy’s Great Ocean Road Gran Fondo is your chance to experience the Great Ocean Road with closed roads.

It’s a challenging course that starts uphill straight out of Lorne. There’s another climb just after the halfway mark, followed by a well-earned descent onto the namesake coastal road where you’re rewarded with stunning views for the last 40km.

The full-distance ride has a ‘race’ category, where the fastest 25 per cent in each age group qualify for the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships. If you’d rather take your time, sign up for the 130km ‘recreation’ fondo, or the shorter 45km or 14km rides. There’s also a gravel ride the day before.

2. Bowral Classic

Where: Bowral, NSW
When: October
Max distance: 150km
Elevation: 2,359m
Why: Weekend escape in lush country landscape

The OG of the ‘Classics’ events (Clare, Mudgee, Noosa and Snowy), the Bowral Classic has been a staple on the cycling calendar since 2016.

The Southern Highlands is a picturesque setting for a gran fondo. You’ll explore the rolling hills of Bowral, Berrima and Moss Vale, passing quaint villages, temperate rainforest and cool wine country.

Distances range from 150km to 85km, and you can also sign up for the criterium race in town the day before. Plus, it’s all within easy reach of Sydney and Canberra.

3. Port Douglas Gran Fondo Festival

Where: Port Douglas, QLD
When: September
Max distance: 136km
Elevation: 800m
Why: Perfect excuse for a tropical getaway

Palm trees, golden sands and crystal blue waters: sure, the Port Douglas Gran Fondo offers a fun morning on the bike, but let’s face it – any excuse will do to escape to tropical Queensland.

The 100km ride is the most popular. It includes a fully closed seaside road with the ocean on one side, and the rainforest on the other. A little bit of climbing rewards you with a sensational lookout.

The three-day festival features the fondo, criterium race, mountain bike race and a free family ride. But, with the Great Barrier Reef, Daintree and incredible resorts on your doorstep, it’d be rude not to stay longer.

4. Five Peaks Challenge

Photo: Khiem Luu/Unsplash

Where: Canberra, ACT
When: April
Max distance: 120km
Elevation: 2,000m
Why: See Canberra from the saddle

Unlike most on this list, Five Peaks Challenge gives a community-first, stripped-back vibe that harks back to the basics of sportive cycling.

Hosted by the local Rotary Club, it’s a charity ride where you climb six (not five) peaks around the city, although you can skip the ascents if you like. Canberran favourites Mt Ainslie and Black Mountain are on the menu, as is the National Arboretum.

There are volunteers to point the way and refreshment stations along the course, but the event is charmingly old-school. The roads are open, and instead of an electronic timing chip, you’re given a ‘brevet’: a physical card that gets stamped at checkpoints atop each climb.

This is about the joy of the journey, testing your endurance, making friends and sharing smiles. A rewarding way to see the nation’s capital!

5. Top End Gran Fondo

Photo: Callum Spencer

Where: Darwin, NT
When: July
Max distance: 145km
Elevation: 1,015m
Why: Escape the cold as Darwin comes alive

While the rest of Australia shivers through winter, the Top End Gran Fondo offers an adventure in warmer climes.

The event falls in the middle of the dry season, when Darwin comes alive with great weather, cultural events and festivals, and stunning natural attractions.

The 145km route includes a loop of the Territory Wildlife Park – a highlight of the course. There are shorter rides down to 22km and a free family ride. With all rides starting and finishing at the Darwin Waterfront, everything’s within easy reach for your Northern Territory holiday.

6. The Challenge Tour (Santos Tour Down Under)

Where: Adelaide, SA
When: January
Distance: Varies (123km in 2023)
Why: Ride the same course as the pros, then watch them strut their stuff

The Challenge Tour gives you the full UCI WorldTour race experience. You get to tackle the same route as the pro peloton in the Santos Tour Down Under, with fully closed roads.

The route changes every year, but it’s typically a scenic one involving the Adelaide Hills, often with iconic climbs such as Corkscrew Road and Norton Summit.

After your ride, watch the professionals do their thing as they race through a few hours later. You’ll know exactly what they’ve been through!

7. Goldfields Cyclassic

Where: Kalgoorlie, WA
When: June
Distance: 132km
Elevation: 400m
Why: See our sunburnt country on two wheels

Here’s something different. The Goldfields Cyclassic Community Challenge transports you to a unique landscape, like nothing else on this list – or anywhere in the world, for that matter.

The course takes you down the Goldfields Highway, past red desert sands, to the historic mining town of Menzies. It’s smaller in scale than some of the big-budget events on this list, but takes place in a quintessential Aussie environment that every cyclist should see at least once in their life.

The Community Challenge runs on the same day and route as the historic Menzies Classic race, which began way back in 1928. If you’re keen, continue your ride the next day from Menzies to Leonora.

8. Tour de Brisbane

Where: Brisbane, QLD
When: April
Max distance: 110km
Elevation: 1,252m
Why: Ride the Story Bridge and fully closed city roads

The Tour de Brisbane takes over Brisbane’s CBD to give you the rare chance to ride on traffic-free streets. Its showpiece is riding across the Story Bridge amid throngs of other cyclists.

The route changes from year to year, but expect to see a hidden side of Queensland’s capital, traversing a rabbit warren of bus tunnels that are usually off-limits for bikes.

You’ll also climb Mount Coot-tha, a Brisbane icon. Plummet down from the summit before celebrating in the bustling event village of the Brisbane Cycling Festival.

For the competitive among you, the Tour de Brisbane is a qualifying event for the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships.

9. Peaks Challenge Falls Creek

Where: Falls Creek, VIC
When: March
Max distance: 235km
Elevation: 4,000m+
Why: Because it’s hard

Is Peaks Challenge Falls Creek the most brutal event in Australia? At 235km and over 4,000 metres of climbing, it’s a top contender.

Tawonga Gap. Mt Hotham. And to finish it off, the leg-breaking ‘back of Falls Creek’. These are alpine mammoths, legendary in Australian cycling.

You have 13 hours to finish – less if you want the coveted sub-10-hour jersey. Good luck.

10. AusCycling Gran Fondo National Championships

Where: Ballarat, VIC
When: January
Distance: 58km
Elevation: 1,040m
Why: Go for the green-and-gold jersey on the RoadNats course

Australia’s premier gran fondo, the only one with the ‘national championship’ label, is held alongside the Road National Championships. For the last 17 years, they’ve been in Ballarat on the iconic Buninyong circuit.

You can ride the gran fondo competitively, aiming to finish first in your age group to win the national champion’s jersey. Or, simply enjoy the challenge of conquering Mount Buninyong and sweeping through Federation University on closed roads, just like the pros.

After completing your ride, watch Australia’s elite cyclists and para-cyclists race for the national titles. It’s the ideal summer weekend for Aussie cycling fans.