On a number of the tours included on this site, it may be necessary to fly to/from Tullamarine to connect with Victorian train services in Melbourne.  All of the routes detailed below are largely along off road cycleways.   All are good routes, and certainly better than trying to ride on-road, but the navigation for all of them is not easy.  Signage is almost non-existent, and often it is not always apparent where the paths re-join when there is a break.  I recommend that you use a GPS as so much of these trails seem to be a well kept "secret", and it is advisable to obtain a free copy of the TravelSmart maps to provide a backup guide for the routes.

No profiles are included as the rides are relatively flat.

If you do not wish to ride to/from Southern Cross Station, take the Skybus from the northern end of the station to Tullamarine or from the bus stop outside the arrivals terminals.  Services leave about every 15 minutes or so (use the web address in Links for timetables).  It may be necessary to have the bike boxed, but I have had a bike friendly bus driver who did not worry about that.

This route largely follows the Moonee Ponds cycleway into the city, where some short road riding is necessary to get to Southern Cross Station.  At the airport end, there are a number of barriers that have been installed to make life difficult for trail bike riders, and they may necessitate removal of panniers to negotiate the obstacle.  The water beside the track makes for a pleasant ride, but there are some places where the path is badly deteriorated due to the onslaught of tree roots.  The lack of signage also makes it easy to become uncertain of your location, and possibly the direction that you need to travel.  I asked the passing locals.  This route is used by commuters and school children.

Use the first 8kms of the upper Moonee Ponds Creek Trail, leaving it where the trail passes under the Western Ring Road.  The rest of the off road cycleways here are primarily to one side of the M80 Western Ring Road and provide long stretches of easily navigable, but mostly unsigned cycleway.  There are a few places where it may be necessary to remove panniers as barriers have been constructed to make it difficult for trail bike riders to use the trail.  We did not find many users on this route at the times that we travelled it.

Use the first 8kms of the upper Moonee Ponds Creek Trail, leaving it where the trail passes under the Western Ring Road.  The rest of the off road cycleways here are primarily to one side of the M80 Western Ring Road and provide long stretches of mostly unsigned cycleway.  There are a few places where it may be necessary to remove panniers as barriers have been constructed to make it difficult for trail bike riders to use the trail.  This seemed to be few cyclists using it at the time that I used it, which was during the middle of the day.