Brisbane Valley Rail Trail

Our intention for the BVRT was to ride something adventurous, safe and not too challenging in terms of technicality or logistics (ie. distance between towns) over a long weekend.

The Brisbane Rail Trail certainly ticked those boxes. The trail is never too far from a town, something to eat, something to drink or somewhere to sleep making the whole planning process extremely easy. There’s minimal road crossings and very minimal road riding which makes the trail an extremely safe ride.

In terms of adventure and technicality, the trail offers enough to make you feel like you are off the beaten track and offers plenty of scenery to take in. Given it being a relatively flat trail, there’s not much in the way of sweeping views and much of the trail does run through farmland which at times can feel a bit desolate but does pair well with a sunrise or sunset.

95% of the trail is gravel and lots of maintenance is evident on keeping the trail rideable and safe although having said that, there are sections of the trail where the gravel can be a little looser at times and small sections with tight bends, slightly bevelled single track or steep gradients over the multiple ford crossings.

Did we enjoy ourselves? Yes we absolutely did. I’ve done more adventurous rides than this one and certainly more scenic, but it was the relaxed pace with which we were able to tackle this without the worry of traffic and all the while riding on a 161km network of gravel which made The Brisbane Rail Trail unique and a damn good time.

I would certainly recommend the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail for those seeking a relaxed adventure somewhere warm.