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Sorry if this is a bit meta.

My specific question is: What (if any) is a good route to cycle between Logan (QLD,AUS) (near the M1) to Brisbane (via the V1) for those adverse to riding on busy roads.

Alternatively, where would be a good place on the internet to ask this question?

To elaborate on my question further: I am investigating regular travel between Daisy Hill and Brisbane CBD. Once you get on the V1 at eight mile plains its easy but just before then is a bit tricky. It seems your choices are either along Logan road to where the V1 hilariously starts at a motorway onramp with not even another foot path in sight. From School Road to the V1, Logan road is 80km/h with no footpath and not even a hard shoulder in sections. Alternatively to the east of the M1, there is school rd on to Miles Platting Road, but this road section seems to be missing paved footpath as well.

Has anyone got some tips on this section, or the journey as a whole?

I believe the V1 extension to the underwood road overpass will be complete by mid year, which would make things easier. but until then..

Thanks!

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    Strava Heat maps are a great starting point (but keep in mind they are biased towards routes more serious riders use). Local cycling clubs are also usually very useful. Many have public facing social media pages and most cyclists are more than happy to share this kind of info.
    – mattnz
    Commented Feb 4, 2021 at 3:02
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    Related, bicycles.stackexchange.com/questions/20488/…
    – mattnz
    Commented Feb 4, 2021 at 3:04
  • See also bicycles.stackexchange.com/a/74375/19705 and bicycles.stackexchange.com/questions/74592 Neither is about your area, but the basic outlines and suggestions would apply. Basically look where other cyclists ride and copy their routes where suitable.
    – Criggie ♦
    Commented Feb 4, 2021 at 11:10
  • Gosh your city has some seriously cycle-unfriendly roads. Answer coming, but its definitely a hard level.
    – Criggie ♦
    Commented Feb 5, 2021 at 23:15
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    I can totally see why V1 is already awesome and will be even better when completed.
    – Criggie ♦
    Commented Feb 6, 2021 at 0:54

1 Answer 1

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V1 is "Velocity 1 Pacific Motorway" which is a dedicated cycleway running between Lower River Terrace, South Brisbane and Eight Mile Plains. The 17km cycleway provides a safe and efficient route for people travelling by bike.
source: https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/projects/Veloway-1-Pacific-Motorway

It is incomplete as of posting, with work progressing. The parts that are done look functional, not exactly scenic or healthy when hard-beside the motorway.

I couldn't find a good map for the path, so assuming a start point in the middle of Daisy Hill, working with google maps suggests these two dreadful routes:

26.9 km straight up Logan Road to the "start" of V1
30.4 km doing a dogleg along Compton Rd and then north on Persse Rd. Compton is a 70 km/h dual carriage way with no shoulder and Persse is narrow too. Not recommended

Screenshot of two google map routes

So here's two routes for starters.

  1. Starting at Daisy Hill Road and Chatswood Road (its where "Daisy Hill" label shows )
  2. Head North on Daisy Hill Road
  3. Follow onto Springwood Road
  4. Turn right onto a series of residential side roads
    • Elysium Road
    • Minerva Street
    • North onto Donna Ave then Sultan St
    • West onto Greenview Ave
    • Do a right onto 30 then immediate left into Roseland Ave
    • Right into Anna Marie St
    • Left into Rothon Drive
  5. Then I'd cross into School Road and push hard all the way to Miles Platting Rd, and then turn left onto 56. this is the worst part and frankly it looks awful.
  6. Finally you're at the V1 and from there it looks okay from there onward.

enter image description here

** This route starts okay, but at the end there is a long stretch of badness. The advantage is its more direct and 3 km shorter. **

Route #2

  1. West on Chatswood
  2. Southwest on Paradise Rd - the footpath here is marked as shared use, so use it
  3. Turn into the Slacks Creek Corridor which goes NW through Ken May Memorial Park.
  4. West on Reserve Road
  5. North on Kingston to Smith Street
  6. West on Smith Street to Ewing
  7. North on Ewing to Compton
  8. East on Compton, then North on 95 for a total of 1.25 km of awful
  9. Left onto pathway
  10. Brookvale Drive
  11. pathway
  12. North on Pioneer Drive
  13. North on Stiller Drive
  14. Left into Underwood
  15. North on Levington
  16. then ride the hard shoulder on 95 again until you get to start of the V1 at intersection of "Gateway Motorway" and 95.

enter image description here

This route is more windy and has three separate pieces of badness, (curiously all on different pieces of 95) while also including several pathways which may be paved or unpaved. Its also longer

Lastly if it was me, I'd be tempted to put several daytime rear lights on the bike, and blatt up 95 all the way to the start of V1. I'd also ride with a rear-view mirror to keep an eye on what's coming up from behind, and I'd also be turning my head to look back frequently and make eye contact with things coming up behind.

Aside, I did locate "the world's most confusing bike path" at

which may be relevant.

Finally - consider getting involved in Advocacy to ensure that V1's later stages don't slip or get cancelled. This doens't mean street protests and placards, but writing supportive letters to the council and to Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads would certainly help.

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    Thanks for the detailed answer! Yeah I assume the problem is due to the V1 ending at the boundary between the cities of Brisbane and Logan. When you are driving you don't really notice a divide, but for active transport there seems to be a no-mans land less traversable than the Somme.. I think my problem is I have a road bike (so can't ride on anything but paved) but don't have the confidence of your usual road bike user. I'm looking into getting a hybrid ebike, so maybe those grassy verges around the begining of the V1 wouldn't be so bad then!
    – matt
    Commented Feb 10, 2021 at 1:53
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    The Slacks Creek Corridor is nice though, and there are works due to finish soon that will see nice wide paths put along the pacific hwy (western service road) all the way from paradise road (past park road where the SCC comes out) all the way to its end near the logan road/compton road intersection. There is then a path to that intersection and nice crossings there now. So you can go diagonally across and onto Bernice Ave, and then up to underwood road in the quiet streets between logan road (95) and the motorway (with just a tricky crossing at springwood road)
    – matt
    Commented Feb 10, 2021 at 1:58
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    @matt I suggest you write a couple emails/letters to the councils and keep it on their radar to complete. Locally, a shared pathway was 99% finished for a year before the council did the very last metre. Annoying and a great way to puncture trying to cross in the dark.
    – Criggie ♦
    Commented Feb 10, 2021 at 3:12

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