How to Plan a Kid-Friendly Bike Adventure in Manly

In search of a casual Sunday adventure, we caught the Manly ferry with our bikes, and rode around the several kilometers of designated bike lanes in this Northern beach suburb. Ride along, as we show you how to plan and execute your first kid-friendly bike adventure in Manly. Don’t have bikes or picnic basket? We’ve got you covered.

It was about time for another dad-venture, and I wanted to keep my bicycle theme going so I pulled up Google Maps to examine the green space options.  I saw the big green section of the map in North Head, and instantly I thought of the map we picked up on our first trip to Manly, shortly after arriving in Sydney. Cecilia was barely 2 months old, but we stopped at the bike tour shop anyway to get a feel for riding and commuting from Manly. Manly Bike Tours has free maps available both at the shop and at the information center there at the wharf. That first time we stopped, they were incredibly friendly and helpful, even though we had no intention of hiring a bike. I dug the map out of the filing cabinet, and so our family bike adventure in Manly began.

I like to organize family bike outings that are a little more involved than riding circles around Centennial Park. Don’t get me wrong, I love the park, but it is still a big circle.  I want to go somewhere, I want to go with my family, and I want to go by bike.  The hardest part of planning is the overwhelming number of options, combined with my inexperience riding around Sydney (outside of the CBD and a few other spots). It seems impossible to properly plan for hills, traffic, food stops, bathroom break, special events, and the million other logistical challenges presented by a family day on the bikes.

Fortunately, I have a determined wife who is willing to commit to my epic, but bordering on insane dad-ventures. Our first attempt at a family bike outing was to Bronte beach, and we had to get off the bikes and push up a few hills. Then we went to Shark Beach, which was awesome, and we were slightly better prepared. However, there was still more hill walking than preferred, even if it that incredible sense of accomplishment made up for any bike pushing. With these experiences behind me, I know the essential steps you need to have an awesome cycling adventure with your family!

Kid-Friendly Bike Adventure in Manly

There are lots of options for biking in Manly, which is one of the reasons it so great for your first family bike excursion.  There are opportunities for modifying the route as you go, which ensures you can adjust in real-time, if needed.  There is also a great variety of food, in the event lunch needs to be moved up in the schedule for hungry kids, or if you don’t have time to pack a picnic. Now that I have talked about options, let’s cover how to take advantage of them.

• Routes: There are 4 rides listed on the Manly Bike Tours map, but we are focusing on the “Bike the Beach” 7km route. For your first outing, it gives you the flexibility to break up the pedaling with stops for family fun time at Shelly Beach, Manly Beach, Queenscliffe, and the Manly Lagoon Park.
  • Breaking up the ride will make things more comfortable for less experienced riders, giving them mini goals with each destination.  The whole 7km may sound like a lot, but if you segment it in to 1.5 to 2km chunks, with a lunch break, it becomes very enjoyable for people at most fitness levels.
  • As an added bonus, you can always shorten the route after your first couple of stops because you’re never too far from the bike shop/wharf, and the route is pretty much flat the entire way.
• Food: The first choice you need to make is picnic or restaurant.  If you choose a picnic, you can pack at home or stop at Coles or Harris Farm Markets for supplies.  We went to Harris Farm Markets on our recent trip, and I was amazed with the quality of the sandwich meat from The Butcher & The Chef inside the markets. It made for a delightful picnic lunch at Manly Lagoon Park.
  • Directions Note: Cross Pittwater after exiting Manly Lagoon Park, and cross back over Balgowlah after you pass the big roundabout. Traffic was a little dicey, and it was a much more comfortable, although slightly longer route.
  • If you choose restaurant, you have plenty of options in a range of prices.  We have been to Papi Chulo’s and Miss Chu’s Tuck Shop, and are happy to go back to either. However, there are plenty of places that look plenty delicious (check out this post for a few more recommendations). If you have trouble making decisions on the fly, take a vote at home, and this will give the whole family something to look forward to during the ride.
• Water: One of the awesome things about living in (or visiting) Sydney is the many filtered water taps that line the beaches and coastal walks.  Bring water bottles, and fill up every time you pass a water station.

If Manly isn’t an option, find a local tour operator in your area, and ask them for route suggestions. Better yet, go on one of their tours.  In our pre-baby life, we led bike tours around Charlotte, NC to our favorite local breweries and eats. These tours are a great way start riding with the comfort of a large group that shouldn’t be wearing any lycra.

Our first family bike ride was only 2km to the park by our house so CZ could play on the swings, and we slowly worked our way up, a few kilometers at a time, to 25km+ bike adventure days. If you have the patience to start small, be patient with frequent stops, and focus on flat, family friendly routes, you will be out and about on your own kid-friendly bike adventure in Manly (or anywhere else)!

Let us know if you have any questions or additional tips!