Bulahdelah

Bulahdelah --- Mid-Coast NSW

Come join us for some goodnessgravel

Bring your gravel or e-Gravel ... or ... if you don't have a gravel bike, do the loop on your MTB or e-MTB

Saturday 19 July 2025

125km with +2,000m : 7:30am

OR

80km with +1,200m : 8:30am

Bookings close 48 hours before & Bookings for T-Shirts Close 3 weeks beforehand

Welcome to the first edition of goodnessgravel Bulahdelah - which will be held on Saturday 19 July 2025.

Join us for this Gravel Fondo event.

Thank you to our riders for your continued support as without you, these events would not be possible and we would not have the confidence to keep offering new locations.

We must also thank those who are volunteering over the weekend. Once again we come into a new town and always humbled at the lovely individuals and local clubs who offer support and helpful hands. You may not see them all over the weekend but there are dozens out there who will be helping make this gravel event a huge success.

The last thank you must go to those who are our sponsors, Shimano GRX and Mid-Coast Council are the Major Sponsors with Shimano Shoes, Heaps Normal, Bombtrack, Apidura Bags, Panaracer, Lazer, SMOOVE Lube, ASS Magic and Bowy Active being Silver.

Let us make this event another fantastic success.

See Event Info for More Details

Why Bulahdelah?

As mentioned in the About Us Section, COVID has a lot to answer for.

Due to not being able to travel OS for our tours, we contacted various NSW Rural Councils to see about visiting their regions to consult on their cycle tourism opportunities.

Just what is in our very own Australian backyard?

The beautiful region of Bulahdelah has oh-so-much to offer cyclists, where else could you hire a house boat to accomodate you for the weekend and then roll to the start at the Bulahdelah Showgrounds before pedalling through some sensational countryside, lovely farm lands, over a pass (twice) and through some quintessential Australian bush. We cannot wait to share this area with you.

It is time to head North for the winter, unless you're already North and then come South to explore the area of the Mid Coast with Bulahdelah being the hub.

We cannot wait to share even more goodnessgravel with you and looking forward to seeing you in 2025 to welcome in our newest event to our yearly calendar.

Now for a little write up on the courses:

Saturday Gravel Fondo : 125km with +2,000m of ascent : 7:30am

Bulahdelah > Upper Myall > Bunyah > Wang Wauk > Bunyah > Bulahdelah

What a Loop! Expect a course with ~70% gravel which is waiting for you as you pedal through lovely countryside, past grazing land, through valleys, across creeks and private properties plus over a superb ridge line (twice) before returning to Bulahdelah.

Saturday morning, it might be a little cool but enjoy your morning coffee pre-depart as you catch up with fellow riders at the Bulahdelah Show Grounds.

7:30am : You and your crew will depart from Bulahdelah through some of the back streets before heading north towards Markwell and onto your first lengthy section of gravel at ~5km.

This rolling gravel section will take you to roughly ~17km having gained ~250m of elevation since leaving the Show Grounds.

As with all our events, riders must use caution and follow all NSW Road Rules at all times.

From ~17km > 36km you will ride this section once on the way out and then the reverse on the way home. Waiting for you during this section is the climb up and over Manning Hill Road.

Ah Manning Hill, once you turn off Upper Myall Road settle in and enjoy the gravel-pedal as you wind your way up this ~2.7km climb which averages 6.3% and tops out at ~250m above sea-level.

From the top it is a glorious descent down and then a few cheeky smaller climbs which take you to the first rest stop at the Bunyah Community Hall.

~35km : Rest Stop with food, water, music, toilet and bag collect.

In ~40km you will have looped back to Bunyah Community Hall for your second visit to this Rest Stop.

The 125km riders will head West towards Bucca Wauka, on more gravel, as you pedal through fantastic farming country and over varied coloured gravel surfaces ... keep an eye out as it is of interest:)

You are predominately descending from ~48km to 64km and along this section DO NOT miss the HARD right at ~57km when you will turn off Wallanbah Road onto Waterloo Road.

As with all our events, it is VITAL that you have the course downloaded to your Garmin or similar.

You keep pedalling along a number of different great gravel roads and streets as you wind your way towards Wang Wauk.

At ~69.5 km you will be entering PRIVATE PROPERTY. As you will read the signage, this is truly Private Property and you should NOT ride through this section unless you have permission from the two land owners. This is farming land and we will have people at the gates which you will be riding through. They will open and close them as you pass through.

At this end of this PRIVATE PROPERTY, you have a climb up to Willina Road and back onto tarmac for the first time in many-many kilometres. This road takes you back to Bunyah Community Hall and will complete this ~40km loop.

~76km : Rest Stop with food, water, music, toilet and bag collect.

From there you go back up and over Manning Hill Road. From this side the climb is 'longer' at ~10.8km which averages 2.9% and once again tops out at ~250m above sea-level.

Riders MUST use CAUTION as you descend down the other side of Manning Hill Road as Southern side of this Road is much steeper.

Once at the bottom, riders will turn left back onto Upper Myall Road, then before too long you are on a lovely ~16km tarmac-ed section. We think you will enjoy this rolling section, there are some climbs but you are predominantly head downward, parallel to the Myall River.

You will also go past a Chicken Farm and Wood / Logging business. Riders should keep left and be aware of vehicles. There are sections where this road is 100kph.

At ~107km riders will turn right off Markwell Road onto Cabbage Tree Road. You still have ~16km to go before arriving back to the Bulahdelah Show Grounds so make sure you've had something to eat and drink as it is not 'flat' all the way back home, estimate ~124m of elevation still to climb.

Cabbage Tree Road takes you passed some lovely farming land in the Rosenthall area. Along Old Inn Rd there may/will be some weir crossings. We will update all riders the Wednesday evening before the event.

Your last ~3km of gravel is along Lowreys Rd and once again, there may be a weir crossing, WOOL socks are your answer.

At ~117km you are back on tarmac and heading towards Bulahdelah. Please keep left and ride single file unless this is a generous verge.

Enjoy the pedal through the township of Bulahdelah and the small final descent down to the Bulahdelah Show Grounds where you will be greeted by one of our happy volunteers. They will give you your finish pin, complimentary Heaps Normal and token to exchange for your sausage sandwich.

Sit back, relax and reminisce with the other riders about the day and enjoy the live music.

Registered riders will be emailed the Strava and Ride With GPS link including GPX file the week of the event

Saturday Gravel Fondo : 80km with +1,200m of ascent : 8:30am

Bulahdelah > Upper Myall > Bunyah > Bulahdelah

This 'short' loop has plenty in stall for you the rider!

Expect a course with ~65% gravel which is waiting for you as you pedal through lovely countryside, past grazing land, through valleys, across creeks plus over a superb ridge line (twice) before returning to Bulahdelah.

Same as the 125km riders, Saturday morning, it might be a little cool but at least you roll-out ONE hour after the long-course riders. You will still have time to enjoy your morning coffee pre-depart as you catch up with fellow riders at the Bulahdelah Show Grounds.

8:30am : You and your crew will depart from Bulahdelah through some of the back streets before heading north towards Markwell and onto your first lengthy section of gravel at ~5km.