For some riders length really matters, so this ride sets out from the southern end of the Northern Beaches to see how far you can get using shared paths. While six different local rides are listed here on eBikerDiary, they each comprise a suburb-cluster whereas this one has a basic north/south orientation. The Strava map includes numbered references to show the direction taken. No roads were ridden on for the entire 55km ride.
In the company of Garry Robinson, the biking guru author of biketrail.blog, we set out from the southern-most suburb of Seaforth, overlooking The Spit.
We joined the cycle path behind Seaforth Public School that runs behind the Balgowlah Golf Club. After a single light-crossing, we were on a path behind the Manly Golf Club and Manly Lagoon which then joins Pittwater Road.
As you reach Warringah Mall, the path swings eastward towards Curl Curl, then turns north to Dee Why Beach, to which Garry excitedly points.
From Dee Why Beach the path takes you through Cromer Park to the always-beautiful Narrabeen Lake then into the Monet-like stillness of Warriewood Wetlands
From Warriewood we go north to Mona Vale village for a coffee, then swing east to pick up the new path behind the Mona Vale Golf Club stopping briefly for my turn at a photo in front of sweeping fairways and the ocean.
On our return leg, we follow the path past Warriewood Beach to the North Narrabeen Rock Pool and cajole a poor passer-by to take a souvenier photo of two wandering ebike fanatics.
We turn into the path behind Long Reef Golf Club that takes us to the clifftop lookout, over which hang-gliders love to perform aerial ballet. An amazing path between ocean and golf course returns us to Pittwater Road; from there it’s either a one kilometre ride in the bus lane to Dee Why or cross over to the public path on the western side of the road. We took the path.
Instead of taking a bee-line home, we divert via Manly Beach which is always worth the effort. From Manly Wharf, we head via Manly Cove to return to where we started in Seaforth.
This has been a fabulous ride through one of the most bike-friendly, safe and scenic regions in the country. There are several variations you could take and the ride always feels different. This ride covers the entire length of the Northern Beaches that is rideable on safe paths, and Northern Beaches Council is to be congratulated for its program of continuously upgrading paths. While road cyclists can happily go all the way to Palm Beach, the pathways are not yet ready for road-averse riders beyond Mona Vale.
Categories: eBike Tours, Uncategorized
eBiker Diary 
Looks like a fabulous ride. Well done to both of you 😎
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Thanks for that tip Lachlan; I do remember walking that path but will keep an eye out for riding it.
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If Dee Why lagoon is not open to the sea, or it is low tide, there is an off road route that runs from Long Reef beach car park, across the front of the lagoon and then alongside it all the way around to Dee Why beach
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Thanks for your encouragement Jonathan. The short missing link is still there and I have edited the post to explain what we did. At that time of the day, I would have felt fine to cruise down the bus lane, but we opted to cross over Pittwater Road and use the public path. From where you live, you can safely take a mix of shared paths, bike lanes, and connecting public paths to ride up to Narrabeen Lake and Mona Vale. I’m seriously road-averse and enjoy living too much to share my living space with two tons of metal on wheels, but every time I ride up the Peninsula there seems to be more well-marked shared paths and bike lanes. Well done Warringah Council; keep it up.
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Great job guys! Is the path around the back of Dee Why Lagoon now good for all bikes? This was a bit of a missing link and you used to have to use the main road between the top of Dee Why and Collaroy, unless you headed up the hill towards Cromer. The cycle provision around the Northern Beaches is slowly improving. The addition of more Shared Paths recently has helped. I don’t think this journey would have been possible a year ago! I live in Queenscliff so this helpful information makes a leisurely cycle up the beaches much more of a possibility.
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