The Levels-City Bikeway is a cycling route that starts in Mawson Lakes and ends in the city. “The Levels” used to be an old name for the Mawson Lakes area.
The map below shows the route to Bundeys Road. From there you can make your way to the city using any of a number of bike paths.
Mawson Lakes to Pooraka
Unfortunately I cannot recommend the first two and a half kiilometres from Mawson Lakes to Pooraka along Main North Road. (I’ve shown this section in black on the map.) Especially the inbound side is dangerous, as there is no bike lane between Montague Road and South Terrace.
Pooraka to Walkerville (8 kms)
The Levels-City Bikeway between Pooraka and Walkerville is a really enjoyable ride.
Pooraka to Grand Junction Road
It starts with the only major climb of the bikeway. However, at an average gradient of 3% for one kilometre, the ascent past the velodrome is quite manageable.
Once you get to Grand Junction Road, the recently-installed traffic island provides a reasonably safe crossing.
Grand Junction Road to Regency Road
For the next three kilometres, the Levels-City Bikeway follows Kent and Robert Avenues. These quiet and pleasant back streets run parallel to Hampstead Road.
On the whole, the intersections are handled with roundabouts, making for good flow most of the way.
Regency Road to North East Road
The next major intersection is the connection between Robert Avenue and Galway Avenue via Regency Road. Once again, a traffic island gives you some protection while crossing busy Regency Road. On your return journey, recently installed traffic lights are a big improvement on the previous situation.
Galway Avenue is lovely in the quieter weekend days. However, the bike lane can get squishy if a bus comes through when a car is parked on your left!
North-East Road to Walkerville
The third major crossing on the Levels-City Bikeway between Pooraka and Walkerville is at North-East Road. This crossing has also been improved with a wider green bike lane and a bicycle button at the traffic lights.
Burlington Street is a delight, with little traffic and a nice down-hill roll.
Once on Walkerville Terrace, the short ride to the roundabout at Smith Street is reasonably safe. A bike lane is provided for most of the way.
With convenient bike racks, the Walkerville shopping centre is a good stop for coffee or public toilets. We have always found Nest Cafe and Bistro to be very bike-friendly.
Walkerville to the City
I don’t like the next section further down Walkerville Terrace. With cars turning in front of you to get into the underground carpark, it feels dangerous. After that, it’s a little more peaceful until you get to the City Ring Route. At that point, the bike lane becomes scarily small.
As I understand it, the intention is that cyclists mount the footpath here and then take a narrow slip-lane into Park Terrace. However, I thought this didn’t flow well. Therefore, in my map above, I have offered an alternative route through Gilbert and Matilda Streets.
The ride along Park Terrace is very pleasant. Importantly, there’s a good traffic light option for turning right into North Adelaide at Simpson Street.
From there you can join the Adelaide Parklands Trail to the Bundeys Road intersection.
I’ve marked this section in blue. Although it’s quite ride-able, you need to watch out for the traffic on Walkerville Terrace.
Summary of the Levels-City Bikeway
In summary, the Levels-City Bikeway is a very pleasant ride for the eight kilometres between Pooraka and Walkerville. However, you do need to take care at the three major intersections.
In the Uncool Cycling Club, we use this section often for our coffee rides. We are looking forward to resuming these once COVID-19 is over 🙂
The next section between Walkerville and the city can be busy. However, you do have the option of joining the Torrens Linear Trail via the bridge on Victoria Avenue.
The Main North Road section from Mawson Lakes to Pooraka is best avoided.
Unfortunately, signage on the Levels-City Bikeway is sporadic after Regency Road. You really need a map if you haven’t ridden the route before.
Here is a video of my Easter 2020 COVID-19 Ride on the Levels City Bikeway from Pooraka to Walkerville.
Other good bikeways are the Outer Harbor Greenway from Port Adelaide to the city and the O-Bahn Bikeway from Tea Tree Interchange to Klemzig.
For general commentary about riding during COVID-19 times, see Solo Riding during the Pandemic.
