Perth Swan River Cycling Loop

Bikes aren’t allowed on trains in Perth on weekday mornings between 7:00 am and 9:00 am if you are travelling towards the city. As I was travelling from Fremantle towards Perth to begin my ride, this posed a challenge for my plan to try out the Perth Swan River Cycling Loop in January.

It was too hot to start cycling after 9:00 am, so my bike and I would need to be off the train before 7:00 am. Another option would be to ride the trail on the weekend, but I had heard that it would be very busy at that time and I don’t enjoy crowds.

So it was at a quarter to seven on a Monday morning that I got out with my bike at City West Station, just before Perth. I followed the cycle path alongside the Kwinana Freeway down to Narrows Bridge. From there I started my Swan River Cycling Loop.

South Perth Foreshore

I cycled across the Narrows Bridge.

The path turned right and curled under the bridge. This panorama of the city opened before me.

The cycle way then passes the Old Mill built in 1835 which has given its name to the Mill Point area.

Unfortunately, at the time, it was closed to the public for renovations.

Pedalling a bit further, I came to a sign which announced that a driverless bus trial was operating in this area from 10 am to 12 noon and 1 pm to 3 pm.

I was too early to try it out this morning, but perhaps it would be worth coming back for.

The views of the city of Perth continued.

Soon the path divided into two – one path for pedestrians, and one for cyclists.

This enjoyable state of affairs continued for a few kilometres until the paths converged again to go under the Causeway Bridge.

Continuing on the Perth Swan River Cycling Loop, the Crown Casino buildings were on my right. Then the new Perth Stadium came into sight. I took a bit of a detour to get a better view.

Perth Stadium to Trafalgar Bridge

A few days earlier I had taken a cruise on the river and seen the next bridge, Windan Bridge, from the water. I had seen cyclists riding along a ledge underneath the main bridge. It looked so cool and I had been looking forward to doing it myself.

It did not disappoint, although it was a little narrower than I had expected. The bridge was busy with cyclists and pedestrians. I had to be careful when I stopped to take a photo.

Just one kilometre further and I came to Trafalgar Bridge in East Perth. This pedestrian bridge crosses an inlet from the Swan River and the apartments there are built in an Italian style.

The cafes on the waterfront here are a great place to stop for coffee and watch the world go by.

From Victoria Gardens nearby, I was able to get this great view of the new stadium.

City Foreshore back to the Narrows Bridge

Not far to go now. After passing under the northern end of the Causeway Bridge, the trail divided into separate paths for pedestrians and cyclists again. The skyscrapers of the city started as I cycled past Langley Park.

Soon I was at Elizabeth Quay with its pedestrian bridge

and the “First Contact” sculpture.

To complete my Perth Swan River Cycling Loop, I pedalled on for another kilometre to return to the Narrows Bridge. Riding through a tunnel, I finished my ride at Elizabeth Quay Station.

Summary of my Perth Swan River Loop

All together I had cycled 21 kilometres and climbed 238 metres. The hilliest part of the ride was getting to my start point at the Narrows Bridge. Taking out the two kilometres to get to the beginning and one kilometre after the end of the loop, the actual loop was 18 kilometres and very flat.

The idea for this ride comes from the Trails WA website, which is an excellent source of information about walking, cycling and paddling trails in Western Australia. I extended their 10 kilometre Swan River Loop ride to make it more suitable for intermediate riders.

The cycling section of the WA Department of Transport’s website also provides useful maps for planning a ride. 

Other great rides in Perth are the Perth Coastal Ride  and the Fremantle Coastal Trail.  Meanwhile, cycling around Rottnest Island is only a short ferry ride away.