When: 26th Sept 2025
Ride info: 397km 5627vm
Route:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47584030
Start: Melbourne GPO 4:30am
Fin: Albury NSW Border Sign
Surface: Mixed Terrain but mostly gravel
What bike: Gravel bike with minimum 40mm tires, as always we recommend robust tyres set up tubeless. Only go narrower if you're a hell cat!
How fast can you get from your bed to the border by bike? In 2024, around the March equinox we hosted the inaugural Border Run, a fast and flat blast to the border. For the September Equinox we’re going bigger, we are going XL!! Curve will run the Border Run XL as a spirited social ride starting on Fri 26 Sep 2025. Roll out will be at 4:30am from the old Melbourne GPO.
If that time and date don’t work for you, do it whenever you can make it happen. Go on! Get off the couch and have a crack! This one is a tougher ride than the Border Run; it’s longer and has more climbing.Like many historic overlander missions, this ride will depart from Melbourne’s original GPO. Expect some bike paths on the way out of town, then a mix of sealed and unsealed roads heading north. Please take it easy on the bike paths on the way out of town.
Ride it all in one hit if you dare! Ride it over two, three, four or twenty days. See how fast you can ride it, flashpack it, bikepack it, leave your bike at home and run it. Make your own rules. Slap the border sign to finish your ride across the state!The ride finishes at the Vic-NSW border on Gateway Island at the Welcome to NSW sign. Your ride is complete once you tap the “Welcome to New South Wales” sign and take a finisher photo.
For a full breakdown check out this blog:
https://www.curvecycling.com/blogs/news/top-10-questions-about-the-border-run-xl?fbclid=IwY2xjawJNmgdleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHWBKL4oH6NSpTNWjHn0hv57HHxL8RAfKNOaUXDAz7mxzxtf2lS9LPzyp2A_aem_eQHtw4-wPhYD4AYc4ZVeMw
There are plenty of options for indoor accommodation or camping on the way to Albury. The route deliberately has good resupply options too. The route passes through Kinglake (70 km), Alexandra (158 km), Bonnie Doon (194 km), Swanpool (243 km), Benalla (270 km) and Wangaratta (318 km).
If you're an uncontrollable hellcat, ride it all in one hit! Some may want two and three day options. Here are some itineraries ranging from BOLD to more civilised that can be flashpacked (indoor accommodation to cut down on what you need to take).
For a 2-day mission, with a BIG first day, try this:
Day 1: Melbourne to Benalla (270 km). This gets most of the climbing out of the way.
Day 2: Benalla to Albury (127 km). Recovery ride!
For a 2-day mission, with a more even split, try this:
Day 1: Melbourne to Bonnie Doon (194 km)
Day 2: Boonie Doon to Albury (203 km). Longer but easier than day 1 with less climbing.
For a 3-day graventure stay in Alexandra and Benalla:
Day 1: Melbourne to Alexandra (158 km)
Day 2: Alexandra to Benalla (112 km)
Day 3: Benalla to Albury (127 km)
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