South Australia is packed with brilliant cycling trails built for every rider – cruisers, wine-tasters, families, adventure-seekers and people who keep saying they’ll get back on a bike once work calms down.

Don’t own a bike? You can still hit the trails. There are plenty of places to hire bikes around Adelaide and regional SA, from cruisers and e-bikes to MTBs.

Here are 10 of the best trails – however you like to roll.

1. Best for getting back on the bike

The River Torrens Linear Park Trail in Adelaide is flat, central and forgiving, making it the easiest re-entry into cycling. Shady gums, ducks, cafés and countless entry points mean you can ride for 10 minutes or two hours without committing to anything ambitious. It’s ideal for beginners or anyone dusting off their bike for the first time in forever.

Take the easy path along Adelaide’s River Torrens. Photo: SA Tourism/Michael Waterhouse

2. Best for wine region wandering

The Coast to Vines Rail Trail runs 37 kilometres from Marino, through the McLaren Vale wine region, to Willunga. It’s perfect for breezy, spontaneous rides with winery stops, coastal views and that classic Fleurieu sunshine. This sealed track along a former rail line is the perfect easy ride for people who want a little exercise with their glass of shiraz.

3. Best for couples’ weekend rides

The Clare Valley’s famous Riesling Trail is the weekend-away version of a wine ride. Almost completely flat and surrounded by rolling farmland, it’s the kind of trail people explore over the weekend – book a vineyard cottage, hire a bike and spend the day cruising between cellar doors. Slow, scenic and irresistibly relaxed.

4. Best for easy Hills views

The 22-kilometre Amy Gillett Bikeway in the Adelaide Hills winds gently from Oakbank to Mount Torrens through farmland and small towns. With its sealed surface and steady, manageable gradient, it offers all the charm of the Hills without the brutal climbs. Expect cool air, gum trees and countryside calm.

5. Best for family holiday rides

The Copper Rail Trail on Yorke Peninsula is a flat, sealed 9.1-kilometre rail trail linking Kadina with the shoreline at Wallaroo. Low traffic and easy gradients make it perfect for families, beginners or anyone who brings their bike on every Yorkes trip. Roll between town and sea, finish with hot chips or a swim, and call it a day well spent.

Keep it cruisy in the holiday town of Wallaroo. Photo: SA Tourism/Duy Dash

6. Best for coastal ice-cream rides

The Encounter Bikeway on the Fleurieu Peninsula links Goolwa, Middleton, Port Elliot and Victor Harbor along a 31-kilometre mix of shared paths and quiet coastal streets. You can ride the whole thing or dip in and out. With surf beaches, seaside towns and plenty of ice-cream stops, it’s an instant summer classic – and great for kids. Time it right and you can pedal one way, then cruise back with your bike aboard the historic Cockle Train – but make sure you contact operator SteamRanger beforehand to check about space.

Make it a scenic mission along the Fleurieu Peninsula’s Encounter Bikeway. Photo: SA Tourism Commission

7. Best for rolling from city to sea

The iconic Mike Turtur Bikeway is a 9.5-kilometre commuter path from central Adelaide to Glenelg. Recently reopened after being shut for months for an extensive upgrade, it’s now wider, smoother and better lit. What hasn’t changed is that it’s still a great flat, beginner-friendly roll to the beach.

8. Best for racking up the kilometres

Stretching 40 kilometres from Gawler to Angaston on a sealed, low-traffic path, the Barossa Trail is ideal for riders wanting to rack up kilometres without dodging cars. Expect vineyard views, heritage buildings and plenty of feed-zone towns like Tanunda, Lyndoch and Angaston to refuel in.

9. Best for going off-road (and off-grid)

The Remarkable Epic Trail (through Mount Remarkable National Park) and the wider Melrose MTB network in the Flinders Ranges offer SA’s ultimate off-road playground. The Epic Trail itself is a 38-kilometre loop of climbs, descents and rugged outback views for confident riders. But Melrose also has beginner-friendly green trails, family loops and a playful single track close to town. Dust, views and adventure for every level.

The Mount Remarkable National Park offers a more wild ride for those who are keen. Photo: SA Tourism/Asaf Miller

10. Best for epic rides you’ll brag about

Running nearly 900 kilometres from Adelaide’s outskirts to Blinman in the Flinders Ranges, the Mawson Trail is South Australia’s grand-tour adventure. Gravel roads, forest tracks and outback landscapes make it a real endurance builder. You don’t need to ride the whole thing – a single section is enough to feel like you’ve levelled up.

Sharing the road: Notes for new (and returning) commuters

These 10 rides are a brilliant way to cycle safely – and once they feel confident on a trail, a lot of people start thinking about riding to work too.

If you do decide to take your bike beyond the trail and into the weekday traffic, the basics apply everywhere: Stay visible, follow the road rules, signal early and ride where drivers expect you to be. There’s a quick guide to the cycling rules here if you want a refresher.

And for the motorists sharing the morning crawl, remember that cyclists are allowed to ride two abreast, and they’re often doing their best on tight suburban streets. A little patience goes a long way.

As long as everyone gives each other space and follows the rules, the whole peak-hour dance stays much calmer – and safer.

Want more rides?

If you’re looking for even more options – especially the steeper, longer or sweatier ones – the Santos Tour Down Under’s Adelaide Cycling Atlas has dozens of mapped routes across metro Adelaide, the Hills and regional SA.

Republished from The Post SA