The Great Southeastern Loop founder Ed Birt wanted to create an ultra cycling event in his own backyard. Photo: Supplied.
A scenic, ultra-distance cycling challenge starting in the Illawarra will see more than 20 ambitious riders complete an epic 1263 kilometre loop through country NSW, with the inaugural event promoting personal achievement and making memories.
Ed Birt has ridden hundreds of thousands of kilometres in long distance cycling events across the country and around the world.
“There’s something very special about riding all day,” he said. “The sun comes up when you’re riding and then the sun goes down and you’re still riding and you’ve experienced the whole turning of the Earth.
“Hearing the birds, seeing the snakes, you get a real connection to country through the effort of riding long distances.”
But he also has seen just how dangerous it can be, with some events extremely hazardous and even resulting in fatalities.
“They seem to be one extreme or the other – it’s either full road closures and vehicles to protect riders or it’s just go for your life, all the best, hope you make it back alive,” Ed said.
Last year he participated in an Indonesian event which mandated safety equipment, provided rider briefings and ensured participants and the community were informed about the event to minimise the risk as much as possible.
It inspired Ed to create something in his own community which showcased the region, while prioritising safety.
“I really wanted to put on something that was a bit of a special event, and something that would create memories for people,” Ed said.
“I think it all benefits regional tourism, people have a better appreciation of cycling and what it brings to the community and all the people doing it, they’re always super interesting people.”
Cyclists will experience country towns and communities along the route. Photo: The Great Southeastern Loop.
He created the course for The Great Southeastern Loop which starts and finishes in Wollongong and takes riders through diverse terrain including coast, country and the Snowy Mountains, with 17,700 metres of climbing.
“I just started mapping it out,” Ed said. “I wanted to do between 1200 and 1500 kilometres, which is a nice week on the bike.
“I was looking at options to get up to Western Sydney, to the Highlands, into the the Upper Lachlan Shire and started riding bits of it and pieced it all together.
“Then I rode the whole thing myself in February under ride conditions so I gave myself timings, all of that, and set off on a Sunday morning at 5 am.”
He selected the roads with safety in mind – limiting time on main roads or roads without shoulders.
There is mandated safety gear and riders also must spend at least six hours a day off the bike.
“It’s not without risk but I’m trying to create an experience that is as safe as possible and everyone will get home and have a great story to tell and a great experience to share with others.”
Twenty-one riders are expected to participate in the event at the end of October, coming from as far as India for the unique experience.
“I think people are realising that it’s achievable too,” Ed said.
“Even though it sounds like a lot of distance, actually when you do the maths, it’s quite achievable.”
Registrations are closed but communities right across the route can still get involved by being ‘dot watchers’ and following the riders through their trackers online.
“You can zero in on the rider that you’re following; you can send them messages; you can see all the statistics of their average speeds and how long they’re stopping,” Ed said.
“People can follow along and I’m hoping we get a good dot watchers community.
“What happens when you’re doing these rides is that you’ll be riding through the middle of nowhere and someone will be parked up ahead and have a bottle of coke for you or bring you some fruit, who are just following along.
“It’s quite lovely in that way.”
Cyclists need to finish the course before 6 pm on 1 November to officially have completed the challenge, but it’s not about times or positions, it’s about the experience along the way.
“I’ve put on the website ‘do something great’ because it’s something that you can say, ‘In 2025 I did this fantastic adventure’ and in my own backyard or wherever you’re from,” Ed said.
“Hopefully it does become an annual fixture that people look forward to and that people can feel that they’ve achieved something.”
For more information on the event and how to track riders visit the The Great Southeastern Loop website.
