One Pub Tour

One Pub Tour

Written by Gaston Armand 

A beginner-friendly cycle touring adventure from Windsor Train Station to the St Albans Pub.

This ride follows quiet country roads, river crossings, and rolling terrain, with great scenery and even better beers at the finish. There are two route options after Wisemans Ferry:

• a longer but flatter sealed road, or

• a shorter, hillier option with gravel for those wanting a bit more adventure.

Free camping is available directly across from the St Albans Pub. Expect great beer, a beautiful ride, and a relaxed pace that’s ideal for first-time tourers.

Day 1 GPX file
Day 2 GPX file

Route Instructions to St Albans

Catch the train to Windsor Train Station. In summer, we recommend starting around 8:00am if you want to reach the pub by about 5:00pm, especially if you plan to take your time.

From the station, turn left at the roundabout onto George Street.
You’ll ride through the heart of Windsor, where there are plenty of cafés and shops for last-minute supplies or a morning coffee.

At the traffic lights, turn left onto Bridge Street and cross the Hawkesbury River (you’ll be seeing plenty more of it).

At the large roundabout, continue straight onto Freemans Reach Road and follow it for about 3km. Be cautious here—there’s no shoulder and cars may not always give much space.
If you’re a very new rider, you can detour via Wilberforce Road, which has a shoulder but significantly more traffic.

After 3km, turn right onto the gravel road, which winds through the grass-growing fields of north-western Sydney.

Follow the gravel road until you reach King Street, then turn right.
Continue along King Street / Sackville Road for approximately 9km.

You’ll pass Café Tractor 828, known for excellent iced chocolates. Their opening hours can be inconsistent, so check ahead if you’re planning to skip coffee in Windsor. Continue riding for another kilometre to reach your first ferry crossing of the day.

After the ferry, climb the largest hill of the ride. The ferry is a great opportunity to rest your legs before the ascent.

Once the road begins to undulate, you’re close to River Road. Turn right and follow it as it rolls along the river toward Wisemans Ferry, with plenty of small ups and downs.

Wisemans Ferry Options

Once you arrive at Wisemans Ferry, you have a few choices:

Option 1:
Ride to St Albans via St Albans Road — the smoothest and flattest option, but with the most traffic.

Option 2:
Take Settlers Road, which is gravel for most of the way and includes more elevation. This is a fantastic route, but we recommend saving it for the return journey.

Option 3:
If you’re exhausted, stay the night in Wisemans Ferry and eat at the pub.

To reach St Albans, take the ferry across to St Albans Road and follow it for approximately 20km.
Cross the St Albans Bridge into town, where you’ll find the historic pub.

The beer is excellent. The food may not exceed expectations—but after a long ride in the middle of nowhere, the schnitzel disappears very quickly.

Directly across from the pub is a free campground with 24/7 bathrooms.
There’s also a BBQ in the park if you prefer to cook your own dinner.
If camping isn’t your thing, you can book a room at the pub.

Route Instructions Back to Windsor

We highly recommend taking Option 2 (Settlers Road) on the return journey. Riding this road in the early morning is incredible—you’ll almost certainly see kangaroos, cows in open fields, and stretches of beautiful forest.

About 11.7km along Settlers Road, you can detour onto the National Pass, following the old convict trail up Shepherds Gully Road. This is a steep climb built by convicts and is highly recommended for the views at the top and the fast, flowing descent on the other side.

At the time of writing, the descent was officially closed due to a landslide. A park ranger advised us that repairs were underway and that it was possible to pass carefully.

At the bottom of the convict detour, you’ll need to lift your bikes over a gate, as there’s currently no way around it. Bring a friend to help if possible.

If you’re riding solo or feeling sore from the previous day, you can skip the climb and continue along Settlers Road instead—though we don’t recommend missing the history and scenery.

Continue along Settlers Road until you reach the ferry on your right.
Take the ferry back to Wisemans Ferry.

From there, ride through town, turn right onto River Road at the top of the hill, and follow the same route back to Windsor.

Packing List Recommendations

• Bike (with road-friendly gravel tyres)

• Panniers or bike bags

• Tent

• Sleeping mat

• Pillow

• Sleeping bag

• Spare set of clothes

• Towel (for swimming)

• Hat & sunscreen

• Food and snacks

• 4L of water per person (more on hot days)

• Cycling gloves

• Sunglasses

• Helmet

• Bike lights

• Phone with maps (or a physical map)

• Power bank & cables