Go loopy: The birthday wish that sent a cyclist 1263km from South Coast to Snowies
Looking back on the feat of endurance cycling that was the Great Southeastern Loop, one rider recalls the good times
For his 50th birthday, Stanwell Park dad James Walker treated himself the trip of a lifetime.
Where some might choose to kick back on a cruise, James trained for seven months before taking on the Great Southeastern Loop, a gruelling route devised by Thirroul’s Ed Birt, president of the Illawarra Bicycle Users Group (IBUG).
“Taking part in The Great Southeastern Loop ultra-endurance cycling adventure was an extraordinary experience,” James said.
“Over five days I rode 1263 kilometres, climbed almost 18,000 metres and spent just over 60 hours riding my bike.
“Those numbers tell part of the story, but they don't really capture what made the experience so memorable.
“What struck me most was the contrast. At different points I experienced temperatures around 31°C, thunderstorms and sideways rain, long stretches battling headwinds, freezing early mornings and some absolutely perfect riding conditions.
“There were beautiful roads and gravel tracks through south-eastern NSW, but also plenty of moments when the only thing that really mattered was reaching the next town, finding something to eat or getting somewhere warm.”
From gravel roads to tarmac, cyclists embraced the variety of the loop. Photos: James Walker
20 signed up for race against time
Ed Birt launched the Great Southeastern Loop last year, inspired to offer a local version of epic overseas events, such as Indonesia’s Bentang Jawa, a 1500km unsupported ride he did in 2024.
“This year we had 20 people head off on this personal odyssey,” Ed said. “Physical, spiritual, emotional – it really does go into all of those realms.
“The tagline I use on the ride is ‘Do something great’, and that's really what it is.”
Riders set off at 5am on 25 October, leaving in the dark from Bellambi Boat Harbour, heading north to Sea Cliff Bridge on a route through coast and country. It’s a course Ed designed to be “truly epic”, with farmland and picturesque towns like Taralga, as well as remote valleys, forests and the Snowy Mountains.
As event director, Ed ran everything from safety to timekeeping to live tracking, which soared in popularity.
“I had over 50,000 views of that live tracking site across the course of the week.”
Sunset at Greg Greg, NSW. At right: the road stretching off to Darbalara. Photos: Ed Birt
The loop was a feat, not a race, but it did have a time limit – riders had to finish within 157 hours.
After three timed checkpoints along the way – at the Bundanoon Hotel, Bike Revive Tumut and the Majors Creek Pub – the ride ended with a double lap at Flagstaff Lighthouse in Wollongong.
“When people came in, the emotion was pretty palpable, and there was a lot of big smiles,” Ed said.
The fastest was 38-year-old Thirroul firefighter Luke Barrett, the former owner of Buck Hamblin coffee shop, who set a record of 79 hours and 39 minutes.
The 5am start. At right: Luke Barrett was the first cyclist home. Photos: Chris Frape
“He was just something else to watch,” Ed said. “I think he's an incredible athlete. To do 1,263km in less than three and a half days is bloody amazing.
“Every one of those 20 people who lined up and said, ‘I'm going to have a go at this’, they are not boring people. They're all you know extraordinary in their own right.”
Eight riders scratched for various reasons. “Some of them had saddle sores; some had Achilles tendon pain. One guy did come off his bike, and he hurt his hip.
“Then we had a very exciting situation where we have the cut-off times for the checkpoints, and one of the riders, Camille, our only female rider, unfortunately she missed the checkpoint at 1023km, just literally by 8km.
“We had the whole cycling community watching Camille and wishing her on, and I hope she'll come back and have another go.”
James Walker at a creek crossing on the Great Southeastern Loop.
Surviving Dead Horse Gap
James was one of 12 riders to finish and claim the official title of 'Looper'.
“My lowest point was riding over Dead Horse Gap in the Snowy Mountains during a cold night," he said. "I was exhausted and hauling my bike up the climb whilst laden with gear weighing around 22 kilograms.
“Less than 48 hours later, on my 50th birthday, I fortuitously had my best ever day on a bike, riding from Cooma to Sassafras in perfect conditions. That change in perspective over such a short period probably sums up endurance riding in Australia better than anything else.”
Seven months of endurance training, including back-to-back rides of more than 100km, stood him in good stead for the first 250km-plus days.
"Most of my training was local, in the Royal and Heathcote National Parks, which have a great network of off-road trails, and I also built extra kilometres into my cycling commute to Sutherland."
James had a Tailfin pannier, top-tube and frame bags, aerobars, wide-range gearing, multiple lights and battery packs, food, three water bottles, and clothing to deal with temperatures ranging from -2°C to 31°C. Photo: James Walker
James rode a Specialized Diverge Expert gravel bike, set up for long days in the saddle.
"My bike and gear ended up weighing around 22kg," he said.
“The experience reinforced for me that endurance isn't simply about being able to push harder or suffer for longer. It's also about managing yourself, knowing when to back off, eating properly, finding somewhere to sleep and making good decisions when you're tired.
“Sometimes it means deciding not to push on because you're cold and exhausted. Sometimes it means having lunch at the pub.
“And after nearly 275km fighting the wind, sometimes it means discovering a whole new appreciation for late-night McDonalds.
“There were plenty of surreal moments too, including setting off just after midnight for the final leg and hike-a-biking over Saddleback Mountain at around 4am. Spending that much time alone on a bike also gives you plenty of opportunity to think, although by that stage I'm not sure all of those thoughts were particularly coherent.”
Pedalling with a purpose
One goal that kept everyone going was knowing the ride was raising funds for charity. More than $8000 has been donated to World Bicycle Relief, an international, non-profit organisation that specialises in large-scale bicycle-distribution programs to aid poverty relief in developing countries.
James found this a powerful motivator.
“Looking back, I'm proud to have finished, but the finishing isn't what I'll remember most. I'll remember the extremes, the landscapes, the generosity and encouragement of people along the way, and just how quickly a terrible day on a bike can turn into an amazing one.”
L to R: Ben Hannigan, Ed Birt and James Walker all celebrated their 50th birthdays with extreme cycling. Photos: Chris Frape
Thanks to the Loopers, marking milestone birthdays with unsupported cycling challenges may even become a trend.
For his 50th, Ed did the IndyPac 5500km ride from Perth to Sydney and, on this year's Great Southeastern Loop, Albion Park rider Ben Hannigan celebrated his half-century a day before James did.
Ed sent birthday wishes via text.
“There were family members who said, ‘Oh, we want to go out on course and give him a birthday cake, and this and that.’ I said, ‘Well, it's not really in the spirit of the event.’
“So I bought them a beer at the end of it.”
Do something great
The next Great Southeastern Loop will be held from 31 October-6 November 2027. Early bird registration opens in February via the website.
