Bridle Track - Hill End to Bathurst.

Gulgong, Hill End, Bathurst - via the Bridle Track.
Is this better than Barry Way?
After two days of rain, we made the most of the perfect riding weather heading home from Gulgong via Hill End and the magnificent Bridle Track.
I rate this ride - it’s a bit like the Snowy River Road and Barry Way - pretty easy riding (graded, dusty surface), lots of narrow cliff-face bends, and riding along a beautiful river and scenery. But the Bridle Track also boasts much steeper mountainous riding.
I’d recommend riding it mid-week rather than on weekends when there might be more traffic. I’d hate to meet a large 4-wheel drive on one of those blind-narrow corners! And if you prefer riding uphill, Bathurst to Hill End is the best direction. Also, as you wind around the mountains, the cliff face finds its way on both sides of the road, so it’s not like Snowy River Road, where the cliff face is on the North side; on the Bridle Track, it changes from side to side.
Monaghan's Bluff is very very steep with switchbacks.
From Hill End, we started with some morning fog which cleared to a perfect blue sky soon after the Turon River Crossing. We had our usual morning tea (coffee) in Bathurst Park before heading through the ‘road-worked’ Trunkey Creek ride, lunch at Goulburn and home capping off a great trip with the 500km day.
Facebook: / pfbid0nnf8ire4jaua1jc6...
/ rideday
#bridletrack #bmwr1200gs #adventuremotorcycling #bmwr1200gsa #bmwr1250gs
Music by Bensound, www.bensound.com
License code: SA5KC79EZRQ2SKQT
License code: G95A1K6APJMIRCJT
License code: 1DXXKRS7CRSLIIL1
License code: X4QXRJ5SE1A1DPXP

[@xr8jim]

Did this in the 90's with my two brothers in an old hq Holden premier, had some sketchy moments but all good. Was a great time.

[@rideday01]

Great car 😀.

[@AJE4212]

They say there’s a reason for everything ,hence there’s a Bridle track built with a purpose.,in regards to the Gold rush days of the 1850’s ,horses and carts were the only form of transport. I remember seeing 6 feet of snow at Rockley outside of Bathurst in a Marmon car and got the fumes in 1946. Wonderful video, clear diction, informative historical ride paving the way for more people to experience the early history of NSW.

[@1Witcomb]

Did this on Tuesday but Bathurst to Hill End. What a great ride. :) As you say, the scenery is fantastic and the track is in very good condition even though the new section is still a little on the slippery side. Like you, virtually no traffic mid week. We're planning on going again in September and camp along the river. Cheers.

[@demery01]

That’s great. Not sure how busy it might get on weekends, but think it will gain in popularity as it should. Enjoy (again).

[@luvocean1]

Really enjoyed it....i an planing a 4wd trip, God willing soon.

[@noelbowerman1562]

A very enjoyable video. Our Ulysses club of Tamworth ,are looking at doing this ride in the near future.

[@rideday01]

Enjoy, as long as it is dry 😀

[@sydhardie9339]

Thanks for the vid ! It takes me back to the mid 70s when I first rode the Bridal track ! It was a great ride then and still is to this day! 👍🦘🏍

[@rideday01]

Wow, that’s an impressive experience. No doubt the quality of the surface would have been a little rougher back then 😀.

[@sydhardie9339]

@@rideday01 The quality was rougher, but the scenery made up for that !👍🏍🦘

[@gsx1400aus]

Another outstanding stunning ride video. This track/road is now on the list.

[@demery01]

Glad to hear, you’ll love it.

[@Peter760]

Oh yes this is definitely on my bucket list. Could probably incorporate the Barry Way on the same trip. Great vids thanks for sharing 👍😊

[@rideday01]

Thanks. That'd be a great trip - add Dargo & Jamieson-Licola to top it off. 😀😀

[@Peter760]

Yeah that would be great, a bit of zig zag through the high country 🤔

[@davejones1683]

Did the old track Bathurst to Hill End with a tandem tip truck with a backhoe on the back in about 1994 on hire to the Evans shire council the bluff was a bit scary

[@glennboy66]

On my ever increasing bucket list of places

[@rideday01]

It's great how those lists just keep growing. 😀

[@adventuristtv]

Glad we did this track a few times before the bypass was put in (but after the boulder was moved). And yes, in the wet it gets pretty exciting in parts. It really is a spectacular spot!

[@rideday01]

Agree. The bypass does add a different dimension - steepness and views. And I guess they made it safer as you'd expect in today's climate. Nice that you can experience the before and after.

[@redtobertshateshandles]

Hawkins Hill has been graded smooth. I would've loved to see you wrestling the bikes before.

[@rideday01]

I’m happy to see Toni ride anywhere. This video was posted a year ago which was 10 months after she had a Bone Marrow Transplant - still recovering 👍.

[@jonbriddon1566]

What a great video. Looking forward to riding it soon

[@rideday01]

Great, you''l enjoy it...

[@CaptainCrankyMotovlogger]

Great video of a real bucket list road, I will get to it :) Thanks!

[@rideday01]

Thanks. It's definitely an enjoyable and different ride.

[@ShedBuiltStuff]

Excellent expose’ of the track. It certainly looks doable for this old fart.

[@rideday01]

If it's dry, you'll love it...

[@manfrengensen]

Thanks very much for this! Can you please advise how long it took you to get through? I was thinking a return day trip from Bathurst would be enjoyable.

[@rideday01]

We took around 80 minutes at a leisurely pace from Hill End stopping a few times for toilet and photos. It is a very easy day trip from Bathurst. It was part of our trip from Gulgong to Wollongong and we were home by 4pm.

[@manfrengensen]

@@rideday01 Cheers mate I've penciled it in! I haven"t upgraded the tank on the DR650 yet so I can hit this without carting fuel. Much appreciated!

[@sydhardie9339]

I did the round trip through Sofala ....It was great, but I don't remember how long it took, unfortunately! I have never forgotten how good the trip was, back in the mid 70s !👍🏍🦘

[@pc5647]

Could this be done on a cruiser or an adventure bike only?

[@rideday01]

The conditions can frequently change on gravel/dirt roads. It's possible some cruiser riders may have done this ride, however, friends recently did it and said the switchbacks were very slippery and covered in thick dust. I always say you need to be confident and competent in making u-turns on a steep incline/decline. Before an ADV bike, I didn't like how much my bike shook from potholes and ruts and got so dirty, so I avoided dirt roads 😀.

[@michaelreifenstein]

Probably rain bars not speed bumps, stop water running down the road and eroding it

[@user-gj7kk5fu2g]

What tyres are you using on your GS?

[@rideday01]

The current are Mitas E07+ which we think are great all-round tyres. Due for a change now but haven't decided what whether to do the same or try something different. We can't compare if we haven't tries others.😀