“Our rides take us to locations and parks and trails that you just can’t see in your vehicles. You’re riding in and amongst the wildlife, there’s not a car around. And, unless you’re on a cycling tour, you just don’t get the opportunity to enjoy that serenity.”
For Brett Gillett, the CEO of Bicycle SA, sharing the picturesque landscapes of South Australia is one of the many pleasures of his job. And with rides touring wild coastlines and national parks, via vineyards, caves, and forests—it’s easy to understand why.
Stunning vistas are just one of many reasons cycling with Bicycle SA is good for the soul. The organisation also champions a sense of community, with riders building deep friendships, and hosts events for all abilities, encouraging participants to set their own pace–whether that’s pushing themselves to the limit or kicking back to soak up the scenery.
It’s all about “creating opportunities for people to get comfortable and confident on their bikes,” Brett says.
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The annual La Grande Gita celebrates cycling ‘Italian style’. Each November, riders gear up as part of the Adelaide Italian Festival and pedal through the beautiful Barossa Valley, stopping along the way to sample wine, beer, and other delicious local produce. Your chosen route can be more relaxing or challenging, and retro outfits and bikes are heartily encouraged.
“Afterward, we go back to a beautiful winery and savour the day,” says Brett. “We’ve got an Italian accordion player that plays in the background for us, the bonfire’s on if it’s cool enough, and we enjoy a beautiful meal in the restaurant. So, it’s a great day—and the Italians certainly know how to party.”
A lot of the joy and mental health benefits of these events come from the “powerful” endorphins released by physical activity, Brett explains, “which just make us feel good”.
The well-earned wind-downs and sense of community are another kind of mood boost. At the end of a day’s riding, cyclists can look forward to any combination of guitar playing, storytelling, or dancing around a bonfire.
“A lot of our rides have the same people coming back. They bring friends and the word spreads,” Brett says. “Sometimes our events are the only times that these people, who have travelled from all over Australia, get together and they pick up their friendship from the last tour. So, it is a community that embraces each other.”
It makes sense that the group forges strong bonds since they share such intense experiences. Reflecting on the epic Annual Tour – which in 2023 was a 9-day, 600km cycle exploring South Australia’s South East and Limestone Coast, including Mount Gambier and Naracoorte National Park – Brett says:
“They go through a lot of strain and effort together as well as enjoyment. We had some very challenging weather [this year] and some really strong headwinds that tested the best of them.
“But they regroup at the end of each day, have a glass of wine together, and share a few stories about the most amazing scenery they’ve seen along their ride. Then they go to bed and get up to do it again the next day.”
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In 2024, the Annual Tour will take riders to Kangaroo Island, one of the world’s most sought after and spectacular destinations. As usual, a team of staff will be there to handle all the logistics, such as setting up and packing down the campsite, providing meals and transporting luggage. “We give riders a safe place, a comfortable place,” Brett says. “It’s a real family environment that we create.”
When choosing a ticketing partner, Brett was keen to have a seamless, trusted user experience for attendees. “I think that it’s really important in this day and age that [customers] feel like they’re in a trusted environment,” he says. “Most people have heard of Eventbrite, so I think trust and credibility is really important there.”
He also wanted to take a lot of the “heavy lifting” out of setting up and managing events, allowing his team to focus on the routes and the culture they wanted to cultivate. “Easy to resource, easy to navigate and good reporting – they were the main things we were looking for with our provider, and we feel like we’re getting that with Eventbrite.”
Brett believes more people are becoming interested in cycling for environmental reasons. But if that’s what draws them in, it’s undoubtedly the unique mental, emotional, and physical rewards that keep them hooked.
“One gentleman came all the way from the UK, and he was 87 years of age, and was knocking out about 80 kilometres a day on his bike up through some of the hilliest parts of South Australia’s Hills region,” Brett recalls. “I got in a conversation with him and he said: ‘Look, if it wasn’t for cycling and the opportunities to do these sorts of things, as an 87-year-old man, I don’t know where I’d be.’ And we just hear stories like that all the time.”
All the more reason to get on your bike, we say.
