Orange Villages Bike Trail

The Orange Villages Bike Trail, also known as the Orange & Villages Bicycle Trail (OVBT) or simply “The 360”, is a spectacular 360 km multi-day cycling and bikepacking loop through the Central West of New South Wales. Starting and finishing in Orange, the route circles Mount Canobolas / Gaanha-bula and takes riders through rolling farmland, vineyards, historic villages and classic Central Tablelands countryside. The route mixes quiet sealed country roads with smooth gravel, making it particularly well suited to gravel bikes, touring bikes and e-bikes. The complete Orange Villages Bike Trail is divided into six stages, with approximately 4,230 metres of climbing across the full journey. It was designed as a relaxed six-day cycling tour, although experienced riders regularly complete it in two to four days. The route links many of the Central West’s best-known towns and villages, including Orange, Molong, Cargo, Canowindra, Cowra, Neville, Carcoar and Millthorpe, with alternative routes available on some stages. This is as much a cycling tourism journey as it is a long-distance ride. Riders pass through wine and food country, historic gold-rush towns and small farming communities, with opportunities to build each day around country pubs, cafés, wineries, accommodation and local attractions. Carcoar and Millthorpe provide particularly scenic historic stops, while larger centres including Molong, Canowindra and Cowra offer useful opportunities to resupply. The trail was developed with significant input from local cycling group The Treadlies, specifically to showcase the quieter roads and landscapes surrounding Orange and the Central West. While much of the riding uses low-traffic secondary roads, this isn't a separated rail trail or dedicated cycleway — riders should expect live traffic, changing road surfaces, substantial climbing and long distances between some services. RTS Tip: Don’t feel you need to tackle all 360 km in one trip. The six stages make it easy to choose a shorter section or build a two-to-six-day bikepacking adventure around your fitness and available time. For the full loop, a gravel bike with wider tyres is an ideal choice. Download the official route before leaving, plan your food, water and accommodation ahead, and check road, weather and seasonal conditions — some sections are remote and conditions can change considerably.