Yarra Valley Cycles: Can I do a Yarra Valley bike tour near Melbourne?

Ride Time Yarra Valley (formerly known as Yarra Valley Cycles Bike Hire) offers mountain bike and eBike rentals, as well as Yarra Valley bike tours.

Cycling the Yarra Valley in Victoria is a good way of seeing this scenic region to the north-east of Melbourne. Fortunately, Yarra Valley bike hire is available by the day.

Cylists on the Lilydale to Warburton Trail in the Yarra Valley — Cycling the Lilydale to Warburton Trail is a good way to see the Yarra Valley near Melbourne. Photo courtesy of Visit Victoria.

Yarra Valley Cycles sells bikes in the region and its Yarra Valley bike hire arm is now known as Ride Time Yarra Valley. (It was formerly known as Yarra Valley Cycles Bike Hire).

Yarra Valley bike hire

Main Street in Lilydale is the place to pick up a rental bike in the Yarra Valley, although there is also a Ride Time store in Warburton. Ride Time Yarra Valley offers mountain bikes, dual suspension bikes and electric bikes.

Rental prices for mountain bikes start at $70 per day, with dual suspension bikes for from $100. The eBikes cost from $110 per day.

The company also offers Yarra Valley cycling tours, although minimum booking numbers apply, so you essentially have to book as a group.

Yarra Valley cycling tours

One tour runs from Mount Evelyn to the Silvan MTB Park. This takes around four to six hours, and costs from $240 for a four hour tour. However, this price excludes bike hire, so be prepared to add that on top. The tour is for intermediate and advanced level mountain bikers, as there is plenty of climbing involved.

Ride Time Yarra Valley also runs a much easier-going Yarra Valley bike tour along the Warburton Trail. This takes a minimum of three hours, but is flexible. The route starts and ends in Lilydale and trundles through the Yarra Valley, stopping at scenic lookouts, wineries and restaurants. The Warburton Trail bike tour is designed with electric bikes in mind, and costs $180 plus bike hire for a three hour tour. It’s $60 for every additional hour after that.

Where is Lilydale, Victoria?

Lilydale is essentially an outer suburb of Melbourne, with the Lilydale train line from Flinders Street Station terminating there. Yarra Valley Cycles is a minute’s walk from Lilydale Station.

If you hire a bike, top Yarra Valley wineries to explore include Yering Station, about 45 minutes’ ride north of Lilydale. The Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Balgownie Estate east of Yarra Glen aren’t too much further away.

Other things to do in the Yarra Valley include hot air balloon flights, the Wirrawilla Rainforest Walk and walking to La La Falls.

14 fantastic experiences that make the most of your free time in Melbourne

Get the very best views – on a hot air balloon flight over the city.
See the changing colours of the river – on a sunset kayaking tour – with dinner. (Highly recommended ✅)
Feast and see the sights at the same time – on a four course dinner cruise along the Yarra River.
A genuinely excellent street art tour, led by prominent street artists. (Highly recommended ✅)
The also superb Aboriginal heritage, plants and bush food tour in the Botanic Gardens. (💲 Great value 💲)
Best of Melbourne bike tour – you can see more on two wheels than walking.
Hidden laneways bar crawl OR foodie discovery tour OR chocolate and dessert tour.
Combo ticket for Australian Sports Museum and MCG tour.
Hassle-dodging advance tickets for the Melbourne Skydeck, Melbourne Zoo, the Ice Bar (with cocktails) and Sea Life Aquarium.