Canberra this weekend features in the premiere of Trail Towns, the new SBS-TV show revealing the best way to have a holiday with your bike.
The series is hosted by world champion mountain biker Paul van der Ploeg and avid cyclist Dieter Kahsnitz, both Victorian-based, who filmed the show in and around the pandemic.
And while the coronavirus pandemic might have presented some obstacles to production, the show itself has come at the right time, as Australians are forced by border closures to holiday at home.
Canberra features on the premiere episode, taking in popular mountain biking destinations, Stromlo Forest Park Majura Pines; as well as the Centenary Trail; the cycle network around the city and the nature reserves, with all kinds of cycling featured.
The show is also about what to do apres-ride, with Braddon restaurants and BentSpoke brewery also making an appearance.
Dieter, who produced the series, said the Canberra episode was about revealing how the national capital had evolved far beyond people's memories of their year 6 school trip.
"What actually blew us away was just the vibrant foodie culture and the activity that is going on within the community," he said.
"It's a really, really diverse scene in Canberra that we discovered and the highlight in Canberra were the people. They're just go-getters and fun. We had a ball."
Paul was no stranger to the biking scene in Canberra.
"Conveniently, I have two brothers in Canberra and a bunch of really good friends that I've met through cycling," he said.
"We had multiple-mountain bike Olympian Daniel McConnell who's a Canberra local, he lives in Coombs, on the show. And also multiple national champion Brendan Johnston, who also lives right near Stromlo Forest Park. At Stromlo, itself, we rode with a bunch of young shredders."
Victoria, the Snowy Mountains and Western Australia feature in future episodes.
"It's really not a show about bike riding, it's really a show about how families and couples and friends can plan their next holiday - and take their bike," Dieter said.
"It's all the other things you want to know when you've finished your ride: what am I going to do and where am I going to stay and what am I going to eat. What are the restaurants like? Is there a brewery? It's about what to do when you're not on the bike, but we'll show you where to ride as well."
- Trail Towns premieres on Saturday at 4pm on SBS.
