The M7 shared path is the longest continuous car-free ride in Sydney: nearly 40 kilometres of sealed path, four metres wide for most of its length, running beside the Westlink M7 motorway from Prestons to Baulkham Hills, with more than 60 entry and exit points (Westlink M7). On an e-bike it is a comfortable half-day out and back. Here is how to reach it from the Inner West, how long it really takes, and the rules once you are rolling.
How long is the M7 shared path, and where does it start?
Westlink M7 describes “nearly 40 kilometres” of path “spanning 4-metres wide for most of the time”, “connecting pedestrians and cyclists to Sydney’s Cycleways network”. The southern end is Prestons, the northern end Baulkham Hills.
The part most people miss is that you do not have to ride all of it. The official map shows over 60 entry and exit points, so you can drop in for eight kilometres or eighty. There are bridge links at the Western Sydney Parklands, plus rest stops and artist-designed wayfinding markers delivered with the M7–M12 Integration project.
Following a motorway corridor rather than a street grid, it offers what this city almost never gives a rider: tens of kilometres with no traffic lights, no car doors, no driveways. Our guide to the best e-bike routes and group rides in Sydney shows how it fits alongside the Inner West paths.
How do you get there from the Inner West?
Honestly: not in one easy hop from Leichhardt. The nearest ends sit well west of the Inner West, so most riders train out to a station near the corridor and start there.
That part is easy. Transport for NSW states you can take a bicycle “on a Sydney or Intercity train for free at any time”, and the same applies on Metro, using the multi-purpose areas in the first and last carriages. Bikes are not permitted on any buses, and Transport for NSW recommends avoiding peak-hour services with a bike (transportnsw.info).
One change matters before you plan this ride: the same page states that “From 1 November, converted e-bikes will be banned on Sydney Trains, NSW TrainLink, and Metro services.” If your bike is an old frame with a kit bolted on, that trailhead just got harder to reach. A factory-built, certified bike does not have that problem — the rent-to-own Cyberbikes Centauro is listed on its product page as certified to UL 2849 for the electrical system, UL 2271 for the battery and ISO 4210 for the frame. Ride the route before you buy.
How long does 40 km take, and will the battery last?
Plan on about two hours each way. A legal e-bike’s motor “does not provide power at speeds higher than 25km/h” (Transport for NSW), and Westlink M7 sets an advisory 30 km/h limit. With walkers, runners and dogs to ease around, a realistic moving average is 20–22 km/h: two hours one way, four hours return plus stops.
Range is the easy part. The Centauro’s product page lists a 250 W rear hub motor and a 48 V 25 Ah (1200 Wh) Samsung battery, with range quoted as “up to 120 km at 25 km/h” on a flat road with a 75 kg rider and no headwind. An 80 km out-and-back on a flat sealed corridor sits inside that with margin, so you stop for lunch because you want to. The same page lists 37 kg with the battery fitted and a 150 kg maximum rider and cargo load.
If 40 km sounds like a lot for a first long ride, build up on the Greater Sydney Bike Trail first.
What are the rules on a path this long?
Four metres is generous, but it is still a shared path. In NSW you “must keep to the left and give way to pedestrians”, you “must overtake on the right-hand side”, you should “adjust your speed to suit the environment”, and be “particularly careful around young children, older pedestrians, and animals” (NSW Government). Westlink M7 adds the 30 km/h advisory limit and notes that keeping dogs on lead “is also a legal requirement”. Helmets are mandatory, fitted and fastened.
One detail worth remembering: the light poles carry reflective alphanumeric labels, so if something goes wrong you can note the nearest label and give it to Westlink M7 (staffed 24/7) or emergency services.
Check your bike is legal, too: 500 W maximum continuous rated power (dropping to 250 W from 1 March 2029), assistance that stops above 25 km/h, throttle-only cutting out at 6 km/h. Over-limit bikes are illegal “even if the power or speed is restricted by software (app, switch or code)”.
Worth noticing why it is this good: separated active transport was designed into the project from the start rather than retrofitted a block at a time — a choice about design standards and funding that could be made anywhere.
If you’re ready to be part of a car-lighter city, come see us at Cyberbikes, 281 Parramatta Road, Leichhardt.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the M7 shared path?
Westlink M7 describes it as nearly 40 kilometres long, running from Prestons to Baulkham Hills and four metres wide for most of its length. There are more than 60 entry and exit points, so you can ride a short section instead of the full distance.
Can you ride an e-bike on it?
Yes. An e-bike meeting the NSW limits is treated as a bicycle, so it can use shared paths. Transport for NSW sets those limits at 500 W maximum continuous rated power, assistance stopping above 25 km/h, and throttle-only cutting out at 6 km/h. Helmets are mandatory, you must keep left and give way to pedestrians, and a 30 km/h advisory limit applies.
Can you take an e-bike on the train to reach it?
Bicycles travel free on Sydney Trains, Intercity and Metro services at any time, though Transport for NSW recommends avoiding peak hour, and bikes are not allowed on buses. It also states that from 1 November, converted e-bikes will be banned on Sydney Trains, NSW TrainLink and Metro services.
#CyberbikesLeichhardt #M7SharedPath #EbikeSydney #SydneyCycleways #CarFreeSydney #RentToOwnEbike #WesternSydney
