Stretching roughly 220 kilometres between Windsor in the northwest and Singleton in the Hunter Valley, the Putty Road has built a reputation over decades as one of the most demanding and rewarding rides in New South Wales. The mountain section through Yengo National Park is what riders come for: a relentless series of corners that earns the road its nickname, the Devil’s Backbone.
It demands respect. It rewards preparation. And it has no equal within two hours of Sydney.
Start in Windsor, Not on the M2
Before you even think about the corners, sort out your fuel in Windsor. It is your last reliable stop before the ranges and the town sits about 60 kilometres northwest of Sydney’s CBD. Get there early, fill the tank, and give yourself time to settle in before the road gets serious.
From Windsor, the first stretch is flat and unremarkable: open farmland, wide lanes, easy going. It reads like a warm-up because it is one. The road is giving you time to wake up. Use it.
Then the Mountain Starts
The moment you enter Yengo National Park, the Putty Road becomes the road everyone warned you about.
The corners arrive quickly and keep coming. Tight ones, sweeping ones, off-camber ones that tighten mid-arc. The road climbs and descends through dense bushland with barely a straight for the next 70 kilometres. There is no cruise control option here. Every corner needs your full attention, and the Putty has a way of finding out when it doesn’t have it.
This is the section riders travel for. It is also the section that catches people out.
The Pub at the End of the World
Midway through the mountain section, the Upper Colo Hotel appears. Known to everyone as the Putty pub, it is the only real stop between Windsor and Singleton and on a Saturday morning the car park fills with bikes from across Sydney.
Stop here. Stretch, get a drink, check yourself. The Putty pub is more than a fuel stop for the soul: it is a checkpoint. If you are tired, sit longer. The return run through the same 70 kilometres of corners is where fatigue does its worst work. There is no shame in taking your time here.
The Return is a Different Ride
Most riders are surprised by how different the Putty feels southbound.
The corners hit from new angles, the sightlines shift, and your body is carrying the load of the northbound run. Concentration tends to dip in the second half of any long mountain road. On the Putty, that dip costs people.
Keep your pace honest on the way back. The road is not going anywhere.
Make It a Loop
If retracing your line doesn’t appeal, the Hunter Valley loop is worth considering. Ride north on the Putty, roll into Singleton for lunch, then return via Cessnock and the M1. It adds time but removes repetition and takes you through some decent country on the way home.
For those with a full weekend, pairing it with the Old Pacific Highway south of Gosford is hard to beat. Two iconic NSW roads, two days, no regrets.
The Basics
Route: Windsor to Singleton via Putty Road (B12)
Distance: ~220km one way (mountain section approximately 70km)
Best time: Spring or autumn, early morning
Watch for: Fatigue on return run, blind corners, damp surface, wildlife at dawn/dusk
Fuel: Windsor before departure, Singleton at the far end
Stop: Upper Colo Hotel (Putty pub) at the midpoint
If the Putty Road leaves you wanting more NSW tarmac, our Oxley Highway guide covers Australia’s most celebrated mountain road further north.
