Can you ride the side streets (I know in North America most cities have alleys behind the houses & that's not what i'm referring to..). For example, on one ride I can beat the wind and ride nicer hills by going in three streets into the residential area. The street I require to connect everything isn't hard to get to and all's well at the end. It's a nice area & haven't encountered too many bogans driving.

? Does that make sense?

I have no clue about how safe those side streets are in your city.