|
TRAIL NOTES: 4TH SEP - TOONGABBIE
Posted: 2010-08-29 15:45:54
TOONGABBIE – Cara Danis – I’ve been riding the first part of this trail since I was a kid and only recently started on the other side. The quality of the jumps has gone downhill in the last week after some kids came and messed up the berms but thanks to whoever it was that cleared the track recently.
Overall its one of my favorite afternoon rides.
|
|
TRAIL NOTES: 22nd August: OLD GREAT NORTH ROAD, TRACK BUILDING WORKSHOP
Posted: 2010-08-19 06:19:30
OLD GREAT NORTH ROAD - T White - Almost a perfect mix. This network of tracks has no designated singletrack, but it has everything else a keen MTB’er could ask for - Technical descents/ascents, Difficult climbs to give you exercise, fast firetrail descents, narrower tracks and some wide flat firetrail sections where you can cruise and enjoy the scenery.
My favourite was the technical stuff at the top of the first hill, though the final blast of the Western Commission Track was much enjoyed - but be careful - when I did this track, a bus passed us (going to the Buddhist Hermitage).
This is undoubtedly one of the best places I’ve ridden - the best bit is that you start at the bottom so save the downhill blast right till the end!
IMBA AUSTRALIA TRAIL BUILDING WORKSHOP - Grant Byrne - I spent last Saturday, from 8am until 3pm at the MTB Track Design Criteria Erosion and Sediment Control Workshop with a great bunch of like-minded guys.
Nick Bowman from IMBA Australia was the main presenter and was absolutely brilliant. He seems to be a very nice guy and is extremely knowledgeable. The lovely ladies from the NPWS looked after us a little bit too well with some of the food and were also keen to learn what MTB’ers wanted in the area, particularly Yellomundee.
Overall, a great day, even though I piked out of the ride at the end. It was also good to confirm that we are doing the right things at Loftus and I'm doing the right things on some other tracks.:)
Thanks to JP, Al and Vicki for organising it and getting people involved.
There may be more of this type of workshop in the future.
|
|
TRAIL NOTES 14th August – ROUSE HILL
Posted: 2010-08-11 22:05:29
ROUSE HILL: Luke - Congratulations to whoever is doing some of the work on the new technical sections. Nice job! I really enjoyed it, and think it adds to the broad range of skill levels catered for at this site.
However, I would ask the person who has cut the unnecessary short cut (or opened an old path?) through the shrub, between the sandy double track down to the sand stone ledges/base rocks, to please consider blocking it again. It just seems like unneeded destructive removal/trimming of bush land to me... I've notice something similar going on at the main fire road, back down to the shale single track.
I urge people not to use these short cuts, and to please consider mountain bike advocacy before cutting unneeded tracks through the bush if existing routes are in place.
Sorry to have a gripe, Thanks.
|
|
TRAIL NOTES: 8TH AUGUST - CAMDEN SOUTH
Posted: 2010-08-05 21:48:10
CAMDEN SOUTH: Steve Dabelstein - Rode this track again recently, with my wife (her first go) on my old bike which is to big for her but she had a great time and did extremely well, apart from one small off she had ending up with a nice purple bruise on her arse. (Don't worry, I iced it for her). Track was in great condition, a little slippery but fast. Will be sure to take the wife again. Great track; great fun.
|
|
TRAIL NOTES 1st August: GLENROCK, AWABA & WATAGANS
Posted: 2010-07-31 07:06:51
GLENROCK, NEWCASTLE: Grant Byrne - I rode out here for the first time a few days ago after reading a lot about the area.
We went left once throught the gate and after having a look at the noticeboard. The tracks were really good. What we should have done though was get a map from a LBS. I'm pretty sure we rode most of the singletrack in both directions on the left side of the firetrail. We did a fair bit of doubling back just so we could ride down a section we'd noticed earlier or ridden up.
Riding up some of those bermed corners was excellent. It felt as if we were gaining speed by railing around the berms going up! The trackwork that the local guys have been doing is top notch stuff. In some of the photos I'd seen before going up there it looked like there might be a few intimidating sections to climb and descend, but it all worked out really well. Great flow along the singletrack.
After riding across the top stuff we decided to descend a firetrail and after a dip ended up going right onto some more singletrack. Just after the top of the climb, where the singletrack started to descend again, the view opened up on a beautiful ocean panorama. Looking left showed us a beach and looking right showed us another beach and a lagoon. We headed down to the viewing platform and went right past the table and chairs. After chatting to some local kids we had no new information about which way to go so we explored a bit and then went back to the viewing area and followed the firetrail in the opposite direction.
Eventually we joined back up to a track we'd already ridden, so we rode back to the viewing area and back up the singletrack where my mate said he saw more singletrack near the top. We rode up that and found some jumps that some kids were playing on. We tried some more singletrack that appeared to be a DH track and then got back onto a fireroad and made our way back to the gate.
Overall, it was a great area to ride. I'dlove to do it again with someone who knows the area and how to join the tracks together better than what we did. The work done by the local trail fairies is brilliant stuff.
AWABA, NEAR NEWCASTLE: Grant Byrne - I rode this with a mate who was familiar with it on the same day we rode Glenrock.
The dirt road leading in has been graded smooth and there is a good sized parking area at the trailhead. All of this was extra good for me after following the GPS to get there sent us the wrong way and I managed to get the ute bogged on a firetrail!
The Awaba course is very good. We rode the two longer loops. The first time we rode nearly all the way up ‘Camel Humps’ and the second lap we cut that section out.
It’s a very well groomed track with a lot of switchbacks. I guess it has been set up as an XC/Enduro race venue because it’s not overly technical. The climbing isn’t too hard besides that one section, but every climb is rewarded with a flowing descent. There are a few bridges and they are all really solid, allowing you to hit them with speed and no fear of slipping.
The corners aren’t quite as sweeping, bermed or flowing on the climbs as Glenrock but it was still easy to carry speed through them. They just don’t give that sensation of accelerating around them like at Glenrock. Everything on the way back down was awesome.
The track markings were excellent. Nice big coloured arrows to show us which way we needed to go to ride each loop. Considering the track recently held a big endurance event it was in fantastic condition as well. It really held up well to all of the use it had.
Overall, it’s a great 10km XC track if you’re trying to ride it fast (you don’t have to actually be fast, just feel like you are, like me!) but if you are just cruising around it’s not that exciting. I don’t think it’s a track I’d drive out to ride on it’s own. But making a day of it and riding Ourimbah or Glenrock as well as Awaba is a good thing to be able to do because they are so close
WATAGANS – Hometrail - Wow I've been exploring and found about 3k of single track that I've been riding past for the last 2 years. Now all I have to do is find a bit more to make a great loop.
|
|
TRAIL NOTES 24th July: ROUSE HILL, SPARROW HILL, MENAI, LOFTUS OVAL, KENTLYN
Posted: 2010-07-22 21:57:55
ROUSE HILL: Michael Brown - Did this trail today. Took a while to find the correct trail but as mentioned you only end up at a dead end. There are some awesome sections thru the trails along with the man made jumps and cut outs. So glad its only 1 km from my house. Will be going back for some more that’s for sure!
SPARRROW HILL: Grant Byrne - Now that the forest work is going on the track is apparently only about 12km long. :(
LUCAS HEIGHTS/MENAI: Grant Byrne - Every time I ride this area with someone we ride different tracks that they know. There are so many different ways to get around, but it's not a massive area so the chances of getting seriously lost are very slim. This is not an XC race area, it is definitely a technical, challenging, trail ride. I'm a bit soft, so while I can ride around it on my XC bike, it is nowhere near as much fun as when I do it on a bigger bike.
LOFTUS OVAL/ROYAL NATIONAL PARK: Grant Byrne - The 3rd Saturday of every month is trail maintenance day at Loftus. I've been seeing a lot of the same faces riding around while track work is being done but very few people seem to want to volunteer to help look after the tracks they ride…
If you are keen on helping out and can spare from 9-12pm one Saturday a month, email royal.volunteers@environment.nsw.gov.au to let them know you can attend.
The normal meeting point is the Ranger Station located down Farnell Ave. It would be good to see some familiar faces helping to look after the track and some of us ride before or after the work as well.
KENTLYN: Grant Byrne - There are a few more tracks being added and fixed up. The Bendi Track is a great section to finish the ride with. The Rock Track section is always excellent and the older XC stuff is still pretty good too, with plenty of ways to link up different bits.
The DH stuff has a few dedicated guys maintaining the tracks and doing some great work. I think they would appreciate it if people didn't remove or modify what they are doing. If you haven't worked on it, don't change it. And just because you can't ride it, that doesn't mean that others can't either and you shouldn't make bits easier or dumb them down.
|
|
TRAIL NOTES: WINMALEE, THE KESSEL RUN, FAIRFIELD FARM, MT ANNAN
Posted: 2010-07-15 22:13:31
WINMALEE: Tom Clough - I rode this trail yesterday for first time (only upgraded from my bmx bike 2 weeks ago) and thought it was good fun. Nice downhill section at the start, then easy until I decided to try climb Bee’s Hill. Made it until the first turn but just don’t have the fitness yet:(. Is there a way of riding it the opposite way so I can ride down the hill instead of up? Then maybe ride streets back around to the top again… [Ed: Yes, I’m told you can ride in from the rear of Springwood Playing Fields at St Columbia’s High School. Access the fields from Hawkesbury Road. Never done it myself though! Suggest you take a look on Google Maps]
THE KESSEL RUN (Camden South): Grant Byrne - I went out today to check out the section of track I worked on yesterday. I managed to ride the whole track without skidding and rode across both bridges so it wasn't too wet and was definitely drier than yesterday. The section I worked on ended up being only 250m long but it's a nice detour.
I rode it in both directions at the start. On the second direction I messed up the first pinch climb and the wombat hole, but after riding the whole track and then riding it again on the way back I had the gear selection sorted out and cleared it all. It's a bit soft at the moment and needs some riding in, but that shouldn't be a problem because it's pretty easy to see the track now.
FAIRFIELD FARMMick (via Grant Byrne) - As the location of the XC events in the Sydney Olympics, I always wanted to try riding the course but never got around to it. They closed the farm down for a while recently but I notice it has just been re-opened. Anyway, I sent an email off to the people currently managing the place, inquiring about riding there. This is the response back...
“Thank you for your enquiry. The Mountain Bike track in its current form is not able to be safely ridden and hence is not open to the public. As we have just changed the Management of Calmsley Hill City Farm we are looking at all of the opportunities that this place offers and the Mountain Bike track is definitely one of those opportunities we may develop.
The track is currently heavily overgrown and many of the crossings have been attacked by termites. I cannot give you a guarantee regarding timing nor any certainty it will be opened, however please keep in touch and we will certainly display it on our website which we are currently developing, if we do develop this avenue.”
This is the link to their website... http://calmsleyhill.com.au/
So it looks like there's a small chance to ride there at some point in the future. The thing I want to know from anyone that rode the course back in the day... what was it like to ride and would it be worth riding again if it were to ever reopen? I remember the 'Cauldron' section of the track being rather gnarly and causing quite a few riders grief.
MOUNT ANNAN XC: - Dirtz/Balkan Blog (via Grant Byrne) - August will see the official opening of the Mount Annan XC (Stage 1 and Stage 2). Stage 3 will be next and gives us the chance to throw some real tech XC track down. It is a delicate balance to get technical trail that is also sustainable through events and recreation. We will post the opening date as soon as we know it ourselves and expect to see all you aerobic junkies on your MTB's for the latest XC trail to hit the Sydney basin.
|
|
TRAIL NOTES: 10th July - Ourimbah; Camden South AKA The Kessel Run
Posted: 2010-07-08 21:33:51
OURIMBAH: Mike Ayling - 10 of us from the Northern Suburbs did this ride yesterday and had a blast. We mostly middle aged men in our 40s although there are some young-uns amongst us - we all coped well with the track.
Being someone of more generous proportions whose built for comfort rather than speed - it was good to see very few uphills & the ones that were there were short and manageable.
Consensus was that it was the best track we've been on - beats Yarramundi (just) and the Woodford to Glenbrook.
Rollercoaster is lots of fun - a couple of minor spills - watch out after the magic carpet...
Thanks to CCOMTB for the trail condition it was excellent.
Note we don't think we got lost but there were more named sections than in the Trail description - Ewok Forrest etc... Would love a minor review of the notes.
Will definitely be back soon!
[ED: Thanks for the feedback: Will update in the next couple of weeks}
CAMDEN SOUTH – AKA THE KESSEL RUN: Grant Byrne: I went out again today, on foot with the dog, with the aim of rejuvenating a section of track that doesn't get used anymore because of fallen trees.
I cleared the fallen trees, rerouted some small bits to make it a bit more interesting and raked the track clean. It'll need a bit of riding in to firm up the track but it should be pretty good and flow nicely. Coming back from Menangle to Camden there are two entrances. The first one is a slight left fork off the main track. The second entrance is a hard left and then up a steep pinch. Where the original track went straight up an embankment, I've routed it around a bit with a shallow bench cut. It'll make a good detour in either direction but I plan to do it mostly on the way back. :)
The pallet ramp over the fallen tree has been fixed up.
Someone had been out yesterday or this morning by the looks of it and skidded everywhere, down every slope and around corners, putting grooves in the track! The track was obviously too wet to ride at that time and should have been obvious just from the condition of the muddy track at the first creek crossing.
|
|
BARGO RIVER STATE CONSERVATION AREA
Posted: 2010-07-02 19:10:27
We are assuming Bargo is now off limits to MTB riding and indeed all recreational activity…. (we won’t stop communications and background lobbying as you never know when circumstances might change)
However, alongside this privately owned land we’ve been calling Bargo Colliery, is a large national park, called Bargo River State Conservation Area
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/NationalParks/parkHome.aspx?id=N1113
The images in the "What it offers" section aren't highlighted, but in the description it clearly says mountain biking is okay.
“Bargo River State Conservation Area protects a section of the upper Bargo River catchment in the Southern Highlands of NSW. The Bargo River drains into the Hawkesbury-Nepean system. The geography is rugged dissected Hawkesbury Sandstone, with open forest and woodland being the primary vegetation communities, although at Cave Creek there is a small section of Warm Temperate Rain Forest. There are a number of significant species of flora and fauna, some which are rare and threatened. Recreational activities include bushwalking, mountain bike riding and picnicking at the Cave Creek day-use area. A short bushwalking track leads from the day-use area to a sandstone cave through which a stream runs, exiting into a shallow gorge clothed in rainforest.”
We will be exploring the park soon to see what MTB it offers and come back with a revised page once we have scouted out some trails.
So, here's the proposed description already...We'll go explore then put up a trail page soon...
(Grant Byrne)
Bargo River State Conservation Area is not far from Tahmoor, home of the famous Phantom Cycles. There are a number of firetrail entrances running off the Hume Hwy between Yanderra and Yerrinbool.
There is heaps of variety in the area and it can link with other land areas pretty unexpectedly as there are not many fences or signs around.
Bargo River State Conservation Area protects a section of the upper Bargo River catchment in the Southern Highlands of NSW. The geography is rugged dissected Hawkesbury Sandstone, with open forest and woodland being the primary vegetation communities, although at Cave Creek there is a small section of Warm Temperate Rain Forest. There are a number of significant species of flora and fauna, some which are rare and threatened. Recreational activities include bushwalking, mountain bike riding and picnicking at the Cave Creek day-use area.
Several choices to find your way from there: 1. Download the GPX into a GPS unit and follow the rides there 2. Check out the Satellite Map for a general trail indication 3. Download the GPX into Google Earth and study the trails in depth at home 4. Contact Grant Byrne (crank1979) via the Trailflix Forums to take you on a tour of the area. 5. Just head out and explore.
Enjoy.
|
|
TRAIL NOTES 26th June: CAMDEN RIVER RUN, LOFTUS OVAL
Posted: 2010-06-27 08:41:41
CAMDEN SOUTH: Dylan - Very fast and tight track. I will be going back very soon.
CAMDEN SOUTH: Grant Byrne - I went out on the weekend for a ride to see if I could join up the end of this track to another track a few kilometers away with no luck. What looked like a low, crossable section of the river on Google Earth was actually a large section of reeds.
I know there are a few people doing work on this track and the rejuvenation of the old loop at the end of the singletrack is good but...
Try and do things properly. Adding crappy bits of timber ladder work that sits directly on the ground is not a great way to do things. I know why it's on that sandy corner, but scrape a drainage nick there instead. With a bit more riding it will bed in. There are a lot of downed trees there at the moment and they would be better off removed from the track instead of just making new tracks around them.
I'm not saying don't go out there and do anything, but put a bit of thought into what is being done. I definitely appreciate the time it takes to do a bit of track work.
With that in mind I decided to go out there around midday today with two particular bits in mind and fixed them up. I fixed a few other little bits along the way where some trail edges had worn or been knocked down a bit and I explored a few little tracks running off the main track that I’ll come back and ride later.
So at the entry to the first bridge there was a large tree down. It was way too big to jump over and it seemed that everyone was actually going off the track to the left to get over the tree because it was that high. I should have taken a pic before I cut through the first part.
photobucket.com - Tree Down
I cut it twice to make it manageable for me to move it by myself. The saw is about half way through in this shot.
photobucket.com - Progress
And the open track.
photobucket.com - Result
The next section had people making a sharp right and then around the fallen tree onto the very soft edge of the track. Again, I’d already cut a few bit off before taking the pictures. This one had already been attacked by someone else but they just hacked a small bit away and left it.
photobucket.com - Tree Fall
photobucket.com - Other Side
And the open track again. I was able to use some of the pieces to build up the lower edge a little a bit further along.
photobucket.com - Result 2
Not a bad 2 hours work with 2km to walk in each direction and chatting to a few people out there too!
The little bridge that has been added to the concrete pipe at the start of the track is pretty badly made and needs fixing and the pallet ramp going over a high fallen tree about half way along the track is a shocker and needs work as well.
LOFTUS OVAL: Grant Byrne - Today was the third Saturday of the month so that meant the regular trackwork session was on. About 6 of us built up a nice raised rock armoured section to get around an area that was pooling water after rain near the top of the singletrack closest to Loftus Oval. I rode a lap on the Anthem SS. Didn't make it up the big fireroad hill on the other side of the road on the way back, but riding the loop at the end in reverse is definitely the better way to do it. I'd rather climb fireroad and blast down singletrack than do it the other way around. The Loftus track is part of the Royal National Park and gets a lot of use from mountain bikers in good and very poor weather conditions.
|
|
|
|
