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St Helena track

mtbboy — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:44:01 GMT

Im riding this on Sunday 29/11/09 if the weather is good and the trail is open i'll have a look (pics) at the work done. Anyone like to join in i'm riding from Faulconbridge Public School bus bay on Grose Rd at 7am. It takes me 40min to get to the start of the Woodford trail. I'd like to leave Woodford Trail Head at 8:00am latest. So catch a train ( if no track work check 131500.com.au/) or drive. Cheers Bart

Forum: Rides & Riders

Road Cycling issues

crank1979 — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:17:28 GMT

Cycling has been popping up in the media a lot since the incident over a year ago where that idiot ran into a group in Sydney. There has also been the Bus Driver Bashing Cyclist and Miranda Divine?? spewing a whole lot of garbage.

How about the latest from former Roads Minister Carl Scully...

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/cyclists-do-not-have-the-same-rights-as-motorists-on-roads-20091111-i7wf.html

Quote:

Cyclists do not have the same rights as motorists on roads

CARL SCULLY

November 11, 2009 - 10:27AM

I have always respected cycling as a healthy means of exercising and socialising with others. In fact in my earlier years, I too, enjoyed cycling as a way of relaxing and exercising. As a former roads minister, however, I thought cycling needed to be done in the appropriate context and venue for the safety of all who use the roads. For these reasons, I endeavoured, perhaps more than any other roads minister, to provide safe cycle ways and invested millions of dollars in the process. Over more than eight years from November 1996 to January 2005, I spent a lot of time building road infrastructure and ensuring ways to make our roads safer.

Unfortunately, the recent extraordinary event of a road raging cyclist hopping on a bus and assaulting its driver demonstrates exactly what I am talking about and the sometimes quite volatile interaction between motorists and cyclists.

City of Sydney's bike plans dwarf all of NSW

Early on as roads minister, I was concerned that not enough had been done over a number of years for cycling safety and facilities. My initial views were confirmed when I asked the RTA for a detailed briefing on its cycling policies and achievements. Instead of the usual serious and senior operative I always got when it came to discussing plans for motorways and road upgrades, I was sent a kid with jeans and a beard, and not much to tell me. The RTA lifted its game, actually appointed a general manager for cycling and we were able to produce Action for Bikes 2010 and for the first time a substantial commitment on cycle way infrastructure and safety over a sustained period of time.

Despite a massive increase in funding, policy and delivery, the bicycle lobby groups remained at best sceptical, and at worst disappointingly hostile. Perhaps this was because I made it quite clear that I believed riding a bike on a road was profoundly unsafe and that where I could I would shift them to off road cycle ways.

I am still surprised as to how someone willingly gets on a bike and takes a huge risk with cars, trucks and buses, often travelling well over 80 km/h. Motorists get fined for not wearing a seat belt and not strapping their children in properly, for good reason. It is unsafe to be in a vehicle without being belted in properly. That leaves cyclists very vulnerable. No one would suggest it is safe for pedestrians to be on the roadway, so why should it be any different if a pedestrian gets on a bike? While individuals do take all sorts of risk voluntarily every day, either by necessity, or for the thrill of it, the road is quite a different environment. Government with its regulatory powers is the only way a safe playing field can be set for all who wish to use our roads.

The claim put to me often by cycling lobby groups, "that bicycles are non-motorised vehicular transport and have as much right to be on the road as any other vehicle", was a claim I rejected firmly every time. And they never spoke up at all for the thousands of mums, dads and kids who wanted to ride their bikes on a weekend and couldn't because there were no safe facilities.

In rejecting the "we have a right to be on the road" mentality of cyclists and their lobby groups, I also took a measured and balanced policy position on how best to separate bicycles and vehicles from our roads over time.

Shifting cyclists off our roads or even banning them was neither fair nor entirely possible without providing off-road alternatives. I made a decision that all future major road infrastructure would be built with off-road cycle ways.

This included any major cyclical maintenance on road surfaces, which would include a section of off-road cycle way along the length of the newly refurbished road. This policy along with cycle ways along some rail corridors, started with the Wolli Creek Valley Cycleway with the M5 East, the parallel off-road cycle ways along bus only T-ways, running from Liverpool to Parramatta and on to Rouse Hill and finally the best of them all, the 40-kilometre, 3.5-metre wide, grade-separated, off-road cycle way along the length of the M7 motorway. The M7 cycle way is probably the longest and best engineered off-road cycle way in the country. To ensure a person could safely cycle non-stop for 40 kilometres, without crossing a road, or passing through a set of lights, the cycle way needed to go over and under numerous off ramps and intersections along its entire route.

I thought, and in fact assumed, that the cycling lobby would heap praise on the Government for this cycling Manna from heaven. Instead, I got roundly condemned for not building a cycle way that was flat and easy to train on! Having committed tens of millions of toll-paying motorists' dollars on this fantastic project, I was more than a little disappointed with the reaction.

As I suspected at the time, this was the high point of Government interest in building major off-road cycle facilities. Had I kept the roads portfolio until the opening of the M7, I had intended to ban cyclists from using the M7 motorway itself. Instead, every day we see cyclists travelling in the break-down lane next to trucks and cars travelling well over 110 km/h with a perfectly suitable off-road cycle way sometimes only metres away! This is incredibly dangerous to both the cars and bicycle riders themselves.

I am not aware of any substantial building plan for the future, so we are left with cyclists using roads, which are simply unsafe for them. Without infrastructure alternative for cyclists, it may be necessary to regulate the manner and time in which they may use our roads.

Many roads do have wide shoulders that can be used by cyclists. If cyclists choose to travel in packs on early Sunday mornings, that is OK for most. But, the lone cyclist travelling in the middle of a vehicle lane at morning or evening peak hours is not only unsafe for the cyclist, but is often quite unsafe for motorists as they weave around them. I would be happy to see a ban during morning and evening peak times. Time-of-day cycling would ensure that our roads during peak periods are for the sole use of vehicles and not for the use of cyclists.

If pedestrians and cyclists can share off-road cycle ways, then why not where appropriate, share footpaths? Local councils would have to step up and start building much wider footpaths and cyclists would need to take greater care of pedestrians.

Cyclists are unlikely to be happy being regulated to time-of-day cycling or to footpaths and off-road facilities. But, before rejecting this option out of hand, they should consider not only how unsafe it is to be sharing the roadway with vehicles, but also acknowledge that it is motorists who pay fuel levies, tolls, registration and licence fees, as well as the huge cost of buying and running a motor vehicle. Apart from a negligible amount of GST on their equipment, cyclists pay nothing towards the cost of the roads they wish to use and rely on motorists to fund most of the cost of cycling infrastructure. Being more aware of this may make more cyclists a little more sensitive to the needs of the motoring public.

Carl Scully is the former NSW minister for roads and is now a principal at Evans & Peck Pty Ltd.

Forum: Rides & Riders

Illawarra Escarpment

crank1979 — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 21:03:50 GMT

Illawarra Escarpment

I've been wanting to ride this track for a long time. I have a few mates down Wollongong way and luckily at least one of them is into mtbing and knows this track, so i went out for a ride with him and another rider.

We started at a different point from either of the starting locations listed on the site. The main firetrail/mining road (Lower Illawarra Escarpment Firetrail i think) starts at the end of Hawthorn Rd. The road goes uphill and once you get around the gate it continues uphill for about 5km. The climbing was damn hard in some places with few areas of respite. Some of the little side trails lead to different downhill runs, but you'd have to get back up if you wanted to ride the whole firetrail.

Once we hit the turn off for the Rixon's Pass Firetrail it flattened out a little and had some ups and downs. Apparently the view from the top of Rixon's pass is pretty nice but we didn't have time to go up there on this day. Next time, a little more climbing has got to be good for you, doesn't it!

The track was firetrail all the way to the end, just near the hairpin bend on Bulli Pass. So from sea level it's a good climb to that point. The surface was basically small loose stuff over hardpack the whole way with a few corners being a bit sketchy and some areas of clay. From the end you have a few options. You could...

ride down the remainder of Bulli Pass. I've done that before and it's pretty cool on a road bike.
ride back a bit and go down the Bulli DH track.
head back along the firetrail and up the Rixon's Pass Firetrail to check out the view and ride more tracks described on the Illawarra Escarpment page.
continue back past the RPF turn of and try one of the other DH runs to get to the bottom.

We took the last option down a track called Possums. It was pretty good and a nice change from the firetrail. A bit short though.

All in all, it was a great training ride. The greenery is very different from where i usually ride. The occasional view was nice, but it's not a very technical ride at all.

Forum: Greater NSW and Interstate Trails

Husky Enduro

crank1979 — Thur, 15 Oct 2009 21:46:17 GMT

This is a new event for 2010. The tracks are meant to be pretty good. It's held down Nowra, NSW.

The Husky Enduro

I've entered!

Forum: Rides & Riders

Long Angle Trail

Spoke53 — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:58:47 GMT

I'm going to ride the Springwood to Blaxland (Long Angle) trail this (Saturday 17th Oct) weekend. Im looking at a 9am kickoff from Springwood Station. If you don't ride up the HWY first from Blaxland Station you can catch the train up. (You can ride from Blaxland to Springwood as fast as the train on weekends!!) Early starters can kick off at Springwood 8am - coffee & cake shop near the station. It takes me about 1Hr 40min to complete this ride from my house in Faulconbridge. Let me know if you are coming... leesmiths@bigpond.com

Cheers, Bart

Forum: Rides & Riders

Wolgan Railway

crank1979 — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:03:22 GMT

This track has previously been listed on Trailflix.

There is going to be a maintenance/clean up day on the 11th of October, 2009.

From Rotorburn...

Quote:

Wolgan railway clean up 11-10-09

Hey all there is a push to formalise the old Wolgan rail lines from Clarence to Newnes into a "rail trail".

The bottom section is a great ride but currently over grown with lots of fallen trees blocking the track.

The owner of the Newnes hotel wants to make a start clearing this section up while waiting on all the guff and NPs have OKed it so we're heading down on Sunday the 11th to make a start and it would be great to get a few other bodies who have half a clue on what riders want to come along and help out.

I'm pushing to keep this section an interesting MTB ride and not see it dumbed down so if we can get some numbers along and lend a hand on this initial clean up that will give us a better say in future works.

There is a great Camp ground just past the Newnes Hotel if you want to camp over and avoid an early morning drive.

Saws, shovels and the usual trail tools

Cheers all

__________________
Flynny
Living the dream

Forum: Greater NSW and Interstate Trails

Giant Bikes Stolen in Waitara

GIN51E — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 14:18:14 GMT

This afternoon I came face to face with a Bikers worst nightmare.

Left to do the shopping at 6pm, got back at 7pm to find our two bikes stolen with broken locks being all that was left behind.

My bike was a 2009 Giant Trance X3 serial number GM876463
And my Fiance's was a 2009 Giant Anthem XW COMP serial number GB972724

If anyone see either of these advertised for sale please contact me ASAP

Regards, Martin Gins
martingins@iinet.net.au

Forum: Rides & Riders

3 Ring Circus

crank1979 — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 07:15:58 GMT

3 Ring Circus

I enjoyed the event, even without much singletrack. It was well organised by the WH team. The tracks were well signposted in addition to the regular signage that is always there. The tracks were in good condition too. My secret goal was for a 3hr finish time but i was ging to be happy with any time under 4 hours.

I, like a few others i spoke to, were a bit put off by the late 10am start, but we all guessed that this is the WH Teams more family oriented event so it makes sense to start it a bit later. I bought some pancakes for breakfast from one of the stands and i think they were playing a joke on me by getting plastic panckaes from a novelty store and heating them up on the hotplate before serving them to me! They were disgusting. Parking wasn't the greatest but it worked.

At the rider briefing we were all warned about the unfriendly shape to the new waterbars and that each descent with these would have a caution sign at the top, and they did. Huw wasn't wrong either. I found myself too front heavy on every single waterbar for the race, even though i knew what was coming and what it was going to be like i couldn't get over the back far enough to stay level in the air but i was fortunate enough not to come off. I saw two riders on the ground after crashes off the waterbars. One of them wasn't too bad but the first guy didn't look good at all.

Starting with the 6km Blue Loop was a good idea. It was a nice warm up loop and spread the field out a little. I started with Grant S from Trailflix, who was doing some filming, but he caught a break in the traffic at the start and rode away from me to set himself up on a corner and get some footage.

The Red Loop was the only part of the race to contain any singletrack. The firetrail at the beginning of the loop helped stretch the field out a bit more, especially one we hit the first climb. I kept reminding myself to stand and pedal every now and then to vary my position so i wouldn't cramp up and for the first time really paid attention to how others were climbing. It was very rare that i saw anyone get up off the seat to climb and traction wasn't a big issue today. The first descent claimed at least one victim, that being the guy i saw writhing on the ground in pain. Fortunately he had help with him.

Into some singletrack that sets the scene for what to expect of Wingello singletrack. It's not too bad. There's nothing technical at all and it flows nicely, as long as you don't get stuck behind someone. I found i was getting stuck behind people who would pedal at about the same speed as me, but couldn't hold their speed through the bends and turns or over obstacles so we were always braking and accelerating.

A little goal i'd set for myself was to ride up The Wall. My memory of the highland Fling obviously isn't good enough because i had no chance of making it up. It is steep! I made it up over the first waterbar and then lost traction about 10m on and walked the rest of it. Some people were getting back on at different points but i was content to walk to the top, which was much further up than i remembered!

Along more singletrack on The Great Wall, The Everglades, Tangles and other sections. A guy in front of me in the Tangles bit clipped a tree and went over the bars. He was okay though and go up to keep going. There is a section after Tangles where you ride up the firetrail for about 100m before hitting more singletrack on the left for a fast downhill run with a hard right corner at the bottom. I didn't overshoot the corner this time!

A firetrail finish for the Red Loop and the off to do the Yellow Loop. For the last 500m of the Red Loop i was chatting to a guy named Robbie and we started the Yellow Loop together. I told him i was going to try ad use him to pace myself so he shouldn't hold back or wait for me, i'd just try and keep up. He replied that he was trying to do the same with me! We rode toether for a bit before we took turns getting away form each other until eventually i got away from him on a climb and didn't see him again.

The Yellow Loop was all firetrail with two big climbs. I'm happy to report that The Wall was the only section i walked and i only had one stop during the Red Loop to take my jacket off and get one of my Powerbar Ride bars out. I ate the bar on the flat sections of the Red Loop and stuffed it up my knicks when i needed both hands on the handlebars. They realy make you drink a lot of water those bars too, but i felt pretty good for the whole race using it. I wanted to have another one but it got stuck in my jersey pocket so i persevered without it.

Some of the firetrail descents on the Yellow Loop were pretty sketchy with the waterbars and loose surface. On one of them you could smell the cooked brake pads half way down. One finished with a small water crossing and i went through at thesame time as another guy so we just wet each other. At the top of one descent was a caution sign, not for waterbars, just because it was a long, step descent. Around a left hand bend on this part the good line was damp and it was the only place i lost the front wheel, but i quickly recovered. Even before that i never had heaps of confidence in the front tyre and my cornering left a bit to be desired with me overshooting a few turns.

Another fast firetrail finish for the Yellow Loop with it being slightly downhill and into transition for the last time where i forgot to hand in my transponder and had to go back to give it in. They were on the numberplates this time instead of being around your leg which was pretty cool.

So overall, an excellent event.

Forum: Rides & Riders

Awaba Trails

hometrail — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 22:36:06 GMT

Awaba has been extended WHOHOO!!!!! I rode there yesterday, haven't been there for a couple of months.It's fantastic, now about 8km of single track.Check it out if you get a chance.

Forum: Greater NSW and Interstate Trails

Ourimbah rides

crank1979 — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 08:44:33 GMT

I have a meeting in Newcastle on Saturday the 4th of July and Ourimbah will be on the way home.

I've never ridden there for a night ride and should be able to start out at about 5pm.

If anyone is up for it let me know before Saturday, 4th July.

Forum: Rides & Riders

Watagan Mountains

hometrail — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 06:31:26 GMT

I live next to the Watagan Mountains and I'd like to share a 50k ride that I do.It's made up of fire trails and overgrown logging tracks and a bit of single track.If you are looking for a new ride close to Sydney this could be for you.

The 50km loop is from Tobins rd ,right Prickley ridge rd,left Branch rd,right Saw Pit Rd,right Sauls rd,left Bulley's Shelf rd,right Prickley Ridge rd,right Plank Hill rd,left Rock Forest Rd,left Cut Rock rd,left Prickley Ridge rd,right Lemon Tree rd,right yambo Forest rd,left Curtis rd,left Greasy rd,right Boundary forest rd,straight to Prickley ridge rd and back to the start.

Some stats for the Watagan 50km loop, Climb 1#2.13km altitude gain 120m,Climb 2# 1.36km gain 100m, Climb 3# 2.26km gain 220m, Climb 4# 4.06km gain 160m. Climb 3 would make an excellent ski run shame it never snows here.

There are motor bikes around but I've never had any problems with them.Google maps Tobins Rd and you can see there are hundreds of trail combinations

Cheers
Hometrail

Forum: Rides & Riders

Scott 24hr

crank1979 — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 06:57:51 GMT

Scott 24hr

I've never done a 24hr race but have heard pretty much nothing but positives about the experience. I want to give this one a go this year.

Forum: Rides & Riders

Dharawal rides

crank1979 — Sun, 17 May 2009 08:14:41 GMT

I need to get some kilometers in so this Saturday i'm going to head out and do my Dharawal loop. I'll ride from my house but i should be at the gate at the end of Lysaght Rd, Wedderburn by 8am.

Google map with street view showing gate

My route will follow the description here

Forum: Rides & Riders

Wet weather riding?

crank1979 — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 09:40:08 GMT

I've posted this elsewhere, being inspired by some pictures/ride threads where the riders were obviously doing damage to the trailsbecause they were so wet. I thought i'd post it here after a recent comment left on the Camden South River Run page.

What are everyone's thoughts on riding trails when they are wet, especially when they are soaked and there are puddles all over them and they have poor drainage?

I'm not a fan of it for a few reasons.

Being someone who likes to do a bit of trackwork when possible, i can see how easily the tracks get damaged in wet weather and how long it takes to get them back into good condition again. Manly Dam is often closed in poor weather and most people seem to be sensible and not ride it then. Why is it okay to not ride Manly Dam but then thrash other tracks in wet weather?

It sucks for the bike, leading to increased maintenance and greater wear on parts. Brake pads wear quicker and start to squeal, the chain gets covered in abrasive grit and wears the cassette and chainrings, bearings start to get rough and need lubing...

On Sydney tracks, with all the sand, i find it uncomfortable when the grit gets everywhere i don't want it to go!

When a track is wet enough to hold the sand together then that can make for some pretty good riding. But when there are large puddles and the track hasn't drained properly i just don't think it's worth getting out on them and messing them up. I'll go for a road ride, get on the trainer, or ride a firetrail that doesn't get damaged too much like Dharawl or something similar.

So what do other people think? Are there positives to riding soaked trails besides having the whole track to yourself because not many others are out there?

Forum: Rides & Riders

Kentlyn rides

crank1979 — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:29:42 GMT

There are a few guys looking to do Kentlyn this Sunday, the 19th of April at around 9 or 10am.

Focussing mainly on the XC stuff but that will probably incldue a few of the easier DH runs. There is plenty of stuff out there for everyone. I know i'll be missing a club race but i think i'd like to do Kentlyn instead as i get out there less than i get out to Appin.

Parking will be at the end of Darling Ave, heading away from Georges River Rd and Old Kent Rd. http://www.whereis.com/nsw/kentlyn/236-darling-av?id=6F595212280C6E

Forum: Rides & Riders