End of an era? Has Warby suffered the fate of a Nanny MTB State?

cruxpitch

Likes Dirt
Burners,

heard a nasty rumour yesterday that riding at Warby has come to an end. Any truth behind it?

Rich
 

teK--

Eats Squid
Haven't heard rumors but it'd be a shame there are some awesome trails there.

I presume u mean the DH, AM and Mind crusher trails? Some of the timber Ramps and skinnies are quite rickety but that's about my only criticism.

Has someone asked the guy at the local bike cafe?
 

ajay

^Once punched Jeff Kennett. Don't pick an e-fight
A few months I thought it was just the opposite? Care to elaborate on the rumour? Cerntainly would be shame it were to be true :(
 

cruxpitch

Likes Dirt
Warby

Thats really interesting, considering all the FB posts my son showed me, it seems to be quite the opposite. There were comments which came accross like a eulogy.
Anyway, a mate from YV says that as of immediately, La La Falls track is going to be destroyed from the road crossing to the carpark below, and anyone caught riding the other trails will be heavily fined by Parks if caught.

Warby is such an amazing place to ride. The efforts of a certain few that brought amazing trails to the masses will go down in history as the best place to MTB in Vic.

I really hope that if the future is bright for MTB in Warburton, it does not turn into a sterile shaped and groomed dirtscape.

I really hope I am still physically able to ride Warby if it ever comes about.

Rich
 
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Ideate

Senior Member
anyone caught riding the other trails will be heavily fined by Parks if caught.
Chinese whisper? This has probably been taken WAY out of proportion.. most likely started with someone being told that anyone driving past the locked gate during closed Winter season will be fined by parks..... to: THE ENTIRE mountain and tracks will be bulldozed and ANYONE riding ANYWHERE on the hill WILL BE heavily FINED.

It's really important to have credible and reliable sources.

Having said that, I hope these FB comments have no weight and more money is invested into the tracks.
 

Mywifesirrational

I however am very normal. Trust me.
Got a riding mate who is a local, I don't know the area well, but we were chatting about this very topic on firday night.

Looks like a few tracks are closed, not that they were ever official, just tolerated. Signs are up, penatlies have been highlighted.

Sounds like two things may be occuring, issues with the locals who live close by and riders not doing the right thing, this was what I was told.

And pure speculation, perhaps since the MTB park has been approved, every unoffical track in the area might been coping the same fate, as there will be no excuse not to ride sanctioned trails vs illegal ones.
 

dunndog

Eats Squid
Looks like a few tracks are closed, not that they were ever official, just tolerated. Signs are up, penatlies have been highlighted.

And pure speculation, perhaps since the MTB park has been approved, every unoffical track in the area might been coping the same fate, as there will be no excuse not to ride sanctioned trails vs illegal ones.
Yep that's it. Ideate, it has nothing to do with the gate closures, that happens every year and is well known. Nope, this is about the new mtb hub proposal. To say these trails, in particular the one penned for destruction as of today, are just illegal trails, is a huge injustice. This, along with a couple others, are easily some of the best trails in Victoria. To destroy them instead of incorporating them is nothing shy of insanity. A very, very, VERY sad day for the dh community. To those that built and maintained these trails, we salute you. It is inconcievable that new legal trails will be anywhere near as good. Not when the legal machine of nanny state victoria is at the helm.
 

teK--

Eats Squid
Is anyone local or is checking this out in next few days? days? We might try and get one last ride in on weekend if the trails are still up.
 

Ideate

Senior Member
it has nothing to do with the gate closures, that happens every year and is well known.
It's not well known for some and is precisely why it could have been built into the thing it has become.

Signs are up, penatlies have been highlighted.
Official signs have been witnessed?.. that's sufficient evidence for me. I was hoping it was more of a case of the above though :(

I won't be starting eulogies on FB however until I see it from an official source. Lets hope.

[video=youtube;lnfBhXeG03U]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnfBhXeG03U[/video]
 

Ezkaton

Eats Squid
A shame if true.
I've only been out there a couple times, but they're some of the funnest, feature-rich trails I've ridden in Melbourne... even if I'm not skilled enough to tackle all the features.

Actually, the last time I rode You Yangs we had a run on Bandages, and it really reinforced what I enjoyed about Warby compared to all other trails.
The builders really know how to make a trail fun, and had some interesting plans for building through winter.

I think if true, the best thing for the current builders, would be to get involved with the construction of the new trails if/when this bike park goes ahead... because they clearly know what they're doing.
 

dunndog

Eats Squid
Sorry, to clarify what I meant by that, the sources I have received this news from know the place well and are well aware of the gate closures.
 

Mywifesirrational

I however am very normal. Trust me.
Official signs have been witnessed?.. that's sufficient evidence for me.
Yeah official signs, mate didn't take pics unfortunetly.

Yep that's it. Ideate, it has nothing to do with the gate closures, that happens every year and is well known. Nope, this is about the new mtb hub proposal. To say these trails, in particular the one penned for destruction as of today, are just illegal trails, is a huge injustice. This, along with a couple others, are easily some of the best trails in Victoria. To destroy them instead of incorporating them is nothing shy of insanity. A very, very, VERY sad day for the dh community. To those that built and maintained these trails, we salute you. It is inconcievable that new legal trails will be anywhere near as good. Not when the legal machine of nanny state victoria is at the helm.
Hope everyone in warby likes 3 ft wide smooth winding trails, becuase thats whats comming when the MTB park gets built. :( hope I am completely wrong...
 

cruxpitch

Likes Dirt
Warby

I can only imagine that the trails will be built with Public Liability in mind. The trails that Matt and the others built at Warby were truly crafted from years of riding experience, technical aspect in mind, lay of the land, and the simple unwritten rule, If its too hard for you to ride, piss off and ride somewhere else. Warby is a unique area, offering great access and a remote feeling. Steep lines with big ballsy jumps, rewarded those willing to lay off the brakes and stay on the perfect line.
I hate feeling like the eternal pessimist, but I am hoping for a mirror image of what it was, not what Kinglake became.
 

McFlurry

Likes Bikes
A shame if true.
I've only been out there a couple times, but they're some of the funnest, feature-rich trails I've ridden in Melbourne... even if I'm not skilled enough to tackle all the features.

Actually, the last time I rode You Yangs we had a run on Bandages, and it really reinforced what I enjoyed about Warby compared to all other trails.
The builders really know how to make a trail fun, and had some interesting plans for building through winter.

I think if true, the best thing for the current builders, would be to get involved with the construction of the new trails if/when this bike park goes ahead... because they clearly know what they're doing.

The fun factor is really lacking in every trail I've ridden in VIC. They're usually just messy rocky shaley rooty choppy awkward messes with no flow and nothing you'd really call truly exciting. There's a place for trails like that but you yangs and listerfield are full of them. I am really annoyed to hear these trails, which sound like what I was looking for, will be closed and destroyed. That's a true shame.
 

teK--

Eats Squid
The fun factor is really lacking in every trail I've ridden in VIC. They're usually just messy rocky shaley rooty choppy awkward messes with no flow and nothing you'd really call truly exciting. There's a place for trails like that but you yangs and listerfield are full of them. I am really annoyed to hear these trails, which sound like what I was looking for, will be closed and destroyed. That's a true shame.
That's a pretty bold and disrespectful statement unless you haven't ridden many trails in VIC.
 

Ideate

Senior Member
The fun factor is really lacking in every trail I've ridden in VIC.
I suppose it's subjective but I'd nearly agree with you there as much as people like to bang on about being disrespectful blah blah. It's just the simple truth. That new track off Matt's is/was amazingly fun at Warby.

I am hoping for a mirror image of what it was, not what Kinglake became.
I think Kinglake is rubbish. Last time Ez' and I were there though, we went on a little trek to the other side of the clearing and found a new track in the trees that reminded us of Warby. There was a massive wooden plank ramp to drop, fun flowy lines, jumps and rickety bridges. Unfortunately it didn't go for long and stopped at a massive fallen tree trunk. Even though the trail map says there's a track there, I don't think it's been built by official trail builders so it'll probably get cleared as well :(

Spewing about Warby..
 

Wake Jake

Eats Squid
The fun factor is really lacking in every trail I've ridden in VIC. They're usually just messy rocky shaley rooty choppy awkward messes with no flow and nothing you'd really call truly exciting. There's a place for trails like that but you yangs and listerfield are full of them. I am really annoyed to hear these trails, which sound like what I was looking for, will be closed and destroyed. That's a true shame.
I wouldn't say every to an extent but a large number suffer this problem. Hardly anything in VIC gets me excited after riding trails interstate and overseas. I think its a combination of legality, lack of planning, the whole flow trail 'smooth' fad and erosion control. Just my opinion and I know many share the same.

I did ride Warby last weekend saw all the signs scattered around the roads. It is shame with all the work that has gone into it by the dedicated crew. They know who they are! Lets just hope us gravity riders get some allocation for some tracks that have great potential with the terrain out there.
 

teK--

Eats Squid
The Red Hill DH tracks are probably the closest thing to Warby right now (without heading far out of melb), but since they are also illegal and mostly on quarry land I hope they don't suffer the same fate. Particularly since some of the Red Hill tracks are now legitimised they may turn to shutting down the other unofficial trails.
 
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