Adelaide - So many choices!! Where do I go...

downunderdallas

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Hello South Australian's the NSW guys did a great jobsorting me out with some trails there, next stop Adelaide! I'll be there at Easter time for a few days hoping to at least get a couple of days riding in. There are so many choices in close proximity to the city from what I can tell, so I am trying to work out what the best things to ride are, i.e. what shouldn't I miss and what should I ride if I have time? I assume I'll need a car to ge to Fox Creek, looks like that is well worth a visit. I am planning on staying in the city and catch train out to Sturt Gorge/Craigburn, O'Halloran, Shepherds Hill, Lynton - (I am so jealous writing all these riding areas!!) Looks like I need to drive to Eagle? Worthwhile?

I think I'll only have 2 days to ride, 3 if I push my luck ;) Where would you ride?

For reference I prefer gravity/enduro trails to pure XC, nothing too extreme though, a bit of tech is fine but not too out there. Will be riding 140/150 trail bike and may drag the lad on a couple of rides on his 140mm AM hardtail but he is more adventurous than me!
 

Cardy George

Piercing rural members since 1981
You're right about driving to Fox Creek. It's slightly too far into the hills for me to ride to, and then have a decent crack at, and I do long distances as a preference. Definitely make it the priority though. Many and varied trails up there

Then if you only have two days, do the south, Craigburn, Shepherd's etc. While you're in that area the Adventure Loop inside Belair Nat Park is a bit of fun, and the train drops you at pretty much the highest point of the park. Look up the Belair train timetable. In fact you could start there and link into the others?

Then if you get a third day do Eagle. Even a half day. It's a great park, but slightly on the smaller side. There's a mostly dedicated bike path up the side of the freeway, starting where Portrush Rd, Cross Rd and the South Eastern Freeway meet, but it's about 7km, a bitch if you aren't used to climbing.

Have you checked out Trailforks?
 

downunderdallas

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Thanks Cardy, yep had a look there and a few you tube vids. Any specific trails that are popular with the locals?
 

Cardy George

Piercing rural members since 1981
Thanks Cardy, yep had a look there and a few you tube vids. Any specific trails that are popular with the locals?
Sorry, I'm out of my depth now. I was a roadie when I lived there, 80-100km thru the hills every Saturday, so I know all the roads to them, but I'm only just getting into the dirty stuff from a distance. I scratched the surface of the first two areas the weekend I picked my Trek up, and Eagle the weekend I took it back for a warranty on my fork.
 

Jpez

Down on the left!
Can’t really help much but I had one spare day in Adelaide so I hired a car and went to Fox Creek. Absolutely blew my Sox off.
Only regret is not realising they had shuttles there so spent half my time slogging up the hill instead of bombing down.
would go back in a heartbeat.
 

ozzybmx

taking a shit with my boobs out
If you only have a couple of days, definitely do a day at Fox, check out escapegoat.com.au for shuttle days. The other day would be Craigburn, Sturt gorge loop... you could add O'Halloran hill and Sheps Hill as part of that loop depending on legs.
We have so many trails accessible right from the city foothills, you could easily ride here for a week without riding on the same trail.
Don't forget Melrose either, 250km North of Adelaide... that's where were headed to this long weekend. Trails and beers.
 

sane

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I don’t live there but visit quite a bit. Ridden a few trails and it’s definitely a great visit if I can get to Fox Creek.

I will be staying in Pt Elliot later in the year, any locals know of a reason to take the bike down that way?
 

ozzybmx

taking a shit with my boobs out
The 'Encounter' bikeway runs from Victor Harbor to Goolwa at approx 25km long, all sealed and relatively flat as it follows the coast.

The Heysen Trail goes through Victor and through Deep Creek NP down to Cape Jarvis, a beautiful trail but there are quite a lot of hike-a-bike sections, it's steep and.... oh yeah, it's off limits to bikes.

We call Victor Harbor... God's waiting room, due to the high population of retirees that sell up in the city and move there. There's been chat of bike trails for years but I reckon they would rather have their rates $$$ spent on a new bingo hall.

Victor Harb Big4 caravan park does have a Modular Pumptrack... that's about the best fun you'll find down there.
 

sane

Likes Bikes and Dirt
The 'Encounter' bikeway runs from Victor Harbor to Goolwa at approx 25km long, all sealed and relatively flat as it follows the coast.

The Heysen Trail goes through Victor and through Deep Creek NP down to Cape Jarvis, a beautiful trail but there are quite a lot of hike-a-bike sections, it's steep and.... oh yeah, it's off limits to bikes.

We call Victor Harbor... God's waiting room, due to the high population of retirees that sell up in the city and move there. There's been chat of bike trails for years but I reckon they would rather have their rates $$$ spent on a new bingo hall.

Victor Harb Big4 caravan park does have a Modular Pumptrack... that's about the best fun you'll find down there.
Cheers. Maybe I can hire a mobility scooter and hit the Heysen trail
 

downunderdallas

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Hey all back in Perth after the Adelaide trip, unfortunately also just back from hospital, last bit of last ride went a little wrong saw me cartwheel down a hill off a small ledge and fall 2-3m into the river/creek. Was on Spring Creek trail as my boy had enough and wanted the fastest way back home and this seemed like it at the time. We just finished Lomandra and I couldn't worke out if De Rose or the route we took would be faster andway this looked like less climbing so we took it. I rode one of the ! sections (I think get off and walk the signs advise) which was all good until I got to the end and had nowhere to put my foot down over balanced and rolled down the hill off the ledge into the creek. The lad says it was like a movie, with my limbs flailing everywhere. Scared him a bit as I disappeared completely from view as I fell through the bushes (scared the crap out of me for a fraction of a section as I felt myself free falling) anyway REALLY lucky I landed semi feet first in a slightly less rocky not too nasty section of creek/river.

So nothing major, bruised knee, hip, forearm and possible fracture or TFCC (ligament/tendon/cartilage) injury to my wrist.

Bit of a shame to end it that way as I loved Fox Creek, rode with Steve from Bicycle Fix in Woodside who was awesome and some of his friends/associates, seems to be an awesome scene in Adelaide bikes everywhere.

Other trails were a bit hit and miss without local guides, I don't think I rode the best Adelaide Hills has to offer but I did enjoy it none the less!

I did notice a lot of hand cut into the side of (steep) hill trails. I was conscious of the consequence of failure often and tried to excercise caution, must have become complacent at the end, paid the price!
 

ozzybmx

taking a shit with my boobs out
Wow, glad you enjoyed yourself ! Spring creek is a walking trail... sounds like it could have been worse.

Spring creek would have taken you down into the guts of the gulley, so the hand cut trails on both sides are De Rose.

Happy healing :D
 

downunderdallas

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Cheers Ozzy I think the most exposed stuff was on the Venison trail (I think that's the name ) quite a few tight switchbacks, and some places where you didn't want to fall down th elow side of the trail. I was on my own then so probably evenmore conscious of it.

Also seems to be a lot of rocks in the Adelaide hills!
 

ozzybmx

taking a shit with my boobs out
Hahaha, yes the Venison trail and then you must have done the 'Cornish mines' track on the front of Mt Osmond, there's a few places on it you are going to fall a long way down... be careful not to clip a pedal there.
 

Ackland

chats d'élevage
Glad you're ok I'm the end @downunderdallas

It's a good idea to download trailforks and refresh the maps when you're going somewhere new.

Reminds me that I need to create some more recommended route rides.

But for anyone looking... Don't come here, you don't need hundreds of km of trail within 15km of the CBD. Stick with the masses at Derby. I like it quiet.

#AdelaideSucksForRiding
 

downunderdallas

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Went for another x-ray today, fracture confirmed unfortunately, anyone had a small bone wrist fracture, how long before you were riding? So now I have a cast, good thing I got a ride in on the weekend before that x-ray, was a bit painful when I got a small branch lodged under front wheel which led to an endo but otherwise I managed ok, just didn't ride off drops or anything putting a lot of pressure through my hands :)

@ Ackland yeah I did have Trailforks and did know that De Rose was a proper bike trail, my son chose Creek Trail. Creek trail was pretty fun though just a bit sketchy in a few sections but very ridable. Recommended routes would be great. Derby and Adelaide are radically different riding experiences, but yes very jealous of how much trail you have close to the city.
 

droenn

Fat Man's XC President
What was the fire damage at Fox Creek etc like? I've never ridden in Adelaide, even though family there. Thinking to drive across next trip, so aiming to bring a bike with.
 

Jpez

Down on the left!
What was the fire damage at Fox Creek etc like? I've never ridden in Adelaide, even though family there. Thinking to drive across next trip, so aiming to bring a bike with.
I think the majority of trails were wiped out.
I took my bike on a trip last year and rode Fox creek. Awesome place.
A lot of very passionate riders there so it will live again.
 

rockmoose

his flabber is totally gastered
Fox Creek will rise again, better than ever.

But it will be a number of months before we are even allowed back to repatriate the site.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
 
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