Bruce Ridge ACT

No actual trail head per se as it's an outer loop with a patchwork of trails within.

There are numerous places to park, to name a few:

- Canberra Stadium, both front and rear
- Calvary Hospital
- Caravan Park (can't recall the name but you'll see it on the map
- Black Mountain on the other side of Belconnen Way
- CIT, Bruce Campus

There are multiple access points on all sides of the ridge, I'd suggest the rear carpark of the stadium.
 
Bruce.jpg

This is where I normally hit the loop. Park behind the Stadium and hop onto the bike path, which takes you under the road. Veer slightly right, and you'll see some trail that heads up to the gate. Climb through the gate, and the trail is right there.

From here I normally head off anti-clockwise, the climbing seems gentler on the outer loop that way.

To get to that car park, head down Braybrooke St (from either end) then onto Masterman St at the roundabout. There's another entrance off Ginninderra Drive that's only open when events are on at the stadium, but that gate being closed doesn't mean that you can't access the stadium car park.

Bruce2.jpg

There's also a dirt car park off Dryandra St, on the opposite side of the loop (expertly marked above!) Head through the gate and down a fire trail which meets up with a bike path. You can follow that all the way up the hill to the same trail head as above, but a short way up there's a fire trail that meets the path. Bit of a steep pinch up it, but a little way along it you'll see the singletrack on the right which ends up linking with the area above.

These are the two access points I use most - both really close to the trails, with minimal riding before you're on the singletrack :)

Also, if you haven't already, check out the 'Friends of Bruce Ridge' facebook page. They've just today posted up a new trail map, with brand new trail names ready for proper signage.
 
FoBR Sun 26 Apr Working Bee

There was lots of excitement last week with the final trail map being posted on Facebook. For those who missed it, the new trail map can be found on FoBR Forums Bruce Ridge map.

There is more excitement to come with installation of new trail markers starting soon!

With the recent rain we should be able to build some dirt masterpieces this weekend - here's the details for the working bee...

Date: Sunday 26 Apr 2015
Time: 8am-12pm
Meeting Location: At the gate near O’Connor caravan park - Kunzea Street, just off Dryandra Street (N8 on the old Bruce Ridge map).
What to Bring: Your favourite trail tools, particularly fire rakes, mattocks, and shovels.
As usual, please bring food, water, weather appropriate clothing, eye protection, gloves and sturdy footwear.

Planned work Areas:
More finishing of bits we didn't get to last working bee on the Descent trail (soon to be signposted as Davesia Down).
- Reinstate link between climb and new descent - include some one way features
- Add technical features (drainage) on top half of descent

Any last minute updates will be posted on the FoBR Twitter feed.

The full list of FoBR working bees and rides are here:
Working Bees and Events 2015
 
Descent trail - CAUTION: new fun bits!

Please be aware that some new drains and jumps were built on the top section of the descent trail yesterday. These have been built for 3 reasons:
1. ensure water runs off the trail
2. discourage people from riding up the descent trail (which is the only single direct trail at BR)
3. fun !

So take care and enjoy the new fun bits!
 
Sorry I couldn't make it this time around; there's only so many brunches you can miss out on before the wife puts her foot down.

Went for a ride this morn though, pretty surprised to see that the massive puddles along the section closest to the stadium were all but dried up as Klips had mentioned. They were massive bloody puddles too!
 
Kramer said:
Please be aware that some new drains and jumps were built on the top section of the descent trail yesterday. These have been built for 3 reasons:
1. ensure water runs off the trail
2. discourage people from riding up the descent trail (which is the only single direct trail at BR)
3. fun !

So take care and enjoy the new fun bits!
Click to expand...

Couple of questions about the top section of BR. I've been riding out there for a year or two now, with an extended injury break in the middle, and have rarely wandered far beyond the outer loop. I'm not a particularly skilled rider, don't really jump, but I'm improving.

Yesterday, I decided to finally figure out where the (using the new trail names) 'Super D' climb was and headed up the top. Had a blast - the climb was fine, headed along the section of 'Daviesia Down' that runs parallel to the fire trail between the two water tanks, before linking up with 'Whoopee' and 'Rake Hoe' for an awesome run back to the outer loop. Most fun I've had out there in ages!

Questions though. Looking at the new map, it seems like to link up with Whoopee, I've actually ridden down a section of 'Daviesia Up'? Is this supposed to be a one-way section of trail? And if so, are there any plans to be able to link up with Whoopee without first having to head down the descent trail, link to the climb back up, then meet up with Whoopee?

If Daviesia Up is intended to be 2-way, then it's not an issue at all.

I've never ridden Whoopee / Rake Hoe before yesterday, but after giving it a shot it's sure to be part of my regular loops! I just hope that us less skilled riders can reach it without having to hit up stuff that's beyond us.
 
No dramas. The only trail which is one way is Davisia Down (descent trail), all others including Davisia Up are bidirectional. Until the signs are installed I wouldn't plan on pinning Davisia Down at 100% - lest you run into someone riding up the descent trail (even after the signs I would keep a lookout for muppets).
 
Kramer said:
No dramas. The only trail which is one way is Davisia Down (descent trail), all others including Davisia Up are bidirectional. Until the signs are installed I wouldn't plan on pinning Davisia Down at 100% - lest you run into someone riding up the descent trail (even after the signs I would keep a lookout for muppets).
Click to expand...

Awesome, that's perfect then :)

And don't worry...I'm in no position to pin ANYTHING at 100%, up or down! When I ride descents I'm less worried about running into people climbing, and more worried about the decent riders running into me from behind...
 
went for a quick spin out there this arvo,nice little setup you guys have,had no idea where I was going, and only
had limited time so just followed my nose,I'll go back out maybe tomorrow for more of a look see,
also rode stromlo in the morning,quickly found out I may have the wrong front tyre for the loose gravel on those
big burmed corners on luge.......had my bumhole clenched that tight it was air tight....:fear:
back out for another crack tomorrow as well.......
Johnny, how's the shaggers back going ?
 
Just got back from physio now, actually. Pretty happy with the recovery, reckon I'll go for a light ride on a cycle path this weekend and if all feels well I'll be back in the game come next week!

Sorry I couldn't make it up on to the Ridge with you this time around. Sure you'll be back before too long!
 
that's good news...
at the moment ,I'm sitting here with a packet of frozen peas on my elbow and
one on my knee..'.:doh:
came u'guttser coming down little seymour,at stromlo....
 
Hey cats,

Just went for a ride for the first time in over a month after munting my back, great to be back on the bike but still binned it with a bloody pedal clip. Now it's the ribs...

Anyway, wondering what the possibility is of maybe modifying one of the kickers that are at the start of Davesia Down. I gather they are there to deter people riding upwards on what is a faster section of track and with that in mind I understand they are a bit of a necessity. However the second kicker seems to not fit well with the section of trail, its too "abrupt" or "kicky".

That section is really the fastest part of the whole trail network, it's the only section where you can pedal balls-to-the-wall pointing down and get over 40kph for more than a few meters. A kicker-to-flat doesn't add anything to the particular section of trail other than to slow up a fun fast section. If it has to stay it would be great to maybe make it a little less kicky and more floaty so those trying to crack 26s there aren't launching in to orbit to flat. All it would take is to easy the gradient a touch by either dropping the height or just filling the lead up to the lip a little.

Cheerio!
 
While we're at it, has anyone actually seen a sign yet? I notice that Majura is entirely posted and yet in a full anti-clockwise lap of the outer loop the other day I didn't actually see one.
 
PCS will be installing the signs. I think they are planning to finish Majura first, and then do Bruce. They expect to have it completed by EoFY.
Klips - Thought you would know your way around there by now?!? :-D

Johnny - I will check out the new little jumps on DD. I tested them out a couple of days after they were built and they seemed OK, but may have bedded in a little by now. We did briefly consider making them doubles, but the consequences for the usual BR demographic make it too risky. There is plenty of rock down the hill and more rocks to come, so perhaps a mini rock garden instead ;-)

Currently looking to run the next working bee on Sun 31 May. Pencil it into your calendars now.
 
It's more so I can send people routes haha.

Worth noting that the trails are great to ride today except for Burin and Creek Run, both of which have turned into rivers about 5m wide near the middle of the tracks.
 
Kramer said:
Johnny - I will check out the new little jumps on DD. I tested them out a couple of days after they were built and they seemed OK, but may have bedded in a little by now. We did briefly consider making them doubles, but the consequences for the usual BR demographic make it too risky. There is plenty of rock down the hill and more rocks to come, so perhaps a mini rock garden instead ;-)
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's just a bit too "poppy" for what is a fast section. I reckon something that doesn't shoot you up so much would make something fun that doesn't take away from the speed you hold in that section. I reckon a "floater" would be awesome where the second kicker is. First kicker sits well as it is, I reckon. lol @ rock garden! We'd be sent prison for crimes against MTB trails if we did that on that section of trail!

However I reckon a rock garden on the Whoopee section or even somewhere on Belco Switchbacks/Heath Run would be excellent.
 
I agree with both kickers being flattened out a bit, having ridden them at pace this arvo. Just a bit too much of a sudden pop for me.
 
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