Buller 2015/16

[cruxpitch]

I'd tend to agree........

Having been back to Buller this year for my annual Summer trip, it completely shits me that they need to add that crappy loose gravel. Yes i know it just exposes my lack of ability to hold speed in loose corners, but seriously? Its like trying to take a corner over loose ball bearings at speed.
I tend to agree with Mywifesirrational, the track is just becoming worse as the seasons push on. Either way, I have fun. I am 48yrs old, still ride both Abom and International, and in my mind I am going flat out. Its only when the weekend punter passes me on a fully rigid kmart bike do i consider selling the bike and buying shares.
Anyway, yeah Buller is fun and is a WASTED resource. So many opportunities for DH, Gravity style tracks. Ill stick closer to Melb from now on. Maybe they need to take the survey from people leaving the Mtn, not from when they are entering?

Rich

 

[Mywifesirrational]

Maybe they need to take the survey from people leaving the Mtn, not from when they are entering?

I gave that poor lady a polite ear full on the way up!

I'd said I'd be happy to pay an entrance fee in lieu of having gravel on DH tracks, along with some real ongoing DH trail maintenance.

Off to Baw Baw this weekend, closer to Melb, cheaper shuttles, no gravel.

 

[Wake Jake]

Much of the same opinion is shared and valid. I was up there riding the DH trails for a day and AM trails for two days. I've only ever done buller DH once a season due the the 'same old' every year with ever increasing lift prices.

Gravel is not used anywhere else as a riding surface. Use the dirt and rocks that are there. I saw multiple stacks on the first gravel section of ABOM. The Buller dinosaurs nee d to give the DH sector of the trails a massive overhaul to keep people there and to boost numbers. Look what the Epic trail did for the mountain. Not that its much chop besides the decent

 

[chamboy]

All sounds about the same as usual really, minor alterations that don't make the tracks any better.
Pretty Average considering the potential for an awesome gravity destination.
I think I'll save my dollar and give it a miss. Maybe a road trip to Thredbo later in the year, or even better a trip to Queenstown where they know how to build sick DH tracks.

 

[Wake Jake]

All sounds about the same as usual really, minor alterations that don't make the tracks any better.
Pretty Average considering the potential for an awesome gravity destination.
I think I'll save my dollar and give it a miss. Maybe a road trip to Thredbo later in the year, or even better a trip to Queenstown where they know have to build sick DH tracks.

Exactly what I'm doing. Falls Creek and Thredbo trip next week and whatever else on the way. Then Queenstown start of March. Most mtbers like myself will travel far and wide seeking good trails.

 

[jarrod839]

Was looking at going upto buller for a weekend before the next vic round but sounds like its not really worth it.

Sounds like another case of the downhill scene been pushed aside to accommodate the xc and Enduro crowd.

Think if buller stopped wasting money on the chair lift service and replaced with shuttles some of that money could go back into the trails.

 

[SideFX]

Its looking like a nice sprinkling of rain on Buller over the next week . Would that fix the problem ? .
Im a bit in two minds to go as I planed a trip around going there for the DH and Ill be by myself .

 

[ForkinGreat]

Its looking like a nice sprinkling of rain on Buller over the next week . Would that fix the problem ? .
Im a bit in two minds to go as I planed a trip around going there for the DH and Ill be by myself .

only if it pushed all the ridiculous and dangerous gravel off abom and copperhead.

 

[SideFX]

only if it pushed all the ridiculous and dangerous gravel off abom and copperhead.

Shit , its really that bad hay ? . I had a good read of the above . I know some of the comments were made by guys that have been of RB for years and assume they can ride . Im just a bit bummed but its a long way from Bondi if it that bad . Looks like Ill just go to thredbo for a few days then head to bright and beauty for the shuttle days .

 

[moorey]

Shit , its really that bad hay ? . I had a good read of the above . I know some of the comments were made by guys that have been of RB for years and assume they can ride . Im just a bit bummed but its a long way from Bondi if it that bad . Looks like Ill just go to thredbo for a few days then head to bright and beauty for the shuttle days .

I love Buller, but these days it's more about trail and light gravity than DH for me. Copperhead, Abom and international are just fun ways to get to delatite most of the time (although I prefer the gang gang/corn hill/Silk Road option anyway). Copperhead is fun, but not DH, and I like it for its skatiness, but I don't like the gravel on the other 2. Doesn't add to the skill requirement, just detracts from the enjoyment factor. I preferred them muddy and slippery when I did the enduro mid year, than the newly added gravel.

 

[Mywifesirrational]

Shit , its really that bad hay ? . I had a good read of the above . I know some of the comments were made by guys that have been of RB for years and assume they can ride . Im just a bit bummed but its a long way from Bondi if it that bad . Looks like Ill just go to thredbo for a few days then head to bright and beauty for the shuttle days .

Buller is still good even with the gravel, the chairlift makes up for this a lot. Both the bottom of Copperhead and Abom are worth riding through gravel to get to, but for the time and cost of getting there and using the chairlift it's completely substandard - it could be amazing for DH, but it's only in the good enough to go occasionally category.

I can ride anything quite happily, although taking things a bit easier lately after surgery last year, it's not a skill issue - its an issue that riding other places without gravel is not surprisingly a lot more fun, international is probably better than its ever been now (?) Abom is worse and copperhead was never good until you leave the fire road for the end section.

The XC and AM riding is really nice, going to head back for the festival in March just for that. Will be doing laps Gang gangs and Clancys run, and a few delatites of course.

If you haven't been certainly worth a trip, especially if you have an AM/trail/XC bike to do some exploring with.

 

[hifiandmtb]

Was at Buller a couple of days ago, Gang Gangs was fun, Stonefly was fun, Clancy's Run was better than those two & Delatite was just silly on a Tallboy. No fun to bomb the first steep section & where are the corners?

Not sure where the Delatite love comes from. Maybe I'm doing it wrong :noidea:

Lake Mountain is a better place to visit if you ride up hills.

 

[moorey]

Delatite is fun because it isn't groomed and bermed, and it's definitely suited to a bit more travel. You can hit 60km in sections, and I'm only limited by the 34t up front of my 1x setup.

 

[hifiandmtb]

It's a fast firetrail with babyheads on the steep bits. Either you do 60km/h and live or 60km/h & have a huge crash. I guess it's not what I look for in a ride.

 

[teK--]

Was at Buller a couple of days ago, Gang Gangs was fun, Stonefly was fun, Clancy's Run was better than those two & Delatite was just silly on a Tallboy. No fun to bomb the first steep section & where are the corners?

Not sure where the Delatite love comes from. Maybe I'm doing it wrong :noidea:

Lake Mountain is a better place to visit if you ride up hills.

The first time I rode Delatite was on a 4" dualie the only difference to your tallboy is it was a 26er. Didn't enjoy it much I was getting bounced off line by the many large and loose rocks and basically hanging on for life most of the way.

Subsequently on 140/160 and then 160/160 travel bikes it really allows you to ride Delatite rather than let it ride you.

 

[hifiandmtb]

Yeah, ok. And I rode it alone. Would be able to have more fun if others were there to help if needed!

 

[moorey]

Yeah, ok. And I rode it alone. Would be able to have more fun if others were there to help if needed!

Yeah, I would ride it hard solo.

 

[Mywifesirrational]

It's a fast firetrail with babyheads on the steep bits. Either you do 60km/h and live or 60km/h & have a huge crash. I guess it's not what I look for in a ride.

Touche' road off one of the corners at full speed once, didnt go so well, but hitting 60 plus is simple but fun.

I also rate the delatite for the experience, get off the bike, splash in the water and enjoy the ferns, nature, solitude...

 

[SideFX]

Buller is still good even with the gravel, the chairlift makes up for this a lot. Both the bottom of Copperhead and Abom are worth riding through gravel to get to, but for the time and cost of getting there and using the chairlift it's completely substandard - it could be amazing for DH, but it's only in the good enough to go occasionally category.

I can ride anything quite happily, although taking things a bit easier lately after surgery last year, it's not a skill issue - its an issue that riding other places without gravel is not surprisingly a lot more fun, international is probably better than its ever been now (?) Abom is worse and copperhead was never good until you leave the fire road for the end section.

The XC and AM riding is really nice, going to head back for the festival in March just for that. Will be doing laps Gang gangs and Clancys run, and a few delatites of course.

If you haven't been certainly worth a trip, especially if you have an AM/trail/XC bike to do some exploring with.

Sorry for the side track , but is Kingslake worth ridding ? .

 

[Mud Gecko]

We hit Kinglake DH before we headed up to Mt Buller, I thought it was a really good track. It has a bit of everything, smooth berms, good size jumps, rocky off camber parts, a tricky rock garden and an easy shuttle. You don't need a DH bike but it does allow you to attack the track.