Churchill DH 15.08.2009

JSPhoto

JSPhoto

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Went out to churchill today for a bit of a pedal and a yarn, was a good day had by all. Big props to anyone who has been working on rebuilding the track! its tops, its still one of my fav tracks, if not my fav track in Vic. Here are some of the pics from the day :) more at www.jasonstevensphotography.tk












Who Said I Don't Ride :p Thank for photos of me steeve!


 
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JSPhoto

JSPhoto

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Yeah for some reaon they don't seem to want to work, it's jst the internets way of telling me I'm a dud rider :p I'll fix them up later when I turn the computer on
 
J

jimtron83

Squid
Hey guys there great pics, but I'm concerned about where you are riding... The fires have affected a large area, however we need to let the forests and parks recover, otherwise it won't recover!!!! Soil compaction will prevent grass's and samplings growing., without the grasses, trees, and shrubs we'll be running out of places to ride. :(

There are still heaps of places to ride in Vicco which weren't affected by fire, we should use them for the next 12 months or atleast until the fire affected region has recovered.

Again great pics
 
woody 14

woody 14

Eats Squid
jimtron83 said:
Hey guys there great pics, but I'm concerned about where you are riding... The fires have affected a large area, however we need to let the forests and parks recover, otherwise it won't recover!!!! Soil compaction will prevent grass's and samplings growing., without the grasses, trees, and shrubs we'll be running out of places to ride. :(

There are still heaps of places to ride in Vicco which weren't affected by fire, we should use them for the next 12 months or atleast until the fire affected region has recovered.

Again great pics
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mate i hate to break it to you but its going to take alot longer the 12 months for the fire affected areas to recover. and if everyone stays on the trail and dosnt go bush bashing then the area will recover around the trail. that way we can still ride and the bush still recovers.
 
JSPhoto

JSPhoto

Likes Bikes and Dirt
A high percentage of the track is old quarry trails and goats trails that I merely assume may of been made over time from quarry workers or just riding trails, the soil on the trail is actually very hard packed, I understand where your coming from, but at the same time the aus bushland is some hardcore bush, as you can see from pics the bushland is making a nice recovery, the trees are begining to green up again, the grass is back, the track has been used for so long (and looks like the fireys used it to) that there is no growth on it, parts of the track have changed due to bad soil and what not, I think the track builders have been more than mindful of these thngs. I wouldn't ride there if I felt that something wrong had been done.
 
mudmav

mudmav

Likes Dirt
woody 14 said:
mate i hate to break it to you but its going to take alot longer the 12 months for the fire affected areas to recover. and if everyone stays on the trail and dosnt go bush bashing then the area will recover around the trail. that way we can still ride and the bush still recovers.
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Hey mate, i understand your point of view. However jimtron83 has a fair point, even if we stick to the track the soil and plantlife both on the track and directly around the track is still affected by us riding/walking/horse riding or any activity for that matter. I think jimtron83 's point is that even if we are doing the right thing that we should stay away from these areas alltogether until they are well on the way to recovery. That may well be 12 months it could be 5 years. Either way if we go riding/building in these fire affected areas that have not yet had a chance to recover it only makes us (ie:mountain bikers in general) Look like enviro thugs and does nothing to help us move our cause foward.

What i mean is why would local communitys or the government want to make more land and more trails available for moutain biking if we cant even do the right thing and stay out of such an environmentally sensitive area.

I understand that churchill is a cool place to ride, i also understand that their are not all that many places to ride. I also understand that this is getting worse and the government/parks seem to close trails/forrests/parks if we look the wrong way or if the wind is blowing the wrong direction. However this does not make it ok to do or ride whatever or wherever we want.

I'm not having a go at you personaly, just giving some friendly advice and reasoning behind that advice. Hopefully people choose to listen and we can start to make some progress with mountain biking and the progression of our sport in melbourne.
 
Futile

Futile

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Looks like you had a great day, great photos to.

It shouldn't matter whether you ride in forest fire affected area's anyway. Even if the forest was at it's prime the downhill track would still have obvious line's protruding.

1,000 Posts
My god...
 
J

JaRedy

Guest
With the rejuvination thing, I don't understand how it is an issue. Plants may not be able to grow on the track, but that was happening before it was built. The track was there before the fires yes? So there is no extra harm being done to the firest, unless people take advantage of the bare land to build more than what was originally there...which is deffs something to jump up and scream about.

Futile has a good point too.
 
Adamski

Adamski

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I'm currently in my third year of Forest Science at Melbourne Uni and recently visited the Churchill area as part of a Fire Ecology and Management subject. Riding trails that were there before the fire does nothing whatsoever to the regrowth, cutting new trails after fire however can create erosion issues. Riding a trail or cutting one after fire isn't as bad as cutting a trail through an unburnt site and displacing vegetation without replanting.

The Churchill trail and Kinglake are already being ridden.

There is investigation into the Narbethong/Granton area with the hope to create some sustainable trails there after the fires.
 
D

dudeson22

Cannon Fodder
directions

hey man nice pics. Just wondering where abouts the trails are, would love to have a ride there. Im from Warragul and there is not really and DH tracks close and churchill isnt far. thanks mate appreciate it.
 
Smooth King

Smooth King

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Karnige182 said:
nah man, It's a banshee scythe, I don't know anyone with a bottlerocked I don't think. Wish I did I'd love a go on one.
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That is true.
If im not wrong that seems to be Jeremy Hamelton from Vic seires.
Must be out training on the Banshee for abit..

Nice photo's mate. Track looks nice !
 
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