jrewing
Eats Squid
Thats it really isnt it.
Contemporary trail building rant
- Thread starter jrewing
- Start date
pink poodle
気が狂っている男
This being a huge pain in the arse isn't too hard to imagine. Back when we would still have build days none of them would turn up. I only went along begrudgingly to days involving jumps to reduce the amount of fucking up that would happen.
The local trend is big jump first, small jump last, close to sharp corner...
oldcorollas
Levin the moment
Post vids of the sort of trails you think should be being built?
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bigdamo
Likes Dirt
Yep the Georgetown trails are pretty so so. The Tippogooree Hills trails are much better.The new trails about to open will make it much better.
By the way went to a MTb tourism event a couple of years ago and the MTB guru who had studied MTbing around the world said 10% maybe 20% tops MTb riders ride black trails the rest are riding blue and green trails and the grading system for MTB trails needs alot to be desired way behind Ski resorts grading system.
Have a friend who lives between Derby and Scotsdale he tells me the MTBers drive up to Derby and get an Ambulance back out happens quite often. Probally people riding black runs whose ego thinks they can ride gnarly stuff but the skillset isn't quite there.
birddog69
Likes Bikes and Dirt
I have been a snow skier for a long time and have said for many years that 2 thirds of the skiers ski the bottom third of the mountain. I have noticed a similar ratio with MTBers green/blue to black in my 30 years or so of mountain biking.
I have also seen the 3 Hobart area councils pouring bucket loads of $$ into trails on Mt Wellington, the Meehans and Glenorchy MBT Park. Most of the new stuff is just flow, bro. A lot of the best trails still are the old hand built ones around Knocklofty and South Hobart. I, and I suspect more than a few on Rotorburn, are part of a dying breed who still do any trail maintenance at all, kind of on a "as needed" basis
yuley95
soft-arse Yuley is on the lifts again
I don't wanna be the guy who just lived in Canada for 6 months and goes on and on about trails in Canada but, well... I just spent 6 months in Canada and I've seen how things can be different. Of course there are a good mix of trails and plenty of things for newer riders to ride but in general, trails are gnarlier in Canada and predominantly blue, black and double black. I rode green trails that were more technical than some black trails I've ridden in places like Lysterfield (don't get me started on Lysty black).
Can't comment on how many people need an ambulance out but that's not my point here. In the places I spent time (outside of big cities), people prioritised time outside and had less ego issues. They put in the work and enjoyed the challenge. It is a cultural thing but it's not helped by building 'safe' trails. I think people get used to this and stop taking personal responsibility. The expect every jump to be a table and every chute to be short with a big run-out.
I'm not really aiming this post at you @bigdamo, just using it as a jumping off point. Basically, I think governments, land managers and therefore big builders are pandering to a false idea of being safe but in the long run it creates boring trails and a false sense of security. I'd prefer to see us go the other way but it's a larger conversation about personal responsibility and ego.
oldcorollas
Levin the moment
What's the public liability situation in Aus, if someone gets hurt on a sanctioned trail, and tries to blame either poor design or maintenance?
Personal responsibility can be in short supply with compensation lawyers hovering and promising cash
Personal responsibility can be in short supply with compensation lawyers hovering and promising cash
Mattyp
Cows go boing
Yeah it's shit... We're quickly turning into the US in this regard... No one wants to be accountable for their own actions. Hey you're riding your bike, it's high risk and you could die...What's the public liability situation in Aus, if someone gets hurt on a sanctioned trail, and tries to blame either poor design or maintenance?
Personal responsibility can be in short supply with compensation lawyers hovering and promising cash
New Zealand have the right idea....
"We are still going to put this track here because it's rad...try not to die."
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caad9
Likes Bikes and Dirt
One thing to keep in mind with government funded trail networks is ROI.
The amount of people with the skill level for a Canadian network is very small, so the build brief is to cater to the majority and thus recoup the most amount of money. The other thing with Canadian trail networks is they are multiple generations into mountain biking, Australia is relatively new to it when talking mass numbers.
A mate and I were just discussing Silvan (my local network) on a ride today at Mt Macedon. Props to the guys doing the work in Silvan but they are trying to build machine built trails by hand. It’s killed the one thing that differentiated Silvan from Lysty, which was the tight and technical nature of the place.
Today was my first time at Mt Macedon and it was a blast. It’s helped by a very gentle climb back to the top but the trails have a good mix of flow and proper singletrack descending. I know a few on here are regulars out there - tip of the hat to you. Seems like endless possibility out there, literally a blank canvas!
The amount of people with the skill level for a Canadian network is very small, so the build brief is to cater to the majority and thus recoup the most amount of money. The other thing with Canadian trail networks is they are multiple generations into mountain biking, Australia is relatively new to it when talking mass numbers.
A mate and I were just discussing Silvan (my local network) on a ride today at Mt Macedon. Props to the guys doing the work in Silvan but they are trying to build machine built trails by hand. It’s killed the one thing that differentiated Silvan from Lysty, which was the tight and technical nature of the place.
Today was my first time at Mt Macedon and it was a blast. It’s helped by a very gentle climb back to the top but the trails have a good mix of flow and proper singletrack descending. I know a few on here are regulars out there - tip of the hat to you. Seems like endless possibility out there, literally a blank canvas!
ozzybmx
taking a shit with my boobs out
The only ones here in Aus I can think of are the blacks in Derby. Detonate, Shearpin etc... They have features that can do damage and it takes a decent level rider to do a full run.
Most others are providing for the general masses.
bigdamo
Likes Dirt
Yep I was living in Whistler back in 1987 and they where so far ahead of Australian MTBing it was beyond belief. When you said back in those days in Australia that you wanted to ride North shore they thought you where talking about going surfing in Hawaii.
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caad9
Likes Bikes and Dirt
To
To be honest, the majority of the current MTB population probably still do
bigdamo
Likes Dirt
That's probally not a bad thing boy there was some serious sketchy builds out there.
Flow-Rider
Burner
I've never actually known or seen anyone suing the local govt or Parks in SE Qld over an MTB crash in the last 14 years, and if there are any it's very few compared to people suing for other things like footpaths and kids' play sets. I'd consider dirtjumps a lot more risk adverse than anything on MTB trails but anything considered bigger than a dirt mound on an MTB trail is unfavourable to councils here.
I think it's the easiest way for green groups and councils to target MTBers to say no, and if you dig deeper a lot of it is about the tug or war with funding and not much else.
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ozzybmx
taking a shit with my boobs out
Scottsdale Hospital gets a good flow from Derby.
I had a bad run of crashes in 2019-2020 around New Year, we went for a quick ride on Chrissy Eve at 6pm, I was on my bike, put 1 foot on a rock and the rock rolled, stabbed myself in the abdomen with a stick sticking out of a tree, 50mm wound pocket, pulled the stick out of my side and straight to Flinders Hospital for 8 -10 stitches. Cant remember exactly how many.
Leaving for Tassie on the 28th, had a twinge in my back from the fall, was packing and sneezed... pulled the twinged muscle in my back, could hardly move. Got to Tassie, Latrobe Hospital, filled me full of Panadeine Forte, got to Derby, 3rd day, crashed on the top of BOF trail, sprained wrist and 3 fingers. More painkillers... next thing the missus goes OTBs on Dam Busters, she's black on 50% of her body, broken cheek bone, Scottsdale Hospital, then sent us to Launceston, she got out that night.
25 days in and we were heading to St Helens, last 5km of BOF trail, a massive crash, gravel rash on arms, legs and some broken ribs, St Helens Hospital the girls there (nurses) had a snigger and pointed... another one
They said they get an extra nurse on at the weekends and school holidays to cater for the injuries on BOF and St Helens trails. While I was there getting cleaned up, she asked if she could take the stitches out that I got put in on Chrissy Eve.Haven't had a crash since, I still put it down to that bike I had.
Sky_Collapsed
Not particularly enlightened
theyve done a perfectly acceptable job given the terrain of that section.
I do prefer the other section of trails there though. I haven't looked at the blacks at g'town so can't comment on them.
However, most people as previously mentioned prefer green/blues since less chance of getting fucked up and we're all getting old now remember so we don't heal as fast and have more responsibilities.
As far as Derby goes, i did do air ya gon on a 150/150 and some of the more rockier blues, think i did snig than kings wall.
not sure what the other black/double blacks are like but sometimes it's nicer to have a cruiser blue/green trail.
we're not all teenagers anymore.
I do prefer the other section of trails there though. I haven't looked at the blacks at g'town so can't comment on them.
However, most people as previously mentioned prefer green/blues since less chance of getting fucked up and we're all getting old now remember so we don't heal as fast and have more responsibilities.
As far as Derby goes, i did do air ya gon on a 150/150 and some of the more rockier blues, think i did snig than kings wall.
not sure what the other black/double blacks are like but sometimes it's nicer to have a cruiser blue/green trail.
we're not all teenagers anymore.
ozzybmx
taking a shit with my boobs out
Air-Ya-Garn can be rolled the whole way, its big if you hit it but nothing if you roll it.
The other trails have features that are harder to walk than ride if you have some skill.
Not many places have EWS Trail of the year winners or nominations, there is definitely gov funded gnarl in Derby.
I haven't ridden Cuddles yet but looking forward to it.