East Kowen

bowtajzane

bowtajzane

Likes Dirt
ok Canberra peps,what's the low down on the trails in east kowen,I'm coming down for a long weekend soon and I'll be riding stromlo on the Sunday but on the Saturday, i thought I'd ride somewhere new,I'm thinking "the kow" may hold something I'm looking for,is there a number of trails like romper room/beer garden (those type of trails) close to each other and how hard/easy is it to find your way around in there for a fist timer.......
 
Tubbsy

Tubbsy

Packin' a small bird
Staff member
It is sort of signposted, but following the directions takes you around a shortish lap of a selection of trails.

There's an app for your phone which has the entire trail network mapped out, and shows you where you currently are so you choose a longer route. Sparrow hill is connected to Kowen, so there's far more trail than you could ever ride in one day.
 
Tubbsy

Tubbsy

Packin' a small bird
Staff member
Yep, that's the one.

To be honest, I don't feel Sparrow is all that different to Kowen. They're both pretty much all XC trails.

Kowen does have a little triangle of steep stuff, with Romper Room, Stairway to Heaven, Sideshow and a couple of others sitting in a triangle of fire roads. If you get the app it'd be easy to work out a loop to suit you.


Other Canberra options you might want to check out are Majura Pines (also on that app) which I think has some steeper stuff (yet to go as I live next door to Stromlo). There are also some trails at Isaacs Ridge that are more DH oriented I believe, although I haven't been there.
 
S

slimjim1

Fat boomers cloggin' ma leaderboard
Hey mate. I recently did a really good loop at kowen and linked together beer garden, yipikaye descent, sideshow and stairway+rhomper room descents. Happy to PM you the strava file.

If sparrow is a little too on the XC side that combo of trails should offer you something a bit more interesting to play with.

As suggested, Isaacs does offer a couple of DH runs. Also tuggeranong pines is awesome if youre looking for some gravity type trails. Majura is great too. Jerrabombera as well. Should keep you busy.
 
bowtajzane

bowtajzane

Likes Dirt
thanks guys,i think I'll have a look at Tuggeranong pines also......
slimjim can you pm that strava route.....
 
droenn

droenn

Fat Man's XC President
yeah, stick to the area around stairway and beer garden etc etc at Kowen - but I only ever take my HT out there.

Tuggers is great fun, but its more for stuffing around on jump lines and rock gardens than putting together a loop.

Jerra is XC but not as smoothed out as the other places, so provides some pretty good challenges.
 
bowtajzane

bowtajzane

Likes Dirt
James,is the best place to start from "the green mile"
as it seems to be in the middle of most trails....
Johnny how's the body holding up ?
if i get time i may go for a lap of Bruce ridge...
forgot to ask if the trails at kowen are all 2 way or 1....
 
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Tubbsy

Tubbsy

Packin' a small bird
Staff member
You won't be able to drive in on the logging roads and start riding where you want, you'll need to start at the trail head and make your way in. The main one is at the end of Sparrow Hill Road.

According to the app there's another one at the end of Hibernian rd which might be slightly closer to where you want to be.
 
S

slimjim1

Fat boomers cloggin' ma leaderboard
Yea you'll need to ride in from sparrow hill road car park.

I guess the flatter XC trails would be considered 2 way but that particular patch of trails could only be one way (stairway, bloodnut stout = climbs and sideshow, yipikaye and rhomper room = descents).

Because there is one more descent I would take love child or rolling thunder to the top and then work my way across from left to right or vice versa.

EDIT: Re Bruce Ridge...I would consider those trails as mainly XC. Good trails but I know you mentioned sparrow may be a little to xc for you so may want to look at other more gravity type options if short on time and thats your priority.
 
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Haakon

Haakon

has an accommodating arse
johnny said:
Stairway way is my new fave piece of trail.
Click to expand...
I watched some smart arse on a single speed sail up that without dabbing once the fucker... Best I've managed is feet down three times. Its a great trail, too hard for a gumby like me!!
 
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