How to build a DH track

scratchy said:
Moral of the story. Legal takes longer but it will be around for much longer. Don't waste your time building another illegal track. Go through the correct channels.
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Getting a track legalized is such a long ass process not to mention all the bullshit you need to follow, we have ridiculously low levels of support in Australia for dh riding not to mention all the land that is national park. 90% of the trails I know are lets say hidden.
Without illegal trails we wouldn't have half as many riders, imagine if we only rode legalized trails, we probably wouldn't have any worldcup riders.

I'm all for legalizing things but for most people it's a pain in the ass and most people are not over 18 to deal with legal content.

Unfortunately the idea that keeping it legal will help the sport is true but at the same time wrong, without Illegal trails we wouldn't have the demand for legal trails we see.
I doubt until the government gets on bored and more local communities recognize the need for legal trails that we will see people rushing to legalize all the trails they build.

They take too long to legalize and if they deny it, they now have a hot spot on their radar.
I'm not against legalizing trails and I think we should do things by the book but the fact is that idea for legalizing all trails is good in theory but in reality we can't legalize all the trails it's just not plausible.

Shit we could be out there vandalizing, smoking, drinking, drugs, dealing illegal substances, bashing people, stealing and what ever else half the youth get upto these days, but instead we are riding our bikes in the bush been good. Ok so it's a illegal trail but on the scale of things who gives a damn, and the generations wonder why kids are off the wall. No freedom to be a kid there is no freedom just one way for kids to behave of course they will rebel. If life is Boring of course the high of drugs, sex, alcohol, internet and whatever else is going to be the goto for stimulation, it's easy to get.

Rant/
 
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driftking said:
Getting a track legalized is such a long ass process not to mention all the bullshit you need to follow, we have ridiculously low levels of support in Australia for dh riding not to mention all the land that is national park. 90% of the trails I know are lets say hidden.
Without illegal trails we wouldn't have half as many riders, imagine if we only rode legalized trails, we probably wouldn't have any worldcup riders.

I'm all for legalizing things but for most people it's a pain in the ass and most people are not over 18 to deal with legal content.

Unfortunately the idea that keeping it legal will help the sport is true but at the same time wrong, without Illegal trails we wouldn't have the demand for legal trails we see.
I doubt until the government gets on bored and more local communities recognize the need for legal trails that we will see people rushing to legalize all the trails they build.

They take too long to legalize and if they deny it, they now have a hot spot on their radar.
I'm not against legalizing trails and I think we should do things by the book but the fact is that idea for legalizing all trails is good in theory but in reality we can't legalize all the trails it's just not plausible.

Shit we could be out there vandalizing, smoking, drinking, drugs, dealing illegal substances, bashing people, stealing and what ever else half the youth get upto these days, but instead we are riding our bikes in the bush been good. Ok so it's a illegal trail but on the scale of things who gives a damn, and the generations wonder why kids are off the wall. No freedom to be a kid there is no freedom just one way for kids to behave of course they will rebel. If life is Boring of course the high of drugs, sex, alcohol, internet and whatever else is going to be the goto for stimulation, it's easy to get.

Rant/
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very well put. :amen:
 
driftking said:
Getting a track legalized is such a long ass process not to mention all the bullshit you need to follow, we have ridiculously low levels of support in Australia for dh riding not to mention all the land that is national park. 90% of the trails I know are lets say hidden.
Without illegal trails we wouldn't have half as many riders, imagine if we only rode legalized trails, we probably wouldn't have any worldcup riders.

I'm all for legalizing things but for most people it's a pain in the ass and most people are not over 18 to deal with legal content.

Unfortunately the idea that keeping it legal will help the sport is true but at the same time wrong, without Illegal trails we wouldn't have the demand for legal trails we see.
I doubt until the government gets on bored and more local communities recognize the need for legal trails that we will see people rushing to legalize all the trails they build.

They take too long to legalize and if they deny it, they now have a hot spot on their radar.
I'm not against legalizing trails and I think we should do things by the book but the fact is that idea for legalizing all trails is good in theory but in reality we can't legalize all the trails it's just not plausible.

Shit we could be out there vandalizing, smoking, drinking, drugs, dealing illegal substances, bashing people, stealing and what ever else half the youth get upto these days, but instead we are riding our bikes in the bush been good. Ok so it's a illegal trail but on the scale of things who gives a damn, and the generations wonder why kids are off the wall. No freedom to be a kid there is no freedom just one way for kids to behave of course they will rebel. If life is Boring of course the high of drugs, sex, alcohol, internet and whatever else is going to be the goto for stimulation, it's easy to get.

Rant/
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My advice to anyone wanting to have legalised trails is to look for some council owned land that suits and begin a negotiation process prior to track building. It's much easier that way. Once that gets started, and clubs in the area show growth in their numbers, this can then be used as justification to legalise currently illegal trails. This has been highly successful in the South East Queensland region.

Illegal trails will always exist, the trick is to not become too attached to them!
 
My mate and i have started to make a little dh/freeride track at ballarat. we're doing pretty well considering we only have one foldable shovel between us haha
 
So I'm building a track on what is predominately a thin layer of mulch over sand - at a guess it would be roughly 90% sand, 10% rock and gravel (higher up on the track). It's very easy to work but as this is my first trail that I've constructed, I'm not sure how to stabilise the sand so that it doesn't erode as quickly as I build it? I have read the entire thread but haven't seen anything about building in sandy areas. Any good tips?
 
BB Gun said:
So I'm building a track on what is predominately a thin layer of mulch over sand - at a guess it would be roughly 90% sand, 10% rock and gravel (higher up on the track). It's very easy to work but as this is my first trail that I've constructed, I'm not sure how to stabilise the sand so that it doesn't erode as quickly as I build it? I have read the entire thread but haven't seen anything about building in sandy areas. Any good tips?
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don't build in sandy areas. haha

You can try using rock armoring, some of the best ways to help it is usually as you see at beaches you have the latter of wood that helps keep the sand from eroding down but this becomes problematic on a dh trail for obvious reasons. Ideally you avoid sand where you can Your best bet is to build over the sand and use rocks, bridges/wood were you can between features. I know it sucks but it will save time for upkeep, the issue with that is money or if you can do it for free it becomes a bit of a issue if the trail is not on private property where it becomes very evident of its existence.

Following the basic rules of gradient building, avoiding water flow areas should all help minimize the damage, don't pull out rocks or roots they help to keep sand and dirt in place.
 
bigred2284 said:
what can i do to minimise destruction of undergrowth?
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I made a list:

Use a hoverboard see link below
Build a bridge
Stay in your line
Do not ride when it is to wet
Do not put your secret tracks on Strava or any other social webby bullshit people might use to find your tracks.
Only show your tracks to friends you can trust (it will also help if you got some stuff on them so you can blackmail them just in case they want to blab)
Build jumps big enough so you can jump over any endangered undergrowth
Use a shitload of concrete to build your tracks so there will be no pesky undergrowth to destruct

I use all above techniques but the hoverboard is the way forward, hope this helps


http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/0f80c6eb22/huvr-belief
 
driftking said:
don't build in sandy areas. haha

You can try using rock armoring, some of the best ways to help it is usually as you see at beaches you have the latter of wood that helps keep the sand from eroding down but this becomes problematic on a dh trail for obvious reasons. Ideally you avoid sand where you can Your best bet is to build over the sand and use rocks, bridges/wood were you can between features. I know it sucks but it will save time for upkeep, the issue with that is money or if you can do it for free it becomes a bit of a issue if the trail is not on private property where it becomes very evident of its existence.

Following the basic rules of gradient building, avoiding water flow areas should all help minimize the damage, don't pull out rocks or roots they help to keep sand and dirt in place.
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Well it looks like I'm rooted then! Good call on on leaving the roots and rocks in though, maybe I need more travel to fix all my problem$
 
using logs

Hi guys

I often see on videos the use of logs as the base of building kickers, jumps, etc. Where dirt is often overlayed. How long can a jump built like this last? Doesnt the wood rot especially in damp forest conditions?

Keen to hear others experiences on this.
 
orco said:
Hi guys

I often see on videos the use of logs as the base of building kickers, jumps, etc. Where dirt is often overlayed. How long can a jump built like this last? Doesnt the wood rot especially in damp forest conditions?

Keen to hear others experiences on this.
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Lots of factors to consider. In my experience good wood like gum will outlast your interest in riding unless it is in a really wet spot. Other stuff like pine lasts long enough to worth doing. Just top up the dirt as the guts collapse. Unless of course you have time/machinery to dig up enough dirt the first time.
 
This is something we used to live by regarding dirtjumpes but would work with trails too expecally if your planing in having it some what privet and kept to you and your cloes riding buddies, no dig no ride!
This will more than likely make your mates want to give you a hand in building them and have your mates appreciate it more.
 
Ourimbah NSW beware, every, I mean every weekend some poor MTB rider gets sent to hospital. Used to be an ambulance trip but now its a paramedic helicopter arriving at the scene. Even the UCI World Cup rides would have a hard time sending the DH.
 
imax said:
Ourimbah NSW beware, every, I mean every weekend some poor MTB rider gets sent to hospital. Used to be an ambulance trip but now its a paramedic helicopter arriving at the scene. Even the UCI World Cup rides would have a hard time sending the DH.
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Shuttled there on the enduro bikes late last month, track condition seemed pretty much the same as it has been for the last ten years.
 
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