Illawarra Escarpment Mountain Bike Draft Strategy: Public Consultation
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mark22
Likes Dirt
Hmm seems rather elitist saying we are the world leaders in amateur? and entry level riders.My thoughts on trails funded by politics................
Australia is the capital of the world for amateur & entry level mountain bike enthusiast's that are overpaid and spend their money on top of the line ebikes. They ride green trails and brag to everyone about how skilled they are on gnarly stuff yet can't even get their bike off the ground.
This country needs less green trails, less ebike flogs, less government grants issued to build adaptive bike trails palming them off as more green trails, less people who have nothing to do with a forest having a say in it, way less over-the-top insurance needs, less fat political jerks telling you how you are allowed to spend your fun time and less bullshit saying "it's good for the economy".
There's no avenue to advance your skills without the mad dogs that build rad trails because they want to ride rad trails. We're never gonna have a team of top level Australian riders on the world scene without rad trails. The community needs to stay out of the conversation about bike trails when they have no fucking clue what they're on about, just keep buying your kids a bike so they can have a good time with their mates. And absolute amateur rich-boy jerks that brag about buying some overpriced ebike only to go out and complain that the jumps are too big? Fuck off, sell your bike and stay away you wankers. Get some skills, sweat your arse off pushing your bike up a hill to learn the craft. You're part of the reason this country is obsessed with places to ride that are only green.
I've traveled the world with my bike and ridden some amazing places. I've run clubs, run big events, watched the flow-on effect of creating a bike scene where the township thrives on it, I've built some of the best trails you'll ever ride (they're hard though, no wanker squids thanks) and I've helped young dudes get on the Australian team for downhill. You don't get any that experience riding a place that has warning signs on the trailhead. I've ridden the cool stuff in Wollongong and love it, I desperately hope that this won't turn into a politically driven vote-grab that wrecks what could potentially be one of the best spots to ride your bike in Australia by building tons of green flow crap. We've got enough of that, lets see some advanced stuff get built and enjoy the consequences.
Even if this was true so what, no body owns the bloody sport.
I have seen it evolve since I have been involved possibly due to a wider range of people taking it up and Yep 90 odd % of us are amateurs but we're having fun.
Maybe we should preclude women from the trails as most are a little more risk averse (sensible) than men and old hacks like me too.
Sure there are guys that haven't earned their turns but it's not up to me point it out, disposable income is great if you have it.
Just been out riding today with a mate and his son who used to ride WC downhill, it's great just to watch him, stuffed if i know how he does some stuff i wouldn't have thought possible and he doesn't rabbit on about how shit the trails are here.
I've had some rather bizarre conversations with the odd dudes on local trails about Derby being all groomed trails, I found the double black ones pretty challenging, I think most riders are happy with Flow type trails of the blue variety .
The times I have been to Maydena I've yet to see riders hitting the features on the Proline trails. I'm sure they do however it must be a minority.
I will say our nanny trail grading on the mainland is ambiguous compared to overseas.
PS. (not related to above post) I've yet to find a natural MTB trail , maybe all the natural MTBrs died out years ago?
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Worth noting that our plan was based around retaining and upgrading the existing black and double black trails (in most cases). It’s our understanding that in most instances this isn’t the case with the current plan.
The plan we developed had the support of indigenous groups, but this support was withdrawn without any notice (to us anyway).
The plan we developed had the support of indigenous groups, but this support was withdrawn without any notice (to us anyway).
The original concept plan was really good. Making use of the existing trails was logical in terms of less impact, already meeting riders needs and kicking up the network to the next level.
Once Keira was off the table then it would have made more sense to move to the drift area as there is already heaps of room there for parking and it is away from most other groups activities and residential areas.
Being a bit cyclical, The current stage 1 plan at Kembla seems more about fixing the issue of motorbikes on parks land, where the motobike club thought they had formal use of that land.
Moving to the Kembla area now puts more impacts on the heritage areas of MT Kembla village. The area has huge significance as the mine explosion remains as the worst industrial incident in Australia. there is not a lot of focus on this at all when it could be incorporated into the project to tell some of that story.
My observations was that the project working group is just a collection of interest groups that all think they own the escarpment and are all playing politics to get what they want.
I am not surprised if the stories keep changing as they land council claims they were left out of consultation. I have heard of lots of unfounded accusations of riders abusing walkers by the land council reps and bush walking groups.
One of the greens recently said that mtb riders could not be engaged to support the project. So not agreeing with them now means that riders are painted as the issue in the project to deliver mtb trails, go figure.
In my view National Parks are still biased against mtb. The latest example was describing the heritage assessments for the mtb trails as a license to destroy heritage. I have never heard them describe the same assessment for a new walking trail in the same way and have been in discussion for both. I see their approach to the project as fixing the issues rather than delivering a descent network where riders would naturally move to better trails.l and no longer need to develop and rode informal trails.
oldcorollas
Levin the moment
The scope seems to significantly change every year or two, just driven by lobby groups??
Formalising and improving Mt Keira still seems like the most logical plan... Kembla like "well if we can't do that... Whats left?"
Btw, DA did great with Cringila
heavily used by wide range of riders all the time
LPG
likes thicc birds
Btw, DA did great with Cringila
Cringila was great as it brought beginner friendly trails to the area, it complemented the trails in the escarpment which are mainly blacks and double blacks (or pro lines and rampage lines if we grade then on the same scale as Cringila
). I'm worried there could be notable loss of challenging technical trails in the escarpment. There are some good people from the local community that have been involved in the existing trails that I'm sure are pushing to keep enough challenging trails. Ultimately if the new network and closures don't cater to the existing riders enough there will be more illegal trails built and we are back to where we started, but the transition will be frustrating.
oldcorollas
Levin the moment
It's really happening: first work starts on Illawarra mountain bike trails
Digging has started on a site at Mt Kembla.
oldcorollas
Levin the moment
oh dear..
I can imagine a time where the Orchid Lovers start planting bodies in proposed development areas
I can imagine a time where the Orchid Lovers start planting bodies in proposed development areas
oldcorollas
Levin the moment
NPWS update
Mount Kembla works
National Parks and Synergy Trails are making progress on the mountain bike track network construction at Mount Kembla. Since August 2023 there has been 2km of track under construction, with detailed survey complete for 12km of track in preparation for work commencement, which is continuing over the summer holiday period.
It remains important that people stay off the tracks while they are under construction.
While the mostly mild weather experienced recently has helped construction, compaction of the track surface is ongoing to ensure it can sustain the predicted number of riders and reduces future management and maintenance of the track.
How you can be involved
National Parks and Wildlife Service are seeking the support of cyclists to be actively involved in the ongoing management and maintenance of the new networks at Mount Kembla and Balgownie and the rehabilitation works at Mount Keira.
If you’d like to participate in future events please register by sending an email to NPWS Illawarra Highlands.
Mount Kembla works
National Parks and Synergy Trails are making progress on the mountain bike track network construction at Mount Kembla. Since August 2023 there has been 2km of track under construction, with detailed survey complete for 12km of track in preparation for work commencement, which is continuing over the summer holiday period.
It remains important that people stay off the tracks while they are under construction.
While the mostly mild weather experienced recently has helped construction, compaction of the track surface is ongoing to ensure it can sustain the predicted number of riders and reduces future management and maintenance of the track.
How you can be involved
National Parks and Wildlife Service are seeking the support of cyclists to be actively involved in the ongoing management and maintenance of the new networks at Mount Kembla and Balgownie and the rehabilitation works at Mount Keira.
If you’d like to participate in future events please register by sending an email to NPWS Illawarra Highlands.
oldcorollas
Levin the moment
cryptic...
cokeonspecialtwodollars
Fartes of Portingale
I always thought that rule #1 of naming trails was don't use numbers as they lack character(s).
oldcorollas
Levin the moment
yup... the recent plan was 61 trails.. and maybe they are not very creative at naming things?
this is just a pic from the ppl printing the signs.. nothing anywhere from Synergy
suspect just a trail building update thing.... to get photos for a council/NPWS
(or marking for their subbies?)
oldcorollas
Levin the moment
from Failbook..
Legal Tracks Update
It’s now been 6 months since Synergy started the huge task of building stage 1 of the legal track network on Mt Kembla.
Yesterday, National Parks and Synergy gave a group of us a short tour of some of the tracks being built. A variety of green, blue, black, and adaptive trails are being built and the build so far looks great! There will be tracks for everyone!
30km of downhill, XC, Flow, climbing and jump trails are all being built and they take advantage of some beautiful terrain and provide riders with some great views.
The build is currently half way through stage 1 and the anticipated open date is hopefully around September (fingers crossed for dry weather!)
Discussions for stage 2 have also started in the background and this involves liaising with land owned by other parties such as Water NSW and South32.
Both National Parks and Synergy are appreciative of riders for not riding the trails being built so far. This means they can push ahead with new building and keeps them on target to finish stage 1.
Thanks to National Parks, Council and Synergy for their continued support of MTBing!
Pictures:
Legal Tracks Update
It’s now been 6 months since Synergy started the huge task of building stage 1 of the legal track network on Mt Kembla.
Yesterday, National Parks and Synergy gave a group of us a short tour of some of the tracks being built. A variety of green, blue, black, and adaptive trails are being built and the build so far looks great! There will be tracks for everyone!
30km of downhill, XC, Flow, climbing and jump trails are all being built and they take advantage of some beautiful terrain and provide riders with some great views.
The build is currently half way through stage 1 and the anticipated open date is hopefully around September (fingers crossed for dry weather!)
Discussions for stage 2 have also started in the background and this involves liaising with land owned by other parties such as Water NSW and South32.
Both National Parks and Synergy are appreciative of riders for not riding the trails being built so far. This means they can push ahead with new building and keeps them on target to finish stage 1.
Thanks to National Parks, Council and Synergy for their continued support of MTBing!
Pictures:
- Full network
- Stage 1 build
bigdamo
Likes Dirt
What is happening or happened to the gondola that was planned to go up the escarpment.
So when the MTB trails come down and pass Wollongong Motorcycle complex it looks like the MTB trail goes out on the road. From my memory the MX track pretty much goes close to the road. Is there a big gap jump over the MX track for MTBs.
So when the MTB trails come down and pass Wollongong Motorcycle complex it looks like the MTB trail goes out on the road. From my memory the MX track pretty much goes close to the road. Is there a big gap jump over the MX track for MTBs.
oldcorollas
Levin the moment
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bigdamo
Likes Dirt
there have been gondola plans for at least the last 40 years for various places around illawarra.. mainly from beach to train to uni + optional Mt keira
the "Mt Keira adventure playground" idea with potential gondola from 2016 got totally nixxed
the "Mt Keira summit park" plan ended up prohibiting further MTB development, outside of the "illawarra escarpment MTB strategy"... (which is where it is now, and making the new trails)
from 1984
View attachment 407471
if they spent $50mil on a gondola.. imagine how much 1 ride would cost?
When they shut down the steel works I reckon you will get a gondola. Govt will be chucking money at the Gong to transistion from steel city to tourist mecca.
bigdamo
Likes Dirt
Should include a lap of the MX track in the Mtb trails.
