VIC Lysterfield Park

retroenduro

retroenduro

Likes Dirt
Propagate said:
To be fair though, the consistency in signs was lacking last night.

Snipe for example, is listed as open on the PV map, but has a closed sign at the damn wall end, and no sign at the Blair Witch end. If you were running down from Blair then it appears to be open. If you read the PV map, it appears to be open, if you ride from Trail mix track it's signed as closed.

Lower Buckle, is signed as closed from the lake end, listed as closed on LDTR site, shown as open on PV map and not signed at Lamberts end. So, if you were riding a lake loop, onto Lamberts and passed the Lamberts end of Buckle you'd think it was open.

There were definitely riders out last night that "know" whats closed, but rode anyway, but there were also a lot of newbie looking riders out that may not look at PV site, or LDTR site and go by what they pass at a trail head. Can't blame them for taking what appears to be an open trail head only to find a closed sign at the other end when they pop out.

The new closed signs are great with the single spike and laminated notice, way better than the old orange tape, but without consistency, signs at both ends and unison between PV's trail list, trail map and LDTR's condition report then it's a little unfair to blanketly berate anyone you see pop out of a closed trail, as there will absolutely be genuine cases of not knowing the trail was closed.
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PV map takes a while to get updated as it need to go to their GIS department and then get signed off etc etc. so signs are the most up to date way we have of closing the trails. We will get there eventually with consistant signage for closed trails but in the meantime its simple....if there is a sign there saying the trail is closed, then it is closed.....end of story. If there is orange bunting its closed. If there is a one legged kangaroo standing guard at the trail entarnce its closed.

Once upon a time there were signs at each trail entrance but alot of these have managed to teleport their way into the nearby bushes too. The folk we berated were quite clearly riding from the direction where there were signs and no other way into the trails so either they did teleport or just didnt give a shit (whilst i live in hope of this new technology i somehow believe it was the latter). And they were regulars as well who do know better. Have seen them on closed trails before (dude with the full face helmet and mate who did a quick 180 when he saw us walking down the trail im talking to you!).

And the reason why we close them? well there are some real boggy sections out there. Over the past few months (whilst closed) they have gone from one boggy section with a cheeky reroute to one boggy section with about 40 cheeky reroutes. Which now means its a complete mess that cant be drained and fixed without getting someone in to build a boardwalk which means more time and money and that its closed for longer. Upper Buckle is a perfect example of this.

I wish i could call the shots and say right we are now fining those caught but alas no, thats Parks call and we would need to get signage sorted first although hmmm...might help to pay for repairs

ah well eventually we will get there.
 
slowmick

slowmick

38-39"
Well some community minded person had thrown the closed sign for Follow Me into the long grass when i went past this morning.

If I had to guess I would suggest it was the young chaps with the full face helmets and body armour. They were happy to tell me it was closed as I rode past them pushing their bikes to the top.

How often do the trails get reviewed? It would be wonderful to be able to ride the northern end on Cup Day.
 
N

Nerb

Squid
Who has walked it? Unless there is some great pit of muddy doom, i can easily imagine kids thinking the sign was forgotten. We've had weeks of good weather, its almost christmas, other tracks are open.... Even if you look at the lysterfield mtb trail condition report it says "last updated 26th September". We can assume no one has looked at the site since then?
I think if the trail remains closed, it covers pv from litigation if someone crashes. It rains in Victoria, tracks are wet 11 months of the year. I say put a permanent sign saying " walk the track first. do not ride around mud, ride through it." and let people enjoy the park.
 
P

Propagate

Likes Dirt
I could be wrong, but I'm not sure it's the trails themselves that are the issue. I think with all the wind and rain that we've had a few of the trees are about to keel over onto some poor unsuspecting mountain bikers heads. PV are the only ones that can sort this, the local club & builders aren't allowed too. That's my understanding anyway.
 
M

M0z

Likes Bikes
first ride around out there today... and loved it... we did get confused once or twice and hopefully didn't frustrate anyone (although i suspect our little group of 5 probably did, we were a group of very mixed skill, so if any of you guys are here my most sincere apologies!)

did 2 laps of the commonwealth track ... then, looking at the map... i get a bit confused... where we went... we rode for a fair while and eventually ended up at a "pump" track at the bottom of the dam wall... rode back up.... along a little bit of single track into a carpark.... down a bit of a road, and then the trail went into the bush on the right, there was a closed sign on there... so we continued down the road a bit, and came to where i suspect that trail crosses the road again, there was a closed sign on that other end of the trail there.... and a sign lying on the ground... there was nothing, no signed or anything on that side of it so we pressed our way up there... which from memory led us back to somehwere very near the carpark.

[edit] ok, found a better map than the one i was looking at...

rode pretty much everything today except "upper buckle trail" riders we bumped into on the road between buckle and upper buckle seemed confused, but we certainly didn't see any signs. the only one was on that intersection at the start of upper buckle.... and again on the other end further down the road. and that "middle trail" part of the loop looked like a fair bit of work had gone into building that up recently.
 
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M

M0z

Likes Bikes
Rode lysterfield again today... Same trails were still closed... Which was a shame, hoping they open up before I have to go home to Darwin mid-December.

Good vibe out there today, the couple of people I bumped into we're much nicer than the ones we seemed to upset last week.
 
W

will20b

Squid
M0z said:
Rode lysterfield again today... Same trails were still closed... Which was a shame, hoping they open up before I have to go home to Darwin mid-December.

Good vibe out there today, the couple of people I bumped into we're much nicer than the ones we seemed to upset last week.
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There is a trail build on this Saturday and PV are working on the tree issues. I've heard more trails might be opened next week.

If anyone wants to assist on the trail build there are two start times, 8:00am and 10:00am leaving from Trailmix.
 
O

Olly76

Likes Dirt
Great turn out this weekend. Thanks to Derek from Mainland Landscaping for the bobcat and also Cameron who brought his along as well. PV for removing trees off the trail and all the volunteers Who gave up their Sat morning for the trails.

27 builders attended this months build with a couple not signing the sheet as well.

We are making progress with the new trail and it is nearly ready to go. Trail network hopefully to open in the very near future, tree removal throughout buckle and middle are nearly complete. Thanks all for their patience in not riding the trails.

Look out for dates next year with Sunday builds happening as well, for all those folks who have to work or take their kids to weekend sports.

The more builders we have the better trails and features we can build.

See you all next month. Work off that X-mas excess
 
slowmick

slowmick

38-39"
We see a lot of riders who park at the main gate and ride in to do Follow me on big travel downhill bikes. Have enven seen a bloke pushing a Stab up Boys Farm Track.

Must be hitting the trail a whole lot quicker than me.
 
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