NSW Mountain bike use of illegal tracks & closed trails

[trouble]

When I first read this thread I was overseas but since getting back on Monday I went and checked out the tracks I ride in Garigal National Park (2 mins from my place) for any clear signage, etc to back up any notion that bicycles are banned from the track.

From Tryon road to the Eastern Arterial there is a small section of track which is marked 'no bikes'... fair enough, take the road around the the beginning of the fire trail on the other side of Eastern Arterial.

Head down the fire trail (two creeks track) and there are a couple of off shoots with signage for 'no bikes'... cool, i'm not heading down there!

At the end of the fire trail the track heads up with no signage for 'no bikes'. I rode through to Roseville bridge and back on the track and saw no 'no bikes' signage, I did however see no motorbikes.

Anyone who has ridden this track would know that it is a very rocky, technical track (i'll get photos) and is not what I would consider a smooth and easy track suitable for your run of the mill elderly or little kiddie bushwalk.

If i was to be approached by a ranger on this track in particular I would be putting up a pretty strong case before accepting any $500 fine!!

After being a regular rider of 2 creeks my whole life, Dad introduced me to it when I was young. We have been riding it together for a while. There's one section that's illegal with poor signage. On the roseville end (my end) At the bottom of that big long rock garden, (it's nearer lindfeild side) where there's an old pipeline, there's a long wooden sign with no moto's, fires, and bikes also...the bikes sign was pulled out of the wood twice and is currently scratched out by someone. It is the start to NP. Then the other end of this "no ride zone" about 500m later, past the re-route bi-passing the rock fall is the beginning of the long fireroad to lindfeild, that concrete step at the fireroad ha s small plaque with no bikes on it sign. I've explored down the lindfeild trails down and over the river, some amazing single track but is illegal and have been "warned" by rangers, got lucky, honestly didn't know back then you couldn't ride down there but missing the sign which was covered by overgrowth.

So it's quite ridiculous you can get fined for this section track in the middle about 500m long. If you are on either side you are free. Either run the risk ride the whole trail or turn around early and feel incomplete. Very silly. I"m not sure fat-ride what the bush on either end is owned by, more specific to roseville end of things, I think it's reserve maybe? Anyway. Interesting comments in here. Only read a bit. I understand the NP's point but get highly frustrated, I even rang and sent emails asking where specifically I could ride, and it's not even on all fireroads any more. She gave me 1300 number to call....never an answer to find what fire trails specifically you can ride. Many a time the fireroad a 3rd on two creeks near roseville side, I've been doing dh on and nearly hit people walking blatantly in the middle, me on the side. IF walkers are aware of riders it wouldn't be soo bad. Keeping dogs on leeshes as required would be a good idea. Nearly hit one, it ran infront of me, the walker started getting agro at me, saying you can't ride here, yet I checked with a ranger I can and have as much right as a walker, yet he's in wrong with a dog off the leesh. I like dogs too. It's a silly situation .If they helped riders get some proper down hill happening in some reserves it could be managed and designed in sustainability, and durability in mind.

 

[dcrofty]

^ Dogs aren't allowed in National Parks full stop.

I would make a comment about signs. There are hundreds of things that you are not allowed to do in National Parks and not every track is going to have a sign saying what you can and can't do. So don't expect to be able to talk your way out of a fine if there wasn't a sign. Essentially you are responsible for finding out where you can ride.

 

[sammydog]

I've been doing dh on and nearly hit people walking blatantly in the middle, me on the side. IF walkers are aware of riders it wouldn't be soo bad. Keeping dogs on leeshes as required would be a good idea. Nearly hit one, it ran infront of me, the walker started getting agro at me, saying you can't ride here, yet I checked with a ranger I can and have as much right as a walker, yet he's in wrong with a dog off the leesh. I like dogs too. It's a silly situation .If they helped riders get some proper down hill happening in some reserves it could be managed and designed in sustainability, and durability in mind.

Thing is though, you should be riding in a manner that allows you to easily avoid pedestrians or other park users, especially in a National Park where our use is tenuous at best. This is also one of the (but by no means the only) arguments against DH, in that the users are after speed, which is in conflict with other park users.

Stay in control and collisions with walkers isn't an issue. Dogs on the other hand, well as mentioned they shouldn't be there.

We will see a day when DH is legitimised in National Parks. At the moment though it is a step too far for the NPWS. Some of the developments around the state though do give hope that things are changing, until then legal DH will be confined to State Forests (and in some cases, the land of proactive Council's).

 

[trouble]

Thing is though, you should be riding in a manner that allows you to easily avoid pedestrians or other park users, especially in a National Park where our use is tenuous at best. This is also one of the (but by no means the only) arguments against DH, in that the users are after speed, which is in conflict with other park users.

Stay in control and collisions with walkers isn't an issue. Dogs on the other hand, well as mentioned they shouldn't be there.

We will see a day when DH is legitimised in National Parks. At the moment though it is a step too far for the NPWS. Some of the developments around the state though do give hope that things are changing, until then legal DH will be confined to State Forests (and in some cases, the land of proactive Council's).

I was controlled, the fireroad isn't in NP anyway, but yes I am always aware a walker could in be in the middle on the path around a blind corner, and usually when I walk up I will see people going up, or I'll see people going down.