Official Old Mans Valley MTB Park - Hornsby

NUTTTR

Likes Dirt
Does anyone happen to know if an re-opening date has been set?
Not that I know of. Last I heard was they were hoping "mid year"... It is delayed by whoever the contractor is as they haven't installed the road tunnel or bridge yet for the bikes...
 

Binaural

Eats Squid
Not that I know of. Last I heard was they were hoping "mid year"... It is delayed by whoever the contractor is as they haven't installed the road tunnel or bridge yet for the bikes...
Last year they were hoping for the end of the year! That is ridiculous and I am not seeing any transparency in reporting on how the project is going. It can't be that hard to build a temporary crossing if the bridge is delayed, with appropriate signage. There is no problem in my view with allowing crossing with a temporary gate with signs on it to watch out for trucks. It's a day's worth of work at the most.

On the other hand, checking the pics on Synergy's Facebook page, I am wondering if there's just ordinary scope creep going on here and the bridge is just being used as an excuse. They don't need to make the entire trail artificial, but as far as I can tell every inch of the trail is going to be man-made without much in the way of natural sections.
 

JTmofo

XC Enthusiast
They don't need to make the entire trail artificial, but as far as I can tell every inch of the trail is going to be man-made without much in the way of natural sections.
And how is that any different to the trail that has been there for the last few years?
 

foxpuppet

Eats Squid
Just in From SNORC

UNDER THE RADAR TRAIL OPENING
This Saturday 11AM ish - you are invited to be at the OMV trails on Quarry Road to be the first to officially ride some new stages opening this weekend. It's just a few trail sections and so there is no big opening or hoooharrr. That will be later in the year. But Council are seriously bursting to get people back out there - so they've opened these first stages. Hornsby Council's media man Nick Cook will be there to capture your impressions. If you see him say "hello dude, see me smiling, I'm smiling cause I'm riding on this new rad mtb trail".

SNORC


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Binaural

Eats Squid
And how is that any different to the trail that has been there for the last few years?
That's the point - some more natural trail would be really good, and would be quicker to build and require less maintenance. It's definitely fun to ride for a change though.
 

Binaural

Eats Squid
So has anyone taken a look at the new trails since they reopened some of the sections, per foxpuppet's post? I've got to go out of my way to go there to look for myself. If they've only opened a really short section then I might wait until the rest of the trail eventually opens.
 

BT180

Max Pfaff
So has anyone taken a look at the new trails since they reopened some of the sections, per foxpuppet's post? I've got to go out of my way to go there to look for myself. If they've only opened a really short section then I might wait until the rest of the trail eventually opens.
There's a couple of vids doing the rounds in some MTB Facebook groups. One of a nice little gap here: https://www.facebook.com/foxpuppet/videos/10212452245000424/

Just realised after pasting the URL that it's foxpuppets...
 

Mattl

Likes Dirt
So has anyone taken a look at the new trails since they reopened some of the sections, per foxpuppet's post? I've got to go out of my way to go there to look for myself. If they've only opened a really short section then I might wait until the rest of the trail eventually opens.
Yeah, I rode there late Sunday morning and rode about 6 loops of the new trails that were open with only a few other people people around. The main positive difference is that the blue descent now has a lot more flow and is much faster. There are a couple of steeper sections with S corners that have alternative sneaky A lines where you can roll or drop the steep rocky sections between the corners linking the faster fall line. There are a few new small jumps near the bottom of the descent including the gap in the video mentioned above. On the other side of the trail (heading up towards the pool) there is a new easier green line climb which links to a new small but fun and flowy descent that leads back to near where the original pool climb starts so you can begin the new climb back to the start of the blue loop. There's nothing really that tech except for the small gap jump but all of the new stuff is still an absolute blast to ride fast. I still prefer the nearby H2O trail but as a work in progress it's very promising.
 

Binaural

Eats Squid
Does anyone know if it is still possible to ride between H2O in Westleigh and OMV in Hornsby via fire rd? I have seen a few notes that suggest it's possible but that new houses being built might cut it off.
 

foxpuppet

Eats Squid
Does anyone know if it is still possible to ride between H2O in Westleigh and OMV in Hornsby via fire rd? I have seen a few notes that suggest it's possible but that new houses being built might cut it off.
I don't think there has ever been a fire road link between them, there is some fire road, paved road, and waking tracks you can use to link it up. It's all still accessible. But not all rideable to do it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

silentbutdeadly

has some good things to say
What he said... there's a mix of tracks and fire roads but not solely fire roads. Mostly because of creek crossings. And some sections aren't rideable (like either side of the Rockholes)
 

Binaural

Eats Squid
Shout out to JB on nobmob:

"The firetrail that runs from the end of Wareemba Ave Thornleigh to Valley Rd Hornsby is all rideable, apart from about 20 steps up to Valley Rd (right at the southernmost point of Valley Rd.). It's a bit of a climb up Rosemead Rd... 100m vertical, avg grade 14%"


Probably takes 20-25mins total depending on whether you ride the wall of death out of the valley. It is a great option to link up 2 trails that start or end on a train line for sure!
 

T.3

Likes Dirt
Watch those steps if there is any moisture they get icy slippery.

The road climb back towards omv will be a dead set leg burner
 

NUTTTR

Likes Dirt
Shout out to JB on nobmob:

"The firetrail that runs from the end of Wareemba Ave Thornleigh to Valley Rd Hornsby is all rideable, apart from about 20 steps up to Valley Rd (right at the southernmost point of Valley Rd.). It's a bit of a climb up Rosemead Rd... 100m vertical, avg grade 14%"


Probably takes 20-25mins total depending on whether you ride the wall of death out of the valley. It is a great option to link up 2 trails that start or end on a train line for sure!
If you look at the westleigh trail facebook page, I put a post up somewhere there about how to connect it all, but it's really simple. You CAN ride down the trail beside the fire station (walk the first lot then ride the rest), but you've got to be keen and fast to do it as they can be a bit rough at points.

Otherwise you can go the route above, the road is pretty steep... It's a hard ride up a long hill. Don't walk the quarry steps carrying your bike, it's a LOT harder :)

Many many years ago (15, or more?) you used to be able to ride up the outside fence of the quarry up to the firetrail down the bottom of OMV... it's very very overgrown now and isn't possible to get through... would be good if someone cut it through again ;)
 

Binaural

Eats Squid
If you look at the westleigh trail facebook page, I put a post up somewhere there about how to connect it all, but it's really simple. You CAN ride down the trail beside the fire station (walk the first lot then ride the rest), but you've got to be keen and fast to do it as they can be a bit rough at points.

Otherwise you can go the route above, the road is pretty steep... It's a hard ride up a long hill. Don't walk the quarry steps carrying your bike, it's a LOT harder :)

Many many years ago (15, or more?) you used to be able to ride up the outside fence of the quarry up to the firetrail down the bottom of OMV... it's very very overgrown now and isn't possible to get through... would be good if someone cut it through again ;)
I looked for your post but couldn't find it unfortunately. I assume you mean Westleigh fire station, further along Quarter sessions road? There's a stub off to the right that looks like it might be a fire road entry. Fine with a rough road, just less keen on the monster walk up the valley to reach OMV.
 

NUTTTR

Likes Dirt
I looked for your post but couldn't find it unfortunately. I assume you mean Westleigh fire station, further along Quarter sessions road? There's a stub off to the right that looks like it might be a fire road entry. Fine with a rough road, just less keen on the monster walk up the valley to reach OMV.
I'll see if I can find it then, I mean the fire station on the small loop road where westleigh trail starts from... It's not a fire trail and there's no way to avoid the climb, really.
 

spikenet

Likes Dirt
looking at visiting OMV during the week. Been years since I've been here, is the place ok to take beginners and is it actually open midweek as heard some people complaining the gates are locked?

other then OMV I was looking at Jubes park.. anywhere else worth checking out?

thanks
 

T.3

Likes Dirt
As far as I know omv is only open half day saturday and all day sunday.

Unless something drastic has changed Jubes remains a testament to how to spend a lot of money and get a steaming turd as a result.

Check out nearby Westleigh, a testament to what can be achieved with little money and a bunch of hard working selfless people who love mtb.
 
Top