Ultra Lord
Hurts. Requires Money. And is nerdy.
Will maydena cause a resurgence in dh bike sales in aus? It’s got me considering one. Or a endurbro more likely, but damn dh bikes are sexy.
so whos booked a session at Maydena? and future of Private MTB parks.
- Thread starter Sethius
- Start date
KingColussus
Squid
Not sure what you mean by 70% of punters not needing a DH bike. Is this because the trails don't require DH bike; are they to pedally, are they not technical enough. I thought this was supposed to be a DH bike park as they have been comparing themselves to Whistler and Queenstown, however if what your saying is true they must be nothing like Whistler or a DH bike park as more than 80% of riders in whistler are on DH bikes and trails there definitely suit DH bikes.
Mywifesirrational
I however am very normal. Trust me.
I am guessing foot deep braking bumps haven't appeared in the 30 meters before every berm (that you don't need to brake for) just yet?
I'll be taking the DH and AM bikes, DH bike is easier to progress on shit as it is a bit more forgiving, and less battering over a full day of riding.
MIKEY B
Likes Dirt
Me and some mates are heading down in March and cant wait. Ive been to the area before and MT Field national park is just stunning for landscape photography (Russel Falls) so i have got other options should i be bored/hurt/tired whatever.
Our plan is a week with Derby first for a few days, the Maydena for 2 days min before we fly home.
Large camper so accom no issue and i know the driving is not too bad as Tassie is a relatively small place, but the scenario is also awe inspiring that the drive takes longer than you might expect.
Cannot wait. Taking our Enduro rigs and hopefully by late March place might have settled down a bit, trails packed in and re-groomed, and maybe a few more lines opened up. YEOOOWW!!!!
Our plan is a week with Derby first for a few days, the Maydena for 2 days min before we fly home.
Large camper so accom no issue and i know the driving is not too bad as Tassie is a relatively small place, but the scenario is also awe inspiring that the drive takes longer than you might expect.
Cannot wait. Taking our Enduro rigs and hopefully by late March place might have settled down a bit, trails packed in and re-groomed, and maybe a few more lines opened up. YEOOOWW!!!!
ajay
^Once punched Jeff Kennett. Don't pick an e-fight
Yeah that's the main reason I use DH bike at Whistler - the breaking bumps are horrific, I don't have the strength or stamina to endure a full day, let alone a week or more on little bike.
slowmick
38-39"
Sooooo many breaking bumps. I rode the last three days of the season at whistler in 2013. My left wrist has clicked ever since...
rangersac
Medically diagnosed OMS
So for the benefit of the masses here's my Maydena ride report from Saturday just gone. Got to the base station at 9:30am but missed the first round of shuttles as I was waiting for my mate who hired a DH rig from them for the day (Canyon Sender). Therefore didn't get on the bus until about 10:10am. In total got five shuttles for the day and was completely knackered by the end. Bits worth knowing about as follows:
Shuttles: Longest wait around 20 minutes. They were fully booked out for the day and had five buses going from 9:30am - 4:00pm, so this should be a reasonable benchmark. Hiace vans and trailers which did the job no worries. Uplift takes about 20 - 25 minutes.
Facilities: Base station has food (pizzas, rolls/ toasted sandwiches, salads, packs of chips etc), on tap and packaged booze, shop with a limited selection of spares, merch, first aid, bike wash and dunnies. A handy addition would be shower facilities. Small fun pump track right next to the outdoor area for good peanut gallery viewing. Top station (Eagles Eyrie) has a smaller but still decent selection of food and drinks (importantly just as many beer taps), and is clearly a contender for the bar with the best views in Australia. And a nice wood stove for when it's cold. Top tip for maxing your run time is to get a sanga and drink at the Eagles Eyrie for lunch rather than at the base station as it's quieter and you don't have exit the shuttle queue. Plus you get to admire the panorama.
Trail Grading: Green, blue, single black, double black, freeride, pro-line. I found the grading a step up from anywhere I've ridden in Australia. By comparison for Tasmania a Maydena green is equivalent to a Derby blue, whilst a Maydena black is the equivalent of a N.Z. black. Over the day I covered pretty much all the blues, a good selection of the single blacks, one double black, a couple of the freeride lines, and a couple of greens at the end as I was buggered and worried about binning it! Given the current network you'd need two days to cover all of them and it's only going to get bigger. I suggest a blue run to get going initially and then straight into the black/ double black lines whilst you are fresh.
Trail style: This place is not for novice riders. Steep, by the holy deity of your choice it is steep. But massive, endlessly beautifully crafted runs of berms abound that catch and you spit you out the exits. Plenty of loamy hand cut single track as well. Very little rock in comparison other Tassie trails. Farkin huge features that are well beyond my skills, and on the double diamond trails some sheer vertical drops. I would be wary of riding in the wet though as the berms look they would be slippery, and it will be interesting to see how this holds up in the winter as the loamy single trails are already getting very rutted in spots.
Bike: I rode my 140/130 trail 29er. Fine for everything up to a single black, but undergunned beyond that. You can have a great time riding a trail bike, but to get the most out of the park I'd be riding an Enduro/ DH rig. And DH aficionados you will not be disappointed as it's absolutely no imposition to do so. Aside from two or three little 5m climbing bumps of no more than 50m trail length right at the top on the first trail, and a linking fire trail to switch between the two sides of the network halfway down, there's no pedaling necessary. It's got me seriously considering picking up a second hand DH rig just to ride here. TRIPLE CHECK YOUR BRAKES and put new pads in before coming here though, as they cop an absolute flogging on the descents.
Last thing, a big shout out to Sue who drove the group of blokes I was with up for the last shuttle of the day. We asked if the bar was still open at the top for a beer before the last run and she wasn't sure. So she asked if any of us could pour a beer (naturally), came to the building and manned the till so we could all get refreshments. Tremendous.
Shuttles: Longest wait around 20 minutes. They were fully booked out for the day and had five buses going from 9:30am - 4:00pm, so this should be a reasonable benchmark. Hiace vans and trailers which did the job no worries. Uplift takes about 20 - 25 minutes.
Facilities: Base station has food (pizzas, rolls/ toasted sandwiches, salads, packs of chips etc), on tap and packaged booze, shop with a limited selection of spares, merch, first aid, bike wash and dunnies. A handy addition would be shower facilities. Small fun pump track right next to the outdoor area for good peanut gallery viewing. Top station (Eagles Eyrie) has a smaller but still decent selection of food and drinks (importantly just as many beer taps), and is clearly a contender for the bar with the best views in Australia. And a nice wood stove for when it's cold. Top tip for maxing your run time is to get a sanga and drink at the Eagles Eyrie for lunch rather than at the base station as it's quieter and you don't have exit the shuttle queue. Plus you get to admire the panorama.
Trail Grading: Green, blue, single black, double black, freeride, pro-line. I found the grading a step up from anywhere I've ridden in Australia. By comparison for Tasmania a Maydena green is equivalent to a Derby blue, whilst a Maydena black is the equivalent of a N.Z. black. Over the day I covered pretty much all the blues, a good selection of the single blacks, one double black, a couple of the freeride lines, and a couple of greens at the end as I was buggered and worried about binning it! Given the current network you'd need two days to cover all of them and it's only going to get bigger. I suggest a blue run to get going initially and then straight into the black/ double black lines whilst you are fresh.
Trail style: This place is not for novice riders. Steep, by the holy deity of your choice it is steep. But massive, endlessly beautifully crafted runs of berms abound that catch and you spit you out the exits. Plenty of loamy hand cut single track as well. Very little rock in comparison other Tassie trails. Farkin huge features that are well beyond my skills, and on the double diamond trails some sheer vertical drops. I would be wary of riding in the wet though as the berms look they would be slippery, and it will be interesting to see how this holds up in the winter as the loamy single trails are already getting very rutted in spots.
Bike: I rode my 140/130 trail 29er. Fine for everything up to a single black, but undergunned beyond that. You can have a great time riding a trail bike, but to get the most out of the park I'd be riding an Enduro/ DH rig. And DH aficionados you will not be disappointed as it's absolutely no imposition to do so. Aside from two or three little 5m climbing bumps of no more than 50m trail length right at the top on the first trail, and a linking fire trail to switch between the two sides of the network halfway down, there's no pedaling necessary. It's got me seriously considering picking up a second hand DH rig just to ride here. TRIPLE CHECK YOUR BRAKES and put new pads in before coming here though, as they cop an absolute flogging on the descents.
Last thing, a big shout out to Sue who drove the group of blokes I was with up for the last shuttle of the day. We asked if the bar was still open at the top for a beer before the last run and she wasn't sure. So she asked if any of us could pour a beer (naturally), came to the building and manned the till so we could all get refreshments. Tremendous.
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