Stromlo conditions

UKmatt

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Can anyone give me an idea if the terrain around Stromlo has changed much over the past 2 years?
I participated in WSC 2010 and will be back for the Scott 24hr in a few weeks time. Just wondering if the tracks are more cut up or rocky and perhaps more prone to punctures or something?

Got away with racing ralph evo tyres, planning the same again this year although have some snakeskins spare.
Kinda hoping the course goes down Pork Barrel, that was pretty sweet.
 

jonozrx

Likes Dirt
It's been smoothed right out in a lot of places. It got trashed by heavy rain over the last two summers, but they've made improvements on top of the repairs.

You won't recognise Pork Barrel - it's been completely redone, but it's a million times more fun now. Heaps of jumps and berms.
 

Newton

Likes Dirt
Can anyone give me an idea if the terrain around Stromlo has changed much over the past 2 years?
I participated in WSC 2010 and will be back for the Scott 24hr in a few weeks time. Just wondering if the tracks are more cut up or rocky and perhaps more prone to punctures or something?

Got away with racing ralph evo tyres, planning the same again this year although have some snakeskins spare.
Kinda hoping the course goes down Pork Barrel, that was pretty sweet.
Rode there last week with a group of 7, I run tuebless ignitor on the front larsen on the back, no issues - one guy was running "racing ralph tyres" and had 4 punctures ... the last one had him walking the last km back to the car park. Depends where you ride, but I must say, there were more rocks (and sharp ones at that) than I had expected, take plenty of tubes, co canisters and or a pump, if you riding tubes and racing ralphs you will most likely puncture.
 

UKmatt

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It's been smoothed right out in a lot of places. It got trashed by heavy rain over the last two summers, but they've made improvements on top of the repairs.

You won't recognise Pork Barrel - it's been completely redone, but it's a million times more fun now. Heaps of jumps and berms.
Ace, sounds like fun!
I'm tubeless on the ralphs. It's pretty rocky where I live in Wales and don't have problems with Snakeskin, but Evo are more fragile. Might play it safe and go for Snakeskins.

Thanks for the info.
 

Dazzo

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I've done dozens of runs up and down stromlo over the last couple of years using both Ralph Evos with tubes and Ralph Snake Skins set up tubeless and have never had a puncture! I even ran the Evos right down to the point that the side walls were starting to break down and I was having to put patches on the inside of the tyre to stop the tube from protruding out - no punctures... I'd still stick to the Snake Skins though, since the tread on the EVOs seems to long outlast the tyres side walls, which is a shame since they are quite pricey$$ to buy. Love the ralph snake skins tubeless!
 

jonozrx

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It's a Marin Rocky Ridge. It's pretty much perfect for those tracks, as it's a hardtail with a 140mm fork and a slacker head angle than you would usually find on a bike with that amount of travel. Just the rider holding it back, haha.
 

stinkytodamax

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I run Snakeskin Racing Ralphs and they are well and truly up to the job. Before that I ran Evo's and they were also fine on tubeless but I prefer to limit the puncture risk for the sake of a few grams.

I use a Nobby Nic on the hardtail 29er and that's standing up even better.

Track conditions are very smooth on the Red lap. Blue lap is still rocky in places but if you're a seasoned rider it wont provide any problems.
 

UKmatt

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Noticed a few changes to the course, but nothing major. I see they have put a ladder across the gap jump (on luge?). I liked that bit :)
Blue sky, dry trails! It's been months since I last saw dust, just 2 weeks more to wait!

Question for the locals, are snakes a regular sighting or was I just unlucky in 2010? Scary things.
 

gassyndrome

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Really bloody dusty out there at the moment, but its in amazing condition. Should be tops.

Saw one snake catching some rays right in the middle of the trail before he quickly slithered off. Scared the crap out of the bloke I was with!
 

foxpuppet

Eats Squid
heading to stromlo tomorrow on the way to the snow, should be fun taking my wife for her first XC trail run. thinking of starting on the Loop 1 and maybe Loop 2 if time allows. anyone riding there tomorrow?
 

jonozrx

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Question for the locals, are snakes a regular sighting or was I just unlucky in 2010? Scary things.
The Stromlo Facebook page had a pic of a snake yesterday, so there must be a few out and about at the moment. Generally the sound of people scares them away, so don't be too worried.
 

tcp13equals2

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Can anyone give me an idea if the terrain around Stromlo has changed much over the past 2 years?
Well firstly, the snakes are back out already - some big fat brown and black ones can be found lurking on the singletrack. They get quite ticked off when you ride over them.

Then there are the magpies which are also back for the summer. For a small bird they draw quite a bit of blood. They also seem to really to be attracted to the colour orange.

The kangaroos around Stromlo have got bigger and more jaded at all the mountain bikers. There is a few 7 foot males who love to stand tall and give stink eye as you descent back to the car park. Keep them up for 24 hours and repeatedly flash lights in their face for 12 hours of night and they get quite cranky. Steer clear of them at 7am in the morning ...

Then there are the rock wallabys (smaller, furrier kangaroos) who like to hang around around Skyline. They are even dumber then the average roo, and are strangely attracted to the lights wizzing by at night. Be prepared to come face to face with them when descending.

Finally, just to keep it interesting, the wombats have been surprisingly active this spring. Ever ran into a beer keg on a bike? Well, that is what it would be like hitting a wombat. Listen for scurrying and digging noises ...

Oh, and the actual tracks are running great :)
 

jmcavoy

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Scared Witless

It's not the snakes, magpies, roos and wombats that worry me, they are all large animals you can at least see before they kill you. It's the swarms of long legged and furry funnel web spiders the size of your hand that creep me out. That time I raced at Stromlo they only came out at night, you'd see them scurrying across the single track and you rode though. I hear we are low anti venom stocks too, which is concerning.

And those little white tipped spiders, their bites cause your flesh to go necrotic, and they hang off webs on the track, so you ride right into them, face first.

And don't get me started on the European Wasps, which are in plague proportions in Canberra and can bite you over and over again until you are covered in painful welts.

Australia is a scary place. If I were racing solo there, I'd be in a full hazmat suit...
It gives me nightmares to think about all the animals that can kill you there!
 

UKmatt

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Well firstly, the snakes are back out already - some big fat brown and black ones can be found lurking on the singletrack. They get quite ticked off when you ride over them.

Then there are the magpies which are also back for the summer. For a small bird they draw quite a bit of blood. They also seem to really to be attracted to the colour orange.
Oh fantastic. Just what I wanted to hear given what colour my kit it.

You guys are doing a great job of putting me off. Is zip ties to the helmet still the preferred deterrent for magpies?
Had an encounter with one of those in 2010 as well and was pretty dangerous being on the road at the time!
 
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