Stromlo Upgrade approved

Ultra Lord

Hurts. Requires Money. And is nerdy.
Heh, time to bust out the dc’s, studded belt baggy as fuck blue jeans.

Why is this the first I’m hearing of Isaacs ridge? Bloody locals keepin the good shit to themselves. You all suck
 

Haakon

has an accommodating arse
Luge needed some repair work I guess, but I was actually liking the ruts and bumps (its mountain biking people...).

Yeah, dunno about the new stuff on Old Duffy... I'm certainly rolling them, I couldn't work out what the intent was - as you say, bit short.

I get that it must be a balance when allocating finite resources to maintaining trails that are seeing ever increasing traffic, so I understand that any works will be done to ensure the maximum time before more repairs are needed. I think however that there is also the intent to make it "more accessible" to noobs. Which is fine I guess...

My personal opinion is that they have overdone it. I reckon you do noobs a disservice by making it too easy, you need something to build to.
 

damo666

Likes Dirt
What do people think about the work on luge and old duffy? Personally love that they have built up some of the berms on luge but those tabletops on old duffy are woeful!! Way too short for the amount of kick on offer. Some of the hucks to flat I did on the first run took me back to my circa 2004 kona stinky specialized bighit days.
Perfect for kids to get a little taste of air though (which lets face it, is the target market for Duffys).
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
Perfect for kids to get a little taste of air though (which lets face it, is the target market for Duffys).
Without seeing the jumps in question, and only going off what is said here about launch codes vs size...it's usually better to build a balanced jump for those nippers to learn on. Too often the up:length:down ratios are all out of sync and not fun for anybody. Then the crashing and the crying start.

Are you referencing my totally rad supercrack
Its going to need a cape.
 

johnny

I'll tells ya!
Staff member
I think they're a little too new to pass judgement on yet. I reckon they need to be ridden in for a little bit.

I'd like a few runs to familiarise myself with them before I form an opinion, today was my first hit up.
 

damo666

Likes Dirt
Without seeing the jumps in question, and only going off what is said here about launch codes vs size...it's usually better to build a balanced jump for those nippers to learn on. Too often the up:length:down ratios are all out of sync and not fun for anybody. Then the crashing and the crying start.
Yeah understand, but these ones are now perfect for teaching littlies 'proper' jump technique - ie, slowing down their entry speed & proper lift/pop/push, rather than just plowing over at 100% pace with little thought for what the bike is doing.
 

droenn

Fat Man's XC President
Why is this the first I’m hearing of Isaacs ridge? Bloody locals keepin the good shit to themselves. You all suck
Most of the locals probably don't know about it. Its not somewhere where you really string a loop together either (though you could), more session the different rock gardens and drops and push back up.
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
Yeah understand, but these ones are now perfect for teaching littlies 'proper' jump technique - ie, slowing down their entry speed & proper lift/pop/push, rather than just plowing over at 100% pace with little thought for what the bike is doing.
Well that should be good.

Most of the locals probably don't know about it. Its not somewhere where you really string a loop together either (though you could), more session the different rock gardens and drops and push back up.
This sounds like a dream come true. Pics or video? What sort of bike is this plough and drop zone best suited to?
 

droenn

Fat Man's XC President
Nothing recent on youtube (only kids riding the flat trail at the bottom)- my understanding is the trails got redone in the last couple of years, but there has been downhill trails there for a long time.

You probably want a 150mm bike for the b-lines, downhill bike for the a-lines. Can pick your way down on most anything though, there are c-lines in some places.

I'll grab some pics next time I head down - with Majura closed, it might be soon.
 

Tubbsy

Packin' a small bird
Staff member
This sounds like a dream come true. Pics or video? What sort of bike is this plough and drop zone best suited to?
There's a green flowy trail near the bottom which is short but nice, although shared with walkers so you have to be careful. Then a fire road schlepp up to the top where you can choose a black diamond or double black descent. It's pretty steep, but there are A, B and sometimes C lines available. A lot of rock gardens with interesting line options.

Down the bottom there are no rocks, and there some smooth rollers and little jumps and berms on clay and pine needles.


I can just about ride/slide/fall down all the easy lines on my 130mm bike, but that style of terrain isn't really my forté. It is my local though, five minutes on the bike and I'm there so I'm on the hunt for a bigger bike to use there.

I think if you're pedalling up a 150/160mm bike would be good, and if you're shuttling then I guess you could demolish it on a DH bike. You'd be waiting a while for your shuttle to meet you, the runs are pretty short.
 

Ultra Lord

Hurts. Requires Money. And is nerdy.
thats good with the stromlo jumps, kiddies have to learn how to jump somewhere, and I’d rather it be small jumps that they need to think about.

It’s pretty bad watching young’uns send it over jumps too big, with absolutely no control at all.
 

Ultra Lord

Hurts. Requires Money. And is nerdy.
Most of the locals probably don't know about it. Its not somewhere where you really string a loop together either (though you could), more session the different rock gardens and drops and push back up.
Sounds amazing.
 

Tubbsy

Packin' a small bird
Staff member

I would say 0:33 - 0:43 is what Isaacs like near the top, and 0:13 - 0:20 what the bottom is like.
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
kiddies have tolearn how to jump somewhere
Damn right they do. The kidsjumps here were wiped out recently, not that they were any good, with no plan for replacement. Thus they end up crowding in with everybody else on the poorly maintained big jumps...which in turn just fall apart from all the rolling + Kids get frustrated and injured.

Thanks for the links and info gents. I quite enjoyed stromlo on my last trip to Canberra, and it's handy to know other options also exist. Can you guys arrange for the city to be more enjoyable as well?
 

droenn

Fat Man's XC President
Looks like some Jerra in there too. Fark look at the sky outside - I just want to go ride now.
 
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