Sydney

DMan

shawly the least hangeriest guy on rotorburn
My wife and I do a trip to somewhere new usually in Dec and I was wondering what Sydney has to offer? Is this most of the good trails or are there some gems not mentioned? We're both fit and proficient so distance and climbing are good. I love the techy stuff...
 

hifiandmtb

Sphincter beanie
No mention of Loftus or Mill Ck.

All the good stuff is mostly prohibited, under the radar goodness. You might be better off asking back here closer to the date & get peeps here to show you about.
 

Mr Crudley

Glock in your sock
Add a visit to Mill Creek for some techy ST stuff than the usual fireroads that pop up mostly in Sydney.

Give the classic Ando's / Oaks double header which is mostly fireroad and about 68km's. It has some long arsed climbs that you will no doubt enjoy. Drop in a Knapsack at Glenbrook too.

December can get a bit toasty though.
 

Halo1

Likes Bikes and Dirt
That list is not great. Mt Annan is closed and Wylde is not worth the drive from the other locations in Sydney Traffic.
Wollongong is pretty good place to visit for a MTB trip that time of year and is only an 45min drive from the Southern Sydney trails.

Check out [U]downunderdallas[/U] trip here:
 

Tubbsy

Packin' a small bird
Staff member
The new mountain bike park at Glenworth Valley will supposedly have trails up and running by then.

Since you like techy stuff, Gahnia and Serrata which are near the Manly Dam loop would be fun for you, though they are very short.

Sydney is a tricky one to visit if mtb is your focus, because travel between the various locations is a real killer.
 

DMan

shawly the least hangeriest guy on rotorburn
Thanks guys. I'll look at all those. Really only interested in visiting for the mtbing so maybe we'll focus on some trails that help usavoid spending more of our time in traffic than riding...
Definitely keen to be shown some trails though I'll touch base again nearer the time!
 

Tubbsy

Packin' a small bird
Staff member
Maybe if you split your stay across two locations.

If you stayed on the Central Coast somewhere, you could do Awaba, Ourimbah, Glenworth (potentially) and Old Man's Valley without encountering much traffic. So you could stay a couple of nights there, and then perhaps head south and stay in Wollongong or somewhere around the RNP and hit up the Southern trails for a couple of days.

It's staying in Sydney itself that would make the whole thing annoying from an MTB perspective, but of course there are lots of other things (nightlife...) if that's appealing.
 

DMan

shawly the least hangeriest guy on rotorburn
Maybe if you split your stay across two locations.

If you stayed on the Central Coast somewhere, you could do Awaba, Ourimbah, Glenworth (potentially) and Old Man's Valley without encountering much traffic. So you could stay a couple of nights there, and then perhaps head south and stay in Wollongong or somewhere around the RNP and hit up the Southern trails for a couple of days.

It's staying in Sydney itself that would make the whole thing annoying from an MTB perspective, but of course there are lots of other things (nightlife...) if that's appealing.
Nightlife isn't really our thing so your idea sounds good to me. I did a quick google and Wollongong sounds good. We've ridden Awaba last Sept as part of our Hunter trip and really enjoyed it. Sounds like a bit of a roadtrip might be in order..
 

Tubbsy

Packin' a small bird
Staff member
MTB road trip would definitely work.

You could go Central Coast then Wollongong as above, and extend down to Wingello/Bundanoon and further to Canberra time-permitting.

Austinmer would be a nicer place to stay vs Wollongong.
 

DMan

shawly the least hangeriest guy on rotorburn
MTB road trip would definitely work.

You could go Central Coast then Wollongong as above, and extend down to Wingello/Bundanoon and further to Canberra time-permitting.

Austinmer would be a nicer place to stay vs Wollongong.
Nothing like local knowledge. Thanks Tubbsy!
 

Tubbsy

Packin' a small bird
Staff member
Haha I'm an ex-local now, and I think there are quite a few more mtb options within Sydney popping up than I was aware of at the time.

But I'm still very familiar with the traffic as I'm there for work every two to three weeks.


Alternatives to extending the road trip inland (Wingello & Canberra), if you go coastal there's South Nowra, Mogo and Tathra.

Of course if you go inland you might as well continue to Thredbo where 70km of descent from the top of the Chairlift to Jindabyne is under construction.

Love how many options are opening up in Oz compared to just a few years ago.
 

nzhumpy

Googlemeister who likes bikes and scandal
If you're up around the Northern beaches have a look around Narrabeen, plenty of techy trails with a bit of distance to link them all up, and there's a pretty active club in the area that has a variety of group rides.
 

Tubbsy

Packin' a small bird
Staff member
The only problem with all the under-the-radar stuff is that you really need a tour guide, especially when you're on a holiday schedule.

I remember the first time around Manly Dam (not even an unofficial trail) I had no idea where to go and there was a lot of stopping and starting and staring at a vague printed map I bought at a bike shop.

I know these days you can download a Garmin file or whatever, but there's something to be said for a signposted trail network where you can just unload the bike and hit the trail.


But there should be plenty of willing tour guides on here.
 

dancaseyimages

Mountain bike pornographer
The only problem with all the under-the-radar stuff is that you really need a tour guide, especially when you're on a holiday schedule.

I remember the first time around Manly Dam I had no idea where to go and there was a lot of stopping and starting and staring at a vague printed map I bought at a bike shop.

I know these days you can download a Garmin file or whatever, but there's something to be said for a signposted trail network where you can just unload the bike and hit the trail.


But there should be plenty of willing tour guides on here.
I have to say the few trips I have done, even Bright, it was handy to have someone to follow for the first few runs.
 

Ultra Lord

Hurts. Requires Money. And is nerdy.
No mention of Loftus or Mill Ck.

All the good stuff is mostly prohibited, under the radar goodness. You might be better off asking back here closer to the date & get peeps here to show you about

350813


Let us know some dates and I’m sure someone somewhere can tee somethin up!

Loftus is a maze. A good maze though.
Mill creeks abit easier to follow thanks to some signage, still helps having a guide to tow you into the gaps etc.

Appin’s also good fun!
 
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BT180

Max Pfaff
Northern Beaches has just what you're after if you like it rocky and tech. message me closer to the date an i may be available to show you around. Or message me anyway and i can give you some tips. It's all on Trailforks anyway.
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
Northern Beaches has just what you're after if you like it rocky and tech. message me closer to the date an i may be available to show you around. Or message me anyway and i can give you some tips. It's all on Trailforks anyway.
So it isn't on the DL so much anymore?

@DMan this would be my pic of the Sydney ride on offer. It is poodle approved.
 
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