adman
Likes Dirt
Thredbo? Mt Buller? Tassy needs one too!
Tolosa's Downhill Run was designed and built by Simon French and many volunteers. Simon is currently building another bike park around Hobart. The track is pretty steep, and apart from the last section of big, pedally jumps, the whole track can be done with a broken derailer as Selby Press demonstrated in a recent race here.
The Track
The track starts on a small (hopefully about to be built up bigger) start ramp. The riders pedal as hard as they can to make the first jump, that often get's cased and pop's your tires. There's a small jump after that into a short rockgarden. Riders then move through a loose, rocky switchback into a straight. After that, a rocky corner appears with many derailer hanger snapping rocks to be aware of, before dropping into the next corner. This is where the light blue line is.
Next up are the large amount of switchbacks. There are about 8 or 9 of them including some very sharp ones to slow you down before the Tombstone drop, which is about 8 foot high from the lip to where you land. Doing this drop saves a LOT of time because the B line is (in my opinion) way more difficult and time consuming. There are then a few more switchbacks before a rough (not rocky) straight opens up as you go parallel with the fire road for a bit. There are then two small drops into corners, the second of which has a much harder B line. The second drop then goes into an uphill rock garden (which is easy if you do the drop) and then progresses into 3 more switchbacks before dropping onto the road. This is where the green line is.
After that, an off camber straight appears which is very fast with small rocks and roots to avoid before a small uphill (you don't notice it with the speed you have). There's a small log drop before a short and sharp uphill before the main rock garden. This has been recently reformated since the last Nat's down here. It is now 2 switch backs, the a-line cuts across the first corner and is quite tricky to get right. Cutting the next corner isn't allowed and will be taped off. You exit the corner of the 2nd switchback and power over 1 of 2 rock gardens into a steep rutted up switchback. There is then a gully which you roll into and pop up out of it with a small root jump.
You then pedal into a steep berm which shoots you out into the jump ahead. It is a large(ish) log jump (about 2.5 m) then exits into another steep berm before some roots and loose sections. This is where the pink line is.
After the steep loose section you pump and pedal before bursting out of the trees over the road with the road gap. There are usually plenty of cameras and people here, so pull your best flatty! Other wise, drop onto the road and bounce into the slim, curved downramp. Then pedal into the Bombshell. This is a small drop, but only works if you 'bomb' off it, because otherwise you'll slam into an uphill. Once you clear the uphill, you plow over the off camber roots and then through some small root hops before exiting the trees.
You burst from the shelter of the trees from a 6 metre double, into an 8 metre step down, to a 12 metre table top, to another 8 metre step down, to a large step up, round two berms and then pedal along the flat into a final jump and the finish.
Access
Unless there are shuttles, it is a hard 30 - 45 minute push to the top. Make sure you bring tubes, because a pinchflat at the top after that push is beyond words. One the map I've dotted the fire trails you need to walk up if you arrive too early for shuttles.
Once you're at the carpark, push past the gates, heading all the way up the cracked up road to the 4x.
The park is at the end of Tolosa Street in Glenorchy. From Hobart, the shortest way from the City is...
Head up Elizabeth Street
Turn Left along Augusta Road
Keep going until the road splits. Take the right hand road, Lenah Valley Road
Head around the bend until you get to Girrabong Road, turn right there.
Turn left about 100m up the road at Kalang Avenue
Keep going over the roundabouts.
Head all the way along Kalang Avenue. It will then become Barossa Road.
Turn left at Burton Street.
Head over the hill, turning left at Tolosa Street
Head all the way up there, until you get to the car park next to the red poles.
This is fastest because once you are clear of the City, there is 1 set of lights, where as route B has a lot more.
From the Eastern Shore, or if for some reason you can't take route A...
Find your way onto the Brooker High Way.
From the centre of Hobart...
Head along Bathurst Street (one way road).
Turn left at the Brooker Highway
Keep going over the roundabout.
Head left at Elwick road.
Head straight on over perhaps the most dodgy roundabout ever onto Eady Street.
Turn left at Tolosa Street.
When the road splits at a roundabout, take the right one (Tolosa STreet.)
Now although the second option looks easier, it has a lot of roundabouts, traffic lights and is usually quite busy and you can be waiting at lights for a while.
To get from the Airport to the brooker highway.
From the Airport, get the the roundabout at it's entrance. Head left, along the Tasman Highway.
Keep going all the way to the bridge. Stay in the left lane, because you need to take the left exit to go right. Confusing, yes, but it's worse coming back!
Keep heading that way until the road takes a 270 turn onto the highway.
Facilites at Tolosa MTB Park
Toilets are near the entrance to Tolosa Park, the right hand exit just before you pass through the boom gates to the Tolosa MTB Park car park.
As shown on the map, there are 4X, Cross Country and Downhill tracks. The northshore (purple line) isn't very operational at the moment. Next to the 4X is the recently added Duel Slalom, which is awesome fun. The slope style has been added, and while it's operational, it's not quite finished yet. The dirt jumps have been recently finish off and groomed, and a dirt jump competition will be held at the nationals this december on those jumps.
Although there are about 5 bike shops within 5 minute walk of the City Centre, there are only a few bike shops around Glenorchy and most wouldn't stock a bike worth more than a grand. So, when out at the park, bring anything you would need for a quick fix. Tubes, pump, multitool, spoke key, and plenty of water.
Accomadation, Food and Other Things
There should be plenty of places to stay, although bear in mind that it is a residential area, not a MTB lodge like Buller or Thredbo, so you might not find somewhere all that close.
Food... well, whatever takes you fancy. After a days riding there are 2 takeaway/general food stores on Tolosa Street, and plenty of fast food down in Glenorchy's centre.
For more infomation, head to either Dirt Devils MTB website or to Tassies local forum Pedalbite.com. You'll get a better response on Pedalbite regarding Downhill and 4X related queriers, but for XC, you'd be better off checking the Dirt Devils website.
Hope I have been of help... if I missed anything, reply to this thread and I'll add it.
Tasmania (particularly Hobart and Launceston) should not be underestimated when it comes to mountain biking. In the Hobart area, there are about 4 -5 downhill locations, including unlimited (mostly illegal) trails on Mt Wellington including major freeride constructions, which backdrops Tolosa. People including myself are more than happy to take you down some of the tracks there, just put something up in the informal event on Pedalbite.com. Currently being built by Simon French is the new Clarence Bike Park, featuring yet another downhill track, 4X track, dirt jump area, XC track, a 'skills' area, and if there's enough time a northshore area.
As for Tolosa, a major northshore line is in construction, the slopestyle is awaiting funds for carpenters to build wooden things, and hopefully within a year there will be a dual slalom course next to the 4X.
So come on down to Tassie!
Tolosa's Downhill Run was designed and built by Simon French and many volunteers. Simon is currently building another bike park around Hobart. The track is pretty steep, and apart from the last section of big, pedally jumps, the whole track can be done with a broken derailer as Selby Press demonstrated in a recent race here.
The Track
The track starts on a small (hopefully about to be built up bigger) start ramp. The riders pedal as hard as they can to make the first jump, that often get's cased and pop's your tires. There's a small jump after that into a short rockgarden. Riders then move through a loose, rocky switchback into a straight. After that, a rocky corner appears with many derailer hanger snapping rocks to be aware of, before dropping into the next corner. This is where the light blue line is.
Next up are the large amount of switchbacks. There are about 8 or 9 of them including some very sharp ones to slow you down before the Tombstone drop, which is about 8 foot high from the lip to where you land. Doing this drop saves a LOT of time because the B line is (in my opinion) way more difficult and time consuming. There are then a few more switchbacks before a rough (not rocky) straight opens up as you go parallel with the fire road for a bit. There are then two small drops into corners, the second of which has a much harder B line. The second drop then goes into an uphill rock garden (which is easy if you do the drop) and then progresses into 3 more switchbacks before dropping onto the road. This is where the green line is.
After that, an off camber straight appears which is very fast with small rocks and roots to avoid before a small uphill (you don't notice it with the speed you have). There's a small log drop before a short and sharp uphill before the main rock garden. This has been recently reformated since the last Nat's down here. It is now 2 switch backs, the a-line cuts across the first corner and is quite tricky to get right. Cutting the next corner isn't allowed and will be taped off. You exit the corner of the 2nd switchback and power over 1 of 2 rock gardens into a steep rutted up switchback. There is then a gully which you roll into and pop up out of it with a small root jump.
You then pedal into a steep berm which shoots you out into the jump ahead. It is a large(ish) log jump (about 2.5 m) then exits into another steep berm before some roots and loose sections. This is where the pink line is.
After the steep loose section you pump and pedal before bursting out of the trees over the road with the road gap. There are usually plenty of cameras and people here, so pull your best flatty! Other wise, drop onto the road and bounce into the slim, curved downramp. Then pedal into the Bombshell. This is a small drop, but only works if you 'bomb' off it, because otherwise you'll slam into an uphill. Once you clear the uphill, you plow over the off camber roots and then through some small root hops before exiting the trees.
You burst from the shelter of the trees from a 6 metre double, into an 8 metre step down, to a 12 metre table top, to another 8 metre step down, to a large step up, round two berms and then pedal along the flat into a final jump and the finish.
Access
Unless there are shuttles, it is a hard 30 - 45 minute push to the top. Make sure you bring tubes, because a pinchflat at the top after that push is beyond words. One the map I've dotted the fire trails you need to walk up if you arrive too early for shuttles.
Once you're at the carpark, push past the gates, heading all the way up the cracked up road to the 4x.
The park is at the end of Tolosa Street in Glenorchy. From Hobart, the shortest way from the City is...
Head up Elizabeth Street
Turn Left along Augusta Road
Keep going until the road splits. Take the right hand road, Lenah Valley Road
Head around the bend until you get to Girrabong Road, turn right there.
Turn left about 100m up the road at Kalang Avenue
Keep going over the roundabouts.
Head all the way along Kalang Avenue. It will then become Barossa Road.
Turn left at Burton Street.
Head over the hill, turning left at Tolosa Street
Head all the way up there, until you get to the car park next to the red poles.
This is fastest because once you are clear of the City, there is 1 set of lights, where as route B has a lot more.
From the Eastern Shore, or if for some reason you can't take route A...
Find your way onto the Brooker High Way.
From the centre of Hobart...
Head along Bathurst Street (one way road).
Turn left at the Brooker Highway
Keep going over the roundabout.
Head left at Elwick road.
Head straight on over perhaps the most dodgy roundabout ever onto Eady Street.
Turn left at Tolosa Street.
When the road splits at a roundabout, take the right one (Tolosa STreet.)
Now although the second option looks easier, it has a lot of roundabouts, traffic lights and is usually quite busy and you can be waiting at lights for a while.
To get from the Airport to the brooker highway.
From the Airport, get the the roundabout at it's entrance. Head left, along the Tasman Highway.
Keep going all the way to the bridge. Stay in the left lane, because you need to take the left exit to go right. Confusing, yes, but it's worse coming back!
Keep heading that way until the road takes a 270 turn onto the highway.
Facilites at Tolosa MTB Park
Toilets are near the entrance to Tolosa Park, the right hand exit just before you pass through the boom gates to the Tolosa MTB Park car park.
As shown on the map, there are 4X, Cross Country and Downhill tracks. The northshore (purple line) isn't very operational at the moment. Next to the 4X is the recently added Duel Slalom, which is awesome fun. The slope style has been added, and while it's operational, it's not quite finished yet. The dirt jumps have been recently finish off and groomed, and a dirt jump competition will be held at the nationals this december on those jumps.
Although there are about 5 bike shops within 5 minute walk of the City Centre, there are only a few bike shops around Glenorchy and most wouldn't stock a bike worth more than a grand. So, when out at the park, bring anything you would need for a quick fix. Tubes, pump, multitool, spoke key, and plenty of water.
Accomadation, Food and Other Things
There should be plenty of places to stay, although bear in mind that it is a residential area, not a MTB lodge like Buller or Thredbo, so you might not find somewhere all that close.
Food... well, whatever takes you fancy. After a days riding there are 2 takeaway/general food stores on Tolosa Street, and plenty of fast food down in Glenorchy's centre.
For more infomation, head to either Dirt Devils MTB website or to Tassies local forum Pedalbite.com. You'll get a better response on Pedalbite regarding Downhill and 4X related queriers, but for XC, you'd be better off checking the Dirt Devils website.
Hope I have been of help... if I missed anything, reply to this thread and I'll add it.
Tasmania (particularly Hobart and Launceston) should not be underestimated when it comes to mountain biking. In the Hobart area, there are about 4 -5 downhill locations, including unlimited (mostly illegal) trails on Mt Wellington including major freeride constructions, which backdrops Tolosa. People including myself are more than happy to take you down some of the tracks there, just put something up in the informal event on Pedalbite.com. Currently being built by Simon French is the new Clarence Bike Park, featuring yet another downhill track, 4X track, dirt jump area, XC track, a 'skills' area, and if there's enough time a northshore area.
As for Tolosa, a major northshore line is in construction, the slopestyle is awaiting funds for carpenters to build wooden things, and hopefully within a year there will be a dual slalom course next to the 4X.
So come on down to Tassie!
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, it would be the sickest place to ride!
