what is the riding like in the Katoomba area?

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
I have just finished a few days in Wentworth Falls and Katoomba. It was very nice. I ate good food and good accommodation, enjoyed some rather scenic locations and walking, but something was missing...ahhhh yes! Riding. I know there are a few blue mountains regulars on here and have seen some info, I have ridden a bit of the 6ft trek and woodford to glenbrook (I think that was it), but was wondering if there was anything in the Katoomba area?

And way back in my mind, I have memories of rumours of a ride from somewhere to emu plains that was a big shuttle loop involving the train. Is this something that still exists?

I like the Blue Mountains and am likely to visit again, so a little info would help sway my heart...
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
Note: I generally travel by train, so would like info that relates more so to the towns along the train line. But hey, they be big mountains! So don't be too restrictive.
 

redline316

Likes Dirt
Note: I generally travel by train, so would like info that relates more so to the towns along the train line. But hey, they be big mountains! So don't be too restrictive.
You could always catch the train to glenbrook and ride across the other side of the highway and ride knapsack. There's a nice little down hill run, some sweet single track all in all just a nice ride. Not Katoomba more the lower mountains just up from emu plains.
 

BLKFOZ

Likes Dirt
There is some riding in the area;
- Narrow Neck starts off Cliff Drive and is a fairly easy but steep and rocky in parts XC firetrail out and back with some awesome views. It's around 12km each way from memory.
- Mt York further up the mountain has some more techy AM type stuff with rocky descents and tough climbs.
- There are some single track areas a bit further up or down the mountain from Katoomba that don't really get advertised but can be found. Mainly XC stuff.
- There is a nice 60ishkm fireroad run that incorporates Tablelands rd, Andersons firetrail and The Oaks firetrail starting from Wenty falls. Andersons is probably my most favoured fireroad run.
- Knapsack is at Glenbrook which has a DH track and XC trails but it's a maze - I've been there probably a dozen times and still get lost every time.
- XC fireroad with small sections of single track around Winmalee.

What sort of riding were you after?
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
Thanks for the input thus far guys. I have seen the Fat Hippy's site. Its a neat little info source, but I think he and I have different tastes. I'm not really one for pedaling much...tend to do more dh/fr kind of riding. Can handle a bit of am if it is mostly down. I am not much good at earning my rides.
 

MARKL

Eats Squid
5000 posts a year, as if you get a chance to pedal! I did the downhill at Knapsack last week for the first time, like it...rougher than Ourimbah but not as big. The trails up there have copped a hammering with all the rain, even some of the fire trails are worthy all mountain fun but you do have to earn those turns :( and pedal at some point.
 

stirk

Burner
As Mark pointed out you earn your downhill in the Blue Mountains.

There is one short downhill run from Lapstone train station. Bit of a ride to Emu Plains though.

You probably would like Knapsack parks downhill, lots of technical trails in there also which can be fun.

Glenbrook area.JPG
 

No Skid Marks

Blue Mountain Bikes Brooklyn/Lahar/Kowa/PO1NT Raci
Fat Hippy will have all the "LEGAL" trails on it. No local will want to mention illegal trails on a public forum. Blue MTNs are in a national Park so there's a lot of pressure on illegal trails and riding.
Lithgow has a lot of DH.
You'd probably like Saint Helenas of the Oaks.
PM me to let you know of where ales to ride that way.
 
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No Skid Marks

Blue Mountain Bikes Brooklyn/Lahar/Kowa/PO1NT Raci
He won't like the pedalling
Or the walking/pushing LOL.
But it's worth it for the fun techy trails.
Alternatively you could shuttle the single track at the end of the Oaks. Not DH but fun flowy fast but a bit pedally.
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
Fat Hippy will have all the "LEGAL" trails on it. No local will want to mention illegal trails on a public forum. Blue MTNs are in a national Park so there's a lot of pressure on illegal trails and riding.
Lithgow has a lot of DH.
You'd probably like Saint Helenas of the Oaks.
PM me to let you know of where ales to ride that way.

Cheers skiddy. I wouldn't be wanting anyone to give up precious secrets online, that be silly. I've had to snap down the occassional reference to my favorite local spot a few times on here. But will definitely appreciate and protect any secrets provided.

I would like to acrue any legit free ride downhill or similar info here though. As well as the xc and am stuff...I hope that one day we have The traveling riders section and can accrue such info there. The blue mountains is a great spot and very accessible.
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
Or the walking/pushing LOL.
But it's worth it for the fun techy trails.
Alternatively you could shuttle the single track at the end of the Oaks. Not DH but fun flowy fast but a bit pedally.
He won't like the pedalling
You know it. I can pedall and sometimes do actually enjoy it...but it isn't my bread and butter.

Pretty sure I road the oaks about 12 years ago. A friend invited me away and we camped in the megalong valley. It turned out I was crashing a fairly family friendly gig...24 year old poodle wasnt a family friendly pet! Anyone we dropped a bit section of the 6ft trek and then (what I think was) the oaks. Fortunately I had taken my norco 125 and not my first generation norco a-line! Fun was had, but I wanted to die.
 

SlowManiac

Likes Bikes and Dirt
We're talking 1 hour gym session in a 40 degree room. Not very enjoyable.

That's a closed group for reasons I mentioned before. They may let you in but.
Probably not the best to have it advertised on the net.

Fair enough - they let me in and I don't know them from a bar of soap and I'm pretty sure they mentioned the group on NOBMOB.

But don't want to step on anyones toes.
 

Bryce88

Likes Dirt
Grave dig.

I have 5 weeks worth of work coming up at Katoomba. Some days I'll be on afternoon shifts which means I won't be starting until 2pm, so I'm keen to throw the bike in and go for some morning rides.

Any good rides close to Katoomba that I could knock over in a couple hours? So far I can see Narrowneck at Katoomba is a good option and so is Hanging Rock at Blackheath. I'd love to do the Oaks as well but worried I won't have enough time!
 

sbm

Likes Bikes
On the north side of town there's one of those weird planned Blueys "future suburbs", that has real-sounding streets all marked out on Google Maps, but is just empty bushland and lots so far. There's trails in there, and it's not NP. Strava heatmaps is your friend.

Similar research will find trails in these kinds of areas in a few of the middle and upper mountains towns...
 

DeBloot

Feeling old
SBM might be referring to Scribblies
The streets were planned but then the area was deemed too much of a fire risk and canned

If you head toward leura from katoomba turn left after the hospital (queens road)
Follow the road all the way to the end, then right and quick left onto the unsealed 10th avenue
Follow this past Maidment road until just before the road starts to descend - turn right (the road is rough ascending to this point)
Go a short way and there's kind of an area where you park and the main trails are on your right

These are underground trails so it's not signposted - so follow your nose
I did actually put up handmade signs, but at the time they were being stolen by locals against the trails so I put them up high
I've been out there trimming the overgrowth recently and noticed them where no-one can see them so am going to place them where you can see them - the locals are ok with the trails now as the area has been cleaned and deters most rubbish dumpers (tho someone dumped a fridge and carpet recently)
Dumping here is very silly because if we catch them we put their corpses in the holes left from the dirt we use to build berms etc

Anyhoo, there's lots of fun singletrack that has just been trimmed and in quite nice condition after the rain
There's nothing too ridiculously technical, but you do need to concentrate - we've all wound up at katoomba hospital from here
There's also a bit of reclaimed 4wd trail that goes out beyond Bruce's lookout
It's good on a forward or reverse loop and other good shorter trails leading off the main loops
You may find a kind of a 5 way intersection - most of the trails lead of this point

There's fire roads that you can follow if you get lost and will generally wind up somewhere recognisable

You can venture over the other side of the 'parking area' where the trails are rougher and more reclaimed than dug in
I don't do strava or any of that so verbal description is it
There's fuck all people around so no real danger of it being 'discovered', but still good to keep it word of mouth

There's also single track off the road into Hanging Rock near the gate
My riding buddy spent a lot of time improving these trails but has done FA lately so it may be a bit overgrown
There's not many peeps up here to share the workload

There's also underground trails at Lawson but would need more than a couple of hours by the time you get there etc

All the trails you mentioned are fire roads (very scenic and nice ones certainly worth doing)
Oaks would take about 45 minutes each way driving to get there from the Tomb

good luck - I'm around on most weekends on a Sunday if you want a tour of Scribbs
 
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Bryce88

Likes Dirt
There's nothing too ridiculously technical, but you do need to concentrate - we've all wound up at katoomba hospital from here
Cool, we might be able to catch up. My 5 weeks worth of work are at Katoomba emergency haha. Thanks for the info though. Unfortunately I wont be around on weekends as I will be travelling home to see the family.
 
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