Yarra Trails regulars

casnell

Likes Bikes and Dirt
How are the conditions around Bruce's loop at the moment? I haven't ridden the Yarra trails for over a year due to being pregnant and now looking after a little baby. I'll be getting a rare few hours off this Sunday afternoon and I'm wondering if I ride the area near Bruce's loop or drive a little further to go to Hans loop.
As much as I love Hans loop I'm keen to ride Bruce's since it's closer to home and flatter for an unfit me.

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The inner sanctum's good, the outer has puddles, holes, and on Friday a couple of trees down
 

Big JD

Wheel size expert
Trail work

A crew have gone through the single track between Banyule Flats Reserve (the Somme/ windmill) and Bonds Road. They have removed any fallen trees and log rolls/ stumps with chainsaws. They have also cut through long sweeping corners to make the trail- straight/ improve sight lines/ have a challenge with cornering???
I would love to know the reason / purpose of this work. Don't get me wrong- it's great to see some action in the area. Just wondering about the strategy
Can anyone shine some light on this??
 

MelbRiDer

Likes Bikes
A crew have gone through the single track between Banyule Flats Reserve (the Somme/ windmill) and Bonds Road. They have removed any fallen trees and log rolls/ stumps with chainsaws. They have also cut through long sweeping corners to make the trail- straight/ improve sight lines/ have a challenge with cornering???
I would love to know the reason / purpose of this work. Don't get me wrong- it's great to see some action in the area. Just wondering about the strategy
Can anyone shine some light on this??
Some of the Yarra trails are virtual suicide - you cannot tell what is round the corner. Especially around westerfolds

I applaud the opening up of corners as I can see broken bones aplenty
 

Big JD

Wheel size expert
Some of the Yarra trails are virtual suicide - you cannot tell what is round the corner. Especially around westerfolds

I applaud the opening up of corners as I can see broken bones aplenty
I agree but that can be done by puning the foliage on the inside corners. Cutting a new trail to avoid a large/ open corner doesn't make sense. It was one of the most open and established (not blind) corner on the trail. I personally could list 40 other corners that could have improved sightlines.
It was within 5 meters of the main paved Yarra trail as well so it wasn't changed for walkers.
 

Kerplunk

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Some of the Yarra trails are virtual suicide - you cannot tell what is round the corner. Especially around westerfolds

I applaud the opening up of corners as I can see broken bones aplenty
Agree, but all the blind cnrs from the golf club to bonds are still there though..
 

Big JD

Wheel size expert
Agree, but all the blind cnrs from the golf club to bonds are still there though..
It wasn't a blind corner that was closed and new trail cut straight through. That's why I'm surprised- there are 30 other corners that would benefit
The original corner is now open again apparently
 

CharlieDontSurf

Likes Dirt


Here's the section blocked that also happens to be an access point to the MYT which is why it was ridiculous to straight line the trail and block off the current part of the trail

No longer blocked




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MelbRiDer

Likes Bikes
I have a mate with an aeg battery powered chainsaw and he speaks highly of it for his needs (infrequent firewood and gardening needs)


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Just been reading up as I've always wanted to clear Yarra trails when riding then but never had the tools.

Looks like the silky katanaboy is the best - I couldn't be fagged taking a proper chainsaw.

The silky has a 50cm blade!!!
 

Big JD

Wheel size expert
So if one wants to do some trail clearing what do you suggest?

Electric chainsaw ? If so which one?
Please note that these trails have not been authorised and any work of any kind is prohibited- especially with powered tools.

People are lobbying Parks for trail authorisation and permission to clean up and conduct basic maintenance on the trails between Richmond and Westerfolds. It is a work in progress.

I think a chainsaw/ metal bladed brushcutter or heavy-duty hedge trimmer would be the ideal tool for clearing back the ST and to improve sightlines on corners.

I pruned back that track a few years ago from the windmill to Bonds Rd with a folding saw and long handle shears. It took me 6 days. 4 people with hand tools could do it in a day. Or if everyone who rode through carried a tool and spent 5 minutes- it would be done in no time.

As I have mentioned before- I can understand why Parks ( i assume it was Parks using chainsaws) removed any logs/obstacles from a safety perspective - just not sure why that corner and access to main Yarra Trail was closed and the corner straightlined.

Did you know that a certain track along the Yarra is the second most popular ridden trail in VIC (on Strava) after a trail at Lysterfield . Thats alot of use/traffic for an unauthorised multi use trail with no formal maintenance.
 
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Kerplunk

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Did you know that a certain track along the Yarra is the second most popular ridden trail in VIC (on Strava) after a trail at Lysterfield . Thats alot of use/traffic for an unauthorised multi use trail with no formal maintenance.


It also has the most tiger snakes in all of Victoria..
Permission for us to cut the grass should be seen as a safety measure rather than as disturbing "culturally sensitive" vegetation such as the rare kikuyu and couch grasses.
 

MelbRiDer

Likes Bikes
I get your point about no official cutting can be done but totally agree if we all carried a folding saw every second time we rode there we could totaling clear the trails in no time.

I'm getting on of the silky 50cm hand saws.
 

Big JD

Wheel size expert
It also has the most tiger snakes in all of Victoria..
Permission for us to cut the grass should be seen as a safety measure rather than as disturbing "culturally sensitive" vegetation such as the rare kikuyu and couch grasses.
too funny- I asked in October 2016 if we could please cut the grass in a few spots to reduce snake encounters and improve sightlines. The response was- "please get back in touch with us after February 15th 2017 to discuss this matter further". hopefully the response this year will be more positive
 
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Big JD

Wheel size expert
It also has the most tiger snakes in all of Victoria..
Permission for us to cut the grass should be seen as a safety measure rather than as disturbing "culturally sensitive" vegetation such as the rare kikuyu and couch grasses.
Apparently the highest infestation of tigers anywhere............... it was the wetlands in Altona but now we have the title.

I hate snakes
 

CharlieDontSurf

Likes Dirt
Hoping for a spin along the YT on Sunday... how's it going for snakes at the moment in general?
I've seen a few blue tongue lizards in the last week but none of their longer legless cousins....yet

Rode today from Somme to Tinkalara. Trails have dried out heaps and are dusty in sections only big puddles in the Somme


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