This normally wouldn't make front page news, but given the last story...

Sorry folks, due to bad weather the OMV official opening has been postponed. The track will remain closed for the foreseeable future.

We've waited this long... please respect this decision and be patient.

Just a quick note to let everyone know that we've just moved server to a new site sponsor.

Please give a give round of applause to the very nice people at Demon-Host

As part of the migration I took the opportunity to update a few bits of the site software too. Everything looks to be running smoothly, but it may be that the software rodents have missed something. Please mention it ASAP if you see any problems or unusual behaviour.

Just an update on the proposed burn in Royal National Park. It did not proceed last weekend due to high winds but is currently being proposed for this weekend the 8th and 9th September.

NPWS are planning a large Hazard Reduction burn for the Temptation Creek area of the Royal National Park (including the single-track areas accessed from Loftus Oval). At the moment the planned date is Saturday 1st September to Monday 3rd September. It’s likely the trails will be closed for a while after that as well until they can be assessed as safe for the public to enter.

Just received the following message from Pittwater council:

Pittwater Council is preparing an Open Space and Recreation Strategy which may of interest to your club or association and members.

The strategy will help Council manage its reserves and parks in terms of conservation, leisure and sporting activities. An important part of the project is to understand how Pittwater residents use open space, what they value about it and what can be done to improve it. Council is inviting residents to complete a survey to help them with this process.

Pittwater is unique due to its range of landscape settings - from beaches, waterways, wetlands, escarpments to developed sports grounds and villages. As Pittwater's custodians, a key component of the project will be the protection and enhancement of the natural environment. We will also be looking at how to provide a diverse range of recreational opportunities for people of all ages and abilities appropriate to the natural environment.

With this in mind, the survey focuses on landscape settings. Please take time to consider the landscape settings and their importance, taking into account of your needs, as well as the needs of the community as a whole.

The survey can be accessed at: www.pittwater.nsw.gov.au/consultation

The closing date for the survey is 22 June 2012.

Once the surveys have been received and collated, Council will organise a community workshop to discuss the results and their influence on the planning process.

Residents completing the survey can enter a draw to win a dinner voucher for $150 at a restaurant of their choice.

From the Manly Daily:

SEVERAL opportunities for new mountain bike trails and dirt jumps have been identified in a recent report commissioned by Warringah Council.

Mayor Michael Regan said the council had already give “in-principle” agreement to link trails at Forestville Park to new tracks being built at Garigal National Park.

The paper it discusses can be downloaded here:

Mountain Biking in Warringah Research and Directions.

This is currently on the council's public comment page which says:

Submissions are to be addressed to the General Manager and can be emailed to council@warringah.nsw.gov.au or posted to the Civic Centre, 725 Pittwater Road Dee Why 2099.

Give us your comments by COB Thursday 15 December.

Full story in the Daily:

http://manly-daily.whereilive.com.au/news/story/report-backs-new-tracks-...

Just in case anyone is lucky enough to be considering riding in the next two days please be advised that the whole of West Head is now closed until further notice. This obviously includes Elvina, Salvation, Towlers Bay, etc, etc. I would imagine Duck Holes & Centre might also be worth avoiding depending on the amount of smoke.

I have been advised that this should only last for a couple of days but please take note and check the NSW NPWS Fires, floods and park closures page for more details.

Currently it states,

The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service wish to notify that as of 12:00 midday on Monday 14th November 2011 the West Head / Lambert Peninsula area of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park will be closed to all traffic and pedestrians due to a hazard reduction burn. The area closed includes West Head Road and all West Head walking tracks. It will remain closed until further notice.

In case you missed it over the weekend there was some great news coming out of NSW NPWS.

Firstly, the release of their long awaited Sustainable MTB Policy (discussion in NSW NPWS Sustainable Mountain Biking Strategy) which should benefit riders state-wide.

Then there was news of the equally long awaited Northern Sydney MTB Pilot Program (discussion in Get on your bike in NSW National Parks!). This included maps of proposed trails in Bantry Bay, Berowra Valley and Oxford Falls . There are information days on the first two of these where the public can learn more and show their support (see link for dates). If you care about this initiative and getting some authorised trails it would probably pay to show up and thank the authorities.

Coverage in the press:

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/official-trails-to-stop-m...
http://manly-daily.whereilive.com.au/news/story/two-mountain-bike-course...

Not time to celebrate yet, but it's certainly looking promising!

For those that don't know, there was a meeting near Bantry Bay this morning between the Environment Minister, Treasurer, NSW NPWS Director and other such folk... oh - and a couple of local MTB riders

An announcement coming from the press (I'm yet to see the official NPWS press release, but trust the Daily on this one) is that, "Garigal National Park is about to get an official mountain bike track."

Massive thanks to all of you who believed and supported this for so long. No doubt there will be more news on this and other developments coming, so keep an eye out.

The Manly Daily story is here:

http://manly-daily.whereilive.com.au/news/story/theyre-wheelie-impressed...

Update: There was a second story in the Daily that quote's Mike Baird as saying and announcement was expected in the “next few weeks.". Excellent news!

http://manly-daily.whereilive.com.au/news/story/garigal-track-plan-sensa...

Terrible news for MTB riders: The area at Menai (aka Lucas Heights) has been closed to any kind of public access, which of course now means MTB riding there is banned.

This looks to be a very serious move, with signs erected and riders reporting federal police are now patrolling the area.

Sorry to report this everyone - it was a great area

See MENAI (LUCAS HEIGHTS) is officially OFF LIMITS to MTB's thread for more info.

Update 4/7/11: Having spent all day chasing the matter, Steve Mowle has managed to convince the ANSTO management to meet with Mountain Bike riders to discuss the use of Menai. This is an outstanding achievement. Please show your support and attend the meeting if you can - see ANSTO/Rider Meeting (Re: Menai Closure).

Update 4/7/11: Correction: Sorry folks - this is not a public meeting. Please do not show up! Those who go will be sure to report back though.

Well it's been a while, so time to have a quick look at what people have been talking about here.

First up - good luck to all competing in the Dirtworks Classic 2011 on Sunday. Plenty of talk about that including the Dirtworks Canoe Bridge, Dirt Works Tyre choice and what went on at GNR on Easter Monday.

Now might be a good time to remind everyone that we have constantly updating graphs of BOM rainfall here, including Ten Mile Hollow (the half way point) and the rain doesn't look as bad there as it has been in Sydney. Also remember not to use the forum for trading of any kind, that is what the classifieds are for - and there has been a good deal of trading in Dirtworks event entries this week - anyone wanting to get in now could probably score an entry well under cost. That said, your bike will probably need a whole lot of TLC as despite the above the track certainly won't be dry!

Other threads getting a lot of traffic recently:

BigJosh asked about a Bottom bracket repair.
Hans noticed a New standard issue bike for NPWS rangers?
Given all the rain, jonp was looking for Suggestions for places to ride in wet conditions?
Sadly we also had a bit of talk about riding on Illegal tracks - although personally am not convinced the trail in question is illegal (see thread).
Some Newbie advice needed here.
Broc needed some First timer advice for Ourimba (sic)
How about some Music while riding speakers?
Or does anyone have recommendations for Phone sports tracker apps?

If you are reading this then I thank you for taking a break from your crack pipe or putting down your spray can.

WTF?!

Well as this is a mountain bike forum one assumes you're a mountain biker, and if one is to believe the labels put on us recently we are all involved in "... Vandalism, Graffiti and possibly widespread use of Drugs and alcohol...". That quote comes straight from a flyer that has been circulating in Hornsby to try and sway locals against a plan for mountain bike skills areas and trails.

It's a sad state of affairs that with no actual evidence, logic or reason to argue against a small, yet much valued mountain bike plan Ku-ring-gai council has approved, those who oppose the plan have resorted to throwing around wild accusations.

Yet the worst of it is that Ku-ring-gai council staff have actually listened to submissions based on this nonsense and changed their plans, scrapping part of the project, holding a second phase indefinitely and wasting funding on studies called for by various scaremongers. To be frank, it's disgusting.

To be clear, such a turn of events will affect much more than this one plan: If mountain bike riders are to ever receive fair treatment and planning for the facilities they require this council and other authorities need to be shown that the accusations levelled in the flyer are pure nonsense and riders will not stand to be labelled in this way.

If you too take offence at being labelled a vandal and drug addict just because you choose to ride a mountain bike please take a minute or so and write to the Ku-ring-gai council and let them know this. Let them know you are disgusted that they would lend any credence to such claims and modify already approved plans as a result. It might also help to mention if you support both stage one and two of the Golden Jubilee mountain bike plan and call for both stages to go ahead unchanged.

Please write to these councillors and the local politician, and explain all this as tactfully as you can:

icross@kmc.nsw.gov.au, janderson@kmc.nsw.gov.au, sholland@kmc.nsw.gov.au, rduncombe@kmc.nsw.gov.au, emalicki@kmc.nsw.gov.au, dmcdonald@kmc.nsw.gov.au, thall@kmc.nsw.gov.au, chardwick@kmc.nsw.gov.au, ekeays@kmc.nsw.gov.au, cszatow@kmc.nsw.gov.au, barry.ofarrell@nsw.liberal.org.au

Thank you.