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Cascades ride - 24th (saturday) March
hey all,
I haven't really been on (the site) much recently, but I have been riding my bike lots (not long distances, just to work and back 
), I want to ride MTB again - after a long absence, and want to start riding once a week (to get fit again), starting last week, but it gets a bit lonely. So i'd like to meet up with some fellow MTB'ers for a nice, early morning ride. Goes like this:
When: 24th, March, 7:30am meet at Douglas Street firetrail entrance
Where: cascades in St Ives
Grade: I am not as fit as I used to be, so it will be a moderate ride
Bring: water, repair kits (punctures are common on this trail - even nail shaped rocks come about, just ask me), whatever else you need to ride a bike
Hope to see at least one person there,
Mitch
P.S. Ride procedes weather permitting (if it's raining, then called off, if it's damp then maybe - creek crossings may be difficult however)
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I haven't done cascades....can I get a bit of a description, length and around about how long it would take....and yeah I know there's a description on here under 'rides' and I've read it before but would rather hear some real live people's comments. Is it an OK ride for a beginner?
It's a bit hilly, but nothing technical:
http://nobmob.com/rides/cascades
I did it unaccompanied and didn't hurt myself, so I guess it's not too bad...
(usually when I ride solo I crash)
Lots of high speed waterbars. Otherwise, it's wide open firetrail. There are lots of little side trails, but most of them were obviously very technical and I didn't pursue them too far.
If your fit it is a great place to ride. If you can work out a way to stay up high it is a great place to ride. If you like fast downhill firetrail with great waterbars it is an excellent place to ride. If you like tight technical downhill single trail then it is difficult to better.
If you don't like to be climbing steep fire trail for upto 20 mins at a time then don't even bother thinking about it. If the hills on Manly dam circuit get the better of you, don't even think about it, if you get tired on the way home from a standard Terry Hills out and back, don't even think about. It is a gully, you can't link more than two trails together without dropping into the valley and what goes down must come back up, often upto three times on a "standard" ride.
Now you have both sides of the coin from someone that once hated the place but is now, slowly, beginning to see its merits
Hey guys...
Whats the plan for the trails??
I live on the Belrose side and thought of meeting you at the bottom....
If I am up early enough I will ride over.
Craig
Cya all there.
Evan
Dont know, I guess we'll figure something out down there. But the trail up to Davidson is closed (or so the sign says), so guess we'll either be doing quarry, or belrose.
Best I go there alone and check it out before committing all of you to experience my pain also!
Next time....
Depending on the nature of the ride i.e. if the main aim of a particular ride was to do a trail in record speed or test one's suspension due to giant drop offs etc. then sit that particular ride out, but you would learn more skills and trails tricks if you rode with someone/ppl that were experienced.
It's not only safer, but it would build more confidence in your technical riding as you could follow someone through a tricky section or be shown how to tackle a particular situation correctly. Since riding with the NoBMoB guys and gals, I have discovered that certain sections on trails that I would normally run (accents & descents) are actually rideable.
I think when the site upgrades are implemented; it will be easier for ppl to gauge levels of expertise and/or fitness from the thread...
Thanks for the ride this morning guys...
But please, if you are going to ride off please make sure you tell people.
I waited for you guys and even turned back but you all had taken off, leaving me a little bemused.
Yeh, it was a great ride. I waited at the lower camborne/bare creek intersection, and I saw you rideoff; I thought you just wanted to ride home
. So I waited for Evan, and we rode back the other way 
Sorry about that.
But yeh, awesome ride, I honestly rode further than I thought i'd be able to