You are hereForums / By Discipline / Mountain (off road) / By Location / Australia / NSW / Sydney (North) / Lane Cove track
Lane Cove track
I rode up in Lane Cove today for the 1st time. I started at Delhi Road and ended up just below the single track to Thornleigh Station. I had a few false exits and did a fair bit of turn around and start again. Is there actually much to the Lane Cove tracks or is it mainly this fire trail that I spent 90% of my time on? Just wondered if there were any LC veterans out there that could show me around should there be anything exciting that I'm missing?
[Mod. moved to Sydney North]
- Login to post comments
- Bookmark & share
Tags
There is no legal off road stuff between Delhi Rd and Ryde Rd. The only permitted cycling is on the tar on either side of the river. After Ryde Rd, the only legal cycling along the Lane Cove River is fire trail, except for the first bit which includes the "hike a bike" section and a short section of pipeline track to link through to the Gloucester Rd fire trail. The fire trail peters out eventually at the bottom of the walking track up to Thornleigh. And you can link up to the top end of the Terry's Ck track, which is an interesting bit of sniggle. But when you get back to the M2 underpass (which may actually be closed during part of the M2 widening?) it's illegal back to the bike path at Brown's Waterhole.
There are a few fire trail side trips, but the best one is Devlin's Ck track, which actually has some reasonable sniggle towards the Epping end. There are some sections of the Great North Walk walking track which have some potential for mtb usage, but are illegal, and some other bits of sniggle of dubious provenance.
Maybe if Garigal works there might be some hope for something more interesting in the next decade.....
Yes, there is basically just fire roads that run east-west from West Chatswood as far west as Thronleigh/Pennant Hills and Epping. Plus some smaller north-south bits as well. These all just follow the banks of the Lane Cove river mainly. But really, once you have ridden it a few times, there is really no reason to go back other than to do all the hills. Yes, LCNP has some smashing hills to keep you fit. The hills... the hills...
There is some singgle parts lying about, which I have ridden. But as posted, these are illegal. I do ride them from time to time, but never in a group and it is really just in passing through to link up another trail to ride into. Even still, those trails are average at best and not worth going to too much effort for.
I'm not a fan of big hills so I try to skip them, and there are plenty to avoid.
My prefered route is to meet at Browns water hole, head north, turn left at the green bars (concrete dip crosses the creek west off the N-S firetrail). Follow all the way past Whale Rock to Belinda Cres (North Epping) and then turn around and come back to the waterhole. This is the flattest, flowiest route I think. Sounds like you went past the green bars and worked your way up the bumpy (but level) fire trail north. It's nice for a change but I prefer to take a left at the bars towards Beecroft/Cheltenham. On this bumpy trail you would have seen the exit from a DH track on your left. It's illegal and posted as closed at the top, up in Pennant Hills park at the fire truck-turn around point (also called the helipad).
The rangers are happy to explain things and are based in the office closer to Deli Rd I think.
It's actually a combination of national park and council land from Ryde Rd up through back of West Pymble & Sth Turramurra. I used to stop & chat with Park Rangers regularly and they showed me the boundaries. Basically you can ride the single track on council land.
It's a bit hard to explain where they all are as many are hidden but the Rangers have done a good job sign posting those tracks you can't ride. There are many hidden trails so just explore. The closer the houses the more chance you are on council land.