Report backs new tracks for mountain bike riders

I was very surprised by the effort they have gone to, and the research involved, also well done to the mountain bike community for the comment numbers, and to all those involved behind the scenes.

Great idea's for example: Red hill formalization, Links to Dam from Burnt Bridge, Downhill

Had a quick scan through, very, very long doc, Looks good but needs work, especially on the trails side of things, many trails are not shown on the maps that need to be formalized.

I could have missed something but after a quick look, Other than belrose tip in 5years for Very short polluted DH runs without trees, it all seems very XC focused

Downhill/Freeride and All mountain need more attention considering the very large numbers of respondents in those disiplines

Will have a long look next week and post up more comments

2 days left!

Can we get an idea of who has commented so far?

Yep, I've sent a quick email of support for the draft document.

Nows your last chance to help shape the future of Northern Beaches Mountain biking

Send a quick email with your suggestions

Have you helped out yet?

This months Peninsula Living has a very biased and negative article relating to the proposed trails. The author only offers anacdotal and alarmist commentary without any real facts and without including any information from the mountain bike community.

Here's the editors email: [email protected]

Make some noise.

This is all i could find, but it seems positive

http://www.peninsulaliving.com.au/real-life/bike...

Have you got a link or can you scan? Haven't got my copy yet

This is probably a bit long. It would be helpful if you were to respond under your own name to Penininsular Living addressing some of these themes

It is disappointing to read the same old innuendo and misinformation regarding mountain bike trails. It is interesting that this article states more openly than previously that the agenda appears to be simply to prevent any increase in people visiting these beautiful areas.

We need to remember that mountain biking is a mainstream activity in Warringah and elsewhere, and that mountain bikers are ratepayers in the municipality. Cycling is the fourth most popular recreational activity, and 70 percent of bicycles sold are mountain bikes. Mountain bike trails offer outstanding health and exercise benefits from unstructured recreation at a much lower cost-per-visitation than many other facilities currently supported by Council, such as sports fields and swimming pools. Visitors from outside the area bring substantial income to local businesses and is said that mountain bike visitation to Rotorua now brings more tourist income than the famous hot springs.

It seems Ms Loughnane hopes that by repeating the same worn-out claims continuously about mountain bike “unsustainability” they will become true. I’m sorry to disappoint, but facts do not work that way. The evidence is clear from both local and international sources for a number of years now that when the trails are routed and built according to sound sustainability principles, the impact of mountain biking is similar to walkers.

The consultation process has been going on for several years, with ample opportunity for all interest groups including local residents and environmental groups to have their views heard. This latest claim about “not being consulted” is simply not true, and is a ploy to yet again delay a process that has already been dragging on much longer than it should. The truth is the decisions have not gone their way because their claims are contradicted by the overall evidence.

At the recent NPWS consultation day at Bantry Bay, I heard in person Aboriginal community representatives express satisfaction at the fact that there were no tyre marks across the cultural sites visited and that the message about their sensitivity had been taken on board. Key to maintaining this good behaviour is re-routing the trail away from these sites through less sensitive corridors, and closing and rehabilitating the old trails.

The major environmental impact from trails in bushland areas is erosion due to water flow, caused by failure to avoid the fall line – the shortest route down the hill. Most of the old walking and cycling trails were cut along these alignments before there was much awareness of sustainable trail construction practices. These unsightly and unsustainable trails must be closed and rehabilitated to prevent further degradation and siltation of waterways, adverse impact on hanging swamps, and other downstream ecosystems. The mountain bike community as a whole supports this initiative.

The new trails that will take their place are to be built and managed following world’s-best-practice sustainability principles. These are described in the International Mountain Bike Association’s publications Trail Solutions and Managing Mountain Bike Trails. Mountain bikers have been building sustainable trails in other areas with manager permission inexpensively. Success stories can be seen at Fox Creek WA, City of Mitcham SA, Glenrock NSW, Lysterfield Victoria. Overall, we expect the number of trails through Garigal and connected areas to be reduced from their present number.

International Mountain Bike Association trail guidelines have been adopted by many government land management authorities throughout the US and in some Australian states as best practice for all their trails, not just the cycling trails. The trails provide tangible economic and social benefits to their local communities. Undesirable activity such as motor bike use, vandalism and anti-social activity is displaced.

Night time riding is not expected to have a noticeable impact. Due to the requirements of the activity, the lights from night-time mountain bike riders are narrow-beamed and focussed closely on the trail. The scope for disturbing nocturnal animals such as possums, bandicoots, bats and sugar gliders or other fauna is therefore quite limited.

I cannot remember the last time I saw a dirty mountain bike at the start of a ride. The risk of carriage of weeds and seeds from outside the area is – again – similar to that of walkers.

It is interesting that it has taken Ms Loughnane more than six months and countless hours spent midweek and at weekends at local shopping malls to gather her 500 signatures. It seems her petition is more reflective of her dedication to pursuing her cause than any real level of concern in the community.

Best,

hawkeye
www.trailcare.com.au