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Ourimbah State Forest - Motor Bikes
//begin rant
We have just got back from a great ride at Ourimbah, which was somewhat spolit by the visible damage a couple of motor bikes did to the trail and bridges while we were there. The first lap I did the trail was looking awesome, I could hear bikes everywhere but presumed they were somewhere off the track. Second lap the trail was all torn up and at least 2 wooden bridges I saw had been broken, one badly. Be careful as you go through the graveyard at speed, the hole in one bridge almost caught me out. When I got back to the carpark I met Bluyay and some others who told me they saw the bikers but no one caught their details. I think one was on a 4 stroke, the other was on the 2 stroke.
On the way up Demtel hill I bumped into a couple of chaps working on a new (crazy) line over the rock garden, Brad and ?? (sorry didn't catch the name). They told me that the land is now leased and motorbikes shouldn't be on the trails at all. Perhaps some signs need to be erected? It's a shame all of that hard work can be spoilt by some idiots who really don't seem to care about what they are destroying.
There were plenty of other trail bikes there but none were on the MTB track, I think there are plenty of other trails over the hill (and far away).
Indecently the work that has been put into both the XC and DH track is amazing. I've not seen the XC track look better and the downhill is epic, especially the final berm section and mega jumps at the finish line - 8+ metres anyone? Man that place is better than ever. Top work guys.
//end rant
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I was there today too, and saw two guys come out from the single track while I was waiting for my mates to arrive. Upon riding the XC trail, their tracks were visible in the graveyard, including 2 broken bridges with decent holes. One of my mates almost hit the hole - I would have hated to see the result of that!
And to add to that, they'd also gone into the 2nd graveyard-type area, breaking the bridge in there, and then up the new(ish) climb at the end - you know, the one that generally hold water - and had caused damage there too!
I don't have anything against Moto riders in general (I can see myself liking the sport later on!), but the ones that ride the single track at Ourimbah are just plain f%&$ed. I mean, they have so much single track up past the MTB area - once you get up the hill, there is Moto single track running most of the way to Kulnura!
The other issue I see is that the MTB area at Ourimbah is leased, as I understand it, so no Motos should be allowed there anyway (please correct me if I'm wrong on the lease issue). Is there anyway to actually keep them out though? I guess some signs could be put up - but if they're immature enough to ride MTB single track, I doubt they can read
To top it all off, I remember this happening a couple of years back, with Moto riders trashing the graveyard before!
/end rant.
On the safety issue - is there anything that can be done for the bridges? I'd be happy to lend a hand fixing them, but really have no idea about structural elements of MTB trails.
Oh, and thumbs up to all the trail fairies at Ourimbah, both in the XC and the DH - both sections are looking the best I've seen them in years!
Anyway, back to nursing my sprained ankle...
Gday
did a few laps of Appin today, which is on crown land, so the sign says at the car park
There was a few moto riders out, both 2 and 4 stroke, didnt see any on the tracks
but plenty of plenty evidence of riding on the singletrack
which is maintained by Wollongong Mtn bike club
Seems a shame, tonnes of hours to make and maintain trails to be ripped up by moto bikes
There's tonnes of trails for them to hit,
have heard similar noises about tracks down in Menai
Hope the buggers get caught
A shame to hear about Appin. The difference with Menai (FR area) though is that I think the Moto riders were riding on that hill for quite a while before mountain biking took off. The fact that MTB'ers built trails on a favorite uphill run of Moto's is a shame, but hopefully that can be worked out. And also the little thing that the Menai trails are technically illegal... (That's not to say I don't ride them from time to time - but can't complain too much).
With Ourimbah though, the single track in the MTB zone has been built by MTB'ers, for MTB'ers, and they're legal trails, condoned by the forestry people. So it really sucks that the disrespectful bastards are riding their Motos in there, when they have so much other stuff to play on.
NB: As I mentioned before, I have no beef with Moto riders in general, just the pricks that ride on the MTB single track.
I'm curious to know how many Moto trails (especially narrow or singletracks) there are around Sydney? Are they riding on the MTB ones because there isn't much for them?
Tom
Or could the moto guys have made a mistake and thought trails are trails to be ridden. I think signs would be a good start.
I honestly don't know about Sydney moto trails, but I do know there are HEAPS of trails in Ourimbah forest for Motos. If you continue up the main road towards Kulnura (i.e. go past the turn off for the towards the DH start), there are lots of single tracks off the side of the main trail. All of these from what I've seen are Moto trails. (I've done a bit of 4wd'ing, and exploration for more MTBing in Ourimbah).
So to say that they didn't know is probably underestimating them. I mean, the MTB trails through the graveyard are a bit too windy for Moto trails methinks.
We had a huge amount of trouble with moto's on the Awaba DH trail. In the end it took signage and strategic fencing to keep them off. We still have the odd one get on, but generally its not too bad at the moment. The amount of damage caused by a moto getting up the DH trail, particularly the rock garden, was incredible but we were more worried about the potential of a head on collision on what should be a one way trail.
Interestingly enough, there were often heated arguments with the moto's who were hell bent on arguing that the trail was always there, despite us building the trail at the time???
As for the XC trails, we have only had about a handful go around, but the damage they cause is pretty devestating to the build crews.
Those that have ridden Awaba will see the amount of $$$$ we have thrown at the bridges to make them moto proof. This is because the bridges at killi were destroyed on pretty much a monthly basis by them. We kind of had to assume there would be moto us of the new trails and went from there.
"The other issue I see is that the MTB area at Ourimbah is leased, as I understand it, so no Motos should be allowed there anyway"
I don't think it is leased as such. CCOMTB operate on an annual occupational permit, much the same as we do at lidsdale. This does not give you exclusivity over the area except at official events
That said motos in a state forest are suppose to be registered, licensed and remain on public roads.
I was at the DH round yesterday and the work they have done on that trail is awesome. Alas, as with most of Australia, if only they had a bigger to get rid of the flat bits