An absolutely great collection of trails for all skill levels and mountain biking disciplines.

I rated this as two blown lungs but really riders of all fitness levels will have fun here. Whilst the park lacks any really big hills certainly what hills there are are long enough and of a good enough gradient to keep you honest and if there not then just push a little harder.

Downhill track: Certainly not steep which in a way makes it great for riders of all levels, nor is it overly long, which does make the ride back up Greenwattle Rd bearable. Technically, again not overly difficult but has enough challenges to keep you honest and all "obstacles" have chicken runs. We hooked up with a couple of freeriders on a guided tour from Brissy and the smile at the end of their first run says it all. A nice mix of fast flowing downhill single track, granite boulders, jumps and even a few north shore stunts. If you are looking for something a little more challenging try the woolshed and Mt Stanley tracks. Enjoy.

NB:The links to the video below are rather large Windows Media files. Please right click, 'save as' and view after download.

XC Trails (Beechworth XC Vid - 29.6 MB Windows Media): These are all well marked and easy to follow, ranging from easy to technically challenging. They can be ridden individually or linked to make for a longer ride. Plenty of rock to avoid but generally speaking the trails are buff and flowing. Most have variations that allow for inclusion of harder sections to keep things interesting. The most challenging is the "extra loop".

Freeride (Freeride Beechworth Vid - 31.2 MB Windows Media): I think the video will say it all. A great collection of flowing jumps and berms can be found on the jump tracks adjacent to the carpark, and for those with a little more talent, and a little less fear, should head over the hill to the north shore style freeride trails. These include road and gap jumps, HUGE granite boulders with narrow ladders down, kickers and a teetter totter.

A word of caution, we had been told of a fatality at the park last year as well as a couple of airlifts out this year already. Ride within your limits but enjoy and learn.

For further details visit The Beechworth Chain Gang.

Whilst it would be easy to ride all trails in a morning, we enjoyed several days of morning and arvo rides without getting bored or loosing interst. We stayed at the Silver Creek Caravan Park and can highly recommend this place. Comfy, albeit basic, cabins but great friendly staff that are mountain bike friendly. There is a link on the beechworth site.

The tour group we hooked up with was run by a company called Adventures with Altitude. It looked really well organised and the Brisbane crew spoke highly of Rich.