Mountain biking?
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Yeah I dont think Muds would help too much but those magic mary's could be a good option.
My setups usually pretty good for the roots, think there was actually a fair bit of rider error involved in this one.
Worst was that I didnt have the knee protection on and often dont at this place as I ride there from home.
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@crucial said in Mountain biking?:
That Olympic course is pretty cool. Just get rid of those nasty ups and Iād ride it.
Yeah it wasnt too bad eh. Certainly better than I expected. Those XC guys dont really like the drops and jumps but was good to see a few decent obstacles in there for them.
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@jk said in Mountain biking?:
@crucial said in Mountain biking?:
That Olympic course is pretty cool. Just get rid of those nasty ups and Iād ride it.
Yeah it wasnt too bad eh. Certainly better than I expected. Those XC guys dont really like the drops and jumps but was good to see a few decent obstacles in there for them.
Had a bit of everything. Most of them are on carbon enduros now anyway. Long wheelbase and light. Good to see that they have to show a range of skills
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Keeping up the riding as usual.
Hit the muriwai trails friday arvo. Great place to ride in winter as sand based but actually a bit sketchy in parts as some super steep descents with soft sand so easy to dig the front wheel in. Good fun.
Then a suburban with the lad on sat arvo. Found some dirt jumps and random hidden trails which were a bit of fun and surprisingly dry even with all the recent rain.
West Coast Riders Club have a sliduro event coming up soon so will prob go ride that if timing works
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@unite said in Mountain biking?:
If anyone is looking for a Tasmanian vacation and keen on mountain biking Derby is worth checking out
Derby is an old tin mining town that was basically dead. Since mountain biking came to town the place is absolutely pumping.
I stopped off in Derby a couple of years ago for a quick nap on my circuitous East Coast-based trip from Hobart to Launceston. Reminds me of the set for Woolly Valley, but yes, there were bikes galore around there.
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These lockdown days arent great for mountain biking enthusiasts. There are only so many ubran rolls I can handle and the local single tracks are a real risk given the amount of walkers out there and inability to social distance if you happen to come across one.
We've had the jump ramp out from a bit but grows old quickly. Have found a few hidden away trail sections though over the past few weeks in small bush pockets. I afew I have ridden before but can tell they are getting a lot more use over lockdown and the trail fairies have been hard at work tidying them up.
Hopefully do a bigger ride over the weekend. Got two OK ones last weekend which I will prob just repeat again.
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@jk said in Mountain biking?:
These lockdown days arent great for mountain biking enthusiasts. There are only so many ubran rolls I can handle and the local single tracks are a real risk given the amount of walkers out there and inability to social distance if you happen to come across one.
We've had the jump ramp out from a bit but grows old quickly. Have found a few hidden away trail sections though over the past few weeks in small bush pockets. I afew I have ridden before but can tell they are getting a lot more use over lockdown and the trail fairies have been hard at work tidying them up.
Hopefully do a bigger ride over the weekend. Got two OK ones last weekend which I will prob just repeat again.
Good luck, hope you don't end up on the news!
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@crucial said in Mountain biking?:
@jk said in Mountain biking?:
These lockdown days arent great for mountain biking enthusiasts. There are only so many ubran rolls I can handle and the local single tracks are a real risk given the amount of walkers out there and inability to social distance if you happen to come across one.
We've had the jump ramp out from a bit but grows old quickly. Have found a few hidden away trail sections though over the past few weeks in small bush pockets. I afew I have ridden before but can tell they are getting a lot more use over lockdown and the trail fairies have been hard at work tidying them up.
Hopefully do a bigger ride over the weekend. Got two OK ones last weekend which I will prob just repeat again.
Good luck, hope you don't end up on the news!
Nah these aren't those sort of rides. Having said that freak accidents can happen no matter if walking or riding a bike or gardening!
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@jk said in Mountain biking?:
@crucial said in Mountain biking?:
@jk said in Mountain biking?:
These lockdown days arent great for mountain biking enthusiasts. There are only so many ubran rolls I can handle and the local single tracks are a real risk given the amount of walkers out there and inability to social distance if you happen to come across one.
We've had the jump ramp out from a bit but grows old quickly. Have found a few hidden away trail sections though over the past few weeks in small bush pockets. I afew I have ridden before but can tell they are getting a lot more use over lockdown and the trail fairies have been hard at work tidying them up.
Hopefully do a bigger ride over the weekend. Got two OK ones last weekend which I will prob just repeat again.
Good luck, hope you don't end up on the news!
Nah these aren't those sort of rides. Having said that freak accidents can happen no matter if walking or riding a bike or gardening!
Agree. I think the issue is more the type of injury and access to the injured person which I can understand. If they have to send out SAR team to carry you out (or a chopper) as opposed to just sending an ambo down a road then I can see the logic. A bit like tramping/ surfing etc.
But if just clocking kms on a low grade singletrack then probably not much more risk than other allowed activities. -
@crucial said in Mountain biking?:
@jk said in Mountain biking?:
@crucial said in Mountain biking?:
@jk said in Mountain biking?:
These lockdown days arent great for mountain biking enthusiasts. There are only so many ubran rolls I can handle and the local single tracks are a real risk given the amount of walkers out there and inability to social distance if you happen to come across one.
We've had the jump ramp out from a bit but grows old quickly. Have found a few hidden away trail sections though over the past few weeks in small bush pockets. I afew I have ridden before but can tell they are getting a lot more use over lockdown and the trail fairies have been hard at work tidying them up.
Hopefully do a bigger ride over the weekend. Got two OK ones last weekend which I will prob just repeat again.
Good luck, hope you don't end up on the news!
Nah these aren't those sort of rides. Having said that freak accidents can happen no matter if walking or riding a bike or gardening!
Agree. I think the issue is more the type of injury and access to the injured person which I can understand. If they have to send out SAR team to carry you out (or a chopper) as opposed to just sending an ambo down a road then I can see the logic. A bit like tramping/ surfing etc.
But if just clocking kms on a low grade singletrack then probably not much more risk than other allowed activities.Yep I'm probably more risk on the jump ramp out front as can get about 1.5m of height off it. At least easy access there so no search and rescue required.
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On a different tangent - because I'm not crazy I don't ride off timber structures, and didn't want to start another thread.
I have been getting back on the bike of late in preparation for post-lockdown. The idea will be to try out bikepacking alongside some planned camping and hiking activities, because fuck wasting my weekends now I'm 45 and will shortly be too old and broken to enjoy outdor shit.
So, using my 10yo Giant MTB that I fitted with a pannier rack for commuting years ago, I'm having a look at this:
I'm seeing a lot of boomers do supported rides with a local tour operator out there, so figure I can handle it myself carrying the necessary gear and doing most meals at pubs/cafes along the way. Would not run the entire course, just look at Gulgong-Dunedoo-Mendooran-Ballimore-Wellington-Goolma-Gulgong over 5 or 6 nights.
Grab a couple of panniers, throw the hiking essentials on, and hit the road. Only issue would be time of year to do it - temperature range out in the Central West is (well) below zero nights in winter and above 40 in summer.
That is all.
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@nta said in Mountain biking?:
On a different tangent - because I'm not crazy I don't ride off timber structures, and didn't want to start another thread.
I have been getting back on the bike of late in preparation for post-lockdown. The idea will be to try out bikepacking alongside some planned camping and hiking activities, because fuck wasting my weekends now I'm 45 and will shortly be too old and broken to enjoy outdor shit.
So, using my 10yo Giant MTB that I fitted with a pannier rack for commuting years ago, I'm having a look at this:
I'm seeing a lot of boomers do supported rides with a local tour operator out there, so figure I can handle it myself carrying the necessary gear and doing most meals at pubs/cafes along the way. Would not run the entire course, just look at Gulgong-Dunedoo-Mendooran-Ballimore-Wellington-Goolma-Gulgong over 5 or 6 nights.
Grab a couple of panniers, throw the hiking essentials on, and hit the road. Only issue would be time of year to do it - temperature range out in the Central West is (well) below zero nights in winter and above 40 in summer.
That is all.
I set myself up to do the Queen Charlotte track earlier in the year as an equipment test but then got tied up at work. However I worked a few things out depending on how you want to tackle a multi-day ride unsupported.
I wanted to use existing tramping gear as much as possible to save on expenditure but also to get more use out of it.
I would also be on a tramping track so don't want to make the bike unwieldy and difficult.
Lightweight tent or shelter that can roll up to fit across handlebars without interfering with levers. I had a two-man one that fitted fine.
Sleeping bag. This was the biggest problem. My tramping one fits slung from a pack no problem but I only want to wear a small daypack and put other stuff in a seatpost fitted bag like this..
...anyway I bit the bullet and went for a replacement bag with compression sack that was 3 season rated but only took up about 1 litre of room.
Clothing - nothing bulky, just extra layers of merinos.
Small MSR stove and collapsible pot. I can work out emergency food to cook that is light but planned on eating during day mainly (or at nearby food places)
Biggest expense bar the sleeping bag was going to be an aeropress for coffee. No way could I go un-caffeinated. -
@nta said in Mountain biking?:
On a different tangent - because I'm not crazy I don't ride off timber structures, and didn't want to start another thread.
I have been getting back on the bike of late in preparation for post-lockdown. The idea will be to try out bikepacking alongside some planned camping and hiking activities, because fuck wasting my weekends now I'm 45 and will shortly be too old and broken to enjoy outdor shit.
So, using my 10yo Giant MTB that I fitted with a pannier rack for commuting years ago, I'm having a look at this:
I'm seeing a lot of boomers do supported rides with a local tour operator out there, so figure I can handle it myself carrying the necessary gear and doing most meals at pubs/cafes along the way. Would not run the entire course, just look at Gulgong-Dunedoo-Mendooran-Ballimore-Wellington-Goolma-Gulgong over 5 or 6 nights.
Grab a couple of panniers, throw the hiking essentials on, and hit the road. Only issue would be time of year to do it - temperature range out in the Central West is (well) below zero nights in winter and above 40 in summer.
That is all.
That trail looks good. I notice that they say 'be respectful of all animals'. Does that mean signed consent or will verbal do?
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@crucial said in Mountain biking?:
That trail looks good. I notice that they say 'be respectful of all animals'. Does that mean signed consent or will verbal do?
Fuckwits going onto farming property to get selfies with sheep I believe was the issue
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@crucial said in Mountain biking?:
I wanted to use existing tramping gear as much as possible to save on expenditure but also to get more use out of it.
Agreed - I've got hiking gear that generally fits the bill. Given the bike is already set up with a rear rack I was looking at panniers which I see all the bikepacking snobs look down on in their YouTube videos
This is the rig - were I to put panniers on I'd probably upgrade the rear wheel with chunkier spokes TBH. It is carrying my fat arse around on suburban streets but dirt road and a bit more weight over the rear axle and it'll be under stress as a hard tail.
For panniers, well it is a Topeak rack so pretty easy choice - something like these at 25L each and I can keep the crappy old top bag I've got as well, or just use the top of the rack as a tie down for my sleeping mat:
Shelter = fly from a Hennessy Hammock. Have used hiking a few times and it is generally flexible enough to string up using hiking poles or sticks, and a suitable tree. Simple a-frame for inclement weather - can close in the end(s) with a bit of clever peg work. Otherwise string it up nice and high and get comfy.
Super lightweight ground sheet from a mob here called Alton Goods as a moisture barrier.
Got a new inflatable pillow on order as the one I have is no good any more for my busted shoulder.
All that can go in a dry bag around the handlebars with a bit of velcro or one pannier.
Kathmandu self-inflating air mattress. Not the thickhest but quite comfy (Ascent 38 model - bit of a luxury at 950g but R value of 3.6-2.1). Enhance it with a reflective ground sheet if required. Tie to rack some howAs you say, the sleeping bag is the issue for packing. I've always avoided down because once it is wet, yer fuct. Am now considering a quilt but I dunno. Guess I could stuff one of my existing sleeping bags in a pannier and it is safe there. Problem is I've been storing all my sleeping bags tight in their stuff sacks (lack of options) so they're not what they once were. I'll give them each a shot on the trail in some test runs and see how they go.
Biggest expense bar the sleeping bag was going to be an aeropress for coffee. No way could I go un-caffeinated.
The tiny little hiking stove and cylinder I have fit inside the anodised aluminium pot set I've got. I don't mind going bag coffee first thing if I need to, but would consider whether I can just grab a brew in town and save the weight. Different on QC track no doubt.
I had QC on my list for the solo trip in 2017 but the timing didn't work.
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@nta Panniers look an easy option. Fuck the nobs that want to 'gear compare'.
The drawback with panniers is if you are on narrow or winding tracks as you have widened the bike and have to allow for it. I don't see that as a problem for that track at all and you will welcome the space.
Looks like good fun.
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@crucial said in Mountain biking?:
The drawback with panniers is if you are on narrow or winding tracks as you have widened the bike and have to allow for it. I don't see that as a problem for that track at all and you will welcome the space.
Plus my arse doesn't allow for narrow tracks anyway
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Blue Derby Tasmania Mountain Biking Trails
Central West Cycle Trail
