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I'm going to Australia for a few weeks after Christmas and it looks like I might have a few days to go riding. Anyone got experience of riding out there? Will I die from the heat?
Probably looking at the south east of the country but I may be able to travel further afield for something good...
Where about are you going? Australia is quite big 😉
I rode with people in Mullumbimby near Byron Bay. Excellent riding.
It was a long time ago but they were True Wheel Cycles.
If riding from Sydney you can catch a train to the top of The Oaks Fire Trail and ride down to a handily located station which will take you back up again!
Did quite a bit of riding out there last year over a period of 5 months and rode in several states, (geographical ones mostly!). I found this site was a great way of figuring out places to go in each region and then having a look on youtube to see what the trails were actually like.
Couple of observations. It's a very big and often very remote place to ride, there were plenty of times where I'd driven for 1-2 hours out of civilisation to get to some trails, then ridden 1-2 hours away from the car and didn't see another person all day. Made me ride a bit more carefully and take it a bit easier on some of the descents! Other than that, dry, warm, dusty, lots of great trails, got to explore some incredible places I would never have otherwise seen, loads of wildlife etc. (Flying down a narrow descent to find a huge red kangaroo sunbathing in the middle of the track with nowhere to go is not quite the same as startling a rabbit back in the UK!)
You could ask on Rotorburns.
It's like STW but with added swearing.
I always assume that you will die to death riding in Oz. If the heat doesn't get you, the crocs / snakes / spiders / sharks / koalas / locals will.
I ride there a bitbit, where in the se? That is still bigger than the UK. Flow magazine has a trail guide called flow nation. Bear in mind mainland temps around then will be hot, with elevated chance of hot... I'm based in tassie which gets away with it a bit more.
Well I'm starting out in Melbourne but then probably heading up the east coast... that's about as much of a plan as I've got at the moment
zippykona, cheers for the tip I'll check rotorburns out
mikewsmith my brother's told me it's 'not too hot' but wikipedia tells me it's likely to be around 35 degrees. Which I consider pretty warm
Weather in Melbourne could be anything but we were there for NYE last year and it got to 42 just after that!
Couple of places within an easy drive of Melbourne that I really enjoyed were:
1) You Yangs - Stockyards area. A whole section of man made (graded) downhill trails and an easy to pedal route to get back up. Very well signposted and massive fun. (Beware of the snakes!)
2) Lysterfield Park - Old commonwealth games XC circuit but a lovely place to ride, some interesting bits, well signposted trails and great cafe!
"a few weeks after Xmas".
You'll melt, I was in Sydney for Xmas once, the heat is oppressive, sitting still with a cold drink is tough enough.
Oh and it's Dropbear mating season, so they're be super agro.
You Yangs, if you want inland then Bright, Beauty and Beachworth (all have breweries) But yeah it can be anything from 30-45 then, depending on how you react it could just be hell. 3 years in and I still struggle when it gets over 30, early mornings and evenings are your friend then.
http://flowmountainbike.com/flow-nation/
Doing the Tassie thing though unless you need to get somewhere on the mainland grab a flight to Launceston (cheap) rent a car and do
Hollybank
Blue Derby
Blue Tier
Take a drive down the stunning east coast
Ride some stuff on Mt Wellington and the stuff round Hobart, could be up to 10c cooler and much nicer. Heaps of food and drink options round there too.
Also download the trail forks app
http://www.trailforks.com/region/australia/
then download Aus for offline access to trail locations and descriptions, worked really well over here in Utah this last month
Cheers guys! Quite fancy tasmania anyway so that's probably worth looking into
youyangs again, I think there may be some out along the great ocean rd, which is well worth a look in itself anyway, just head for Geelong and keep going along the coast, iirc it's the Otways range along there. Theres the ski resorts too, Bright, mt Buller etc, you jammy sod!!! think of us freezing our nads off at home when you're downing that post ride VB!
think of us freezing our nads off at home when you're downing that post ride VB!
The most unpleasant thing I have ever thought about, VB is not worth drinking.
In the Otways there is Forrest but in reality and some considering it's a bit shit.
It's a dry heat in the SE so actually quite bearable (for me). I think I raced the Otway Odyssey in 32c - slap on factor 50 and drink. A lot. Pretty parched afterwards, mind.
In that corner there is some good riding - Forrest, up around Bright (likely hotter). Not so much up around Sydney. Just don't take as many risks - you're more likely to see snakes than other people on some trails.
Oh and if you want more tassie info mail in profile. I was in Launceston for 3 years, moving to hobart once I get back from this work trip. Flexible work so happy to join for a ride or 2.
franksinatra - MemberI always assume that you will die to death riding in Oz. If the heat doesn't get you, the crocs / snakes / spiders / sharks / koalas / locals will.
My brother, since he moved out there a few years ago, has assured me that they'll only bother you if you bother them. Unfortunately last week he had to add 15km to his commute to avoid a 200m stretch of road where he kept being attacked by a magpie. It drew blood at one point, pecking him in the neck and head 😆 So it's not just the bitey, stingy animals to watch out for.
You Yangs, Lysterfield within an hour of Melbourne. Forest or the Wombat Trails about 3 hours from Melbourne. You Yangs are properly good (and a bit scary in one or two places ... good luck on clam rock). Lysterfield is a bit tame to be honest but good for a spin. Wombat is immense. Forest is also v. good (there was an article on it in Singletrack a few issues ago). Both worth visiting if you "do" the Great Ocean Road.
Then there's Mount Buller for some DH action. Bright for a bit more mellowness.
On southeast coast there are a couple of riding spots on the coast
Tathra, you can ride from the beach to the trails, flow mountain biking have a nice little video on this place.
Mogo Forest, specifically maulbrooks MTB trails near Browlee, though this is a little neglected as logging is planed at some point but the snake track is 2km of awesomeness
Or, head in land a bit to ACT and ride Majura, Stromlo and Kowen/Sparrowhill.
If in Victoria, I'd definitely go ride the Epic trail.
Tathra is possibly my favourite place in the World. Great trails, nice town and a wonderful community.
Australia in general is very friendly, I think if you put out a few feelers in the areas you go to you will probably get offers of someone to guide you around the best local trails.
Lots of places near Melbourne, I live there. Out east of Melbourne there is buxton and lake mountain, warramate, smiths gully. If you are going out west then You Yangs or Forrest amongst others. There is even the single-track along the yarra which is close to the city. Drop me an email if you want, email is in profile.
If in Victoria, I'd definitely go ride the Epic trail.
Which epic trail is this? Not the buller one is it?
P-Jay - Member
...Oh and it's Dropbear mating season, so they're be super agro.
That's a myth.
Dropbears aren't aggro. They're very affectionate and loving. The problem is they are very short sighted and go crazy with hormones (in season).
When one sees a human walking under their tree, all it sees is a blur with a lot of hair which looks like a potential mate. So it drops on to the persons head with its powerful claws extended for grip.
When this happens, the average Ozzie is prone to say something like "Fark me!"* and the dropbear immediately starts its very vigorous and enthusiastic mating ritual.
It is recommended you keep your mouth shut during this procedure or you will be thoroughly David Cameroned.
If you are lucky you will lose only one ear.
Miss Martha Bucket who swallowed said it tastes like eucalyptus sauce on oysters (just in case you like that sort of thing)
*The female dropbear when receptive uses a very similar sounding call, as do many shielas (another dangerous Oz predator).
presume means the Buller one
http://bike.mtbuller.com.au/epic.phpon my to do list
A mate did it on the opening seriously unimpressed, it's mostly existing trails with a lot of fire Road link. Bright am trail is awesome though
I forgot one thing.
When you get back here you'll be bunnyhopping every twig you see on the track.
Frequent encounters with snakes make you paranoid. 🙂
It's what you can't see that scares me!
On the flip side I took my mate from Australia biking when he visited here.
He wasn't blessed with a childhood that involved stinging nettles.
Consequently he rode through every stinger on the trail. His legs were a mess!
Indeed, now I'm back in the UK I haven't played 'snake or stick' for too long.
Happy to do a bit of a guided day out if you drop me a line closer to the time. In Melbourne and know most of the places round here quite well.
corroded - Member
Indeed, now I'm back in the UK I haven't played 'snake or stick' for too long.
I have. A big tiger snake scared the sh1t out of me last week.
Otherwise, come on down to old Hobart Town.
Are there any bike hire places on the Oaks Fire trail? I will be driving past it but taking bikes isn't going to happen.