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Blue Mountains mtb rides

As a kid I rode Malvern Stars and dragsters around the streets of Blaxland and hit the trails on my lawn mower engined mini bike. Nowadays, I live a little further west, still in the Blue Mountains (west of Sydney, Oz - a city within a National Park and now World Heritage listed), and do my trail riding on mountain bikes - there are some great trails locally, with some big hills to struggle up, but big hills are great fun going back down!

Some time ago I wrote a story on riding the Woodford to Glenbrook (The Oaks) fire trail, which was originally published by the team at Oz on Dirt. This inspired me to create my own website on Blue Mountains mtb rides - if you know about a good ride, and want me to add a review, let me know and I'll try to ride and review it - for consistency, I ride and review all tracks personally.

All rides are rated in fat hippies - one fat hippy means grab a slice of pizza and stay on the beanbag, two means not bad, three means well worth a ride, four is a great ride and five means stop looking at your computer, go ride it! A new category of no fat hippy means the track should be avoided - it's a climb, a walk, or just lame.

To put my reviews into some sort of perspective, here's some info about me.

To get you started, here's just some of the rides I reckon are pretty good - as white on black won't print, each review also comes with a black on white, low graphic version for printing. Tracks reviewed below were ridden between 1999 and 2005 - apart from the tracks to avoid, which I'm not doing again! The Oaks and St Helena were recently voted as NSW's most popular mtb rides by readers of Australian Mountain Bike magazine - which probably makes them the most popular in Australia.

Note that tracks and National Parks may be closed as a result of bushfires, on days of extremely high fire danger, or for other reasons. Check with NPWS before riding - regardless of what I've written, tracks may be closed. High winds around September and October tend to bring a lot of trees down - take care!

rating	the tracks
	Hanging Rock - Blackheath, outstanding views and waterbars (beginner friendly) - print version Narrow Neck - Katoomba, outstanding views - print version The Six Foot Track - Jenolan to Megalong Valley - print version the secret spots - all over the place - print version
+	The Oaks at night - print version St Helena (updated April 06) (Woodford to Glenbrook) - runs off the Oaks - print version (Oaks/St Helena voted most popular rides in NSW by AMB readers - 2004) Anderson's Fire Trail - Wentworth Falls to Woodford (can be joined with the Oaks (Woodford to Glenbrook) for a 60 km or so ride) - print version Linden Ridge/Mt Twiss/Dawes Ridge - print version Lawson Ridge - Queens Road, Lawson - print version
+	The Oaks (Woodford to Glenbrook) (updated Jan 08) - print version - Oaks Classic race Ingar - Wentworth Falls to Woodford (shorter and easier than Anderson's, and can also be joined with the Oaks (Woodford to Glenbrook)) - text version Faulconbridge Point - Grose Road Faulconbridge - spectacular views, and fun now the waterbars are back. (beginner friendly) - print version Yarramundi to Emu Plains - starts at the Western Sydney MTB Club site Terrace Falls (updated Jan 08) - Hazelbrook and Lawson - text version (also a night experience - 3.5 hippies! - text version)
+	Mt Hay - Leura (would be a great ride if it wasn't for the corrugations) - text version Road open only Long Angle Gully - Springwood to Blaxland - something of a mess these days, but lots of sidetracks Murphy's Glen - Woodford - text version Grose Head South - Starts at the back of St Thomas Aquinas school (formerly St Columba's) in Hawkesbury Rd, Winmalee - also has great views of the Grose. text version
+	None at the moment!
-	tracks to avoid! The Victory Track - from Faulconbridge to Springwood. Bunyan's Lookout to Martin's Lookout Springwood
Other mtb ride review sites	Dave Noble's rides around Sydney

WTF?? I've bought a road bike - oh the shame of it all!

Digital Video:

It's new, and it's experimental - at last I'm getting the things small enough to download while still being watchable.

bwahahahahahaha!

More video footage of mine, plus some really good mtb footage from the rest of the 26" crew can be found on the 26inches.com DVDs

I've also created a google site - 100 MB of storage is twice what I have here, so I'll gradually fill it chock full of mtb stuff as well. At present, there's video from a sekrit track and some of the Ingar downhill.

Maps:

Most of these rides can be found on Lands and Property Information Topographic Maps:

• Katoomba 8930-I-S - 1:31680
• Jamison 8930-2-N - 1:25000
• Springwood 9030-IV-S - 1:25000
• Penrith 9030-3-N - 1:25000

These maps are widely available - as well as the LPI and its agents, local servos, newsagencies, tourist/bushwalking/camping shops all carry a range. Maps are pretty cheap but valuable, and are a big help if you get confused with my notes - and of course to find other rides! Online maps: The Department of Lands now has online topos - see http://maps.nsw.gov.au/. What about aerial photos? Try the Department of Lands' Airview site. Enter the suburb you want, and a map is produced, click on the map to highlight an area, and press the Display photo button. You'll get an aerial photo, on which the tracks are often very clear. Just click on the plane icons to get the adjacent photo. I like the site because you can get a good idea of the type of terrain you are crossing, and you might find tracks you didn't know about!

Getting there from Sydney:

• If catching the train to the mountains, you'll need to use the Blue Mountains line (they start from the Country or Interurban platforms at Central Station) - look for trains going to Mt Victoria, Katoomba or Lithgow. Some trains don't stop at all stations, although most do, make certain first! there is often trackwork on the railway line, and buses are used to get passengers around the work - this can interfere with riding, as bikes might not be taken on the bus, depending on space and the driver. Check with CityRail's InfoLine ph:13 1500 or their website. calculate CityRail fares. The train doors always open on the same side after Glenbrook - on the right as you face the front of the train.  Put your bikes on the left so you don't have to keep moving them for other passengers getting on and off. bikes travel free outside of peak hours - you still have to pay! Outside of peak hours, a return ticket should be cheaper than two single tickets.
• If coming by road, head west from Sydney towards Katoomba and Mt Victoria on the M4 motorway and the Great Western Highway - drive sensibly and watch for cops.

Other tips:

• Don't forget that weather conditions in the mountains - and particularly the upper mountains - can change rapidly, and are often different to those on the plains. Dress appropriately.
• Blue Mountains City Council provides access to local Katoomba and Springwood weather - and even a lightning detector. There are also unofficial weather stations at Blaxland and another at Woodford.
• Don't drink the water! Years of septic run off and sewage overflow means you should never drink from any creeks in the Blue Mountains. If you must drink from a creek, always boil the water first, or use decontamination tablets.
• Carry a spare tube (better still, 2 tubes), pump, puncture repair kit, tools and a first aid kit with you - especially if going into the more remote areas. I've needed all of these on different occasions. Pinchflats are common.
• Mobile phones often can't receive a signal when you're offroad in the mountains, although service is improving.
• Ambulance cover is an official GOOD thing! MTB riding can result in serious injury and we often are riding in remote locations - if the injury doesn't kill you, the ambulance bill might!! See a private health fund for cover - even if you don't have private health insurance, get ambulance cover.
• Spring means wildflowers, slow down and sniff the boronia in October/November. Summer can be damn hot - take plenty of water and don't light fires.
• World Heritage listed National Park - enjoy but respect the environment!

homemade bike lights

I've been tidying up! The fat hippy's home made bike lights can now be found at their new home. Please adjust your bookmarks. NEW! (Sept 07) a shootout between home mades, commercial AY-UP Luxeon LED lights and AY-UP CREE LED lights.

mtb links

My links have also gone to their own page - please adjust your bookmarks.

Standard disclaimer: Like all outdoor activities, mountain bike riding can result in serious or fatal injury. Track conditions may have changed since these reviews. Don't ride beyond your ability. If you fall off it's your own fault.

Unless otherwise stated, all text, images, thoughts, comments, opinions etc expressed herein are mine, and should not be taken to represent anyone else. If you don't like anything I've said, sorry, just change the channel.

Copyright © Tony Fathers, 1997 - 2008