I am working on a job at the moment that has me looking through the history of MTB in Canberra. I managed to get my hands on the trail network circa 2003 at Stromlo before it was wiped out by the fires.
It just goes to show how good we had it back then, so many options! Sad that half of those trails are now residential and an arboretum.
There was even a trail called Kuhmo wall, there you go Keith.
Click for bigger!
And for anyone who rode these trails - prize up for grabs if you can name where these pics were taken. Yes, my first MTB was a giant. First one is obvious, second one I will be stoked if someone guessed it.
1st one at Majura?
It’s a bummer a lot of these trails aren’t around anymore, can’t believe there were so many around where the arboretum is now.
Both pics were at Stromlo. You just need to name the trails.
There were some beautiful trails where the arboretum is now. The pine forests have grown a fair bit now close to the park way, am wondering how long it will be until there will be some sneaky singletrack in there.
Even Majura is a shadow of it’s former self now.
Someone managed to build a good track from the turn off to western creek on cotter road, up to the stromlo entrance before it all got cleared for the suburbs. Anyone get to ride that?
Nope - but I had heard about it. I am going to go for a ride through the arboretum in a few weeks and see if I can scope out any possible signs of new trails.
Hahah! far out, stromlo as a pine forest is just a weird idea to me, having arrived in 2005. Its always been hot, exposed and with a high (and painful) penalty for failure.
Is the see-saw in the same spot as the one thats there now? I dunno the name of that trail, but i guess I call it “The flat way back to the car”.
I rode some of the Deeks forest trails before it was Wright, and that was only a tiny percentage of what used to be there… I heard that the first Scott 24 was all in Deeks?!
You look older in those pics than you do now… Did I see you on dateline the other night, with Dr Life injecting you with HGH for hawtness in your twilight years?
I don’t think I ever saw Majura in its heyday and it was still great, especially for a beginner… but I’d struggle to now call it an MTB destination. Whats left? That one tiny slither next to the big drainy thing next to the paddock on the east side?
Thinking about Majura now, I really think Bruce Ridge still has a long way to go to become a worthy replacement, and i guess it never will because of its lack of area, lack of elevation change, lack of pine needles to invite extra courage and lean angles in the corners. I remember spending hours in Majura, riding with my running shoes in my camelback, then locking the bike up and running with my bike shoes in my pack (and sometimes with my helmet on). So nice and cool in there on a hot day!
Anyone had experience with Tuggeranong pines and Jerra trails?
Nope - That see saw was on the other side of Stromlo where you are saying where Deeks was. Yup - I rode 3 24 hours when it was over in Deeks (It was the Mont back then) They even had a section that crossed the main road so they had to have traffic control for the full 24 hours.
I haven’t ridden the Jerra trails yet, I really should one day as I have heard they are pretty good. As for Tuggeranong - it is more of a DH trail network. Here is a vid of me riding Tugg Pines:
[video=youtube_share;_4YkdlrRKUQ]http://youtu.be/_4YkdlrRKUQ[/video]
I kind of like the trails at tuggers, they are bit steep in parts though. Its nice and covered in the heat though. It would be nice to have some more trails there too, and isaacs…and majura again, I guess we are pretty spoilt.
That video proves all that is wrong with go-pros. I looked at that and went “yeah, I’m not super good on an MTB but I reckon I could do that on my 26er Anthem”. Love that perspective distortion for making everything seem smaller. Not.
I look at that vid and say “fucken, eh, Ezy!! You are badass!!!” I wouldnt ride any of that shit. You should teach an old triathlete some of ur skillz man 