Mountain Biking at Old Man's Valley, NSW
After years persistent campaigning by Sydney mountain bikers, the tide may finally be turning in favour of those crying out for more singletrack in Australia’s biggest city.Hornsby council unveiled stage one of its new mountain bike park in Old Man’s Valley (OMV) in early February to an invite-only group of people who were involved in the development of the trail. After years of planning, negotiation, building, preparation and assessing, riders were finally allowed to sample the dedicated mountain bike trail, which is located roughly 25 kilometres from the CBD.
While the trail was only 3.2 kilometres in length at the time of opening (there’s more to come), the Synergy Trails-built loop is packed with enough features to keep a wide range of riders satisfied. Stage two will add another 2.3 kilometres and is scheduled for a mid-2013 opening.
Currently there are green runs for those on their first ever ride on dirt, blue (intermediate) and black (advanced) runs. Trail features include rocks, skinnies, rollers, jumps, board rides and bermed corners.
It may be hard to imagine for those living in cities that already have numerous places to ride but trail-building progress has been slow in Sydney. Prior to OMV opening the only formalised purpose-built singletrack was at Manly Dam or Mount Annan Botanical Gardens. For many, going for a ride also entailed going for a much longer drive.
The fact that the OMV trail has come into existence at all is exciting news for lots of Sydney riders, and hopefully it’s a sign of things to come.
Development by Demand
The need for suitable mountain biking facilities became apparent to Hornsby Council in 2008 after community consultation made the demand clear. The trail becoming a rideable reality did not happen easily, with resistance from a small group of local residents as well as those opposed to the trail for perceived environmental reasons. Funding also needed to be sourced.
Like in many places around Australia, people rode informally in the Hornsby Shire for years without legal restrictions, and without consideration that they would one day be subject to them.
But that day did come, and from a group of riders understanding the need for legal, sustainable trails, the Hornsby Shire Mountain Bike Alliance (HSMBA) was formed in 2008. HSMBA was never a club, more of an umbrella group representing an assortment of riders demanding a place to ride in Sydney’s north.
The group made it their business to frequently talk with land managers, as well as organising targeted letter writing to those who could be of influence. But they didn’t simply demand a place to ride. They were also proactive in finding solutions, and were prepared to work hard to build the trails if required.
The objective of HSMBA was to get a track, and get a track they did. As a measure of their success and an indication of their future direction, HSMBA became Sydney North Off Road Cyclists (SNORC), an MTBA/IMBA affiliated club. This reflected the need for a more social element in addition to the advocacy efforts that defined the group previously.
The results of HSMBA and SNORC’s work can now be ridden and enjoyed, but the process was anything but easy.
Ignorance the Enemy
According to SNORC President Campbell King, the biggest obstacle in the path of formalised trails in the Hornsby Shire area was a collective misunderstanding of what mountain biking is, and what mountain bikers need.
“When campaigning for trails in Hornsby began, there was only an out-of-date National Parks (and Wildlife Services) cycling policy and no clear understanding of what is appropriate to build. There were major misconceptions about the sport, the impact of trails and our demographic,” said Campbell.
“And while there are some environmental groups who understood who we were, there were many who refused to see the scientific evidence that points to the impact of riding being on par with hiking, and (they) campaigned against us.
“In the end, my role was all about making the bogey man disappear. We made it our work to spread the word that mountain biking is such a healthy, positive thing, and to address the ignorance surrounding it.”
Finding the Way
Campbell’s experiences with HSMBA, SNORC and everything involved with getting the OMV trail to where it is now has taught him some valuable lessons. What he has learned can be adopted by any group who are in need of somewhere local to ride.
“As well as the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) being a great touch point for advice on actual trail building and advocacy work, we found real value in IMBA’s trail building guidelines. The confidence they gave land managers and the legitimacy it brought to our activities was really valuable.”
The land available for building on at OMV also bought about its own set of challenges.
“We had a number of constraints including land slip (unstable land caused by activities at the old quarry site), sensitive flora and fauna, heritage issues and the need to update the plans of management to allow for trail construction.
Campbell also mentions the value of spending time with those campaigning against the trail; he was even able to persuade one prominent anti-mountain biking campaigner to change her views on the sport, convincing her that locking up the land in the name of environmentalism isn’t the best way to facilitate sustainable use of the bush.
He is extremely grateful to all those people who joined the cause. “It doesn’t matter how hard you work or how good your plan is, if you don’t have the support of local riders, and have them be prepared to write letters and get behind the idea, then it’s impossible to persuade the powers that be.”
Another positive that came out of this project was the formation of trail-building company Synergy Trails. Synergy was formed out of the original HSMBA group, and they gained experience volunteering maintenance to other established trails prior to cutting their teeth creating the trails at OMV.
Synergy Trails is engaged to provide ongoing maintenance on the OMV trails for the first 12 months.
While Campbell had plenty of work convincing people that the trail should go ahead, Hornsby Shire Council Mayor Steve Russell highlighted another issue, which is probably a universal problem for all councils working on recreational facilities.
“Funding is obviously a problem always for councils these days,” he said.
“We wouldn’t have been able to do this without state government help. We just don’t have that excess in the budget over and above our normal day-to-day duties.”
With Hornsby Council being one of the first councils to go down this path in Sydney, Mr Russell admits that it may set a difficult precedent for other councils.
“The other councils will probably hate us”, he said.
Mr Russell was also quick to remind that these trails are open on a trial basis only, and their ongoing use will be dependent on respect for other people in the area.
“We all need to be respectful of other peoples’ amenity in the area.”
Proof’s in the Riding
The large amount of rider input to the OMV trails is immediately evident once tyres meet the dirt. Bermed corners, rollers, skinnies and wooden sections flow together and create some really interesting riding within a relatively small area.
While there’s only 3.2km of trail to be ridden, most of what is there is either a descent or a climb—all of it commands your attention and effort. With more than one way down the hill, and with some of the trails flagged as black diamond level, multiple runs can be done without a hint of boredom setting in.
Another positive of riding at OMV is how it takes new riders under its wing. Some trails can be intimidating for first timers, sometimes putting newbies off for good. OMV has a dedicated beginner’s loop (the Green Loop), which is accessible by fire trail. It’s designed to help people get used to the sensation of riding on dirt, in a way that will get them ready for more interesting things.
If you’re a bit beyond the beginner stage, the trail has been built so that a wide range of talent will be satisfied. It’s designed so that more lines and options open up once you get familiar with the trail and gain a bit of extra pace. Many of the rollers turn into doubles when attacked, and other options are there if you’re paying attention.
The trail starts out from Quarry Road, just a short distance out of central Hornsby. You can begin with either The Crusher or the South Loop. The South Loop is a short, predominately intermediate grade section with the option of going over a log ride through to an advanced section called Split Rock—as the names suggests, it goes though some fairly large rocks. It’s a good way to warm up for what lies ahead.
Once through the South Loop, you cross over Quarry Road and head into the northern section, starting with The Crusher (named after the old rock crushing plant just down the road). Soon you’ll have the option of continuing all the way down the valley on the intermediate Little Turkey trail – an entertaining option with plenty to keep riders occupied. Or you can take a left turn and go over the Log Ride, which indicates the start of the advanced section. This part includes the wooden roller called ‘Chute my Pants’ as well as other more technical sections.
The advanced section links back in with the intermediate section which then takes you over the main bridge, along a series of rollers called Romsey Street, down to Cranberry Sauce and Turkey Royale, through to the fire road via some rollers, flowing berms, a jump with a B-line and plenty of doubles for those carrying enough speed.
From here you ride up a short fire road climb which brings you to the start of the climbing section comprising Higgins Hill, Ten Green Bottles, the Big Dipper and finally the Deep End, which brings you back up to Quarry Road via some switchbacks and wooden sections. There’s just enough respite between the climbs to keep you motivated for the pedal back up to the beginning of the trail, then repeat until you’re done!
The OMV trail map (page XX) also shows what is being built next with stage two; a similar mix of beginner, intermediate and advanced riding is on the horizon—it will take the total length of the trails to over five kilometres. Stage three is also planned, with a pump track, dirt jumps and a skills area.
Keep it in Motion
For those of us who’ve been writing letters, going to stakeholder meetings and being the best mountain biking advocates that our limited spare time permits, OMV is more than just a cracking little ride that’s closer to home than many places we’ve been riding for the past few years. It’s a victory over all those who’ve tried to stop the planning and construction of new trails (and often succeeded) for whatever shaky reasons that we’ve heard all too many times before.
It’s also proof that writing letters to politicians and turning up to meetings when you’d rather be winding down from work is not done in vain. There’s a clear need for riding facilities. Hopefully, this win is a sign that the message is getting across, that we are making headway, that land managers are beginning to understand us, and that we can get more facilities like OMV happening in the future.
General Information
Location
Hornsby is roughly 25 kilometres from the Sydney CBD, and the Pacific Highway runs through it. It is also accessible by train, with the trailhead just a short ride from Hornsby station. Old Man’s Valley (OMV) is located on Quarry Road, on the western side of Hornsby.
Drivers are asked to park in the open area near the old Crushing Plant at the end of Quarry Road instead of at the trailhead, to avoid congestion and complaints from residents.
Hornsby is well catered for with cafes, restaurants, pubs, bike shops and a large shopping centre with a cinema all within riding distance of the trail.
For those needing more of a riding fix, a ride at OMV can be combined with a session out at the Golden Jubilee Mountain Bike Park in North Wahroonga. The park has a pump track, a skills area and the ‘flo trak’, which makes its way down the side of a hill. Golden Jubilee Oval is located off Esk Street, North Wahroonga.
For those who like some air under their tyres, there’s also a dirt jump park five minutes drive from OMV at Montview Oval in Hornsby Heights, off Galston Road.
Local Resources
There are two bike shops located a short distance from the OMV trailhead:
Hornsby Cycles: 266 Pacific Hwy (02) 9477 3738
Kuringai Cycles: 145 Pacific Highway (02) 9987 0750
