You are hereThe BMORC Handbook / Main FAQ
Main FAQ
Some of the general questions to do with the Blue Mountains and Mountain Biking
1) Where can one ride in the Blue Mountains?
Currently riding in the Blue Mountains largely consists of fire trails catering to day rides and beginner riders. A lot of these can be found on the Trailflix and Fat Hippy websites. Sadly there is only a small amount of area dedicated to legal single track and no areas specifically catering to Downhill mountain bikers.
2) Are there any Downhill tracks in the mountains?
There are no legal downhill tracks in the mountains. "Old Bathurst Road" had gained a level legitimacy in the eyes of riders over its 17 years of existence but it wasn't formalised and is now being closed by the BMCC.
Currently the BMORC has gained permission to work with council on the construction of a sustainable downhill track in Knapsack Reserve at Glenbrook. We will need rider assistance as the riders will be the labour force for this. Hopefully this can be done in a matter of months so riders can have a place to ride again.
3) Why are there so few legitimate mountain bike trails in such a large area of wilderness?
The Blue Mountains may be a large area but most of the wilderness is controlled by the NPWS and is World Heritage listed. As these areas are basically pristine bush the chances of any building in them, yet alone a bike track is definitely very unlikely. However there is still a large amount of council land between the areas of housing and the National parks. Some of these areas can hopefully be utilised in the future to form legitimate mountain bike trails.
4) How can riders get more mountain bike trails in the Blue Mountains?
Currently the BMORC and other groups are trying to build relationships and work with council to try and one day develop some kind of legitimate trails that are both beneficial to riders and an asset to the Blue Mountains as well. This will require building relationships with council and the public and showing the benefits of supporting trails in the mountains. It will also require much better lobbying than what has occurred previously in this area.
5) What would be the advantages of legitimate trails?
Formalised trails could be controlled by the council and riders so that they are well maintained and have no detrimental impact on the natural environment. Trails could be developed to be very good riding as well. Having attractive trails can also attract visitors to the mountains providing extra tourist dollars.
6) Can sustainable trails be built?
Mountain bike trails have been built all over the world in a manner that is sustainable. Many ski resorts have realised that for the summer months mountains bikes are their best source of income and are providing trail networks. Trails use little land and require very little maintenance which can be handled by the riders groups themselves. They can't be compared to other sporting infrastructure like sports fields as there isn't the requirement for a large section of land, maintenance, watering and fertilisers or amenities. Mountain Bike trails resemble well built walking tracks and the wear on them is similar to walkers as well.