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HSMBA: Council Secures Funding for Old Mans Valley Cross Country Trails!


darkmuncan's picture

By darkmuncan - Posted on 01 July 2011

NB: Originally posted elsewhere on the Global Riders Network and appears via syndication.

From HSMBA
-------------------

Dear H.S.M.B.A Friends

BREAKING NEWS:
Council Secures Funding for Old Mans Valley Cross Country Trails!

Hornsby Council have secured $185,000 funding through a rates
increase to build the cross country mtb trails.

Hornsby Council are looking to have the final report on the O.M.V.
mountain bike trails ready to submit for approval at the 20th Jul Council
meeting. O.M.V. is planned to have a green beginners loop, blue
intermediate loop and a small section of black diamond trails. A pump
track, dirt jumps and skills area are also in the planning although not
funded yet.

Before any work can start O.M.V. needs a massive clean out. Years of
dumping, hobos and neglect have resulted in a substantial amounts of
rubbish in the valley, from old beer bottles to mattresses and car bodies.
A clean up is planned for 24th July, so please lock this in your calender.
Please join us and contribute to getting this exciting project underway
and showing the community how wonderful mountain bikers are! There will
be a BBQ and drinks supplied.

If you can come along please drop us an email info@hsmba.info and
we can provide some details.

Work Commences At Golden Jubilee - North Turrumurra

World Trail has landed in Ku-ring-gai Council's backyard to commence
the first stage of the eagerly anticipated trail system.

"Its been a long time between trails here in Sydney." said Glen Jacobs
from World Trail. "Our trail crew are excited to be part of the first
professional trail design in the region since the Sydney Olympic track
we designed way back in 2000".

Our own HSMBA member, Adrian M, is working with World Trail,
learning the finer points of trail building. He will be an asset into the
future when it comes to caring for the facility.

Pop out to the site and check out the progress. It certainly appears
to be a challenging build with no side slope to cut into. WT are
having to build the base up out of clay. It makes for a very interesting
track though with a lot of funk and flow already.

Keep an eye on world-trail.com for photos and updates.

Keep warm and dry!

HSMBA

-----------------------

Awesome!

philberesford's picture

About time we heard some good news for a change. This is great.

Any idea what amount of KM's we're talking about in here?

Well done HSMBA crew, and thank you for all your hard effort.

EDIT: also keep on eye on World Trail's twitter for info too http://twitter.com/#!/worldtrail

darkmuncan's picture

This is EXTREMELY exciting, as the 1st Council to do this is always the hardest.

Once you have one, you have an instant case study to help other Council's see the benefit it will provide.

nrthrnben's picture

it pours!

24 July booked in!

Is there a "ride" meeting started somewhere for this?

Im glad to see World Trail heading this, alsways leads to good things Smiling

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Snorc-Sydney-North...

Glen Jacobs Talking about this project onsite

http://youtu.be/CGdbBowv6Hs

One of the best trails in Oz Built by World Trail including a 10minute Downhill!

http://vimeo.com/24407252

Rob's picture
Andy Bloot's picture

Don't forget to like World Trail on facebook
And check out the photos

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2013415...

And yeah. One of the guys up here rode Stonefly on a visit to Buller
And said it was the best most unique trail he's ridden
And he's ridden a lot of trails

Brumma's picture

Great news from Hornsby Council!

Stonefly is easily my 'favouritest' trail in Australia right now! Did a weekend in Buller with a couple of mates a while back and we all thought it was tops! The descent is awesome, switchbacks and grade reversals make it flow so well and that means less riding the brakes and more stupid grins ear to ear. The climb up is pretty cool too, nice and gradual except a few pinches and it doesn't make you hate it. I think we can look forward to some awesome stuff from World Trail in Hornsby.

peddling home's picture

Over Easter IMBA and HSMBA mapped out 6km of blue trail, a green beginners loop, and some black runs. The park is designed with something for everyone. But primary to encourage more people to get on their bike at a beginner and intermediate level for the first stage. A Pump track and skills are also on the master plan with the hard tracks and AM to come with time. Council need to see success which means numbers riding and family group riding to silence the nay sayers.
On the clean up day a quick walk around will be done outlining the flagged tracks and an offer of BBQ lunch by Turramurra cycles and Torc.
OMV is quite amazing less than 1km from the train station 2 access roads open forest areas rock gardens prime evil privet sections and creek crossing. Although not huge ie 20km circuits it will be well used being so close to transport and people.
It will be possible to purchase a coffee and be at trail head before it gone cold, return from a lap for a sausage roll and beer at the pub and still do another lap followed by a swim at the new pool that will be built.

nrthrnben's picture

Strange vid but you can see a bit more trail emerging, nice jumps and plenty of flow!


http://youtu.be/6RP-UWwlOKM

nrthrnben's picture

Also found this

http://www.kmc.nsw.gov.au/resources/documents/at...

Interesting read

hawkeye's picture

Hugely informative. Smiling

Pete B's picture

Also enjoyed reading the link, it all sounds very exciting for the future of MTB.

ido09s's picture

pardon my ignorance but is this Golden Jubilee Oval the trail thats being built in Hornsby? It looks like an absolute killer trail!!!!!

I am not realy familiar with the area unfortunately.

Isildur's picture

Wow, somehow I had missed this post, but I'm glad I finally came across it! It's bloody awesome news to see that two councils have gotten on board with MTB, finally seeing it as the great social activity that it is, and not the spawn of the devil that some NIMBYs would have them believe!

Can't wait for it all to be complete!

ChopStiR's picture

It already looks to be the best ride in NSW!!!

Buck's picture
pardon my ignorance but is this Golden Jubilee Oval the trail thats being built in Hornsby? It looks like an absolute killer trail!!!!!

Golden Jubilee is in Wahroonga. So excited to have two trails being built within riding distance of home!

Noel's picture

Golden Jubilee is by Kur-ring-gai Council.

Old Man's Valley is by Hornsby Shire Council.

Hop fiend's picture

we hope 1 will see the light big time about this MTB thingy & spread the word to the others & have them all fall over presenting us with parcels of land to build trails on!!!

nrthrnben's picture

The news article this thread is about above is about 2 separate trails, 1 in Hornsby, 1 in North Turrumurra.

Hornsby= OMV Old Mans Valley/Quarry Trails
(pre construction cleanup planned for the 24th)

North Turra= Golden Jubilee Trails
(construction well underway)

nrthrnben's picture
nrthrnben's picture


http://youtu.be/eXx6to3GEFs

Just goes to show what can be achieved in small land area's

ido09s's picture

Does anyone know when Golden Jubilee is scheduled to open?

nrthrnben's picture

maybe toward the end of August Smiling

nrthrnben's picture

Is the OMV cleanup still on for the 24th,if so, when? where?

why is there no info anywhere about this?

jonob's picture

There is a calander meeting http://nobmob.com/node/22428
"Start time 9.30 am meeting at Fire trail gate Quarry Rd Hornsby of Dural St. TORC are providing a BBQ Lunch"

nrthrnben's picture

Forgot about that!

Buck's picture

Went and rode it yesterday as I get the Bank Holiday.

The "XC" track on the hillside is pretty much finished. It is only very short but decent fun. The climb back up is pretty steep.

I also did the older single track out around the spur behind the big mound of dirt and that is quite fun too. Only about 800m long though.

They were building the pump track while I was there. The skills area was also under construction. They had some woodwork in the ground already so let's wait and see what happens there.

It's a bit of fun to break up a hilly ride. The ride I did from home turned out to have over 400m climbing in around 15km.

Brian's picture

So how long in total is it?

Buck's picture

Very short. Around 600m. And that doesn't take long as it is all downhill before a short steep climb back up. Lap 4 in the profile below.

Lap 2 which is the ride out onto the spur to the north of the oval is interesting too. Little bit technical and around 800m long.

kitttheknightrider's picture

I have been told it will be about 1.6km when finished. Ben, I assume you rode back up the firetrail which is short but steep. When complete the uphill will be a switchback climb, similar to what you see at Stromlo, but it will be on the oval side of the firetrail.

peddling home's picture

Was speaking to Glen this arvo finished length will be about 800m council changed the game plan during the build. Will be a fun ride and can be linked up with the fire trails. Skills park is progressing and they are starting on the pump track as well. Skills park will have a wall ride and a couple of testing skinnies to ride. The 150mm wide one will test most nerves.

Buck's picture

I actually rode up the switch backs. It was almost complete. I'd guess there will be another hundred metres or so to go. So it will be definitely under a km.

Still it will be fun to link it up with the other existing track which will bring it to around 1.6 km.

Buck's picture

I put a few pics in the gallery of the construction so far.
XC climb
Skills Area 2
Skills Area 1
XC Track

kitttheknightrider's picture

so after all of the planning and consultation, the changes made as a result of that, then more feedback, they go and change the design midway through the actual build? Very disappointing, pity they didn't change it to around 10km

nrthrnben's picture

The council about the changes?,although it looks fun, serriously it looks like they have not built in the bush at all!
why was the plan reduced mid build??

kitttheknightrider's picture

If you looked at the original plans and had visited the site or had any local knowledge of the area at all you would have realised that this was never going to be built "in the bush".

The proposed area was an exposed quarry / tip on the side of a hill and a large buffer zone between the oval and the bush.

Buck's picture

The council document below seems to suggest there maybe further tracks around the area. Page 31 onwards.

http://www.kmc.nsw.gov.au/resources/documents/at...

http://www.kmc.nsw.gov.au/www/html/4124-mountain...

ido09s's picture

I commented on a photo on their facbook page the other night and queried this trails length and the answer i got was about 1.6k's. has that changed in the last week?

I am guessing this was never meant to be a mountain bike trail then? More a little taste for those that wanted a skills park?

nrthrnben's picture

Yes, Page 31 shows trails within the bush, is this stage 2?

Is there a plan for exactly what is being built in stage online somewhere, and is there a plan for stage 2, if stage 2 is planned, when?

Also the other trails that Buch reffering too including Warriomoo, when are they happening?

Did the council change the plans mid build?

World trail plans
http://www.kmc.nsw.gov.au/resources/documents/at...

FAQs
http://www.kmc.nsw.gov.au/resources/documents/FR...

Can somebody shed some light on the real story here, as we are hearing one thing and the council website is saying otherwise.

P.S Kitt, from your comments, you seem to be an authority for whats happening at golden Jub, can you shed some light on the above?

Buck's picture

I think the Warrimoo track is already there. It was not council built though.

I emailed the person on the KMC website:

HI Benjamin
at this stage we have nothing to offer but the completion of the Golden Jubilee Area. The document you referred to on our website is the direction which we are guided by and will investigate.

kitttheknightrider's picture

"P.S Kitt, from your comments, you seem to be an authority for whats happening at golden Jub, can you shed some light on the above?"

Not an authority but I am local and I did read the proposals before I commented on them and I went and had a look and spoke to people. I know the area because it is on a training loop I have done in the past and once you've ridden up that hill even just once, it's easy to remember.

The other track you refer to is a completely different thing. It is not council built, it was not on authorised land, it was mapped here at one point in time but I believe has since disappeared, and sadly that is all I am able to comment on it.

Sometimes it doesn't hurt to remember that riding a bike isn't always about the destination, but about the journey and what you discover along the way. Go and ride your bike I say.

nrthrnben's picture

yeah warrimoo is there and is known by council,was wondering whem they plan to make it official?

doesnt need much?

Noel's picture

Ben there has been lots of consulting with Council and this is all old news now. I think most of this has been explained before. Stage 2 was canned due to a couple of local NIMBY's making a massive fuss about traffic. There was a big scare campaign with a misleading petition. Stage 2 got canned. Stage 1 is in the open on disturbed land. I'm sure you'd realise you've read about this before. A story on how misleading the petition was made it into the local papers, well the papers around here anyway.

This thread is very confusing to people outside the area as it's titled Old Mans Valley and has a big discussion about Golden Jubilee.

hawkeye's picture

The unofficial position re: stage 2 re: Jubilee is that Stage 1 is expected to provide the necessary evidence to show the NIMBYs up for being geese, after which Stage 2 will go ahead if we play our cards right.

Unfortunately, that means government time frames, so we'll just have to put our endurance training to good use, and wear down, outlast and be more rational and reasoned than the NIMBYs.

So I'd suggest keeping the conversation going with your Councillors. When Stage 1 is complete and is shown to be a winner, make sure you make a big fuss congratulating Council on doing a brilliant job.

kitttheknightrider's picture

The council signage at the trail head would suggest to me at least that they already officially recognise the trail, they have even graded it on its difficulty.

nrthrnben's picture

yes, I remember all that, it blowed me away that the council could hold off on stage 2 even after they where shown people where mislead,

Its interesting the councils own website says otherwise.

And a post on this thread said that the plan was cut down by council mid build,is this true?
The council says in the FAQs that its going to be 1.7ks

nrthrnben's picture

Thats good to know that it on the backburner, your right having a grand opening would be great,maybe with the mayor opening it and the press.

The Mayor opened the Grove recently, which got to the papers,very positive.

nrthrnben's picture

Warrimoo is one of my fav places to ride,the outstanding DH's makes the push back up worth it!

Agreed, i too see Warrimoo as official, but not 100%

Official IMBA signage for trail head and for certain drops/jumps is needed however sustainanility is spot on.

Hopefully all the local official trails will be officially shown on the council website soon,just as other sports etc are

To the guys in the know, would getting World trail to bring the DH trails and signage up to IMBA DH spec be a possibility, if so, is somebody working on this?

nrthrnben's picture
nrthrnben's picture
nrthrnben's picture

Legal challenging IMBA single trail currently being built in Sydney.

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