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Suggestions for XC trail features
Get in with your suggestions and get involved.
With this in mind. I rode Mt Annan for the second time, and really for the first time as it is much more bedded in, and the extensions really add flavour to the track.
This is my suggestions for bits I liked.
i) descending switch backs
- There are a couple of really cool descending snakey switch back like sections in the grassey bits of Mt Annan. I can see the 4x like influence coming out of Dirtz work. The thing I liked about them was they were drawn out, still tight corners with berms, but the longer "straights" between corners with slight undulating grade reversals was really fun. You had to pedal for it, but the payback for the effort was well worth it.
- I can think of 2 sections in Knapsack where this could be good ... however, in the proposal one sectionsis kinda straight ... and "Vinno's swoops" is now a climb I think.
If we could lengthen Vinno's swoops it would both address the erosion and undercutting that is currently happening, and also eat up some of that African love grass area.
ii) Rollers, waterbars or what ever.
- I really loved the combination of grade reversals with rollers and even a couple of table tops. The feel of the constantly changing directions and pumping the rollers really got me hooked in to the section.
- Obviously this has the added benefit of shifting water off the track.
- My only problem is, I think the soils in certain sections up the top are probably good to make / shape and hold up to use re: rollers ... but the rocky nature of knapsack, my work against it ??? might need to talk the staff and contractors about this
Some iffy stuff. The plastic antislip material was cool for the bridges and at some of the steeper turns, but there were at least 3 sections where is was a waste and riders have bypassed it The issue with them was that it was just too narrow IMO so riders just rode around it or more likely tried to ride it and slipped off.
Anyway ... if you've seen or ridden features that you think would work at Knapsack XC then feel free to take pics or describe them so we can raise it with designers and staff.
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I like the small doubles that can be jumped or just as easily rolled for those not so confident. Lidsdale had a few and the back side of Stromlo has some nice ones coming down the hill.
They could be labelled as contour banks for controlling water speed/runoff.
That doubles appraoch is defeinately on the cards... they are a great way for handling drainage and they don't have any negetive envirnomental impact.
The humble grade reversal is great for obviously handling drainage issues and there are a lot of areas where this will be needed, but they also provide that lovely up and down flowy feeling that allows for pumping... Skyline at stromolo has heaps of these.
As far as Vinnos swoops go, this was altered in the proposals sent to council and the new sections were assessed in the REF. They work by when you come up the section of track that comes from the caves section to near the bottom of VinnosSwoops you turn left and there will be a longish traversing climb with grade reversals etc to a switchback, then another longish climb to another switchback which allows to use a section of trail that loops back. Then after a bit more riding the trail sweeps around through the top part of vinnos swoop and then does a corner and traverses to the next section. See the map here
http://bmorc.com/node/30094
This is more conservative than what one would really like to do on that hill but it was what we felt we could get away with. It also allowed to maximise the use of the existing trails and removed the steep unpleasant climb.
I may be dreaming but I'd love to have some ridable logs similiar to the double logs early on in the Green Section at Mount Annan
See saws and bridges would be nice with some nice berms on fast section of single track. Ideally a MTB trials section would be good, but not possible.
For a skills area and all that involves the best option is to push for the old STP site. currently its only allocated for dog walker usage.. possibly only as interim.. not sure.
Dog off leash is now at Knapsack Reserve between Lennox Bridge and Olivet Street. http://flic.kr/p/bDhAby
I can't see there being any wood work (eg See Saws, Bridges) ... although there have been suggestions of a boardwalk section purely for sustainability reasons.
Purely due to conservative (as opposed to conservationist) requirements.
Re Logs
As long as they are big
I've thought of a section were berms are needed to create sustainability! Up from the Dirt Jumps between the big rock feature and the rock ledge is an open dirt section on a steepish grade. We need to prevent riders travelling straight down the hill and slow the waters travel. To do this we need to direct the riders to travel across the slope. Back and forth once or twice. To achieve this we will need some big Berms and pumps. Thoughts?
Maybe benched section with additional camber such that it redirects the water flow with a grade reversal at either end to remove the majority of the water..... oh that is what you said
I guess the amount of bermage is going to be interesting what we can get away with on the XC?. Probably not really any grandmother berms that just catch you and spit you out. But lips which catch you and definately changing corners from eroding off-camber turns should be on the cards.
Something that is also very nice is an armoured sort of slightly bermed corner. They act like a slight rock garden, slowing the rider down but also adding interest and making the trail more robust. As the speed drops without a loss of interest it allows for less massive berms and is just much more sustainable.
After seeing the Plastic Anti-slip gear at Yellowmundee i think it really needs to be dug into the ground a little as simply putting it on top makes it too dangerous if you slip off you crash trying to get back on.
Elevated boardrides would be great i think, easy to market to sustainability parties too!
The yellow mesh is ok were it is, the area where they were placed is a wet and soft area. Had they been placed in the ground they would have quickly disappeared under mud. They are raised to prevent this. They are a good size width I believe. Gies an experience of riding easy skinnies.
I doubt we will see them at Knapsack. They are very exspensive!
I just rode Mt Annan today, there are some good features we could implement at knapsack like, the rock and log rollovers, short steep roll overs which make the single track that little bit more interesting and fun.