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Oaks
NB: Originally posted elsewhere on the Global Riders Network and appears via syndication.
Has anyone been to Oaks recently? I’m thinking of doing Andersons and Oaks or Oaks up & down this Sunday (training pace) and given the recent posts about it I wonder if it is rideable.
Anyone care to join (Probably the 8:20 train from Glenbrook)?
Cheers,
Leo.
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It's ridable, probably a little soft in places. The Oaks fire road (between Woodford and the Oaks gate) is closed during the week through out May.
Yeah - they are in the middle of grading the top section from what we hear. Take a few happy snaps to let us see how they've gone? I'm assuming they are going to fill in the rocks and stuff on the rougher stuff so it's nice and smooth, but a report would be good.
I did the andos & oaks last sunday, no problems. might do it again this sunday if the weather holds
You might want to check with Cityrail about track work. Someone just told there was some, but you never know, check direct.
Rob, you're right.
Due to track work Andos + Oaks is a no go.
Now I have to work on the missus in order to get the car on Sunday and go to the Ourimbah ride.
Sweeeet single track
Cheers,
Leo.
Oh dammit ! I won't go either then
Don't worry about Ando's
well everytime I go down tha Oaks I keep telling myself 'jeez I won't ever make it the other way' is it as hard as it seems ?
I also worry about crashing into people coming down fast between the helipad and the gate...
Oh and when you go up do you take the single track or the firetrail at the start ?
at the start, its absolutely crucial! You don't to be plodding up in middle ring only to see someone at 30kms an hour barralling round a corner!
You go early in the morning...
But then again, one shouldn't be doing more than 15km/h anyway?
It's a lot easier to ride up The Oaks then you would think. Try it... you might like it!
Hills are your friend.
Or come to Ourimbah!
Go Early and you wont see any one untill you are almost at the top when I do it on my own I will leave the carpark at Glenbrook at about 6.00am or earlier. Sometimes I take lights and start before sunrise and watch the sun come up about half way up the trail. Oh and its not hard at all.
I owe my broken hand
to someone riding up the single track, we braked and slowed quite a bit, but a head on is not nice.
John.
Surely riding the wrong way on the oaks is pretty stupid ?
(start comedic interlude-not to be taken too seriously by serious types)
Ive heard talk of people riding down the trail carrying a big stick called an 'educator' to use it like a sabre on people riding the wrong way to the tune of "Wrong way d**khead"
(end comedic interlude)
While I don't condone this kind of behaviour
I can understand the motive. The thought of breaking a leg or sustaining a brain injury 'cause someone was going the way makes me pretty angry.
Greater risk to others for your own jollies I think. Like manly the wrong way ?
Love to have it explained to me why i'm wrong ?
I wasnt aware there was only one direction to ride the oaks, walkers go in both directions (Shrug). ive never seen a arrow point in one direction, have seen the give way sign though.
If your not out there doing it,
Someone else is
the Oaks is fine on the fire trail, but you have to use some common sense and don't ride 3 abreast having a chat while approaching a blind corner because someone or a group may come around it at 60kmh. riding up the single track as people seem to every weekend is just plain dumb, due to it's overuse and straightening it's possible for fit riders to be doing 40kph in places so anyone riding up is asking for trouble. There is no rule about the direction but it should be common sense and I believe there should be signs prohibiting riding up the single track.
John.
I think it mainly concerns the single track which can be ridden both ways but anyone with common sense would only ride from the gate down. I have come across people riding up while I am belting down but have never had a close call.
As for riding up and down the Oaks fire trail its the only way it should be ridden if you are going to go all that way for a rid you may as well make a decent ride of it and do the up and back and if you go early enough you dont usually see anyone coming down (usually).
Yeah, remember of course one should always ride in control and at a speed which allows them to stop in their limit of vision. On sniggle, although you can't see very far you also don't need to ride very fast to feel like it's a million miles and hour. Plus, you'd be amazed how fast a rider can stop (without the aid of a tree before we get any wise cracks!
).
Use some of that common sense stuff Mr Groover mentions. I hear it's free with breakfast cereal, but you have to look real hard in the box to find it!
There is no wrong way on the Oaks, it is a two way multi-use track. Riding it at a speed in any direction that you can't avoid other users is stupid and irresponsible
that the single track can be ridden in both directions but 90% of riders riding down it do so at a speed that is dangerous should somebody be riding upwards. Sure I've missed at least 40 riders riding up the single track but once I didn't. I guess there's no law against riding Yellomundee in the opposite direction either but would you do it alchemist? If so what about on race day? That's similar to the Oaks on the weekend.
John.
Hey guys,
Thanks for your good comments. Good to get some different points of view..helps me work out what I actually think.
The single track is really what I was thinking of I guess. As long as you stay on the left on a fire trail going up the hill..folk flying down at 60khm should expect to veer left if they see someone.
So I guess I would class up the hill on the fire trail as.."inconvenient" but on the single track..id definatley think its "dangerous"...however..opinons are like assholes
If you want road rules like one way streets and such stick to riding on road.
Otherwise ride in a controlled manner and always assume other users will be on the trail, some riding in the other direction.
Tried to resist posting on this but I'm a grumpy old sod getting older so have at it...
Like Alchemist said there's no wrong way on any track, except with a frown. I'd gladly ride any track "backwards" including the Oaks, the Dam, Ourimbah etc. Why would you limit yourself to one (easy) way round?
Comparing a race day to the Oaks is just asking for trouble (from NPWS for one), the two situations are very different. A race day has tape and marshalls and track monitoring and everyone bar racers will be off the track. There are no marshalls on the Oaks to stop you from running into a parked 4wd or pack of walkers who might be just as entitled to be walking up the singletrack. If you're riding at a speed whereby you can't avoid an unanticipated obstacle on the trail then you're a danger to yourself and others.
I may be being unfair but it sounds like the suggestion is that right of way should be exclusively in the direction that people go fastest and anyone who dares to get in the way is fair game. How about we apply that to the road? Just plain daft...
Matt
Who has no problem having or being an arsehole
I agree. There is no "correct" direction to ride on a trail. Just because you, and most of your riding buddies, all ride in one direction, does not mean you can't go the other way. In fact, a first time noob on that trail may not even know the correct direction to go. So you should be able to avoid any obstacle on a trail - if you can't, you are going too fast for your skill level.
I'm not a first time nob, but I'm relatively new, so I find if you follow the arrows painted on the path and stick to the left you never have any trouble, unless you come to a giveway sign, then who knows.