castlemaine, woodend trails

morgy

Likes Bikes
gday fellas just wondering if there was a map of the castlemaine and woodend trails
cheers morgs
 

fergo

Likes Dirt
Good map Fergo. I'm a local so familiar with a few of these but not the likes of Al's Track, Distillery Loop, and Dam to Black Forest Rd. Do you know if these are MTB specific single track?

cheers
yep, built for mtb, by mtb riders. Single tracks galore. The distillery loop has been in the BMC/Dirtworks race for a few years and is in the Rd 4 of the Mountain Enduro race coming up this weekend. See here
 

Stew41

Likes Bikes
Today I stumbled across some ~8km of fresh hand cut singletrack just north of the Baco trails in Castlemaine. Amazing stuff. Anyone have any idea who I should thank?
 

Big JD

Wheel size expert
is Pineys gone?

I heard that the trails out side of Castlemaine opposite the gun club in the pine trees has been logged and the trails are no longer - can someone confirm thanks - looking to head out there on the weekend
cheers
JD
 

Puddleduck

Likes Dirt
I do recall reading a post in the last few months that the area or some of it has been logged. I haven't been out that way myself for some time.
 

Big JD

Wheel size expert
I do recall reading a post in the last few months that the area or some of it has been logged. I haven't been out that way myself for some time.
thanks for the reply PD - I heard the same - like to confirm it though - could just be a rumour started by Piney regulars so they can have it all to themselves while we lineup to ride Lysterfield with the 463 other muppets.
 

digitalhippie

Likes Dirt
Hey thanks for the mentions earlier guys. I live on the Western side of Castlemaine (Baco, Gully, Kens etc) so get up to most mischief there though for sure there is plenty more good riding around these parts (Pineys, GDT, Elphinstone, Muckleford, Tarrengower, Redesdale etc). Always up for a ride and happy to show anyone around. Lots of action up this way in the trail fairy department and some great stuff in the works for MTB in Central Vic generally!

Have helped a couple of group rides up from Melb over the last month or so checking out some of the new trails on this side of town. Got a few good loops now of varying length and difficulty that can be ridden in any combo, from a short easy beginner ride thru to an all day blast, hopefully they are getting easier to find your way around too. Rarely if ever muddy, and a lot of the crappy Winter weather slides to the south of the Central Vic.

Also doing a weekly night ride that takes in a mix of old and new trails - see Lords of Darkness thread, happy to go out any night of the week tho for a fang :hippie:

Welcome to PM here or http://digitalhippie.net/contact/
 
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Washa!

Likes Bikes
Castlemaine trails?

Hey thanks for the mentions earlier guys. I live on the Western side of Castlemaine (Baco, Gully, Kens etc) so get up to most mischief there though for sure there is plenty more good riding around these parts (Pineys, GDT, Elphinstone, Muckleford, Tarrengower, Redesdale etc). Always up for a ride and happy to show anyone around. Lots of action up this way in the trail fairy department and some great stuff in the works for MTB in Central Vic generally!

Have helped a couple of group rides up from Melb over the last month or so checking out some of the new trails on this side of town. Got a few good loops now of varying length and difficulty that can be ridden in any combo, from a short easy beginner ride thru to an all day blast, hopefully they are getting easier to find your way around too. Rarely if ever muddy, and a lot of the crappy Winter weather slides to the south of the Central Vic.

Also doing a weekly night ride that takes in a mix of old and new trails - see Lords of Darkness thread, happy to go out any night of the week tho for a fang :hippie:

Welcome to PM here or http://digitalhippie.net/contact/
Hey man,
I am new to Castlemaine just moved here are there any DH trails? or anywhere i should avoid riding? I mainly ride dh however i can set my bike up for some enduro tracks if there are any decent trails ? Only place i have ridden since i got here are those sweet dh tracks in moldon.
Cheers!
 

gnarly_rider

Likes Dirt
Just a status update on the Pineys. I note that Digital Hippie has been very quiet for some months (as his blog has been as well), but maybe he (or other Pineys experts) can confirm/update as appropriate?

I've ridden the Pineys for years, including the out-the-back section which was logged (5+?) years ago, but have only been managing to get out to the Piney's very sporadically over the last few years. First time in maybe 2 years last weekend, intending to do the short loop (on which the did the single speed nationals a few years ago, including I think the option to scull a pint or do the little rocky descent/ascent at the half way/turn around point?)

Anyways, whilst the out-the-back section has been defunct for ages, the short loop has nevertheless been a great blast for ages.

But no longer.

They've logged a few hefty blocks throughout the short loop (or maybe just 2 large blocks, through which the short loop used to pass multiple times?), which means the short loop is no more. For example, single track has 4 or 5 segments/sections through various blocks, followed by a short firetrail climb, then lurvly single track descent through two blocks to the dam. But, segment 4 and 5 of singletrack is now gone, as the is the second segment of the descent to the dam. Also a significant block has also been logged in the last section (the final long climb/ridge contour, fast flowly descent).

So if you are heading to Castlemaine, time to start experiencing all the new tracks the locals have been building (Baco's etc). Check out the Bike Vault (bike shop) website for more info.

RIP Pineys.....
 

gnarly_rider

Likes Dirt
@Gnarly Rider,

The Pineys is far from dead. Quite the opposite!

Jason (from Cycle Concepts) and some other crew have been very busy resurrecting some of the old trails and putting new trails in. Its amazing how much new trail there now is if you know where to look.

The Pineys still has hours of technical riding to explore and in my opinion still has the best trails in the area. Drop in to Cycle Concepts and I'm sure Jason will give you low down on the new stuff or if your a fairly experienced rider, get along to one of the Wednesday night shop rides. They hit the Pineys fairly regularly.

Long live the Pineys!
Great to hear @Tone13! Very happy to stand corrected on this..

Anyway of getting a map though? Unfortunately dropping by the store or Wednesday night rides isn't an option for many Melbourne riders, particularly if you are a Sunday rider.....

Totally agree though, Piney's has always been my fav!

Edit: nevermind, I have hopefully solved my problem! Thanks again for the info.
 
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Hud

Likes Dirt
Camping in Creswick over christmas I rode the GDT to Daylesford one day (50km) and to Ballarat another (30k)
Riding from Creswick on both rides was the best way to do it IMO. Finishing with a nice descent into Ballarat was
great and to Daylesford was quite an easy journey. The 15km of country road was bit of a drag but quite scenic.
This section seems to be quite under-rated, sure Daylesford to Castlemaine has more thrilling singletrack, but this
other section went through some lovely country and the trails were fun.
 

gnarly_rider

Likes Dirt
Down at Woodend last Saturday, there was a mob of 5 moto's doing laps of the Wombat track, bypassing the dam carpark by cutting cross-country out onto the main dirt road. The wooden swamp bridge at the bottom of the first gully (before the first big hill climb) is now broken because of them.

I've only ever seen the occasional moto rider every few months, and a group maybe 3 years back; has this (new?) mob been doing it regularly recently, or a once off? They certainly knew where to cut off the sidetrack to avoid riding into the dam carpark/group of MTBers ready with cameras..
 
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