Private Property MTB - Nymboidia, NSW (west of Grafton)

[Trevor_S]

Log time no post.

I have moved from sunny Townsville, North Qld to the northern rivers area of NSW. Not much MTB locally (aside from south of me in Coffs) so I have decided to build my own on my place. Eventually (with permission) I woudl like to expand into the adjoining State Forest but as yet I have plenty to do here

A few pics of the trail, and some of the features.

coppicing our own trees, makes the construction of features have very little enviro. impact but does take more work

eg debarking

bridge under construction

Bridge finished

Some of the benched forest trail

testing it out

In the process of building a log ride, need to construct off and on ramps but finalised the initial work

Testing the log for "ride ability"

built a nifty log bridge ride

before decking

checking ride ability before trimming

trimming it up

the finished product

A nifty log crossing, the logs at either end are fixed, the log in the middle roll as you ride across, rock n' roll baby !

 

[RIDEMTB4LIFE]

Thats a nice start, looks like you have put a lot of work into building the tracks and obstacles.
Well Done!

 

[Trevor_S]

We have about 2km built so far but there is some firetrail from the state forest incorporated into part of it to make the loop longer until we get more single track constructed but there is only the two of us and have we've only been at it for a couple months.. At the start of March we organised a social MTB ride with the locals, a couple riders came up from Coffs and some of the MTB guys from Grafton showed up as well. About 25 or so riders from memory

A couple pics from the day

 

[supermajo1]

looks like you put a lot of effort into buildind a bridge
looks fun though

 

[Trevor_S]

looks like you put a lot of effort into buildind a bridge

Not really more so then doing it 1/2 ass'd, more a do it properly the first time kinda guy. S far we have about 2.5km of singel track in about 3 months of construction, with several bridges etc included.

 

[soulman1]

Looks awesome!

well done guys it looks good, bet you'll have some fun on that puppy!
you'll have to organise some building days and get a few more helpers out there to get some length to the track.

 

[BrockF]

Very nice ! How close are you guys to the canoe centre @ Goolang creek ?

 

[sdavidge]

Looking for Rides - Grafton

Hi There,
I'll be in Wooli during the week following Easter. I'm looking for ride suggestions, company, links to maps?

Can you help?

Love the trail you have created.

Shaun

 

[Trevor_S]

Very nice ! How close are you guys to the canoe centre @ Goolang creek ?

By road ? 9km (4km dirt) in a straight line, about 3km.

 

[Trevor_S]

Hi There,
I'll be in Wooli during the week following Easter. I'm looking for ride suggestions, company, links to maps?

Can you help?

Love the trail you have created.

Shaun

For XC ? Not much riding, you can try Bon Bon Forest (near Grafton) but I have not really ridden there, or further a field is Coffs

 

[supermajo1]

Not really more so then doing it 1/2 ass'd, more a do it properly the first time kinda guy. S far we have about 2.5km of singel track in about 3 months of construction, with several bridges etc included.

now dont get me wrong, i would build one similar in effort.
i just am talking about how they have even cut all the wood to length.

 

[Trevor_S]

i just am talking about how they have even cut all the wood to length.

String line on one side, as shown on the RHS of this pic

then a quick run down the other side with the circular saw, following a blue chalk line done with a string line (you can see the chalk on some of the boards in the pic below). In this case a battery operated one, only adds minutes to the build

other wise the edges can look like very ratty and it makes the build look unprofessional, IMO...

before

after

 

[james1]

hey, looks like a sick trail. What would you using for the slat (top) bits? And where to you get them? Looks like it will last for every that trail.

 

[Trevor_S]

While building the trail, I managed to link it to a LARGE log that had fallen in the forest some time ago. For some time this project had been sitting unfinished as we built track up around and past it, planning to come back and finish it when we had time.

Here is a pic when I tried it before we built any ramps but after I had trimmed branches etc off with the chainsaw.

We finally managed to get it finished today !

and the finished project

Now all that remains is to ride it tomorrow morning !

 

[Trevor_S]

Now all that remains is to ride it tomorrow morning !

Well, this is a tricky bugger to ride So far I have only managed to ride the entire length once of the 4 times I have had a go !! The other three times I have "hucked" off the side, with much cursing !

Anyhoo, more track built and another obstacle completed, an "up and over" of a big log.

Start

Nearly finished

The finished product

We've also managed to add more distance to the single track as well

 

[Trevor_S]

We haven't been doing much to the trails of late, very sporadic but in the last two days we have been out there.


Yesterday I cleared and realigned more single track


In Sloped Turn
Today we were both out there, doing the same, as well as starting construction on what we hope will be a spectacular in-sloped turn around a massive Spotted Gum Tree. Here's a pic of Toni at the top entrance to the turn, that part has been finished

of course the bottom side is were the most work is and we'll be attending to that next. Two older trees that were partly rotted need gaps chainsawed through them, which was done and one large felled tree needs a ramp built over that... a project for another day.

Wood Pile

On another note, I finally remembered to take pic of the pile were we scavenge wood for our trail features. This pile is about 5 km from us and we drive right past if we are going to Grafton. We have managed to find all the decking we need from here. The wood is mostly hardwood dumped off cuts from a local mill.

Hopefully they keep dumping there as it's an excellent way for us to recycle timber and put it to good use. We also gather smashed bits to use in the fire place, the next size up from kindling. The wood is seasoned and burns well !

 

[outtacontrol]

looking good Trev!!

I managed to get Haydn to let me have a crack at realigning the corner above the RCS on Whiptail.
Coming down the hill, I am going to swing the trail to the right onto a gentle slope, to bleed off some speed, before starting a nice big sweeping corner that will cut across about 5m above the RCS.

The RCS will be utilised on a new Redbelly type trail, that will be built shortly.

I will get some pics of it to you when we have finished. Hopefully, it will add to what is a great trail.

Ps. I like your soil, you can't send some up can you.

 

[Trevor_S]

I managed to get Haydn to let me have a crack at realigning the corner above the RCS on Whiptail.

Haydn is THE MAN when it comes to the aesthetic of a trial, I used to disagree with him over engineering but rarely over flow. You can learn a lot by paying attention to what he has to say.

Yeah, that corner was a cock up (of mine) it should have been an in-sloped turn, with a larger radius to fit in with the flow of Whiptail... but... I was intent on building an RCS... ahh well, I learnt alot just building it

Here's a pic of the crew that built most of that sucker,

and pics of the entire construction of Whiptail here (several pages of them) so you can travel back down memory lane, with you and ya young fella doing lots of the work !

http://trevors.smugmug.com/MTB-Trails/2008/Whip-Tail/5615818_AZ9uQ#363692517_2BRLL

That aside, we have finished our in-sloped turn down here, it rides real well.. sweet. Here's a pic of Toni getting stuck into the building the corner

and these three Kookburra's came out to inspect the handy work

Thus the name "Kookaburra Korner" !

and a bit of a milestone, we have pushed the entire Northern Trail Network through. It comes out on the firetrail a the edge of the stateforest. To qute Mozzie, the tracks 90% compelet, 100% reideable. We have oone up and over a big log to build, a few small berms to construct ad a little more benching to do for the trail to be completed to our satisfaction but we ride it 4 times a week or so !

We have three trails and two trail hubs so far. We have decided to name the trails after the "Dem Bones" song. SO we have "toe bone", that connects to "foot bone", and "ankle bone"

I just don't have a someone to do signage for me .. heheheh.... so Toni is going to have a go at hand painting on T&G hardwood that we have heaps of, we'll see how that goes.

As to the soil, yeah it is nice not to have so many farking rocks !!!

 

[Trevor_S]

What would you using for the slat (top) bits? .

The decking ? is hardwood tongue and groove (T&G) that has been thrown out by a local mill. We just collect bits longer then we need, then trim off the edge with the electric circular saw when we have finished

And where to you get them?.

Free from the offcuts pile just down the road where the local mill dump it Here's a pic of the pile.

 

[outtacontrol]

Haydn is THE MAN when it comes to the aesthetic of a trial, I used to disagree with him over engineering but rarely over flow. You can learn a lot by paying attention to what he has to say.

Yeah, that corner was a cock up (of mine) it should have been an in-sloped turn, with a larger radius to fit in with the flow of Whiptail...

Sorry to hijack thread. Thought I wouid shoot you the link to new Whiptail alignment http://www.rockwheelers.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=152&p=925#p925

Bit hard to tell, but from the top pic, the new alignment heads across towards the watertank, before starting a big, banked corner that crosses about 5m above the RCS. Sounds exactly like what you were recommending??
Really complements the flow of the trail and is sure to bring more riders to check it out.