Mattyp
Cows go boing
A lot can happen between now and 2024.
The Forrest Thread
- Thread starter Big JD
- Start date
sane
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Went and had a look at the new Forrest stuff the other day. Similar to what has already been said the decision to top the trails with gravel is pretty hard to get my head around. I can only assume it is meant to pack down with time, but the dirt is bone dry and hard packed atm. The couple of flow trails are going to be super fast when it gets there.
First run down one of the 2 next to each other and a guy had busted himself up pretty badly. Sounded like a collarbone but cracked helmet and lower back meant his mates weren’t about to move him.
I rode a bit more, and very cautiously.
Hope it worked out ok for him. Reckon it would be very easy to put the blame squarely on the choice of surface.
First run down one of the 2 next to each other and a guy had busted himself up pretty badly. Sounded like a collarbone but cracked helmet and lower back meant his mates weren’t about to move him.
I rode a bit more, and very cautiously.
Hope it worked out ok for him. Reckon it would be very easy to put the blame squarely on the choice of surface.
smitho
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Obviously there's been enough "feedback" on the choice of surface to warrant an official response:
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=230195596028308&id=100071136083975&mibextid=qC1gEa
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=230195596028308&id=100071136083975&mibextid=qC1gEa
beeb
Dr. Beebenson, PhD HA, ST, Offset (hons)
Wowsers, from what people were describing I had just assumed it was just a scattering of gravel over the surface - that stuff looks deep! I get why they've done it. But it seems it might've been better laid down once the trail conditions got a bit damper.
The Duckmeister
Has a juicy midrange
Several of the older trails have been gravel-capped for years, but no one seems to have complained about them. Maybe it's 'cos they're well bedded in and the new stuff isn't.
fjohn860
Alice in diaperland
danncam
Likes Dirt
Likewise rode Forrest last week as was on a families camping trip atMl Marengo.
I was also suprised to see gravel on the new trails. A line had already formed that was gravel free, just don't go off line. With time I think it will be all good. It is not challenging but like Buxton rewards just trying to go faster, bring the fully rigid single speed and prove you're tuff. Getting to red carpet is a long but not steep climb and fun fanging back down.
The pub and cafe are still there and worth the stop. Hopefully Forrest keeps evolving, the Otways are a beautiful place and the mtb trails are a valuable addition.
I was also suprised to see gravel on the new trails. A line had already formed that was gravel free, just don't go off line. With time I think it will be all good. It is not challenging but like Buxton rewards just trying to go faster, bring the fully rigid single speed and prove you're tuff. Getting to red carpet is a long but not steep climb and fun fanging back down.
The pub and cafe are still there and worth the stop. Hopefully Forrest keeps evolving, the Otways are a beautiful place and the mtb trails are a valuable addition.
cammas
Seamstress
#gravelburn Fark Yeah!Come to the Otways, We've got lush, loamy gravel...
Cardy George
Piercing rural members since 1981
They'll have a few hundred over it at the end of Feb.
I was underwhelmed with what they did to the Red Carpet last year, compared to how it was the previous time I was there. Hopefully the new work won't detract from the "challenge" of the odyssey.
Flow-Rider
Burner
The quarry crusher gravel is fairly sharp and jagged. I was riding a pump track after a few guys had RC cars on it and spun up all the gravel on the landing of a table top, I lost the front wheel on the landing and the gravel minced my arm and shoulder up.
rowdyflat
chez le médecin
Generally Parks do their best to dumb down anything they touch.
Whatever happens a good network needs quite a few volunteers especially to cut through fallen trees.
The bigger the network the more fallen trees.
Appropriate logs can be turned into log rolls which will also stop water running down the track.
Some people dont like log rolls but they can be fun to ride over and originate from not having a saw to fix a fallen tree in the way.
Yackandandah has plenty of falling trees.
Whatever happens a good network needs quite a few volunteers especially to cut through fallen trees.
The bigger the network the more fallen trees.
Appropriate logs can be turned into log rolls which will also stop water running down the track.
Some people dont like log rolls but they can be fun to ride over and originate from not having a saw to fix a fallen tree in the way.
Yackandandah has plenty of falling trees.
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Ackland
chats d'élevage
In my experience, kids usually build things bigger
Flow-Rider
Burner
We had a heap at our local trails on the step downs & ups and now mostly all gone. They actually work well to slow traffic down and keep all new rider wobblers at bay that climb the trails and don't look out for people coming down. They replaced them with armoured mini chutes that are so dangerous, that you can ride them out on your front wheel. Later on, I find out it was all done to please a fucknuckle that wanted to use the trails for coaching, and they had to be downgraded, instead of installing B-lines they removed the feature.
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The Duckmeister
Has a juicy midrange
Rode Forrest on Friday, first time I've been there since the southern section reopened after its makeover. The gravel is settling in, and a line is forming, but it is sketchy in parts, especially on "Follow The Dog" which drops quite steeply into a creek gully, and the gravel gathers in the steep switchbacks where you really don't want it to be. For the most part, the gravel used for the capping is very fine, similar to what's been used in the past, particularly on Baridjaru, but on the intro loop & "Rollercoaster" it's coarser and skatier, but Rollercoaster has always been capped with that sort of stuff. The other effect of the capping is that it's covered every single natural feature of the trails, so you basically don't need suspension.....
Fortunately the Yaugher section to the north of town has been spared the capping treatment, and that's always been the section I much prefer, I'll pretty much be sticcking to it whenever I go there.
Fortunately the Yaugher section to the north of town has been spared the capping treatment, and that's always been the section I much prefer, I'll pretty much be sticcking to it whenever I go there.
The Duckmeister
Has a juicy midrange
Only the smaller southern section; Yaugher is still its natural surface awesomeness.
Mattyp
Cows go boing
Too fast for me, removed the comment as it sounds like you had fun, and that's all that matters.Only the smaller southern section; Yaugher is still its natural surface awesomeness.
rowdyflat
chez le médecin
We found Forrest very tame and its disadvantage is that it doesnt have much rock or features to make interesting stuff and there isnt a huge change of altitude so everything goes a bit up then a bit down then up.
Log rolls are a good sort of artificial feature ,stop water running down and can make good jumps but the average sheep rider doesnt like them and its easy with a chainsaw to get rid of them .
We have that problem in Yack where the lowest form of rider/sheep comes along with his chainsaw and removes things they cant do .
Unfortunately like unscrambling eggs, it cant be put back and so with time things get dumbed down.
People also think widening tracks is cool and safer because of ebikes and 29 ers ,so they have working bees to scramble the eggs further .
Fortunately with a lot more traffic more roots and rocks are appearing,some of the roots already have bars cut in them to stop slippage and it will only be a matter of time when some sheep starts cutting roots out ,scrambling eggs which cant be undone.