Wombat track status

[fergo]

While a lot of this forum readers will be attending the Dirt Works 100km Victoria race later this year, here is a current trail report for the Wombat track,

If your thinking of riding around Woodend, I would give a miss for a week or two - VERY WET! Over 20mm of rain overnight and today with snow less than 20km away and prob on Mt Macedon.

While we cant officially close the trails, staying off it over winter also allows us to prepare it for the Dirtworks 100 later. Please support us by staying off, especially over the next two weeks or if recent rain. If there is more rain during this period, add a week. The less damage over winter, the better the trails will be in Nov. We can spend our maintenance days creating new single track instead of repairing the existing.

Further updates will follow.

 

[DbD]

Thanks for the update Fergo.

 

[johndh]

If you need a place to ride over winter, why not come to Bendigo, 1hr ride from Woodend, rain doesn't effect our tracks, (although it did at the Nov state XC race, maybe don't come when it is pouring rain!) I am still riding on worn mezcal tubeless tyres and we have had a wet year, with more to come. For those with a garmin download the GTE track and go exploring.

 

[mtb101]

johndh If you need a place to ride over winter, why not come to Bendigo, 1hr ride from Woodend, rain doesn't effect our tracks, (although it did at the Nov state XC race, maybe don't come when it is pouring rain!) I am still riding on worn mezcal tubeless tyres and we have had a wet year, with more to come. For those with a garmin download the GTE track and go exploring.

thanks, yes only 1 hour more, have you got any links to maps etc.

 

[Knut]

If you need a place to ride over winter, why not come to Bendigo, 1hr ride from Woodend, rain doesn't effect our tracks, (although it did at the Nov state XC race, maybe don't come when it is pouring rain!) I am still riding on worn mezcal tubeless tyres and we have had a wet year, with more to come. For those with a garmin download the GTE track and go exploring.

That's because it hasn't rained in 34 years in Bendigo.

 

[Lard]

thanks, yes only 1 hour more, have you got any links to maps etc.

+1 I'd love to know where all the trails are in Bendigo, I grew up in Kangaroo flat and my Dad is still up there. Decent single track nearby gives me more motivation to visit him more often

 

[rearviewmirror]

+1 I'd love to know where all the trails are in Bendigo, I grew up in Kangaroo flat and my Dad is still up there. Decent single track nearby gives me more motivation to visit him more often

Here's the map for the Bendigo 3/6 hour race.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/27003283

And more places to ride in VIC. http://www.bancoora.au.com/

 

[johndh]

Try some of these Garmin file links of Bendigo rides I have done recently.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/36309746
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/36309735
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/35007374
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/27657117

 

[DbD]

Good one. It would be great though if you could give a brief description of the ride. length, amount of climbing, tech difficulty, amount of singletrack.

Cheers.

 

[fergo]

With the weekend rain, you would need a snorkel to ride the wombat track!!!

May be worth doing the next round of the Inter Winter series in two weeks at Castlemaine to find some new drier tracks in the area.

 

[fergo]

Trail maintenance Day

If you love "Riding the Wombat" and getting dirty, then have we got a day for you!!

The Wombat Club is having a trail maintenance day on July 25th. Meet at the dam at 9:30am and bring your shovels, rakes and mattocks. There will be a BBQ for lunch and an opportunity to give back to the trails that many have rated as the funnest 100km race in Aust.

(If you dont know what a mattock is, check out the photo from my army days)

 

[fergo]

The Wombat MTB Club are planning several Trail maintenance sessions in the next few months to both prepare the track for the upcoming Dirtworks Classic 100 KM race and to perform normal track maintence. The work will be on the regular Wombat Loops and some additional track around the pines that you may not know about.

The dates are;

Sun 25th July
Sat 14th Aug
Sat 4th Sept
Sun 26th Sept
Sun 3rd Oct
Sun 24th Oct


The saturdays will start at 1 pm, while the sundays at 10 am.

We will happily feed you for your trouble.

If you are interested in helping on any of the days, drop me a line so we get the food quantities correct.

If you are coming, if you could bring rakes/shovels etc that would be even better.

 

[fergo]

For anyone coming on this Sunday.

We will meet at the Wombat Dam at 10 am, then travel on to the relevent portion of track.

Thanks

 

[beenee98]

Anywhere around the Wombat trail ridable?

Any updates on the Wombat trail? Obviously it's still under water, but are there any ideas when it may be a bit more ridable? On the other hand, are there any trails out there that are ridable that aren't part of the loop (other than Blackwood) as i don't know of many others even though i am aware they are there...somewhere

 

[fergo]

I havent been on the Wombat track for a while due to the weather. If you just want a ride out in the bush, there are plenty of fire and dirt roads to explore and literally get lost on. The high number of them makes it actually confusing and the chance of getting lost is quite high!!

I use the 2007-9 MAD ride course as hill training when the single track is too wet. 50-65km of roads, but a good 3hr ride

There is the rest of the previous years BMC tracks as well. The pinies and areas south of Fingerpost road. Wombat mtb club had a social ride linking Mt Macedon and the Wombat loop with single track. Its all there, you just need to know where to look. Buy a 4wd map of the womabt forest from the local woodend servo and then drop in to Russell at Woodend cycles. He'll show you how to find the "other trails". If you need gps data, garmin connect has heaps around wooden victoria or pm me.

 

[thelankyman]

The Wombat MTB Club are planning several Trail maintenance sessions in the next few months to both prepare the track for the upcoming Dirtworks Classic 100 KM race and to perform normal track maintence.

Out of interest does the Wombat MTB Club get any funding etc from the Dirtworks organisers using a trail that has been built and maintained by volunteers? What happens if the day of the race it buckets down, do they still use the track knowing it will be damaged and needs to be repaired by volunteers? Just wondering what the deal is after seeing the outcome of the farce that was CTS3 at Lysterfield?

ps top work on the trails out there, I love them

 

[fergo]

Out of interest does the Wombat MTB Club get any funding etc from the Dirtworks organisers using a trail that has been built and maintained by volunteers?

Yes.

What happens if the day of the race it buckets down, do they still use the track knowing it will be damaged and needs to be repaired by volunteers? Just wondering what the deal is after seeing the outcome of the farce that was CTS3 at Lysterfield?

Good question. I think the 100km race had 45km of single track and the rest roads. We all want to avoid wrecking our trails. Without a formal answer from the Club or Maximum Adventure, IMHO I think a max capacity race field would do far less damage on a really wet day than a couple of motos in the middle of winter.

 

[wolfjjj]

Just after an update on the Wombat Loop, are the trails drying out at all yet? or do we still need snorkels?

Cheers

 

[uhuforrest]

Yes.

..................... IMHO I think a max capacity race field would do far less damage on a really wet day than a couple of motos in the middle of winter.

Out of interest.

Is trail building / maintenance conducted as part of the Wombat Forest Management plan or separately between the club and DSE?

Also, do any other private promotors who use the trails contribute to maintenance? (considering they pay a fee to use them)

Roland

 

[fergo]

Out of interest.

Is trail building / maintenance conducted as part of the Wombat Forest Management plan or separately between the club and DSE?

Also, do any other private promotors who use the trails contribute to maintenance? (considering they pay a fee to use them)

Roland

Hi Roland, AFAIK, its between DSE and the club. Private promotors (not just the Dirtworks organisers) pay a fee to the club which enables us to do maintenance and construct new track.

I rode the track today and would guess it was 98% dry. Most of it was dry/dusty with the last 4km occasional puddles. There are quite a few trees down as well. I was surprised at how dry the track was and a heap of credit needs to go to the trail guys for making the track more weather proof.

For me, Wombat track is back on the list of current rides. Of course, this could change with more rain.