This is a nice 5 minute video from Flow magazine about riding in the Thredbo area which is available here.
Flow is a great, homegrown Australian MTB magazine, available in newsagents. More info here.
Flow says:
“Thredbo has held a very special place in Australian mountain bike folklore for over two decades now. Lord knows how many of our most famous downhillers cut their teeth on the legendary Cannonball Run downhill, or how many National Round after-parties have run wild in the village…
But despite its strong history, over the past ten years it had started to become clear that Thredbo’s lustre was fading a little; other alpine resorts were investing heavily in mountain biking and Thredbo was losing ground. Simply having ‘the hill’ was no longer enough. Thankfully, rather than allowing the mountain biking program to slip metaphorically downhill, Thredbo too have launched a program of rejuvenating the mountain bike side of their operations. Since our first trip to Thredbo over 15 years ago, we’ve held this place in high esteem, and so we had to come see for ourselves just what changes were underway at Thredders”.
Falls Creek resort management has announced that the long awaited XC1 and XC2 trails are now open.
The following comes from resort management:
For the past 2 years Falls Creek Resort Management has been busy at work bringing to life a dream shared by those who love the resort. In 2013 this dream is realised with the opening of the first 2 of 4 BRAND NEW mountain bike trails.
Under the commission of World Trail – the best bike trail builders in the business, months of development has joined years of planning to bring the new trails to completion. Head to Slalom Plaza now and try them out yourself
The Grand Opening of the new trails will take place in early 2014 but as a present to everybody visiting the Resort, the 2 XC trails in the wombats area were made open and free to use in time for Christmas! Stop in at the Visitor Information Centre at Falls Creek Resort Management to pick up a trail map when you arrive.
The new trails have been developed in the Gully, Summit and Wombats Ramble ski areas. The trails are so fresh that we haven’t even had time to name them yet! Each trail will be named and graded prior to opening (click right to name one of them yourself) but in the interim, we have detailed each trail’s path and location for you to get to know them.
Wombats Ramble XC Loops
Intermediate
The most visible trails are found amongst the snowgums of the Wombats Ramble area (you may have seen parts of them riding the Falls Express Chairlift last Winter). Able to be ridden as one giant loop, the network consists of two trails – one riding uphill and one riding down. Whilst classified as cross country, there are some great downhill features and corners to navigate at speed.
The trails are intersected by the Aqueduct trail which means you can also ride each as a separate loop – one above the aqueduct and one below. Keep an eye out for some spectacular viewpoints and rocky outcrops along the way.
International DH Trail
Intermediate
We all love skiing and boarding the International Poma area in Winter. This downhill trail now brings just as much fun in Summer! Starting at the Summit Chair top (click here for chairlift operation dates), the trail winds down under the Poma line before zig-zagging down Grand Coer ski run and cutting through Short & Curly to the base of the Summit Chair.
Gully XC Trail
Intermediate
This trail connects the popular “Wishing Well” spot to the Gully region by the base of the International Poma and Gully Chairlift. Winding its way down, it is classed cross country but with a downhill aspect.
Bike Rental
Mountain Bikes are available to rent at Frueauf Village in Falls Creek (Schuss St). Adults full suspension bikes (Kona) are available for $65 per day or $50 per half day (extra day $50). Kids Kona bikes with front suspension are also available for the day rate of $45 (extra day or half day $30).
Helmets are provided with rentals and bookings are recommended by calling 0427 166 335.
A number more rental options will become available toward the new year.
Shuttle and Chairlift Access
New in 2014 will be a weekend MTB shuttle service to take riders and their bikes to the top of the trails – all Summer long. An announcement will soon be made on the commencement of this service.
Like in previous years, the Summit Chairlift will be operational over specific event weekends to allow for lift-accessed biking of the trails – particularly the International downhill trail. Click here for more info.
Downhill Descent Weekends
Cedarwood Apartments in conjunction with Alpine Gravity is hosting a series of downhill descent tour weekends, taking in the new MTB trails as well as existing favourites between Falls Creek and Mt Beauty.
This series is the fastest growing series in Australia and one of the most popular formats of racing due to its fun nature and accessability to all types of riders and bikes. It isn’t hard core downhill, and not hard core uphill either, its a great mix of 70% FLOWING DESCENDING TRAILS, and 30% UNDULATING. Without the technical downhill sections, and no massive long climbs like a cross country race, its the prefect event for all riders. The perfect bike would be a 4-6 inch travel bike, but all courses are ride-able on a basic mountain bike.
The Elevation Gravity Enduro series is a two day event, with practice all day Saturday, then short practice session Sunday morning, then racing all day Sunday. When you arrive at the event, you make your way to the registration tent, grab your number plate from your pre online entry and then make your way to the transport pick up. We put your bike on a special bike carrying trailer and you then jump in a vehicle and we take you and your bike to the top of the mountain, and then you ride down….EASY!!!
Registration is open at every event from 8am Saturday, and transport to the top is 9am-4pm. Rego is then open from 8am Sunday, with transport ALSO starting at 8am until 11.30am when official practice ends. All individual rider and class start times are posted up at registration and is also announced over the P.A. system so you know when and where to be.
You then catch transport up the hill for TWO timed runs, and your FASTEST run counts as your result. If you are happy with your first run, your second run is optional and not mandatory.
Event location: Mt Buller, one hour from Mansfield, three hours north east from Melbourne
course description: town center to gang gangs to delatite trail
This is the first year of the family focused 3 hour funduro riding in and around Dinner Plain Alpine Village. A unique accessible enduro focused on fun and participation, race through houses, back onto bush tracks, fire roads and some sneaky single track, weaving in and around the alpine village of Dinner Plain which is nestled amongst the Alpine National Park and sitting 1560m above sea level, so come on, test your legs!
details
Saturday 2nd November:
Dinner Plain Bike Club Guided Rides
Come and explore around DP with the crew and let us show you some hidden gems.
Departs DP Hut 1pm and 3pm.
Live music @ DP venues
Sunday 3rd November is Race Day:
Two races: Open and Children with multiple categories.
Start and finish @ DP Hut & BBQ
11:00am -11:30 am
Show & Shine Awards, so pimp your ride.
11:30am – 12:30pm
Kids 1 hour Funduro
Under 14years cut some hot laps on their own course
1:00pm – 4:00pm
The Open 3 hour Enduro, 4km track. How many hot laps can you cut?
Overall race winner male & female
Wildest ride, crazy wheels.
4:30pm – 5pm
DP Riders Event Awards and get together.
Live music @ DP venues
On saturday August 24 there is a fund raiser event to raise cash for the further development of the mountain bike and walking trails around Dinner Plain.
Outdoor magazines can get a bit obsessed with gear and new stuff. All the latest bikes, skis, boards, clothing. Flow magazine is a new, home grown entry to the rather crowded mountain bike scene, and its refreshing because it focuses on the people that are riding, without getting too obsessed with the latest carbon fibre frames.
Issue one is on sale now and has a feature on ‘why we ride’, with a series of reports on road trips and non pretentious profiles on ‘average’ MTB riders and clubs. I love the one about a truckie from Albury.
Chris Southwood and Mick Ross from Sydney are the co-founders of Flow Mountain Bike. It’s clear they are riders themselves and bring a lot of their passion for their sport to the magazine. And while it has some great photos from overseas, it has its sights set on Australia and what our terrain has to offer riders.
There is a great photo essay on riding in the Blue Mountains and beyond that evokes that shimmering heat of summer, a few test articles, coverage across the sport from the World Cup circuit to weekend warriors, plus some good columns from different riders. It’s a bit bloke heavy, but that may broaden out over time.
Chris and Mick say “Flow Mountain Bike exists to inspire; through our words, images and videos we want mountain bikers to find the inspiration to ride more, try something new, travel somewhere fresh, or make mountain biking more central to their life”.
They save the technical stuff largely for their website, which aims to be the “leading online resource for Australasian mountain bikers of all disciplines”.
While the website is useful, I have to agree with Chris and Mick: “nothing can replace the engaging experience of a good magazine”.
I also love the name. ‘Flow’ is the place you go to when your turns are working, or the swell is just right, or the track is perfect. It doesn’t matter if it’s riding, boarding, surfing or climbing, there is a wonderful space you slip into when you’ve hit your stride in your sport, and your gear, technique and skill, and the conditions bring it all together. It seems like this magazine is homage to that moment in riding when you’re truly in the flow. A magazine is a good thing, getting out there is really what it’s all about.
Check it out, and support it if you can. It has a nice clean design and some great images. Available widely in newsagents or via subscription.
A recent trip report from Mike Garrett about an epic bike ride (with skis) to the Blue Rag Range to check out what skiing was still on offer.
He says:
“Last year, Graeme (Nelson) and I had pencilled in a September man-date to the Blue Rag Range.
Visible from just about anywhere on Hotham, the Blue Rag sticks up like a red rag to a bull from the Barry Mountains between Hotham and Buller as a long ridge running east west. The heavily wooded northern faces visible from the chairlifts bely a host of south facing bowls, chutes and couloirs – and Graeme was, like me, certain that good snow would still be found there well after the season was over. The plan was to mountain-bike the 15km along the Dargo Road from St Bernard and camp out on the ridge for a few days picking off late September lines”.
A great winter has left some good snowpack in the backcountry. To find how much was left on the southern slopes of the Blue Rag, read Mike’s blog.
Mountain Journal 
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