DownHilling in Mitcham-Belair area
I learned recently that there are some "legal" MTB trails in the Mitcham council area. I wonder, tho, what proportion of MTBing in that area is "legal"..? I ask this question both for environmental reasons, but also in light of the ease with which DH riders can carry their machines so easily via the ( mostly free) train service, which I believe may contribute to the appeal of "illegal" riding , even as it facilitates legal bike activity. This is of course something difficult to quantify : illegal cyclists are highly mobile, carry no registration numbers on their bikes, and don't want to talk to officials. I am anticipating a flood of denial on this question, probably some personal abuse too <sigh> for even thinking about it. But anyway : what proportion of MTB/DH riding in Mitcham/Belair is "legal"..?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Bryce on -
There are a number of downhill trails that start near Windy Point and Caroline Ave, and finish near the Lynton Depot.
More info as per council website http://www.mitchamcouncil.sa.gov.au/page.aspx?u=1475
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Permalink Reply by Dstone on -
Some legal downhill tracks in the the lynton area and a bit of stuff in the new craigburn farm area as well. to access lynton it is literally just over the guard rail on belair road opposite windy point. Craigburn is not actually dh but apparently has some fun new sections which you access from the blackwood football club i think.
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Permalink Reply by Bryce on
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Those Craigburn trails are sweet!
There is also two other 'zones' that are currently being planned in the area. There is already existing downhill and XC trails there that get a fair amount of use.
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Permalink Reply by Bicycle Fish on -
Thanks...but I wasn't looking for information about location of trails as such- I have the Council's brochure etc. I am interested to know , if the Council's initiative in providing "legal" trails has satisfied the demand ? It's my impression that there is a LOT of "illegal" DH riding in that area, illegal precisely because it's environmentally damaging. Further, I find it ironic that the public transport system effectively facilitates that destruction by carrying DHers almost free on the trains. So, to repeat my question ; what proportion of the DH & MTB activity in that area is on legal tracks ? I suppose a secondary question is, who cares ?
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Permalink Reply by Dstone on
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Wouldn't say it has met demand because more is always better - if you have three runs then surely 4 would be better - a bit n+1. But they are moving in the right direction. My guess is 20% legal usage because you still have to get to the tracks. Very vocal (paranoid ????) bush walkers and NIMBYs.
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Permalink Reply by Slammin on -
If your interested in riding some legal trails in Mitcham then use Bryce's link, it shows you where to find the best trails that have been supported by a local council and have given alot of young and older riders alike somewhere to ride.
Interestingly alot of this area was "illegal" some time ago, now its "legal" suddenly we're not criminals anymore - Yeh!!
These are all legal trails in the Lynton MTB area.
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Permalink Reply by Bicycle Fish on
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Well, sorry guys, I guess you just don't get it ( ie that some elements of the bicycle community are an environmental negative). I just have to say, I am with the "...very vocal bush walkers ..and NIMBY's...". I guess that means I am not "a cyclist", however often I ride my bike.
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Permalink Reply by Dstone on
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Easy tiger. no one said you are "not a cyclist" I just anwered your question openly and honestly There is no doubt there are people out there on mountain bikes doing some bad stuff. No question. But the resistance to mtb trails has been strong on noise, lite on substance. IMHO. As the network gets better im sure you will see a reduced impact from illegal riding and construction of tracks because lets face the new stuff is so much better then the other rubish. Most XC mtbers will take the choice of dirt over road to get to tracks for obvious safety. As for the public transport link supporting DHers- interesting point and quite valid but take it out of the equation and you will just see lots of vans and utes riping up and down belair rd, sheok rd etc. I think the key is dedicated areas for MTB with implimentation of LAWN plan to link them. Nice linear park style walking and riding trail network thoughout the whole Adelaide hills - everyone wins. once again IMHO.
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Permalink Reply by Slammin on
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Like!
Its time SA Parks released the LAWN strategy so we can get on with sharing trails rather than people having a reason to whine about MTB's on "their" turf. Sharing trails and respecting each other on those trails is the only way forward. Banning MTB's is a typical "nanny state" attitude and will only push riders "underground".
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Permalink Reply by Julia on -
+1
If you don't give riders somewhere to ride, they will make their own trails usually over rare orchids. So the demand for legal trails is being met by the forward thinking Mitcham council.
We can all peacefully co-exist - riding has been occuring in that area (Sheps, Lynton, Blackwood, dare I say it - Belair) for 20 years, and as far as I am aware, the world has not come to an end.
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Permalink Reply by Bicycle Fish on
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Thanks for the replies. I think you could fairly summarise the consensus above as :
1) illegal riding is a small problem, if it exists at all -
2 ) opposition to that illegal riding is disingenuous, self serving and irrational ;
3) the idea that (subsidised) public transport facilitates any of that Supposed illegal activity is barely of interest
Well, I just have to disagree with that consensus.I have no idea if it might represent a wider consensus within the cycling community, partly b/c I guess the initial title I chose for my post was too broad. Rather than " Downhilling .. in Belair..." I should have titled it " *Illegal* Downhilling .in Belair..." which might have attracted a wider interest. However, if my characterisation of the general attitude ( as above) is accurate, I am pleased to dissociate myself from it. I don't believe I have anything else of value to add to this discussion, so thanks for the opportunity to express my concern.
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Permalink Reply by AndyC on -
I find your focus on the use of the train service to Belair by bicylists strange. Are you suggesting that the trains should not run? Or that bikes should not be on the train because they may be facilitating illegal riding?
The train to Belair does see a fair amount of MTBers, especially during the school holidays, and the stations of Lynton, Coro, Pinera and Belair provide access to legal and illegal MTB trails. Who is to say which path will be taken? You seem to suggest that some kind of vetting system is needed to allow cyclists on the train, which is patently ridiculous.
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