Many of our members are discovering what fun you can have in the dirt.
Why? What is the attraction?
What I particularly love about cycling along firetrails and dirt tracks is the peacefulness of the ride and not having to be in fear of your life from motorised traffic, let alone breathing in smog and car fumes.
Riding between gum trees with birds all around and looking out over rolling forests and streams brings a smile to my face.
Typically, mountain bikes are built to take quite a pounding, with fat tyres (approx. 50mm), heavy frames and suspension at the front wheel (so-called ‘hard-tails’) or for both the front and rear wheels (‘full-sus’). Gravel bikes are lighter and faster. They don’t have suspension, instead relying on fat tyres (approx. 40 mm) with reduced pressure to provide the comfort over the bumps. You don’t usually want to ride a gravel bike down a very rough trail; they are ideal for gravel trails and dirt roads.
Bike North has several approved rides that travel on gravel roads and trails. One of our favourites is The Oaks Trail, through the bush in the Blue Mountains from Woodford to Glenbrook. Such routes are only suitable for gravel bikes or mountain bikes (MTBs). They are NOT suitable for road bikes, with their narrow tyres and lighter frames. Because of the changing nature of the surface, it is wise to be extra-cautious.
If you are interested in learning more about riding mountain bikes, one of our members, Marjorie Au, has written this informative introduction: Mountain Biking: An Introduction
And why not join our Gravel / MTB Interest group through your member profile to stay in the loop? (Click on the top right corner of the webpage, navigate to profile, look for link to interest groups.)