Mountain Biking

Mountain Biking

Riding mountain bikes off-road, over rough terrain

Riding off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially designed mountain bikes.

Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.

Mountain biking can be performed almost anywhere from a back yard to a gravel road, but the majority of mountain bikers ride off-road trails, whether country back roads, fire roads, or singletrack (narrow trails that wind through forests, mountains, deserts, or fields)

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Mountain biking can generally be broken down into multiple categories: cross country (XC), trail riding, all mountain, downhill,freeride, slopestyle, dirt jumping, and trials. The vast majority of mountain biking falls into the recreational XC,Trail Riding and Enduro categories.

This individual sport requires endurance, core strength and balance, bike handling skills, and self-reliance. Advanced riders pursue steep technical descents and, in the case of freeriding, downhilling, and dirt jumping, aerial maneuvers off both natural features and specially constructed jumps and ramps.

Mountain biking can be performed almost anywhere from a back yard to a gravel road, but the majority of mountain bikers ride off-road trails, whether country back roads, fire roads, or singletrack (narrow trails that wind through forests, mountains, deserts, or fields). There are aspects of mountain biking that are more similar to trail running than regular bicycling. Because riders are often far from civilization, there is a strong ethic of self-reliance in the sport. Riders learn to repair their broken bikes or flat tires to avoid being stranded miles from help. Many riders will carry a backpack, including a water bladder, containing all the essential tools and equipment for trailside repairs, and many riders also carry emergency supplies in the case of injury miles from outside help. Club rides and other forms of group rides are common, especially on longer treks. A combination sport named mountain bike orienteering adds the skill of map navigation to mountain biking.

Source: Wikipedia

Mountain Biking Guide to Queensland Parks and Forests

Mountain Biking Guide to Queensland Parks and Forests

Riding can be a part of any Queensland holiday. Hit the trails in
the morning, and then spend the rest of the day discovering more
of the state’s authentic and inspiring destinations.

Park Rangers, volunteers, clubs, local councils and contractors are
at work to create and maintain world-class mountain biking
opportunities in Queensland’s parks and forests. Long-term
protection of the environment goes hand in hand with creating
great trails for you to enjoy. (Download the Guide)

 

Mountain Bike Australia

Mountain Bike Australia Mountain Bikers Code of Conduct

Click to download

QLD MTB Strategy

QLD MTB Strategy

Mountain Bike Australia received funding through the Qld Government’s Sport and Recreation Planning Program to develop a mountain bike Strategy for Queensland.  Stakeholder and community consultation was integral to the development of the Strategy and included consultation with riders, clubs, trail care alliances, land managers, state and local government authorities.

The Strategy provides a high level document to re-enforce and support future investment decisions and strengthen advocacy for the development of mountain bike trail networks and supporting infrastructure.

Read the complete document to gain a full understanding of the objectives, methodology, recommendations and outcomes.

A little inspiration ...

Danny Macaskill: The Ridge

Danny Macaskill: nDanny's Wee Day Out

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News Stories & Related Articles

Mountain Bike Safety and COVID-19 (IMBA)

Mountain Bike Safety and COVID-19

Love your local trails

“It’s great to see more people outdoors discovering how vital trails are for our communities. As mountain bikers, we can lead by example for responsible riding and sharing trails with others, including new users who may not be familiar with generally accepted rules of the trail. Please be kind and patient. It always feels better to pedal away from a friendly encounter than a conflict.” (David Wiens, IMBA Executive Director)

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Source: IMBA

Bikepacking North Stradbroke Island

Bikepacking North Stradbroke Island

The Ultimate Brisbane Bikepacking Trip

A new article published by We Are Explorers on the bikepacking North Stradbroke Island. This two day cycle around North Stradbroke Island, which the local Quandamooka people know as Minjerribah, gives you major bang for buck. Plus you only need public transport to get there!

Source: We Are Explorers

 

E-bikes and the Impact on Off-road Cycling

E-bikes and the Impact on Off-road Cycling

While traditional bike technology is likely to continue to stabilise, the rapid emergence of the E-bike is likely to have a profound impact on off-road cycling. As technology improves the bikes will become a much more common feature on trails, making cycling activities more accessible to more people. Being able to cycle at higher average speeds, cover longer distances and ride up hills more easily makes e-bikes an attractive option for recreation and commuting.

Source
Treadwell

New Caloundra mountain bike trail is the Beez Kneez

New Caloundra mountain bike trail is the Beez Kneez

Opening today (December 8, 2018), the new Beez Kneez black-diamond mountain bike trail in Caloundra is set to entertain locals and visitors alike with its unique features.

Minister for Sport Mick de Brenni said this was a mountain bike trail built for riders by riders, with local riders and trail builders Trailworx leading the construction team.

“The Beez Kneez trail is unique, with gravity flow trails, two major gravity generators, three wall rides, jumps, multiple timber skill features and a step-up finish.

NQ Mountain Bike Forum

NQ Mountain Bike Forum

 

The NQ Mountain Bike Forum was held on Thursday, 26th April, 2018 at the Riverview Tavern, Douglas (Townsville) and was attended by a range of interested stakeholders. Dom Courtney from QORF and Denise Cox from MTBA co-hosted the evening.

Topics for Discussion

  1. National MTB Guidelines
  2. Queensland MTB Strategy
  3. Australian Adventure Activity Standards
  4. Trail etiquette
  5. Adaptive MTB
  6. MTB Destination Planning
  7. E-bikes
SEQ Mountain Bike Forum

SEQ Mountain Bike Forum Report

A report compiled following the forum held on Thursday, September 7, 2017 Blackstone Bushland Centre Castle Hill Blackstone Reserve, Ipswich

Topics for Discussion

  • Recent developments in MTB in SEQ
  • Measuring participation
  • User Code of Behaviour
  • Strategic planning
  • MTB Australian Adventure Activity Standards
  • Trail construction/maintenance updates and construction standards
  • E-bikes
Scott Bowden trains in Italy


Check out Scott Bowden taking his mountain bike for a spin as he trains at the AIS European Training Centre in Italy on the Road to Rio. Bowden proved he was one of Australia’s top riders when he claimed the overall 2014/15 National Series title. He went on to win both the Australian and Oceania U23 titles in 2015 before finishing just outside the top twenty in U23 World Cup events in Canada and Italy.

From Crashing to Confidence

“The front wheel jacknifed, my forks bottomed out and SLAM went my head and right shoulder into a solid earth berm. SNAP went my collarbone.”

“The force of the hit nearly knocked me out. I clearly remember seeing stars. Snapped a couple of ribs and a thumb, too. The next day this yellow bruise appeared over my shoulder blade all the way up to my ear.”

It was a very tough ‘ah ha’ moment for Chris Carter, but it has lead him down a path which has changed his riding and now thousands of others who have become devotees of his online mountain bike skills program “The Groover Method”.

He currently has over 86,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel MTBTips.com and it’s growing.

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Useful Links & Resources

NZ Cycle Trail Design Guides

NZ Cycle Trail Design Guides

With the recent release of the Department of Conservation’s own service standards for tracks; organisations, clubs and land managers may be wondering which specification they should be using when designing, building and auditing trails on their land. There are now three design guides for New Zealand, sitting with three different organisations.

The good news is that there is a very good level of consistency running through the three documents in the key areas of trail design and specification. NZCT assimilated key information from Recreation Aotearoa’s work into their 2019 update, and DOC have drawn key information from both the Recreation Aotearoa and NZCT guides for their service standards.

The level of consistency is such that a trail built or audited to any of the three guides will fit equally well within the targeted grade category (Grade 1 Easiest to Grade 6 Extreme). And importantly, for the user experience there should be little noticeable difference in either expectation, enjoyment or safety.

How do you know which one to use?
We recommend this approach, which fits with the desired purpose of each document:

Each guideline has a specific purpose while delivering similar end products. The NZ Mountain Bike Trail Design and Construction Guidelines is the only one of the three to detail specific requirements for descending trails – this area is absolutely relevant with modern trail systems, where often the majority of trails in a network are directional.

Source
Recreation Aotearoa

 

Trail Resources (MTBA)

Trail Resources

Professional and volunteer trail builders, clubs and land management agencies often have resources and equipment that make the task of constructing and maintaining trails and collecting trail usage data a whole lot easier – Handy trail tools are available on the Trail Resources webpage.

Source: MTBA

Guidelines for a Quality Trail Experience

Guidelines for a Quality Trail Experience

A Bureau of Land Management (US) and International Mountain Bicycling Association coolaboration – guidelines that will help improve the design, construction, and management of mountain bike trails all across the country.

Quality is difficult to define but easy to recognize. For the purposes of the Bureau of Land Management’s Guidelines for a Quality Trail Experience, quality is defined as excellence. In the context of mountain bike trails, excellence is realized when a trail design merges the desired outcomes and difficulty that a rider seeks with the setting in which the outcomes are realized. These variables ultimately equate to an overall level of sustainability that protects resources while simultaneously providing a rider with the outcomes they seek.

Quality implies a sincere commitment to attaining the highest practical standard. With regard to a quality mountain bike trail experience, several attributes must apply. A quality mountain bike trail (on BLM-administered land) is one that is:

  • Appropriate to a particular place and setting
  • Environmentally and socially sustainable
  • Economically responsible, taking into account long-term costs associated with maintenance and administration
  • Outcomes-focused, able to provide the targeted experience and benefits for the identified rider skill level

Download in original file size: IMBA-Guidelines for a Quality Trail Experience

Mountain biking and cycling in Queensland's parks and forestsIMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System

IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System

The IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System is a basic method used to categorize the relative technical difficulty of recreation trails. The IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System can:

  • Help trail users make informed decisions
  • Encourage visitors to use trails that match their skill level
  • Manage risk and minimize injuries
  • Improve the outdoor experience for a wide variety of visitors
  • Aid in the planning of trails and trail systems
Redlands City Council Cycling Trails

Redlands City Council Cycling Trails

There are lots of interesting trails and paths that you can explore. Don’t forget your bike helmet!

 

Mountain Bike Australia

Mountain Bike Australia
Mountain Bike Australia is the peak body for mountain biking in Australia. We aim to lead the development and promotion in Australia for the benefit and enjoyment of all mountain bikers.

Mountain Biking Adventure Activity Standard

Mountain Biking  Adventure Activity Standard
Adventure Activity Standards (AAS) are minimum, voluntary guidelines for conducting outdoor recreation activities . Designed primarily for organisations conducting outdoor recreation activities where the participants are dependent on the activity provider, they are also a useful reference for all outdoor enthusiasts.

Research

Mountain Biking

Mountain Biking (MTB) is an outdoor recreation activity that is experiencing an increase in participation numbers. A relatively “new” activity, this increase in participation brings with it a raft of issues.

Codes of Conduct for Mountain Biking

Codes of Conduct for Mountain Biking

Codes of conduct designed to promote responsible and safe mountain biking while minimising risk, reducing the potential for conflict with other trail users and countering negative environmental impacts.

Simply put …

Ride Safe

  • Control your speed
  • Pass with care
  • Be courteous

Be Prepared

  • Carry water, food, repair kit
  • Take a map, mobile phone and first aid kit

Prevent Trail Damage

  • Avoid muddy trails
  • Stay on the track
  • Avoid skidding

RESPECT Yourself, Others and the Environment

 

Discover

See QORF Green Circle Members who provide mountain bike riding activities in Discover
(search on ‘Mountain Bike Riding’ in Activity)

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