Blue MTB trail

Intermediate level gravity-style mountain-bike trail - equivalent to IMBA Blue Square classification.
For mountain-bike use only. Suitable for intermediate riders and appealing for advanced riders.
Singletrack-style trail starting from secondary trailhead at top of site and ending at the lowest point in
the park.
Diverges from and converges with Trail 2 Green.
Design features:
o Tread designed as natural surface trail, although will be constructed using imported VENM
rather than with conventional bench-cut.
o Featuring Technical Trail Features at Blue Square classification with optional/avoidable TTFs at
Black Diamond classification.
o Tread width: approx. 0.6m average.
o Trail gradient: approx. 8% average, 20% maximum.
Downhill direction only for mountain bikers.

Existing site example sections

Example trail Eagle MTB Park, SA (Photo courtesy The Roost -

http://theroostmag.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/92.jpg

Example trail Atherton Forest MTB Park, QLD (Photo courtesy

Digital Hippie - http://digitalhippie.net/ibis-mojo-hdr/atherton-
mtb-trails-mt-baldy-queensland/
Black MTB trail

Advanced level gravity-style mountain-bike trail - equivalent to IMBA Black Diamond classification.
For mountain-bike use only. Suitable for advanced riders.
Singletrack-style trail starting from secondary trailhead at top of site and ending at the lowest point in
the park.
Diverges from and converges with Trail 4 Blue.
Design features:
o Tread designed as natural surface trail, although will be constructed using imported VENM
rather than with conventional bench-cut.
o Featuring Technical Trail Features at Black Diamond classification with optional/avoidable TTFs
at Double Black Diamond classification.
o Tread width: approx. 0.6m average.
o Trail gradient: approx. 8% average, 25% maximum.
Downhill direction only for mountain bikers.

Existing site example sections

Example trail Fort William, Scotland (Photo courtesy

http://32spokesmtb.com/wp-
content/uploads/2013/06/MickHannah_FTWIll2013.jpg

Example trail Whistler, Canada (Photo courtesy Whistler-

Blackcombwww.whistlerblackcomb.com/media/images/galler
ies/ main-photo-gallery/2014/cmp-may-2014.aspx)
Pocket Park

A Pocket Park featuring Pump Track, Dirt Jumps and Skills Park is proposed for the open area at top of
the site adjacent to carpark and main trailhead. Pocket Parks are about rider progression, creating an
opportunity for riders of any ability level to improve their skills and have fun doing so.
o All classifications provided for: Green Circle / Blue Square / Black Diamond / Double Diamond.
o Site with gentle gradient (approx. 3-5%).
o Access to reliable water supply in close proximity to support maintenance.
o Earmarked site approx. 3600 m2 in area (but can be easily scaled up or down to suit available
resourcing levels).
o Minor landscaping is desirable (eg bark chip or similar) to soften potential fall zones.
Involvement of the user-group community in the design, construction and maintenance of Pocket Parks
is an essential ingredient in their success. Pocket Parks can require some considerable maintenance but
undertaking it is a significant part of the dirt-jumping sub-culture.
Site to have sufficient space to allow for future expansion.

Trailhead sign at Valmont Bike Park, Colorado encourages user

participation in maintenance activities (image courtesy
https://bouldercolorado.gov/parks-rec/valmont-bike-park)
Pump Track:

o Single facility can be ridden & enjoyed by riders of all abilities, or develop 2 smaller Pump Tracks
to spread out riders of varying abilities.
o Gently sloping site - 3-5% gradient.
o Allow approx. 600 m2 area.
o Circuit length approx. 100m.
o Allow approx. 300 m3 of soil.

Pump Track examples -

Above photo courtesy Banshee Bikes
http://bansheebikes.blogspot.com.au/2010_04_01_archi
ve.html
Right photo and above right design image courtesy
Architrail http://www.architrail.co.uk/projects/post.php
Dirt Jumps:
o Minimum 4 lines of jumps to provide at least 1 line at each classification level.
o Gently sloping site - 3-5% gradient.
o Allow up to 1000 m2 area.
o Jump-line length up to 80 m.
o Allow approx. 500 m3 of soil.

Dirt Jump examples

Left photo West Vancouver, Canada (courtesy IMBA
https://www.imba.com/resources/freeriding/18-
steps-building-dirt-jump-or-freeride-park)
Above Queenstown, NZ (courtesy Sterling Lorence
http://anthillfilms.com/page/6/?page_id=cblsvzdq)

Skills Park:
o Jumps, drops, rollers, skinnies and other Technical Trail Features made from dirt, stone & timber
offering riders opportunity to progress their MTB skills in a compact, consolidated and controlled
environment.
o All classification levels provided for. Design can be segregated into 4 separate zones, 1 for each
classification level, or integrate them. Enabling rider progression is the primary objective.
o Allow up to 1000 m2 area.
o Allow up to 200 m3 of soil.
o Allow up to 200 m3 of stone
with large size range.
o Timber structures designed and
constructed in accordance with
Australian Building Code.

Skills Park examples

Above: Castle Rock, WA, USA (Photo courtesy
http://www.bermstyle.com/castle-rock-
washington-mtb-skills-park-opens/)
Right: I5 Collonades, Seattle (Photo courtesy
http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-
trails/bike-parks-i-5-colonnade-and-duthie-hill-
seattle-wa/)
Management Tracks

Across the site there is an existing network of management tracks currently accessible by vehicles,
(4WD-only in most cases). Integrating a portion of these tracks into the recreational trail network
would be a valuable and relatively cost-effective enhancement to the park. While the current
condition of some would be suitable for recreational use, others would need upgrading / re-
surfacing to be brought to a usable condition.

Sealed Road - The existing sealed road linking the highest and lowest elevation points within
the park along the northern boundary of the site is of great value, providing a shuttle route
for vehicles servicing downhill-oriented riders and a shared-use path in its own right for
cycling and walking / running.
Main Management Track - The existing 4WD track linking the lowest point in the park (at
end of the sealed road) to the flat area atop the landfill site would be a very useful inclusion
into the parks recreational trail network. While its current condition is suitable for
recreational use, re-surfacing would enhance it significantly and extend its life.

Both of the above tracks are integral management tracks for the site, irrespective of whether or not
it is adopted as a community recreation facility.

A section of the existing Main Management A section of the existing top-to-bottom Sealed
Track linking the lowest and highest points Road.
within the park.
6 or 7 other management tracks / drainage swales transect the park across the main hill of the
landfill site, roughly following contour lines (ie 0% gradient or close to it). 3 of these tracks have
been recommended for inclusion into the recreational trails network as shared-use trails. They are
distributed fairly evenly across the hill, with a top, middle and lower track, and link into the
sealed road and bottom-to-top management track. There are numerous junctions of these 3 tracks
with the proposed orange, green, blue and black trails (which could easily be managed with
signage) giving trail users a wide range of route options. The tracks would be very similar in
character to the proposed Trail 1 Red.

Track 6 Upper (pictured right

junction with Trail 4 Blue).
o Length approx. 550m
o Recommend surfacing
2m wide @ 0.5m depth

Track 7 Mid (pictured right

junction with Trail 4 Blue).
o Length approx. 650m
o Recommend surfacing
2m wide @ 0.5m depth.

Track 8 Lower (pictured right

junction with Trail 5 - black)
o Length approx. 350m
o Recommend surfacing
2m wide @ 0.5m depth.
Appendix A IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System (TDRS)

Reference: Webber, P (2007) Managing Mountain Biking; IMBAs Guide to Providing Great
Riding, Publication Printers Corp, Denver, Colorado, US.