Stromlo Forest Park – MTB Day

Mountain Biking day today. I hit the trails of the Stromlo Forest Park. I think there were another 200 cars in the carpark with a steady stream of cars coming in and out continuously; couldn’t believe it. It is lucky that Stromlo has over 40Km of trails so there are plenty to go around. I mean, you are always riding with ‘friends’, but not getting in other people’s way. Ha ha. I even passed a few on the uphill.

The trails were dusty, a bit rocky. They reminded me of the Atherton trails after a period of no rain. The downhills that I did were very flowy with nice berms and heaps of table top jumps. I had a ball.

Starting the ride, the first decision was to take either the ‘green’ climb or a ‘red’ one called cardiac arrest. I did look up at it, decided I liked my heart, and chose the green. A splendid choice with a reward of 180 degree views from the west of Canberra back towards the Telstra Tower. You actually end up at the top of the hill, with around 7 other riders, also trying to find their lungs, an observatory and an old water tank. I apologise for not having photos. My intention was to hit the trails hard today and so I had minimum gear with me, by choice. Yes, I did have my mobile phone. Yes it does have a camera, but when you are having this much fun, at a crazy pace, it is hard to stop and take a photo. Naughty me.

Oh Canberra, your weather is so nice, perfect for cyclists. Even the craziest climbs only resulted in a sweaty back and a lot of puffing. Normally at home I would collapse from the heat, get an ambulance to resuscitate me, drink 10L of red bull and then think about the a descent… and that’s every hill.

With many choices of trails, I decided on a range of Green (easy), blue (intermediate) and a couple of black options throughout this 10Km ride. I felt comfortable with the trails I did but sad leaving so many trails that I will have come back to and attack another day. The rollercoaster, luge and the evolution jump trail were being some fun technical and flowy downhills.

Facility-wise this place rocks. A café at the trailhead, massive bump track, organised shuttles, skills tracks and soooooo many trails. I was like a kid in a lolly shop, not knowing where to go next. The locals were awesome and willing to give directions and advice on the trails. Some were complaining about the humidity. I did chuckle.

Thanks Stromlo, I’ll be back.
Les.

P.S. Yes, that beer picture does say, Watermelon, Cucumber and Mint. And yes, it does have those subtle flavours. Yes, I’m glad I tried it. No, I won’t be buying another one. 🙂