ride the famous Big Hill DH track from
the late 90s all the way into Mount Beauty.
This trail is still challenging by today’s
standards, but dwarfed by the ride that
fi nishes at its start point. Back then it used
to be a measure of fi tness and courage
over an eight-minute descent, now it’s
more of a legacy to show how far the sport
has really come.
In the valleys
The two townships of Mount Beauty and
Bright, based at the bottom of Falls Creek
and only separated by a 30-minute car trip,
have long been the destination of seasoned
racers, covering the full spectrum of
cycling from DH to XC and everything
in-between. It’s interesting to watch the
development these two communities are
going through - similar in their ability to
build trails on private land, but unique in the
routes they are choosing to follow. There is fi nancial
investment going into the Bright mountain bike
park, with large man-made tracks not really seen
in Australia until now. Yes, the general admissions
to the local hospital have seen a sharp increase,
but so too has the renewed passion for cycling in
the area. With the buzz surrounding the Hero trail
becoming more mainstream, further development
has seen a secondary trail, Down DJ, built for those
not as confi dent on the larger jumps of the Hero
trail. One can’t help but wonder if there might have
been fewer broken collarbones of enthusiastic fi rst
timers had Down DJ been unveiled before the Hero.
Outside the two machine built trails are a plethora
of inviting natural singletrack, host to the National
Championships for three years. And Bright will
again host the Downhill National Championships for
2018, with tracks across the board getting a facelift
in light of the renewed interest.Mount Beauty, on the other hand, has so far
resisted any attempt at machine built trails. In asense it’s a purist’s wet dream, with race
tracks from the 1990s all the way through
to the present day. It’s the mountain
biker’s version of the Monaco Grand Prix
for Formula 1 fanatics. It’s not meant for
everyone, but a huge sense of satisfaction
comes from knowing you’ve conquered
the trails. Some of the tracks are still
technically demanding on a new long travel
29er which, in comparison to a late 90s
mountain bike with its V-brakes and what
looked like a dirty sock for suspension,
should be a breeze. But it’s not. There are
a surprising number of trails on offer once
you enter the park - you can’t ride for more
than 500 metres without meeting another
trail - but there are some true classics in
there. As the park is maintained by the
local non-for-profi t club, the only interest
is benefi tting its members, and that of
the local community. The positives by far
outweigh the negatives in this scenario,