Anyone that has been to the Mountain Bike Park lately will have noticed a lot of changes happening. We have recently accelerated our works program to make the park as ready as possible for the Six Hours In The Saddle event on the 16^th of May and our round of the RAMBO Interclub Series on the 19^th of July. You should have noticed the change to the jumps at the front of the park and in the last couple of months we have separated the downhill and cross country tracks across the top of the hill down the old Mojo track line. A new start to the downhill is in place and the old bridge structures have been removed. A new line of track has been built to take riders around the side of the hill parallel with the old Mojo and over to the Management Vehicle Track to the top of the Secret Track. A new line of track has been established from the very bottom of the back of the hill all the way to the carpark to keep riders off the road. Various other smaller modifications have and are being carried out as you read this. Repairs and a new line in behind the rifle butts is being built and new lines are being surveyed down the Secret Track. The Secret Track area has the potential to have multiple lines of intermediate and black diamond grades which will be fantastic. The easy green loop has to be completed and a skills area at the front established, the carpark fixed and a pump track and freeride area put in at the rifle butts area. After these works are completed the down hill track will be given a work over and a new cross country line will be established over the gorge to the golf course and back.

While you ponder these changes it’s a good time to explain the why’s and wherefores of all of this. I’m sorry about the long winded essay but it hasn’t been that easy and you need to know about this stuff if you are interested in the park and its directions and you want to make comment.

At the start of 2008 the park was in jeopardy due accelerated erosion issues, decaying structures and serious injuries that had been sustained whilst using the tracks at the park. The land managers, Department of Sustainability and Parks Victoria were very concerned that the trend would continue and as this is an open public space, they were liable for all of this. By the grace of both of these groups we were given a hearing as to why we should be able to keep the park open and what we would do to improve the current conditions. After a lot of work and discussion it has been decided that a committee of management will be assembled to take responsibility for the park, which has yet to be completed due to land classification issues that are being worked on. Based on this it has clearly been established that the park is in an area of significant natural bush and certain conditions have to be adhered to so that we can keep access open. The park has to be safe, environmentally preserved, sustainable and provide a unique experience for users, in that order.

To maintain our promise to these groups that we will look after and rehabilitate their land in exchange for access, a lot has had to and will continue to happen. Risk had to be managed, erosion and damaged areas have to be repaired and tracks have to be modified so that they are sustainable for years to come with minimal maintenance but also provide as much pleasurable recreation as we can within our physical constraints. Every single meter of track and every area has to be scrutinized and brought up to standards that comply to the basic rules that are listed above. With credit to Paul Fitzgerald and his team of helpers that constructed the original tracks, much of the early work already complies to all of these constraints. After years of events, rain and thousands of casual riders a lot of these tracks are showing minimal wear and are still a joy to ride, but some aren’t.

With such a big project and strict guidelines, the club has had to assemble a core of people to manage the process. Due to more freedom of time than most I accepted the task to guide this process and liaise with the land managers so you will see me at the park a lot. We must understand at this point that this is not my park or your park but everyone’s park and we have to manage any change accordingly. This means that we have to consider every potential user that may access the area as it is a free and open public space. Before you see any changes to any part of the park an important process takes place and you need to know it.

Depending on the severity of damage or/and erosion, the area is inspected and solutions discussed. In the worst areas these discussions with th working group can be lively and protracted, as they should be, so that we get a balanced approach to modifications.

Modifications are then tagged with pink surveyors tape, you will have seen it. New routes can be excruciating to create as we try to incorporate every obstacle we can find and route tracks to areas in the park that we consider should be viewed and appreciated, not just ridden around.

The route is then rechecked, criticized and options looked at so that we are absolutely sure we have the right lines and the lines modified to achieve the right result. No modifications are done unless they are viewed and checked by several people that are involved with the project. The bigger the job, the more checking is done and the more people are involved.

If the job is large like the Mojo track upgrade, a plan with why the changes are needed, what the end result will be, maps, photos and construction details has to be drawn up and submitted to the relevant land managers department. If necessary (and we encourage it) a field trip has to be set up so that the land managers can inspect the area with us that is to be modified and physically shown the proposed changes and discuss likely results. If they like what they see we are given the green light, if not, it's back to the drawing board.

The track is then constructed using hand tools where possible to reduce peripheral damage and all of the leaf litter, twigs, sticks and the topsoil is collected to aid in rehabilitation of the damaged areas. We have to be very careful with construction so that as little impact as possible is evident. We try to make the new tracks look like they have been there for a long time, if they do, we have succeeded.

The damaged areas are then rehabilitated. The compacted surfaces may be loosened, soil is used to fill eroded lines and collected top soil is spread to encourage new plant growth and rocks and logs strategically placed to look natural. Over this a layer of leaf litter and twigs and sticks is spread to control erosion. To give you an idea, there has been 2 man days put into rehabilitating the area below the old ramps, and it’s still not finished. If it’s done right the old lines damage and erosion disappear and are not discernable.

Now we finally get to ride the new lines, talk to as many users as possible to get open feedback and make adjustments where necessary. We check the new tracks constantly for a while, especially after rain, to make sure they are as good as they can be.

The land managers have the final say on the work so we have to get it right. I personally have to oversee every piece of work because I am answerable as the project leader and it's me that gets the phone call if something goes wrong and I have to organise to get it fixed. The better we tackle it the easier it is to move on to the next part of the project.

So you see, it isn’t that easy, and our standards have to be high. Now you know why I occaisionally get grumpy when undue or ill founded critisism is pointed at me or any of the team that is involved and the work that is being carried out. This project is so important. We need this to work so that we can expand the areas that we can ride in. I personally applaud and thank all of the people that have involved themselves so far, you know who you are and without your help the park will never evolve. We are under scrutiny so please understand that if this project is not handled in a professional manner with the right end result our chances of more land access will diminish, and that’s going backwards.

We need your feed back, ideas and labour to help us but understand the above constraints that we have work within, we can’t just “do stuff” so we are sorry if we moved your favorite piece of track or obstacle but there is a real reason for it. If you have any issues you would like to discuss regarding the Mountain Bike Park please contact the club via email or call one of the numbers listed on the contact page.

Thank you.

Tim