Big Bend
created on
14-Dec-07
discipline
Downhill
rating
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Directions and notes
This is a mix of downhill action and some more pedally bits.
Starts off at the last big bend (hence the name, duh!) before heading up towards the top of Mt Wellington. You'll be able to see the white boom gate off on your right as you are coming out of the bend. Suggest parking at the massive car park about 1km up the road and riding back down, as parking near the trail head can be a bit tight.
This trail is fantastic, rocky and quite long for a Hobart track. Make sure you take plenty of tube patches and spare tubes, as rides can be any where from an hour and a half, to 6 hours or more, depending on how many snake bites you get! Pump up your tires real hard!
Basically follow the main trail till you get to a junction which heads back to the right after a steep descent. Not sure how many k's it is, but maybe riding for 1/2 to 3/4 of an hour. This is Knights Creek trail, and should bring you out in the area of the Tolosa MTB park. Perhaps someone can add in a bit more detail to this in the comments if you have done the trail more recently... I just wanted to add it as its one of the my favourites!
BTW - you can take an interminable amount of different trails once you've got past the first bit, especially if you don't take the knights creek trail. We ended up in Collinsvale once! So prepare for a long trip, take some food/water/whatever, and either park a car at the other end, or prepare for a longish ride back on the bike track.
Enjoy!
Jared
Starts off at the last big bend (hence the name, duh!) before heading up towards the top of Mt Wellington. You'll be able to see the white boom gate off on your right as you are coming out of the bend. Suggest parking at the massive car park about 1km up the road and riding back down, as parking near the trail head can be a bit tight.
This trail is fantastic, rocky and quite long for a Hobart track. Make sure you take plenty of tube patches and spare tubes, as rides can be any where from an hour and a half, to 6 hours or more, depending on how many snake bites you get! Pump up your tires real hard!
Basically follow the main trail till you get to a junction which heads back to the right after a steep descent. Not sure how many k's it is, but maybe riding for 1/2 to 3/4 of an hour. This is Knights Creek trail, and should bring you out in the area of the Tolosa MTB park. Perhaps someone can add in a bit more detail to this in the comments if you have done the trail more recently... I just wanted to add it as its one of the my favourites!
BTW - you can take an interminable amount of different trails once you've got past the first bit, especially if you don't take the knights creek trail. We ended up in Collinsvale once! So prepare for a long trip, take some food/water/whatever, and either park a car at the other end, or prepare for a longish ride back on the bike track.
Enjoy!
Jared
User reviews
by Ben H on 23-Dec-07
Plenty of tracks to follow around here, although some are banned for MTB ;)
Following the Big Bend track to the end brings you to the East West fire trail. Turning left on to this fire trail will (if you go far enough) bring you out onto Jeffreys Track and finally down into Crabtree or you can turn off just before Trestle Mountain and follow the Mountain River Trail down into Mountain river. Leave a car near the Grove shop/servo for either of these tracks. Really, the only sucky bit is between Knights Creek trail turnoff and the Collins Bonnet / Myrtle Forest Track junction (be prepared to push for a while). This trail would best be described as Cross Country.
Some pics:
The entrance gate.
Random sign along the trail (at the Collins Bonnet turnoff if I remember correctly!).
Typical terrain. Steeper parts of the track are generally "lumpier" than this due to constant water runoff.
Snake bites!
The descent from the Collins Bonnet / Myrtle Forest Track junction (East West Fire Trail).
East West Fire Trail as viewed from the top of Collins Bonnet looking north. The track descends to the left and follows the side of the ridge to eventually join Jeffreys Track.
The descent from the Collins Bonnet / Myrtle Forest Track junction (East West Fire Trail).
Following the Big Bend track to the end brings you to the East West fire trail. Turning left on to this fire trail will (if you go far enough) bring you out onto Jeffreys Track and finally down into Crabtree or you can turn off just before Trestle Mountain and follow the Mountain River Trail down into Mountain river. Leave a car near the Grove shop/servo for either of these tracks. Really, the only sucky bit is between Knights Creek trail turnoff and the Collins Bonnet / Myrtle Forest Track junction (be prepared to push for a while). This trail would best be described as Cross Country.
Some pics:
The entrance gate.
Random sign along the trail (at the Collins Bonnet turnoff if I remember correctly!).
Typical terrain. Steeper parts of the track are generally "lumpier" than this due to constant water runoff.
Snake bites!
The descent from the Collins Bonnet / Myrtle Forest Track junction (East West Fire Trail).
East West Fire Trail as viewed from the top of Collins Bonnet looking north. The track descends to the left and follows the side of the ridge to eventually join Jeffreys Track.
The descent from the Collins Bonnet / Myrtle Forest Track junction (East West Fire Trail).
by shoreRA07 on 08-Mar-08
probably best to do it with some mates and a map
by kenny.G345 on 28-Apr-08
does this track go to tolosa
by JonnoVM on 07-Nov-08
this track only takes me half an hour and i am only riding a Giant Stp 2. very fast mind you about 60km/h in some spots
by Mac1 on 13-Apr-11
Good fun track. Have a quick look at the map before you set off (couple of different route options) but has some fun, fast sections. Very rocky. Ends up at Tolosa so you can really make a day of it.
by gary12 on 02-Oct-10
Best to do in groups. Great long fast track! Lots of loose rocks at the start but ends out at tolosa Mtb park and I highly recommend this track!!!!!!
by ggrover on 28-Nov-10
you get so many flats on this track but it is sick
by Jared on 14-Dec-07