Gravel photos

[Comedian]

Went away with a mate who does gravel tours on a ride near Crows Nest (circa 2h from brisbane).

Was awesome. True Groad stuff which I've almost never done. A great weekend was had. Was only just on 100k for both days, but nearly 2000m of elevation. Very little black gravel at all, and the dirt roads were for the most part in very good shape. Champagne Gravel.

[Mr Purple]

Used the public holiday today to finish a little gravel ride I've had planned for a while - dirty Cootha front, down Highvale Road, and up South Boundary, sneaking back through to the top Brookfield finger via the Gold Creek reservoir break.

It all went well until the last bit. I didn't realise it was possible for a fire trail to simultaneously be a black trail, but apparently it is.



5km of hell. 25-30% descents alternating with similar climbs and a very sketchy road surface. Didn't crash but spent a fair bit of time walking.

[MichaelB]

I’ve had a few steep descents and they scare the bejeesus out of me. Especially when you realise you are not able to slow down …. and there is half way to go

[Mr Purple]

I’ve had a few steep descents and they scare the bejeesus out of me. Especially when you realise you are not able to slow down …. and there is half way to go

They're horrific on a gravel bike. I can only assume they're actually manageable on a mountain bike! I had to adopt some sort of semi-astride, ready for a quick emergency dismount descending techniques.

Did some retrospective analysis of that ride today on Strava - one segment is 5.8km long with an average -3.4% grade and I managed an average speed of 11.6km/hr. Peak descent in there is 38.8% and peak climb 34%.

I felt bad at the speed but one of the guys I follow on Strava is an excellent cyclist and managed 7.6km/hr on the same segment. The KOM is held at 23km/hr.

I think the highlight was the Strava trace of this little 24.9% pinch. Which I did at 3.7km/hr and you can clearly see me zigzagging up the hill because I couldn't walk straight up it.



In no hurry to go that way again!

[warthog1]

That sounds best avoided! If not, dual suspension mtb country.
Lucky here, lots and lots of maintained dirt roads to ride.

[Mr Purple]

That sounds best avoided! If not, dual suspension mtb country.
Lucky here, lots and lots of maintained dirt roads to ride.

100%. Will not be doing that one again!

For anyone considering something out that way I can recommend South Boundary Road - easy enough on a gravel bike; I only had to walk at one point and that was because the only hiker within about 20km was occupying the only passable line with his headphones in.

Gold Creek Boundary break? Best avoided unless you're a pro downhill mountain biker. Interestingly enough all of the KOMs are held by some guy doing 46km/hr up and down 25%+ hills. Second place is at 11km/hr. I'm thinking someone records his dirt bike rides.

[Comedian]

Used the public holiday today to finish a little gravel ride I've had planned for a while - dirty Cootha front, down Highvale Road, and up South Boundary, sneaking back through to the top Brookfield finger via the Gold Creek reservoir break.

It all went well until the last bit. I didn't realise it was possible for a fire trail to simultaneously be a black trail, but apparently it is.



5km of hell. 25-30% descents alternating with similar climbs and a very sketchy road surface. Didn't crash but spent a fair bit of time walking.

Download Trail forks and read down for the reviews. Priceless. "This is one of the least enjoyable forest tracks close to brisbane". This sux etc...

[Comedian]

That sounds best avoided! If not, dual suspension mtb country.
Lucky here, lots and lots of maintained dirt roads to ride.

100%. Will not be doing that one again!

For anyone considering something out that way I can recommend South Boundary Road - easy enough on a gravel bike; I only had to walk at one point and that was because the only hiker within about 20km was occupying the only passable line with his headphones in.

Gold Creek Boundary break? Best avoided unless you're a pro downhill mountain biker. Interestingly enough all of the KOMs are held by some guy doing 46km/hr up and down 25%+ hills. Second place is at 11km/hr. I'm thinking someone records his dirt bike rides.

I've said before.. I'll say again BNE is a gravel riding hell. Steep rough and rocky firetrails, or mountain bike trails. If you don't like those options You really need to drive .. which for most people will be at least an hour.

[Mr Purple]

Download Trail forks and read down for the reviews. Priceless. "This is one of the least enjoyable forest tracks close to brisbane". This sux etc...

It gets funnier. The guy that left that comment is a lightening fast mountainbiker - we've been trading times on one of the Toohey's forest gravel climbs throughout the year.

When he's commenting 'don't do it' you know there's a problem!

I was going to check the Trail Forks reviews before I left but couldn't work out how to log in. Lesson learned.

I agree about Brisbane trails. Also there's a bunch of users whingeing that the BVRT is getting too smooth at the moment. If only there was some rougher options closer to town said no-one ever though?

[Comedian]

Download Trail forks and read down for the reviews. Priceless. "This is one of the least enjoyable forest tracks close to brisbane". This sux etc...

It gets funnier. The guy that left that comment is a lightening fast mountainbiker - we've been trading times on one of the Toohey's forest gravel climbs throughout the year.

When he's commenting 'don't do it' you know there's a problem!

I was going to check the Trail Forks reviews before I left but couldn't work out how to log in. Lesson learned.

I agree about Brisbane trails. Also there's a bunch of users whingeing that the BVRT is getting too smooth at the moment. If only there was some rougher options closer to town said no-one ever though?

The problem is the state government runs the trail and knows everyone loves it. So to show their love of everyone loving it they are "gold plating" it which is the easy option.

What they should be doing instead is using those funds to push more rail trails into being in more communities - and ideally link them up. This is a boon for other regions but unfortunately when there is no rail trail people don't see the benefits so it's hard. No one wants it until it's built.

I've been riding the rail trail for several years.. and honestly the only thing that's really made it better since then is removing the gates which was a PITA. In general I don't think the surface improvements have really helped. It's meant you can now easily use gravel bikes (or even road bikes) but I don't see that has ever really been a barrier as any cheap hardtail has always been ample bike for the BVRT.

I would love to see an extensive connected rail trail network for Queensland as a tourist thing.

[elantra]

……
The problem is the state government runs the trail and knows everyone loves it. So to show their love of everyone loving it they are "gold plating" it which is the easy option.

What they should be doing instead is using those funds to push more rail trails into being in more communities - and ideally link them up. This is a boon for other regions but unfortunately when there is no rail trail people don't see the benefits so it's hard. No one wants it until it's built.

I've been riding the rail trail for several years.. and honestly the only thing that's really made it better since then is removing the gates which was a PITA. In general I don't think the surface improvements have really helped. It's meant you can now easily use gravel bikes (or even road bikes) but I don't see that has ever really been a barrier as any cheap hardtail has always been ample bike for the BVRT.

I would love to see an extensive connected rail trail network for Queensland as a tourist thing.

Plenty of us would love to see a connected railtrail network in these areas !

When you think about it, it’s not that far from the southern end of the Brisbane Valley Railtrail to the northern end of the Northern Rivers Railtrail (NSW)
Probably little more than 100 km - as the crow flies!
And theoretically it isn’t a humongous effort to link them - if you take the train from Wulkuraku to Roma St and then to Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast. From there it is possible to ride to Murwillumbah ! (some local route info would be advisable though - it’s a rabbit’s warren to do it safely)

Yes, before we get too excited let’s bear in mind that the Northern Rivers Railtrail is currently only 24 km.
But it is likely to be 130 km “eventually”
At its western end, the Richmond (NSW) Shire Council has almost completed another section which is 14 km - will be open in a few weeks.

The long road to realisation of the NRRT is worthy of a PhD.
Basically between the Tweed Shire and the Richmond Shire there are 2 other shires - Lismore City and Byron Bay Shire.

Lismore is committed to facilitating the construction of the railtrail through their area BUT Byron Bay Shire have been the holdouts - they have been opposing the creation of a railtrail for years, although that opposition looks to have weakened since the popularity of the recently completed Tweed section has been so overwhelming.
I believe that currently the Byron Shire is coming around to approving the construction of Railtrail for part of but not all of the abandoned railway corridor through their shire - specifically from the Tweed Shire boundary, through Bilinudgel and as far as Mullumbimby.

Get onto it ladies and Gentlemen, there is in fact a Change.org petition which Is trying to apply some traction to bring about a favourable attitude to the Railtrail construction in the above section of Byron Shire

I could go on, but it’s also worth noting that there is an active group in the Logan Shire / Beaudesert (Scenic Rim) Shire who are confident that one day there will be a Railtrail along the old Beaudesert railway corridor.
And also there is an active group working towards turning the abandoned Railway line from Armidale or Glen Innes, into a fabulous Railtrail that could extend all the way north to the Qld border at Wallangarra.
Now that would be something to look forward to.

[Mr Purple]

I agree, there's massive potential.

In this thread we were discussing that it's possible there will be an associated rail trail in the new inland rail line:

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=104663&p=1536553&h ... n#p1536553

And north of the BVRT there is also a rail trail developing as far North as Gladstone, currently rideable although still with some road sections as here:

https://www.briztreadley.com/the-great-queensland/

So there is a potential for a largely rail trail route from Casino to Gladstone.

Interestingly I just plotted a 'Casino to Gladstone' ride on Strava with 'dirt preferred' and it directed me a completely different way, dirt roads for 79% of the trip (8% paved, 15% not specified so probably dirt). 1063km/9272m.

Anyone up for a road trip? The way it goes I don't think you'd see a car the whole way anyway!

[elantra]

I agree, there's massive potential.

In this thread we were discussing that it's possible there will be an associated rail trail in the new inland rail line:

https://www.bicycles.net.au/forums/view ... n#p1536553

And north of the BVRT there is also a rail trail developing as far North as Gladstone, currently rideable although still with some road sections as here:

https://www.briztreadley.com/the-great-queensland/

So there is a potential for a largely rail trail route from Casino to Gladstone.

Interestingly I just plotted a 'Casino to Gladstone' ride on Strava with 'dirt preferred' and it directed me a completely different way, dirt roads for 79% of the trip (8% paved, 15% not specified so probably dirt). 1063km/9272m.

Anyone up for a road trip? The way it goes I don't think you'd see a car the whole way anyway!

Yes - Casino to Gladstone would definitely be a great objective - accomplished with extensive utilisation of the Northern Rivers and various Queensland Railtrails and Routes.
I did listen to an episode of the Australian Podcast “Seek Travel Ride” where she (Bella Molloy) interviews an intrepid young British girl - Claire Wyatt -who is riding around Australia.

She describes how delighted she was to be able to follow the Queensland bicycle trails route most of the way from Brisbane to Gladstone.

I am sure that there are other alternative “off the beaten track” gravel options to get from Casino to Gladstone.
I would also suspect that it incorporates the route of the BNT (Bucentennial National Trail)
But that would involve a LOT of up and down, it is a trail more suited to bushwalking although it does use lots of gravel roads.
The other issue with the BNT is that in some places it was mapped out 35 years ago with the agreement of multiple property owners.
35 years later, some of these properties no longer encourage access, and in other places the roads or trails have been overgrown with vegetation or washed away by floods etc .

[elantra]

Did anyone mention the weather ?
Up here it has been sunny and warm for weeks now. Which is a worry for what it will be like later.

The sleepy little town of Uki has become a Mecca for bike riders.

It’s one of those places that looks a bit “different” mostly in a good way.


Baratta’s Road, an easy few k’s ride from Uki or Stokers Siding.
Queenslanders will know that mountain in the background, it’s the legendary Springbrook Plateau, with the “Best of All Lookout” radio tower faintly visible.
Uki is known as the town that is literally in the shadow of Mt Warning- also known now as Wollumbin.

There are plenty of gravel roads within a few km of Uki.
Only problem is that this is a high rainfall zone, so whatever is a great gravel route right now, probably won’t be in 6 months time, because it might have washed away in the next tropical storm.
And what is impenetrable Lantana and Camphor Laurel now, might have been graded and opened up as a firebreak within the next 6 months.



There are patches of deep red soil which support Rainforest vegetation. But beware when it gets wet….


Around the corner, it’s no longer red soil, a geological paradox how the landscape can change so rapidly.



This is where the water ends up.
Tweed River, the floodplain’s of which supports a large sugar cane farming industry.
In the background its headwaters are the ridges of the Queensland border, a thousand metres above sea level.

FYI - there is also a fantastic new free access Mountain Bike park less than 2 km out of Uki.
I will go and check it out this week.
With my gravel bike

[warthog1]

^^That looks awesome
Gotta get up there at some point with the Revolt

[warthog1]

Been at work doing a bit of this whilst on call.



No comparison to this.

[elantra]

^^That looks awesome
Gotta get up there at some point with the Revolt

Don’t leave it too long

The weather up this way becomes reliably awful in early December and stays reliably awful until the end of April !

[warthog1]

^^That looks awesome
Gotta get up there at some point with the Revolt

Don’t leave it too long

The weather up this way becomes reliably awful in early December and stays reliably awful until the end of April !

I can imagine. I lived in Alice for 15 years.
It won't be this year. Maybe next. I hate the winter here, need to go north for a break. Summer is awesome here though.

[cancan64]

Gave up waiting for it to stop raining here in NZ so started my hill training. A ride around the coast and up to the wind farm...



Often see sheep on the verandah of the abandoned house watching the traffic go by



A nice 7km climb, gravel is pretty good and this road is hardly used, just a few local farmers



Disappearing Lake, was also up here the week before and it was a lake. Drops pretty quick, and thats with light rain all week



You then head up to the wind farm on a nicely maintained road... another 7km climb ... the cows are so hard to pass.. they just keep going forward until the gate



There is a few detours through paddocks when the road gets steep... Would like to try the road but being private property I stick to the route



A few locals, these ones were easier to get around .... they do leave a lot of land mines to dodge

[elantra]

You then head up to the wind farm on a nicely maintained road... another 7km climb ... the cows are so hard to pass.. they just keep going forward until the gate



There is a few detours through paddocks when the road gets steep... Would like to try the road but being private property I stick to the route



A few locals, these ones were easier to get around .... they do leave a lot of land mines to dodge

One of the nice things about gravel riding is you get some appreciation of farm animals…

Urban riding does not put you “in touch” with “other” species. Except perhaps magpies and the occasional bush turkey, or duck etc. Or snake (if you are not in NZ)

I have learned that Bulls, Cows and Horses can be quite devious.
A recent example - gravel riding on a trail that required passing through 2 gates, a few km apart.
About 40 cattle decided to “follow” us.
They eventually stopped at the second gate. We thought that they were just “spooked” and couldn’t go any further because of the fencing and gate.
Wrong, they were waiting for us to open the gate !
Once we opened the gate, there was a mad rush for them to get through the gate !
We had to close the gate very quickly.
Presumably the grass is greener on the other side of the gate…
Example no. 2.
Riding in the country on a gravel road, stop to answer a phone call, not always a good idea !
While speaking on the phone, a horse comes across to say hello. I start to pat it while speaking on phone.
A second horse wanders across to join “us”
At which point in time the first horse turns around and delivers a huge bite on the backside of horse number 2. !!!
In other words I think it was telling it to go away and find it’s “own” human !

[warthog1]

I liked the horse story
I have only come across a few cows on a road where last onna small group. They wanted to stay away from us.




A few sheep who had escaped onto the road also whilst alone, also tried to get away.
Kangas ditto. They are very unpredictable. Had to accelerate past one as it just kept zigzagging in front.
Snakes, only one so far, sunbaking.
I hope not too many more!

[baabaa]

Quite a few Macropods about on our mornings slow soggy single speeds outings - last first few days have been without the thick frosts and feels like temps of around 5 below zero - could be spring, guessing more a false spring.
Coming out of this winter, the roos, wallaroos and wallabies are also super slow, hopefully we will all find a bit more speed coming into summer....

[warthog1]

Yesterday's ride had a bit of everything, apart from traffic.
Great ride and great day.

[MichaelB]

Noice !!

[Mr Purple]

So many mixed (and nice!) surfaces above.

The Downs-Burnett trail certainly looks interesting, I might try and make it out there at some point.

Had an interesting experience on the weekend - had seen a faint Strava heat line on the western side of the Gateway Motorway from my usual ride at Karawatha Forest, and negotiated my way through the McMansions to find my way in there. Proper adventure stuff - bike over the gate sort of territory. Pretty sure it's legit - they had the standard 'no motorcycles and stick to the marked path' signs.

Got in there expecting to find some rutted single track and it's about six kilometres of the most perfectly graded gravel roads you'll ever find. Bizarre stuff, it was like I'd dropped into an alternate universe or something.

I'll have to get a photo next time I'm in there!

That's what I've found most fun about suburban gravel. Not being limited to the mainstream bike paths - popping down random routes in housing and industrial estates and then out onto a bikeway or road again. It does however give you an occasional 'should I really be here?' sensation, which is part of the fun I suppose!