Maybe Moving to Melbourne - whats the riding like

[Fingerbike]

Hey,

I'm originally from the UK but currently finishing up on a year work visa in Vancouver Canada, which it doesn't look like I can renew, company i'm working for at the mo have offered me a full time position in Melbourne, and i'm pretty serious about coming to do a year or so in Aus..

So whats the riding like in and around melbourne, used to riding freeride downhill sort of stuff but also like to play at a bit of XC, jumping etc.

how much travelling do you guys do from Melbourne to ride, i.e is there decent trails in the Grampians etc. are there trails that can be shuttled with a truck?

Thanks...

[indica]

Hey,

I'm originally from the UK but currently finishing up on a year work visa in Vancouver Canada, which it doesn't look like I can renew, company i'm working for at the mo have offered me a full time position in Melbourne, and i'm pretty serious about coming to do a year or so in Aus..

So whats the riding like in and around melbourne, used to riding freeride downhill sort of stuff but also like to play at a bit of XC, jumping etc.

how much travelling do you guys do from Melbourne to ride, i.e is there decent trails in the Grampians etc. are there trails that can be shuttled with a truck?

Thanks...

There is so much quality riding in Victoria, that it is not funny, lots of XC, and lots and lots of DH.
Buller, BawBaw, Granton, Kingslake, You Yangs, Mt. Beauty, Beechworth, Otways, Barjang, Yackandandah, Eildon, Maldon and more, some shuttles, one chair lift, some private.
Plenty of people on this site will be more than happy to help you out when you get her

[delboy1203]

You have Lysterfield very close to the city.

There are also the You Yangs and if you want to go further afield, you can go down to the Otways or to Woodend.

I'm pretty new to Melbourne myself (8 months now), so those are the places I know of.

Also trying to get a mailing list going similar to one I used to subscribe to in London.

Look at Melbourne MTB Group (http://groups.google.com.au/group/melbourne-mtb) on Google.

[LTR]

A car is definitely a pre-requisite. You cannot really ride to anywhere to be able to ride the good trails. It is also not so close to Melbourne for the good stuff. Great XC/DH trails are 1hr away minimum!

[AMBURGERS]

hey man, welcome to farkin. the youyangs (1hr from the city) has a big variaty of trails varying from XC to DH (the new dh track there is pretty nasty). long gully in healsville is also a very good place to go (only open for ride days which are on thursday afternoons during daylight saving months) there are 4 different tracks there, varying from difficulty) but long gully is 1hr and a half minimum from the city.

come to melbourne.... it's goooood!

[atsunD]

if you don't have a car, the You Yangs and Lysterfield are accessible with a train journey and some pedalling.
To get to the You Yangs I catch the train to Little River and ride from there. Keeps you fit :) and there's great trails with a bit of everything, the DH tracks are great but you can't really shuttle unless on a club day or race so wear comfortable shoes :)
Lysterfield is pretty good for XC, train to Hallam and ride from there, lots of trails, but a bit lacking in jumps etc. (I know I'll get my spade)

and as they say if you have a car there's plenty within an hour or two drive from the CBD

[gnarly_rider]

Look at Melbourne MTB Group (http://groups.google.com.au/group/melbourne-mtb) on Google.

That looks like gratuitous self promotion... :D

[Fingerbike]

Cheers for the replies guys, link noted delboy... wanted to get an idea whether i needed to get a second chinring on the front of me bike for more xc style riding... currently got the bike in whistler setup...

Going to be coming over with a few grand, got a car in the UK that i'll be selling, so as long as i get settled ok (hopefully the company is going to pay relocation compensation) and don't spend a ton of money should be able to get an old toyota truck (ute?) or something....

[deaks]

melbourne riding is awesome.. of all generes

[Fingerbike]

Forgot to ask, what about decent suburbs to look for a place in, all i need is some decent local pubs (the ones that wont give a pome too much shit) and some hills with trails nearby :)

place i'll be working at is on Chapel St?! which is downtown? so guess not stupidly far from there too...

[mrcurlyhead]

if you are looking to live close by to chapel street i recomend st.kilda its a good place but you get the occasional f**k heads but other then that its good there and i believe its about a 10 15 minute ride from there to chapel street and living there means your preety much in the middle of everything but i mean its just my opinion

[stoff]

If you are looking for good local pubs, and proximity to Chapel St and the city, Richmond is the way to go.

[kyleman]

yer +1 for richmond..
its close and with plenty of transport and pubs
and you got the mcg right next door!
get some footy into ya :p

[retroenduro]

Hey mate i did exactly the same as you last year, ie moved from the UK. Have ridden loads of trails here and there are some really good ones around especially the you yangs or in the alpine regions (werribee mercy hospital are really friendly too when you stack:rolleyes:).

Its alot different to wales and whistler mate! First up ditch your mud tyres! secondly get used to drifting your corners:D

As for a good place to live anywhere round chapel street is pretty good. Send us a PM and ill give you run down of all the tracks ive been too.

[Moggio]

As an occasional Melbourne visitor I have found a few places in the city where one can ride XC and heard rumours of more. I have spent some nice time at Westgate Park, but have heard there is pretty cool riding all the way up the Yarrah to the Dandenongs... is that actually true?

[Fingerbike]

sweet, now got one month to find a work visa, could be interesting....

[frostbite]

Prahran has good nightlife etc and if you're working on chapel st it will basically be distance. Dont live on st kilda road - I work there and it has all the personality of a dead fish and the traffic is a pain in the ass in peak. Its probably also expensive. Depending on where you are going to work on chapel have a look at the tram lines which run by it and where they go might help you find a good place to live.
If you're looking for a car try carpoint.com.au, carsales.com.au or autotrader.com.au keep in mind that second hand cars here tend to hold their value a bit better than north america.. but we also dont have the same problems with rusting etc.

[shnizza]

go on Google earth and have a look were you are working and the residence places around there

we have a real good tram service takes u all around the CBD most cost money (not much a few dollars) but theres 1 free one or maybe 2+

when u get here dont for get to watch plenty of footy

[retroenduro]

St Kilda east is a good spot to reside. got good tram links and a rail link into the city

[Saffa]

Hey dude, look at Kensington.
+Close to the city 2 stops on the train, tram or bus (10 minutes on the bike)
+easy to get to the you yangs to ride, or out to alpine regions
+Nice easy going suburb, good pubs, no dolled up wankers

Unlike st kilda which is shit!

anyway give it a look in

[jackii-boi-mtb_the_stairs]

if u want dirtjumps there fantastic diamo nd tonnes others

[big geoff]

so just quietly mate Prahran and Chapel st are naf, full of glamour wankers and overpriced bars. Get out Fitzroy, Northcote, Brunswick way, mad bands (ace hip hop scene) and good pubs. Plus all the trully mad riding is up Beechworth Mt Stanley, Bright, Beauty, Mertylford and the like. :)