Castlemaine

[brute898]

Hi everyone I am new to Castlemaine and just wondering if anyone can tell me where some good trails or jumps are?I know there is some up at the pine plantation but that place is huge and I cant find them. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

[sunny]

Hi There,

Check out www.castlemainecycles.com or www.rockyriders.com. These may, or may not, be of use to you.

Or try this too, http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=56462&highlight=castlemaine
(found this via the Search...it's up in the menu bar.) You might want to check out The Watering Hole as well.

If you go down Cloles Road, over a bridge, dirt road.....I'm pretty sure we passed into a Gun Club area on the left hand side (memory is a bit hazy). Just park somewhere there and go in. The map I'm looking at says there is a T-junction with Cloles and Clarks Roads, but I don't remember any signs when we were out there. (The map I'm looking at was from the AMB, Aug/Sept 2005).

Try your LBS or picking up a map from the Castlemaine Market Building.

Cheers...

[sawtell]

i would also love to know if anything there is worth riding (eg, heavier trails, not just smooth xc loops), as my girlfriends sister has just purchased a property that way.

[cameron_15]

my friends mum lives there and he always asks me to go with him, i always think of some bullshit excuse why i can't go because castlemaine is a country town with absoloutely nothing to do. but now i here of some XC trails, i must go, if they are any good.

[Bodin]

If you go down Cloles Road, over a bridge, dirt road.....I'm pretty sure we passed into a Gun Club area on the left hand side (memory is a bit hazy). Just park somewhere there and go in. The map I'm looking at says there is a T-junction with Cloles and Clarks Roads, but I don't remember any signs when we were out there. (The map I'm looking at was from the AMB, Aug/Sept 2005).

Yes, the entrance to the trail head is directly opposite the Gun Club and no, you won't find any signs for MTB there unless a race is on.

my friends mum lives there and he always asks me to go with him, i always think of some bullshit excuse why i can't go because castlemaine is a country town with absoloutely nothing to do. but now i here of some XC trails, i must go, if they are any good.

The trails are very good - or they still were six months ago when I was last there. I haven't been since then due to injury and it is a managed pine forest that has areas that get cleared every now and again, so I've got no idea what condition it's in at the moment.

But it's been my favourite riding spot in Victoria for a few years now and I'm looking forward to getting back there asap and checking out the condition of the trails - the trail network there sh!ts all over the You Yangs for size and technicality. I'm not aware of any DJs, though, as it's an XC trail network. If you want DJs, there's a set almost in the middle of the town that you'll find if you head towards the roads that go to Maldon. I broke my hand on those DJs about 7 years ago and realised I needed to stick to XC only.

BTW - the You Yangs is a great place and the work that GMBC and others have put in to the place is brilliant, but the XC network in Castlemaine is much bigger and better. Just a pity it's twice as far away from Melbourne...

[molzy13]

maldon is only 15mins away from castlemaine so if your into dh deffinately hit up mount tarrengower:). there is planty of dirt jumps around just ask the locals

[ash_on_mtb]

Flick the rocky riders club an email, they'll set you going in the right direction. Address is listed in one of the first posts.

wicked fun trails, they have a night ride one night, and there is often something leaving castelmaine cycles so go see Jake and the guys and you'll be away!

[fourrunner]

The trails are very good - or they still were six months ago when I was last there. I haven't been since then due to injury and it is a managed pine forest that has areas that get cleared every now and again, so I've got no idea what condition it's in at the moment.


approximately 30km or so of singletrack in total.all trails are still clear (although pine needles have made a few a little harder to follow over the back side of the forest), with a new one just built which takes off from the seven switch backs near the summit. drought has been good to slow down tree growth, which means no harvesting! No signs, but generally you can follow follow wheel marks (someone has built rock cairns near most of the single track entries) - trail head is near gun club on colles road.

i would also love to know if anything there is worth riding (eg, heavier trails, not just smooth xc loops), as my girlfriends sister has just purchased a property that way.

pineys definitely not "smooth xc loops" - very rugged and rocky terrain, with lots of technical climbs and descents, but not a "downhill track".

We do ride a mixture of trails every wednesday night (lights required now). there are also heaps of trails in the Castlemaine diggings national park, and to the west of the town behind the Bacon Factory.

As mr. on.mtb stated, best place to start is Jake at Castlemaine cycles or email info@rockyriders.com for a friendly reply (from me), and even a tour guide if your lucky!