Jacks Ridge - Nambucca - A must do!

Post date: Jun 12, 2012 10:46:48 AM

If you missed GNaTPACK Round 3 at Nambucca, a couple weeks back, you missed an amazing piece of single track. Well we did miss it, so we made up for our previous clash of activities by hitting the track last Saturday morning.

Following a quick surf of the web we found the directions to Jacks Ridge. It is very easy to find the car park at the start of the track and even easier to find the mtb track, as the single track passes within a few metres.

When we arrived there were a number of other cars already parked with one group packing the bikes and the other getting ready for a ride. We got our gear together and went exploring. We had heard great things from all the NEMTB riders that had managed to make the race a couple of weekends before and all I could think of is - ‘where’s that roller coaster?’.

So we found one of the many wooden white arrows that directed us in the right direction – the wrong way through a roller coaster could end in tears! We headed off along the first section of single track through the eucalyptus trees. As named the track seems to straddle a ridge line and a fire trail which traverses it as well. I could see how it has got its reputation as a dry track as it seems to have grade working for it and wherever there must have been issues with runoff the track builders had put in the hard yards and installed drains and the like.

Before we knew it we had found the highly praised “Roller Coaster”. The entire family hit the undulations with streaks of joy. And there is not only one but 5 of these beauties! Looking back at the GPS data I could see that if you keep clear of your brakes you would easily reach +50 kph at the bottom of these beasts. Correct gear selection meant that you could peddle in and through the hollows to either clear the next rise or at least make it a fair way up. The other exciting aspect of the roller coasters was a couple of the water baths(?) on the lead-in of two of the hollows, giving you some great air but being able to land comfortably on the down slope.

Following the roller coasters the track turns back and traverses the fire trail that the track had been paralleling. The remainder of the track is just as impressive with lots of berms, good use of grade (ie not working against it), flowy single track, B lines around the more adventurous track/structures and I can’t forget to mention “Boris”. See the film clip to get an idea of a “Boris”, the 29m long log rollover that’s 2m high.

Great work to the track builders down a Jacks Ridge!!!!

If you want to check out a new track with a few familiar faces come down this weekend to the GNaTPACK Taree Round 4 - “Taking on the Hog”, Based on last year’s track I am picking it will be spectacular flowy track with apparently no big climbs!!!