Today we welcome husband, Reis, on EPW as a guest writer! I hope you enjoy learning about all the top spots for mountain biking in Brisbane, from beginner to mountain shredder – this post is for you! Love Amy x
South East Queensland has long been known a as playground for big kids. Whether its snorkelling at Moreton Island, climbing the Glass House Mountains or surfing at one of the Sunshine Coasts famous beaches; South East Queensland has an endless number of options for the adventurer.
In the past few years mountain biking in Brisbane (and the surrounding region) has exploded in popularity, with an estimated 2,2000 people riding off-road trials every weekend. The Brisbane region has been incredibly popular due to the number of high quality and well maintained mountain biking parks. Today I am going to show you a few of the best places to ride in the Brisbane region with something for everybody from beginner to mountain warrior.
Bunyaville Conservation Park, Bunya
For the intermediate rider i.e. the person who can handle basic off-road tracks with ease and can negotiate ‘single track’, Brisbane region offers a number of great options. The most popular intermediate mountain bike park is Bunyaville Conservation Park in North-West Brisbane. 20 Minutes from the CBD, Bunya has 22kms of awesome, well maintained single track that will provide hundreds of hours of entertainment. With an average decent of 20 metes per run, the tracks are challenging without requiring the need to drop high distances, negotiate rocky downhills, or climb tricky up hills. The great thing about this place is that whether you are relatively new to mountain biking or know how to shred, Bunya will challenge 99% of riders out there.
Depending on fitness levels you can generally complete the entire circuit (see above) in about 2 – 2.5 hours. But if you are pushed for time, there are 4 tracks that you MUST do to get the whole experience. ‘Jurassic’ (2), ‘Creek Track’ (4), ‘Carnage’ (6), and ‘Steps’ (7) are brilliant single tracks that have it all from gnarly switchbacks, tight transitions to crisp jumps and fast flat runs. If you’ve never been Bunya, put it on the bucket list, it is a must for riders in the Brisbane region.
How do I get there?
The best place to start is ‘Jurassic’, so park your car at the main carpark on Jinka Rd. Follow this link below to the address. And here is a map of the entire conservation park.
Iron Bark Gully, Ferny Hills
Ok, so you don’t even own a bike…Well, if you’ve borrowed a bike or are to planning to buy a beginners bike then I recommend a few days riding it through a flat park or a quiet street before you attempt anything off road. Whilst most of us road bikes as a kid, if you haven’t ridden for a while (for me it was 10 years) then you will need to remember those basic skills before you attempt anything more challenging. Once you feel more confident, a good place to start out is Iron Bark Gully, Samford. This park has a number of good fire breaks and easy single track sections to start out on. In saying that, there are parts of Iron Bark Gully that are quite difficult but they don’t need to be attempted until you get experience on the single track runs. When you get there, stick to the fire breaks and attempt Water Tank upper and lower (track 1 -2) when you are feeling more confident. If you are new to mountain biking and are in search from some good tips, I would recommend watching this video, or any of the vidoe’s at MTBtips.com.
Gap Creek, Mt Coot-Tha
If you have been riding for a number of years in Brisbane or have moved from interstate, then Gap Creek in the D’Aguilar national park should be at the top of your to-do list. With 20 km of single track and adjoining fire break, Gap track is rated the best mountain biking location in South East Queensland. Not for the faint hearted, it offers a number tricky and blood pumping downhill runs that will challenge even the most experienced rider.
However, if you do classify as an intermediate rider there is still plenty of tracks that will be doable, just maybe not a full pace. Unlike Bunyaville, Gap Creek has an average decent of 50 meters which translates to longer, steeper runs that involve a brutal climb on fire breaks back to the top or to the next track. The first few times I went to Gap Creek my fitness was pushed to its upper limits and I often found myself in lowest gear (1/1) making my way up the hill at walking pace.
Again, you could cover gap creek in about 2-3 hours depending on fitness, but if you pressed for time, or just want an intro there are three tracks that are a must. ‘Pipeline’ on the north-west side of Gap Creek is the best downhill run in all of Brisbane (in my opinion) due to its crazy lines, multiple jumps and lighting fast track. ‘Dingo’, Rocket Frog and Vietnam are also a must when you venture out to Gap Creek. Saying that, the tracks are much more spread out than at Bunyaville, so you do need a decent level of fitness and a couple of hours.
How do I get there?
The best place to start is the top of Highwood St, with kerbside parking at 145 Highwood St, the Gap. I’ve posted a link to the map here.
Try this article for more information about Brisbane bike riding.
Have you tried mountain biking? Or are you a mountain warrior and have some tracks you would also add to the list?
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