The Clarence Mountain Bike Park was officially opened in 2009 and is managed by Clarence City Council.
Located in the Meehan Range, the Clarence Mountain Bike Park extends from the Flagstaff Gully Link Road car park, along the northern side of the Tasman Highway to Belbins Road.
Council also has a licence agreement for the public to use tracks on a portion of Hanson land, located above the Flagstaff Gully Quarry.
The map to the right highlights in blue the areas in the Meehan Range that are managed by Clarence City Council. The remainder of the range is managed by the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service.
A skills park close to the main car park offers a pump track and a variety of jumps and features. There is a choice of ride lines so riders can progress from the easy features to more advanced.
The trail network extends throughout the Meehan Range Nature Recreation Area and includes tracks for beginners (green), intermediate (blue) and advanced riders (black).
Ongoing projects
XC Loop modifications & extensions
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A new 672m IMBA green climb section opened mid-February 2023 which is located slightly up the slope above the original XC climb.
The new alignment leaves the contractors more space to work on the 1.4km super flow descent trail from K’s Choice to the railway abutment. The original XC climb lost a lot of elevation where it dropped down to run parallel with the descent track, sometimes within 1m of each other. This significantly limited the ability of the contractor to incorporate big berms and rolling contours to create a roller coaster experience for the descent. There is 70m of altitude loss between K’s Choice and the railway abutment which equates to a 6% grade. The corridor is fairly narrow (basically road reservation for the Tasman Hwy) so some sections of the original XC climb (now bypassed) will be used for the descending track. The contractors need to retain as much altitude as possible to keep the track in the vicinity of the 6% grade so that riders can keep momentum. The first major section of the refurbished descent opened in April 2023 and joins up to the original XC descent near the big dipper. Riders now have a choice between using the old XC Loop Descent (IMBA blue) or the new green flow descent (IMBA green). The contractor is working on the next stage to extend the green flow descent track back to the railway abutment which should be ready to open in June 2023. Consultation was carried out in October 2021 and the results can be viewed on the Your Say Clarence page. |
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Dirt jumps
Feedback on consultation carried out in November 2020 identified a desire for additional and more advanced jumps as the original dirt jumps are degraded and worn and poorly located. Consultation in October 2021 found a high level of support for a new gravity dirt jump line parallel to the Tasman Highway between the railway abutment and the skills park. The IMBA blue (intermediate) line will be constructed of prefabricated steel and timber ramps to minimise maintenance and provide consistent, rut-free ramps (similar to the ones used in the skills park), while the green jumps will be gentler soil mounds which can also be bypassed. The jumps will be more than double the distance of the existing dirt jumps. Work is expected to commence in early 2023. The old dirt jumps will remain in place until a decision is made about their future, which may require further consultation. |
Green Climb in the Clarence Mountain Bike Park
K’s Choice was constructed to provide an easier climb to the Skyline Fire Trail, but the lack of a green descent meant it had to be made bi-directional until a second IMBA green track could be constructed. Surprisingly K’s Choice has been popular with blue and black level riders so the intention is to turn it into a dedicated descending track if an alternative climb is approved.
Track consultants have identified two options for a green climbing track with a preferred alignment starting from the beginning of the XC loop to connect to the Skyline Fire Trail. As the track would be located within the PWS Meehan Range Nature Recreation Area and pass through an area of protected Eucalyptus risdonii, there are extensive assessment processes that need to be undertaken and approval is not assured. These assessments are currently underway and we will provide updates here as the process progresses.
Grassy Valley coaching area by the slab
Consultation was carried out in November 2020 for a new coaching area at the concrete slab with more than 90 percent of respondents supporting the plan. The design was based around feedback from coaches and is aimed at beginners/novices so they can practice their skills without impeding more advanced riders. The Skills Park offers more progressions for skills development.
The coaching area will include a rhythm section, flow berms and drops. Work is expected to commence in early 2023.
Elevator climb
Council has been planning several new tracks to close gaps in the trail network. In mid-2021, construction commenced on a new green climbing track (The Elevator) with funding from the State Government’s Cycle Tourism Fund.
The track will go from Stringy Bark Gully to the Skyline Fire Trail to eliminate two-way traffic on the Stringy Bark Track, but the project is currently on hold while a planning issue is resolved.
Any queries can be directed to the Tracks Planner Mary McParland at mmcparland@ccc.tas.gov.au or 03 6217 9716.