Pipeline Track

[Tom Marius]

Im here to breathe some life into the tassie forum!

In all seriousness though, has anyone ridden the pipeline track on Mt Wellington? Thinking of checking it out soon...any good?

[m@]

It's a tad quiet in here hey

I used to ride along it most days when I lived in Longley, haven't been there for a few years now though. It's not really what you'd call a mtb track - more like a fire trail. Between Neika and the western end it's basically a near-flat gravel road, quite wide with the odd rock and pothole but otherwise flat. On weekends and afternoons there tend to be a lot of family-outing type groups taking up the whole track, so you need to watch your speed. IMO it's more fun at night

From Neika to Ferntree it's a bit steeper and narrower, but you have to watch out for walkers and joggers.

[Tom Marius]

cheers, i hadnt even thought about doin it at night! walkers and families can be a tad bothersome if youre trying to ride (not saying they shouldnt be there, but just that riders and walkers generally don't mix)

[m@]

It's good fun at night; just watch out for bats as they like to fly along the path - I guess it saves them dodging around trees. I wore one in the face last time I rode there at night

The issue with walker/cyclist conflict seems better now than it was a couple of years ago when there were regular reports of bushwalkers trying to poke sticks through cyclists' wheels and the HCC was making noises about banning bikes from the mountain altogether... I'm looking forward to giving the North-South track a go once I have the old mtb functional again.

[Tom Marius]

It's good fun at night; just watch out for bats as they like to fly along the path - I guess it saves them dodging around trees. I wore one in the face last time I rode there at night

The issue with walker/cyclist conflict seems better now than it was a couple of years ago when there were regular reports of bushwalkers trying to poke sticks through cyclists' wheels and the HCC was making noises about banning bikes from the mountain altogether... I'm looking forward to giving the North-South track a go once I have the old mtb functional again.

Wow sticks through spokes, thats pretty brutal. Someone must have pissed someone off that day...

[Aushiker]

Wow sticks through spokes, thats pretty brutal. Someone must have pissed someone off that day...

G'day

I haven't done that, but I have stood my ground when walking the Bibbulmun Track and come across mountain bikers on the Track (they are banned and have their own long distance track).

Andrew

[Tom Marius]

Yep, i'd say if there was sticks through spokes then it sounds like the bikers did something first that was not on.
We're not always flawless

[m@]

I think there was a reasonably widespread feeling among walkers that the bikers shouldn't be allowed on any of "their" tracks. I walk on the mountain a lot more often than I ride, and know from personal experience that it can be pretty hairy to have someone coming toward you around a blind corner at speed on some of those steep, narrow, rocky tracks. No excuse for trying to put someone in a wheelchair though!

[Tom Marius]

well i did the track on wednesday. it was a great day for it, really good weather yet the track was still a bit damp and was nicely compacted. not an overly hard ride but the mud and the gentle incline was more than enough to keep my mate and i amused. Hopefully i can grab the pics off my mates camera and post em here, there really is some beautiful scenery. next goal is to ride up the mountain itself!