Page 1 of 1

Cascades Track & Bare Creek Track (St Ives/Belrose, NSW)?

Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 5:50 pm
by Rich-Ti
Does anyone use either of these regularly?

It's been flagged as a possible route between Manly and Gordon for my (hopefully) new commute. I've been told (via the NSW board on here) that Bare Creek Track is off-road, but looking more closely it's mainly Cascades Track that I'd be using. Is that also off-road?

I'm also struggling to get it up on a map that shows the gradients. If I do end up doing this commute I have a singlespeed cyclocross bike on my radar - realistic, or stupid?

Thanks.

Re: Cascades Track & Bare Creek Track (St Ives/Belrose, NSW)

Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 8:23 pm
by march83
I'm having Vietnam flashbacks of the cascade trail from my oxfam experiences, but I can't quite recall which parts were rideable and which weren't.

I think that it's mainly double track from the bottom of Kitchener st. but dropping down to the creek from behind the waste treatment station might have some tighter singletrack stuff. Getting up to Davidson from the creek is all double track.

Do it on the weekend and give it a go,

Re: Cascades Track & Bare Creek Track (St Ives/Belrose, NSW)

Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 8:50 pm
by Rich-Ti
Thanks - so is some of it totally unrideable?
march83 wrote:Do it on the weekend and give it a go,
I'll try and get there to have a look, but I only have road bikes at the moment so riding it isn't an option unfortunately.

Re: Cascades Track & Bare Creek Track (St Ives/Belrose, NSW)

Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 10:15 pm
by march83
Rich-Ti wrote:Thanks - so is some of it totally unrideable?
Honestly, I can't remember, it's been too long. Hopefully somebody local can chime in...

Re: Cascades Track & Bare Creek Track (St Ives/Belrose, NSW)

Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 11:26 pm
by trailgumby
Not on a road bike.

I use Cascades for hill training on the MTB. You could possibly manage on a CX bike with low gearing and Jens Voigt's legs.. Knobbly tyres are a must. Lots of steep grades, down and up. Good fun getting air off the water bars and putting your mates in the hurt box on the way back out. :wink:

To give you an idea, they've concreted sections of the fire trail so the all-wheel-drive fire trucks can get up them.

Did I tell you I was a masochist? :D ;)

Nobmob.com has a comprehensive set of trail maps.

Re: Cascades Track & Bare Creek Track (St Ives/Belrose, NSW)

Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 7:13 am
by Rich-Ti
SS pretty much out of the question then...!

Thanks gumby - I'll check out NobMob.