Fernleigh cycling track

[breezer1]

A pic of fernleigh track jewells/belmont section, thanks to ian from treadly.com for picture.

GETTING CLOSE NOW!

[gorilla monsoon]

I think I know what Mrs Monsoon and I will be doing Saturday. A bit of a full Fernleigh Track leg stretcher ahead of Loop the Lake. Yee-hah!

[sjw0410]

Awesome. So this goes to Belmont now? Whereabouts does it end?

[breezer1]

The belmont section finishes adjacent to railway parade belmont, which is at the bottom end of the belmont tech.

[breezer1]

NOW OPEN TO PUBLIC AS FROM TODAY!

Fernleigh track from jewells to belmont was opened this morning, took a ride along there with a lot of others! track is good but the raised platform section with concrete corrugation was a bit of a pain, the good bit is we can now go towards swansea and bypass belmont cbd.

Excellent parking facilities at the belmont section in railway parade..... right opposite track, for all you out of towners!

[The Walrus]

[quote="breezer1"]NOW OPEN TO PUBLIC AS FROM TODAY!

concrete corrugation was a bit of a pain

Sounds like you could do with a MTB or maybe a 29er! LOL

[breezer1]

concrete corrugation was a bit of a pain

Sounds like you could do with a MTB or maybe a 29er! LOL

Give me a road bike anyday, been thru mtb craze, too hard pedaling those mtb/29ers, it's quite fine on a road bike

[gorilla monsoon]

The flatties of the Monsoon family handled it fine this morning. Good track, just a frag over 30km for the full return trip. Nice job,

[The Walrus]

I hit the track yesterday and although that hill from Redhead is tough going for me I managed the 32k's round trip, my longest in years, if not ever!

Track is great but I agree the concrete section seems a bit over the top.

[breezer1]

I hit the track yesterday and although that hill from Redhead is tough going for me I managed the 32k's round trip, my longest in years, if not ever!

Track is great but I agree the concrete section seems a bit over the top.

On the new bike!

or old one now see the hills are much easier on a road bike than mtb/29er because of weight, even the 700c hybrid bikes are nice to ride up hills more so than pushing mtb knobbly tyres that weigh a ton!, if you are on the new bike look at getting a set of slicks then you will see a big difference in climbing hills the fernleigh redhead hill!

[gorilla monsoon]

Mrs Monsoon averages about 19km/h on her baby Trek 7.3 FX flattie on Fernleigh which is not bad.

[speedoss]

Was surprised to see stage 5 of the track open today. March 14th 2011
Rode to Belmont station, nice ride, lots of shade and almost flat.
Still some of those stupid access gates along the route, seems people prefer to lift bikes over the cable fence they use those silly gates.

[speedoss]

[gorilla monsoon]

The gates are designed to keep cars and motorcycles off the track and also to slow riders down as they approach crossing points.

It's no biggie, really.

[speedoss]

The gates are designed to keep cars and motorcycles off the track and also to slow riders down as they approach crossing points.

It's no biggie, really.

Seems over kill to me, and my bike does not fit in most of the gates. They are not even all of a standard size. Not a great design when most people would rather lift their bike over the fence than use the gates. I can guarantee they won't keep motorcycles off the track.
Still the track designers were not that smart so I am not surprised at what they did come up with.
Still is a great bike route

The rubber wrapped around and held in place by hose clamps looks so beautifully designed

[gorilla monsoon]

You know Speedoss, every post you have made about the Fernleigh Track on this and another bike forum is negative. No signs, bad gates, crook access, mis-spent money.

Mate, who cares? It's a bloody good track. Just enjoy it.

You might be too young to know what a cracked record does but you really are starting to sound like one.

[speedoss]

My point is that the tax payers money is being wasted, the money could be spent more wisely and with better results.
I just like to make a point and I also make the same points with the the local council and state government.
Maybe people don't make their views know enough, one reason perhaps we have ended up with a such a crap state government for so long.
I am not always negative, you must have missed the "Still is a great bike route " in my last post.
Have a nice day

[The Walrus]

I hit the track yesterday and although that hill from Redhead is tough going for me I managed the 32k's round trip, my longest in years, if not ever!

Track is great but I agree the concrete section seems a bit over the top.

On the new bike!

or old one now see the hills are much easier on a road bike than mtb/29er because of weight, even the 700c hybrid bikes are nice to ride up hills more so than pushing mtb knobbly tyres that weigh a ton!, if you are on the new bike look at getting a set of slicks then you will see a big difference in climbing hills the fernleigh redhead hill!

It was on the new one and yes some new tyres are on the list...I knew I'd need something more suited to the track and commuting so I'm looking around now and getting opinions. It was certainly tough on the standard ones it came with but I knew it would be.

[breezer1]

The walrus:
something like these are perfect for what you will be doing:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=24570

[The Walrus]

You know Speedoss, every post you have made about the Fernleigh Track on this and another bike forum is negative. No signs, bad gates, crook access, mis-spent money.

Mate, who cares? It's a bloody good track. Just enjoy it.

You might be too young to know what a cracked record does but you really are starting to sound like one.

As we all know we are all different and have different ideas and attitudes towards most things, so I think this is just a case of appreciating what we have whilst striving for better. Most things can be improved in some way or another and some people like to make that point whereas others settle for 'how it is'...neither is wrong.

Being someone that uses the track for both cycling and walking I would say that the title of this thread made me raise my eyebrows...It is not 'a cycling track' at all but a public place that can be used for cycling along with other pursuits for everyone...there's a big difference. I'm often on the track at 6.30/7 am walking the dogs (yes I take dog bags and do the right thing) and on a number of occasions have been scared witless when a bike flies past at breakneck speed with no warning. One rider even cursed at me as he went past as if I was a massive inconvenience to his training session. I'm sorry but that kind of behavior can give cycling and or cyclists a bad name!

[gorilla monsoon]

Agree, Walrus, it is indeed a shared path and some riders do assume that the peds don't belong. By the same token there are one or two peds who believe the cyclists don't belong.

Personally, I reckon the path is there to share and we can all get something out of it, especially if the peds stop acting like chicanes and the riders stop pretending they are on a Tour stage.

I do object to people needlessly bagging what is a well-built, well-used and greatly appreciated public asset though. The attitude reminds me of the old saying that some people see the glass half empty, others see the glass half full.

I like to see myself as a half full kind of bloke.

[speedoss]

As we all know we are all different and have different ideas and attitudes towards most things, so I think this is just a case of appreciating what we have whilst striving for better. Most things can be improved in some way or another and some people like to make that point whereas others settle for 'how it is'...neither is wrong.

I see someone got the point, Thanks Walrus.
This is a forum where discussion is encouraged I think.
Had a good ride from Uni this morning and to the end of the track at Station Road Belmont then home, less hills than less traffic than on Wommara Ave, maybe further but easier and safer.
Have not had any bother myself with people with dogs, the cyclists in packs are more a bother, they are the exception though. Sure beats being on the road.

[waramatt]

Thanks Speedoss for the great pics of the last section of Fernleigh. My brother and I are riding from Adamstown to Belmont early tomorrow morning. Can' wait to do my first full Fernleigh.

[speedoss]

Been on the Track every day this week and the new section is proving to be popular, lots of families out on it on Friday, Show day.
Good to see people out there enjoying it.
I wonder when it will be extended to Swansea. When I spoke to Robert Coombs last year he said he was all for pushing for it to be extended.

[speedoss]

Thanks Speedoss for the great pics of the last section of Fernleigh. My brother and I are riding from Adamstown to Belmont early tomorrow morning. Can' wait to do my first full Fernleigh.

Enjoy the ride Waramatt, it is good track to ride and so few road crossings is a safe place to be well away from cars and trucks. Have a good ride with your brother, my only brother is in Canada