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Omeo Mountain Bike Trails open 50km of world-class tracks, celebrating community and government collaboration

The Omeo Mountain Bike Trails officially opened Stage 1 on December 6, celebrating 50km of trails. Stage 2 is underway, expanding the network to around 100km, with new features like the Flomeo trail.

By news@gippsland - 23rd December 2024 - Back to News

The Omeo Mountain Bike Trails reached a key milestone on Friday 6 December with the official opening of Stage 1. At a ceremony held at Livingstone Park, over 100 locals, mountain bike riders and VIPs celebrated the official opening of the first 50km of professionally designed trails, which cater to riders of all abilities.

Omeo Mountain Bike Trails Stage 1 opens, marking 50km of new trails and strong community support

Trailblazing Omeo opening

The opening day included a barbecue hosted by the local CFA, stalls promoting mountain biking businesses and a ribbon cutting. A community ride led by council's trail team and the trail construction crew, attracted around 50 riders and took in the newly minted Flomeo trail - an important drawcard for the network and one of the longest flow trails in the country.

Omeo Primary School students spoke at the opening about the exciting addition to their town as did trail project committee member Leigh Fulton, Deputy Mayor Cr Sonia Buckley, and Member for Gippsland Darren Chester, who praised the collaboration of all levels of government in making the project happen.

Stage 2 of the project is already well underway, with the trail-building crew turning its focus to GR5 - which will be even longer than Flomeo - and more trails to be progressively opened until the project hits around 100km. More information can be found at Trail Forks and Ride Omeo Facebook.

New trail names

The new trails bring not only thrilling rides but also a sense of community and fun through their imaginative, locally inspired names. A standout feature is Green Sheep, named by the students at Omeo Primary School. Shear-genius! This baa-rilliant connector links Fools Gold to the Lower Gravity Hub, allowing riders to enjoy shorter laps of Flomeo or Crikey.

The kids' involvement gives Green Sheep a special place in the hearts of locals and visitors alike. The fun doesn't stop there. Flomeo, stretching almost 6km, is one of Australia's longest blue-rated flow trails, packed with rollers, berms and jumps.

Grim challenges advanced riders with off-camber sections and exposed runs, while Crank Dog ramps up the difficulty with longer technical rock gardens and high-speed thrills. Even the climbs, like Billy Goat, Fools Gold and Twisted Tree, have names that spark curiosity and adventure - and tap into the heritage of the area. These creative names connect the community to the trail network and will be on every rider's lips.

The completed XC14 trail, built entirely by women, features new signage to ensure safer, easier riding with trail names and difficulty ratings

Trail blazers

The yet-to-be-named XC14 trail, now completed, is thought to be the first in the country where the key build crew, from go to whoa, were women. Telling you where to go - The Omeo trail-construction team has also been busy installing signage. The shiny new trail markers and trailhead signage make riding simpler and safer. These signs aren't just for looks - they'll:

• Keep you on the right path
• Share trail names, including some that are fresh out of the box
• Provide trail information and a difficulty rating

Emergency markers have been installed at key locations in Omeo Mountain Bike Park, ensuring quick, accurate response in emergencies with identifiable codes for riders and emergency services

Location, location, location

In addition to new signage, emergency markers have been strategically installed throughout the Omeo Mountain Bike Park to provide crucial assistance in case of accidents or medical emergencies.

The 10 distinctive green markers serve as navigation and communication points for mountain bike riders, park staff and emergency services. Each emergency marker is prominently displayed and features an identification code that allows precise location tracking.

In the event of an incident, riders can reference the marker's code when calling for help, enabling rapid and accurate response from emergency services. This system significantly reduces response times and helps ensure rider safety across the park's trail network. The markers are designed to be easily visible and are positioned at key points along the network's trails.

Emergency services and trail crew reviewed Omeo Mountain Bike Trails for access points, turning areas, and coordinates to improve emergency response

Putting safety to the test

Emergency services and trail crew recently conducted a comprehensive safety audit of the Omeo Mountain Bike Trail network. The review focused on ensuring emergency vehicles can access trails, including adequate turning points and loading areas.

Fire roads and other tracks have been evaluated as emergency vehicle access points, with co-ordinates to be provided to ambulance control to streamline emergency responses across the network.

Pictures from East Gippsland Shire Council website.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com