BIKE TRAILS SERIES: SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Heading to South Australia and need an adrenaline outlet?

South Australia has a number of mountain bike destinations to keep you busy. This guide introduces you to some of the great mountain bike trails you might like to factor into your adventure plans if you happen to be heading down that way.

Lynton

Where: 11 km south of Adelaide

Difficulty Level: Easy, Intermediate, Difficult, Very Difficult

The Lynton MTB trail network is packed full of great features that both highly experienced riders and beginners will appreciate. We are talking cross country, downhill and four cross tracks as well as a freeride zone, dirt jumps and a pump track. Whether smooth tracks or rough and rocky tracks tickle your fancy, Lynton has it covered. This park offers plenty of opportunities to get some air and tackle technical trails.

The Mitcham City Council have put together a detailed map of Lynton trails here.

Eagle Mountain Bike Park

Arguably one of the best known trail centres in the city, Eagle MTB Park has a variety of tracks and features to keep adrenaline craving mountain bikers busy. The park features approximately 21 km of cross country trails, a downhill trail, a skills development area and dirt jumps. On the cross-country trails cyclists face rocky terrain, tight switchbacks and smoother flowing tracks. Although some areas don’t see much use, other areas are popular places for riders of all abilities to get the blood pumping and practice their mountain bike skills.

Cudlee Creek Network

Where: Mount Crawford Forest, SA

Difficulty Level: Easy, Intermediate, Difficult, Very Difficult

The Cudlee Creek Trail Network is a great network of easy, challenging and advanced mountain bike tracks. It includes new cross-country trails, old cross-country trails that have become popular for racing and mountain bike enthusiasts, downhill trails and links to the Mawson Trail. Cudlee Creek has hosted a range of national and local Mountain bike, X-Country, downhill and endurance races and is known as a favourite mountain bike destination in South Australia.

Melrose Mountain Bike Trails

Where: 265 km north of Adelaide

Difficulty Level: Easy, Intermediate, Difficult

Melrose has a large network of mountain bike trails that are designed for riders ranging from those who want a leisurely ride to those seeking more of an adrenaline packed challenge. All tracks are clearly signposted with difficulty levels and are well maintained. There are a lot of tracks catering for those who want to take in the view, however if you want a bit more action you should try out Hellrose, Hidden Valley or On A Bender. These tracks offer more obstacles, tight corners and grunting climbs than most of the other tracks and you can pick up quite a bit of speed if you really pump the legs. If you enjoy a bit of wine after a day of mountain biking this is a great spot to visit.