GETTING WYLDE!
Keen-eyed readers may remember we mentioned that there is an upcoming redevelopment at Wylde MTB Park to accomodate the M12 Motorway and also give the venue a revamp. Just before this current issue went to print, the plans for the upcoming changes were released at a public session down at Wylde itself.
Among the upcoming changes there’s quite a lot to get excited about, with a new pump track that’s expected to be the longest in Australia, planned space for a BMX facility and skills park, and a wider variety of trails including a couple of black-rated sections being added, along with more track junctions to offer a wider variety of experiences and options to keep things interesting. There’s a general focus on suiting longer-travel trail bikes, now the more common bike under riders than when the original design appeared back in 2013. The changes are being planned between the landowner, Western Sydney Parklands Trust, and experienced trail builder Brett Barnes of DirtzTrack along with GSA Group.
Western Sydney Parklands Trusts’ Executive Director Suellen Fitzgerald said “Wylde Mountain Bike Trail is a great asset to the community, offering a range of exciting
experiences that can challenge beginners to advanced riders. It allows visitors to get
outdoors in Sydney’s biggest backyard and spend time exercising in nature. We are confident the new design will see the continuation of the winning formula that has led to it being such a huge success.”
Brett Barnes, the original track designer is back on board for the redesign. He says that “Wylde’s original brief was about participation. Allowing people who had never done mountain biking before to have a go. We definitely wanted to keep this but move onwards to diversifying the appeal and really match the shift that has happened in mountain biking in the past 6 years, recreation not racing.” And when it comes to making it more suitable for advanced riders, “I rode with Eric on the design launch day, he is a young fella that actually learned to jump at Wylde. He is now an awesome, very loose young rider, pulling suicides and always hunting for transfers. It’s time we gave the Erics a little more to do at Wylde as they have all improved to the point where they now want more. So more for all levels is the goal.“
Tenders are being sorted out for the trail construction to go ahead later in the year, with completion expected mid to late 2021. We will keep you posted as we find out more.