Page 72 - AMB Freelist

name Compartment 10, the trails and the National Park they are in were renamed to Wooditjup in recognition of the traditional Wardandi owners of the region. At the trail head we meet trail builders JD and Brendon from Magic Dirt Trailworx, Damian Barton the president of Margaret River Off Road Cycling Association (MRORCA) along with a crew of locals including, Gus, Tony and
his boys Oliver and Reeve, Steve Lane of On Track Mountain Biking and Di from Margaret River Mountain Bike Tours. Introductions made and a plan as to what we are riding is made. Damian tells us about the network and MRORCA’s role in fundraising for trail maintenance and construction. Then we hit the trails. First up, Line Manager.
It’s been a while since I’ve ridden Margs and Line Manager hasn’t been the trail I’d usually make an effort to ride. I love how green and lush this part of the forest is, but I usually ride other trails. Hooking into the first couple turns, there is something different. The dirt is damp and grippy, and the radius of the berms feels right. Although I’m not hitting all the down ramps cleanly, I
feel more comfortable than I have previously. Perhaps it’s the Trek Fuel Ex test bike. Perhaps it’s six days straight of riding trails. Perhaps the maintenance Magic Dirt Trailworx has just done to the trail. More likely than not, it’s a blend of all three and I’m not complaining. It is inspiring to watch Gus, Oliver and Reeve rip through the berms, manual rollers and throw shapes on the
step ups and step downs along the trail. These kids can ride. We climb High Horse back to the top; the gradient is just right to get us there with minimal effort. It being a short loop, I can see myself lapping this loop more often in the future.
If you have ridden the Pines in the past you will probably remember trails like Lilly Trail, Aunt Lou, The End, Mr Nice and others. With harvesting nearly complete, the Pines and these trails are
no more. In their place we have a new series
of trails; Black Pearl, Pineoccio, Gullivers and Angry Dolphin, among others. We ride Pineoccio a couple times, and it has a similar feel to the
old trails; wide, with good flow out of the bermed corners into the rollers and tabletops. Without the pines and the needles they drop, there is a little
71