MARCH 2020 - MARCH 2021
This weekend, March 13 & 14, we celebrate 12-months since the first 500m of purpose-built Flow Track opened at the Dungog Common Recreation Reserve.
Although the Common was already home to over 22kms of Cross-Country Mountain Bike Trails, the new 500m of Flow Track further cemented Dungog as a leading mountain bike destination.
Therefore, today is a great opportunity to provide you with a quick year in review.
It is also a wonderful opportunity to thank all of you for your involvement and support. It has been such a collaborative community effort and we are enormously grateful.
March 2020
500m of purpose-built Flow Track was completed by the team at Eastcoast Mountain Trails and mountain bikers of all ages and abilities started flocking to the Dungog Common.
Just as people started arriving en-masse, Covid-19 plunged the world into uncertain times and the Flow Tracks were closed.
However, this allowed time the team at EastCoast Mountain Trails to complete the 1.2km Blue Flow Track in full, in preparation for re-opening.
May 2020
As restrictions started to lift, mountain bikers started to return to Dungog, in droves.
One local business reported a 300 percent increase in trade.
June 2020
In early June members of the community launched the Saturday Business Card Drop Social Ride. Volunteer riders placed local business cards on the Cross-Country trails early on a Saturday morning, encouraging visitors to find the vouchers and visit the respective business. Free coffees, schooners, and discount cards were donated by a wide selection of businesses across the region. The Saturday Business Card Drop Social Ride continues to this day. It leaves the Dungog Common Shipping Container every Saturday morning at 7am.
The 1.2km of Blue Flow Track, Jump Street, was completed, and on the Queen's Birthday Long Weekend over 500 mountain bikers visited the Common!
Hunter Hunter picked up on the action.
In Late June Eastcoast Mountain Trails commenced work on a second Flow Track - a Green Flow Track called Easy Street.
In mid-June, Member for Upper Hunter, Michael Johnsen joined a mountain-bike tour of the Common where we shared our mountain biking vision.
A week later we welcomed Federal Minister for Lyne Dr. David Gillispie and discussed the positive impact of mountain biking on the community.
July 2020
In early July we had the pleasure of sharing our vision with the Hon. Minister Bronwyn Taylor, MLC - Minister for Mental Health, Regional Youth and Women.
August 2020
MTB Dungog hosted its Annual General Meeting and voted to rename the organisation Ride Dungog to incorporate gravel and road biking into the mountain biking mix. This resulted in a re-brand with a new logo and colour scheme being launched.
A new Ride Dungog committee was elected.
On 18th August we launched an online fundraising campaign, with the goal of raising $65,000 to help make Dungog world-class. Within seven days we raised over $70,000, with $50,000 generously donated by the local business community.
With funds to develop new trails, the Dungog Common was fast transitioning to a formal mountain biking facility, which would require development consent to make that transition.
Therefore, the funds raised in August are currently being held in the Ride Dungog bank account as all stakeholders, including the Dungog Common Recreation Reserve, Dungog Shire Council, NSW Planning, Crown Lands and Ride Dungog work together to ensure all requirements are met ahead of further trail developments.
We understand it is frustrating to donate to a cause and have the raised funds sitting in a bank account. However, this process requires a lot of manpower, and thanks to the hard work of the Dungog Common Recreation Reserve Land Managers and Dungog Shire Council it is progressing as quickly as possible.
As soon as approvals are in place, the money raised by the community will be invested in the design and construction of two new trails. We remain confident new trail construction will occur in 2021.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us - email pedal@ridedungog.org
September 2020
Dungog welcomed a bike shop! Tempest Bicycles opened their doors at 232 Dowling Street. Tempest is not only a bike shop but also a custom bike frame workshop. Hand-crafted bikes made in Dungog - amazing!
We launched a pilot School Holiday Mountain Bike Program with lessons for kids, led by teenage mountain bike coaches. This was a huge success with over 40 kids taking part and our aim is to further develop this program in 2021.
October 2020
Member for Upper Hunter, Michael Johnsen returned to Dungog to pass over a cheque from Regional NSW for the establishment of the Dungog Bike Library, hosted by Tempest Bicycles. Like a book library, members of Ride Dungog can borrow a high-quality hardtail mountain bike for free.
Dungog Commoners Inc and Dungog Commoners Landcare Inc merged to create Dungog Commoners Landcare. An organisation we are hugely grateful for as they continue to to protect and preserve the Common habitat through weed removal, erosion control, and revegetation. Without their efforts many of the trails we ride within the Common would be hidden by weeds!
November 2020
We launched our first piece of merchandise, Ride Dungog caps - which, we might add, have already sold out, so another batch will be ordered soon.
December 2020
The rain began to fall, and like a ski season with no snow, a mountain bike park with rain is not ideal, but after previous dry seasons the rain was very much welcomed across the region.
January 2021
A second bike-shop, Speedy Cycles Dungog opened in the Rose Building on Dowling Street, offering mountain and road bike hire, and bike servicing.
We signed a licence agreement with the Dungog Common Recreation Reserve, which means Ride Dungog is responsible for the maintenance, management, and repair of the mountain bike trails within the Common. It also means we are able to host Ride Dungog events, and look forward to hosting the MTB Festival on 22nd May 2021. We would like to thank Amy Martin Legal for their assistance in this agreement.
February 2021
We launched Girls Club - a free weekly social mountain bike ride for girls, however, due to rain, we have not yet hosted a ride! We hope to launch in Term 2 2021 with a weekly Wednesday social ride. Stay tuned.
March 2021
The very wet summer provided a wonderful opportunity to understand the work required in managing and maintaining a high-quality Mountain Bike Park. Thank you to all the volunteers who have been out at the Common with a mower or whipper snipper, helping keep the fast-growing grass off the trails. Thank you also to Daracon Group for the generous contribution to keep the car park at the Common maintained over the next 12-months. Thank you to the Dungog Commoners Landcare for their amazing efforts across the Common.
With a priority on high-quality, not high quantity trails, we approached one of our local partners, Lovey's IGA to allocate funding to hire a Track Manager. Thank you Lovey's for this support, as our Track Manager, Alex, was recruited last week.
To celebrate NSW Women's Week and with funding received from Women NSW, we hosted a Girls Empowerment Workshop for over 50 girls last Friday. It was a fun and inspiring afternoon and we look forward to hosting more events of this nature - boys are next!
April 2021 Onwards
Our aim for the next 12-months is to focus on;
Working with our key stakeholders to gain approval for the design and construction of the trails the community so generously donated funds towards.
Working with the Dungog Common Recreation Reserve Land Managers to assist with the installation of mountain bike trail signage across the Common.
Quality, not quantity trails to ensure an amazing experience for riders of all ages and abilities. This will include fundraising to further develop the Ride Dungog Track Team.
Further development of our Youth Program including social events, training, and employment opportunities.
Continuing to build and develop the Ride Dungog community through membership, social rides, events, and activities.
Join Us
We would love you to become a member of Ride Dungog. You can sign up through AusCycling and choose Ride Dungog as your club of choice.