Did you grow up in the 70s, 80s or 90s and miss the good old days of BMX bike riding? Riding along with your leg warmers on, helmet optional, listening to Michael Jackson or INXS on your walkman? If you live in the suburbs of major cities it would appear those days of riding are gone. But venture into the Snowy Mountains of NSW and you’ll discover mountain biking is a fast growing sport, though helmets are advisable. Keep reading to find out why Lantern Thredbo accommodation is a popular place to stay for a mountain biking holiday.
Thredbo offers all ages mountain biking
Part of the appeal of mountain biking as a sport is that it is an all ages activity, you don’t have to be super-fit to enjoy it, and you don’t have to be young. It appeals to parents to be able to ride together with their kids, it is accessible to people in their twilight years and is naturally attractive to males and females in pursuit of adrenalin rush or just an alternate nature experience.
Thredbo Valley Track
Sam is a mum from Sydney, who loves taking her young family down to stay in Thredbo accommodation as often as possible to try out all the trails. They especially love the Flow Trail, accessed by the chairlift.
“You need to be 10 years old (for chairlift), or demonstrate that you are capable enough and that your bike is suitable, and you must do the two hour induction course” (to cover all the safety aspects). The course covers a skills test, bike check, helmet check, among other things, which is reassuring.
“Off the mountain the kids love the Pump Track in Thredbo Village”, she says, and also mentions another family favourite, “Around Thredbo there is a lovely trail, which runs along the creek. There are great suspension bridges and it’s suitable for families with bike skills”.
Sam’s 7 year old son, Travis rates Thredbo as “My favourite place in the whole world”, for the world of bike riding that is opened up, it is really like a traditional ‘boy’s own adventure’. Sam adds that “The best thing about Thredbo is that it’s quiet and the lift operators are helpful with the kids getting their bikes on the lifts. Eagles Nest cafe up the top is a nice place for a hot chocolate”.
Why Lantern Thredbo accommodation is best for mountain bikers
Ian Foster knows a thing or two about mountain biking from running his Thredbo accommodation. As long time resident and manager of the Lantern Thredbo Apartments, located right inside the snow resort, mountain biking is core to the Thredbo experience when the snow thaws.
“We are a very bike friendly business that understands the needs of riders. We know that mountain bikers spend lots of hard earned money on their bikes, and in some cases their bikes come before their cars in the list of priorities. Having said that”, Ian says with a smile, “we don’t encourage bikers to sleep with their bikes as the grease stains are hard to get out of the linen but we address the following mountain biking issues”:
1. Safe Storage
Bikes can be stored on the tiled areas of the Lantern Thredbo Apartments and on secure balconies. Some of our larger Thredbo accommodation apartments have garages which offer secure bike storage. Sam from Sydney also recommends using the bike racks at the bottom of the chairlift “You can leave them while you go for lunch or a walk around”.
2. Proximity to Trails
Mountain bikers want to be up early and straight into the action, and all Lantern Thredbo Apartment properties are located right in Thredbo Resort, within a short ride to chairlifts and trails.
Lantern Thredbo Apartments are close to MTB trails
Ian says “We are mountain bike riders too so we know the trail networks around the mountains and can share our knowledge with the riders who come to make sure guests find all the best rides”.
Ian’s Lantern Thredbo accommodation is handy for experiencing some excellent downhill trails on the mountain including the Legendary Cannonball run for supreme Thredbo downhill mountain biking action or the Kosciuszko Flow Trail with over 7km of cruising downhill riding.
There are a network of cross country trails in the village, as well as some spectacular rides in the National Park nearby including the Thredbo Valley Trail with 19km of track that links into the Lake Crackenback / Diggings network with another 30km of great riding.
Ian adds their Village Green and Snow Stream Apartments are great ones to look at in terms of Lantern Thredbo accommodation, as they are located at the bottom of the mountains and close to the tracks and both have garages to lock up bikes”.
3. Care of Equipment
Ian says ‘We are just in the process of building a specific bike wash area with workshop clamp for bike repairs. We also provide rags for bike maintenance and have hoses at most properties available for bike washing’. Guests certainly are never to feel unwelcome for bringing along and maintaining their own bikes, unlike some Thredbo accommodation”.
Thredbo Sports Stores
Clint Shervington is a Jindabyne local who is a mountain bike fanatic. He cites proximity to slopes and safe bike storage as ‘key’ to a successful bike experience in the Kosciuzko National Park. He finds it very handy that a number of bike shops such as Sacred Ride have cropped up in Jindabyne over the past few years.
Thredbo has excellent downhill trails
Clint says “Mountain biking has turned summer into a pretty amazing place” and finds that getting fit from riding crosses over well for snowsports in the off season.
In addition to Thredbo Resort itself, Clint loves new trails at Crackenback, just a 20 minute drive from the Lantern Apartments.
Sacred Ride
Marty and Nic are from Sacred Ride, an adventure sports store established 2001 in Jindabyne. Sacred Ride is more than just a store, it is a very proactive member of the Snowy Mountain community, actively encouraging riders to partake in fundraisers such as the well-known Sydney to the Wollongong ride, raising important funds for Multiple Sclerosis.
For single riders looking to tee up with other like-minded riders they can call Sacred Ride and organise to join group rides when staying at Thredbo accommodation. The peak season for Sacred Ride is January, but Marty and Nic have recently seen a significant increase in bike traffic in the Snowy Mountains all year round too.
“The Canberra / Sydney market has only just started to discover the wonders of summer in the Snowies, with so many activities to do and with such a magnificent backdrop, it’s really cementing itself as a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle”.
They recommend Thredbo as “a great place to base yourself for a 3-7 day mountain biking Jindabyne adventure, the prices in the summer are quite reasonable and the village has a cool quiet atmosphere with easy access to most of the trails around the area, such as Dead Horse Gap to the Pinch River, Full Moon Lunacy Tour, Charlottes Pass – Kosi or Slinks pass to Geehi”.
Maps and more information about Jindabyne bike hire are available from Sacred Ride, 6 Thredbo Terrace, Jindabyne on your way through to Thredbo.
Thredbo MTB
Thredbo’s own bike shop run by Tim Windshuttle offers a wealth of expertise as well as the region’s best hire bikes if you don’t want to bring your own.
When it comes to downhill riding Thredbo MTB are the experts and provide not only hire and workshop services, they also provide lessons to improve your skills.
(phone 02 64594100, mountainbiking@thredbo.com.au).
MTB chairlift access begins mid-November
You can hire a village bike to ride around the village or the village trails for just $30 per day from the Thredbo Mountain Bike Shop.
Or if you’re after the challenge of the downhill mountain bike experience (based on the 2013-14 season) $132 gets you a bike made for downhill that can fit on Thredbo’s chairlifts or for $231 a day it includes the chairlift, bike and all the protective gear. Prices get cheaper the longer you stay.
The mountain bike season begins mid-November for chairlift access but the lower trails for cross country riding are available all year round; long johns may be required on a frosty winter morning. Chairlift prices are $49 for an all day pass for an adult with an extra one off $30 for the induction course. Kids are $27 or a whole family is $98.
The Lantern Thredbo Apartments ticks all the boxes in terms of proximity to slopes, safe storage and care of equipment so book online now for great Thredbo accommodation deals for the upcoming mountain biking season. It will be here sooner than you think.