We spoke to Ben, the owner of local mountain bike coaching, bike hire and tour company, Bike On, to get the lowdown on why he loves riding here on the Sunshine Coast. Here’s what he had to say:
What do you love about mountain biking on the Sunshine Coast?
“All of it mate. You’re out in this pristine environment, in the National Parks. It has this tropical rainforest feel. There’s such a wide variety of trails - you’ve got everything from your flow through to your more techy stuff. There’s adventure - crossing rivers and over rock slabs and at Sugar Bag you’ve got all the wooden features to play around on, so a huge variety, basically.”
What are your top three mountain biking trails you love to ride on the Sunshine Coast?
“Depends what mood I’m in! I mean you’ve got Trailblazer out here (at Tewantin National Park) which is good for a bit of fast, flow, bermy, nice scenic stuff. Out at Parklands Conservation Park, I love Cancer Tree. It’s that old school adventure, riding through rivers and creeks and rocks and roots. If you just want to muck around, especially with the kids, Sugar Bag, Beez Kneez. You’ve got all the wooden features and everything to play around on. It’s great fun and easy to get to. They’d be my top three!”
Why do you love mountain biking?
“Oh, the adrenaline, the adventure. It depends what you want to make of it. That’s the beauty of mountain biking. You can throw yourself down something steep and gnarly or you can just pedal around on a fire road and enjoy the scenery. It’s something everyone can do; it’s not just an extreme sport.”
What sets the Sunshine Coast apart for a mountain biking holiday?
For mountain biking, it’s the weather. I mean, we’re here in the middle of winter and it’s blue skies and it’s pretty warm. You’re not dodging the rain and if it does rain, it’s usually warm rain!
It’s the environment you get to ride in - it’s just a beautiful environment. It’s not something - being from Melbourne, that I’m used to; being able to ride around in a National Park in such a pristine place and just having such a wide variety easily accessible. I mean, we’re a five minute ride from Noosaville here; you don’t even need a car to get out here.
So there you have it, the inside scoop to mountain biking on the Sunshine Coast. So what are you waiting for? To find out more and book your mountain biking holiday right here at Visit Sunshine Coast.