Evolution Coaching Trails
The Evolution Coaching Trails provide all riders with opportunities to practise their climbing, descending and jumping skills. This 4-kilometre coaching loop has been designed to encourage the next generation of mountain bike riders and is a great place for beginners through to more advanced riders to skill up. A number of service providers and groups hire this trail and offer courses and workshops for every level of rider, from one-on-one training, group coaching sessions and school holiday programs – check out events and closures for more details.
More advanced riders are also welcomed to use the coaching trails to sharpen their skills. The trail contains progressive options along the way to accommodate all skill levels, with many obstacles having various line options and both a green descending and blue jumping trail.
Please be mindful that these trails cross equestrian and walking trails. Users must ride up the single track not the fire road and must not congregate at the trail head. As people of all different skill levels and abilities utilise these tracks, please be courteous of other users and move off the track for faster moving riders and refer to our Park Safety & Trail Etiquette if you are new to University of Canberra Stromlo Forest Park (UC Stromlo) or have not visited recently.
Booking Evolution Coaching Trails
If your organisation would like to book Evolution Coaching Trails please visit book for more information.
The Playground
‘The Playground’ is UC Stromlo's answer for riders who need to develop and test their skills and is sooo much fun.
The Playground is a 2.5km loop which features 12 separate skill-learning areas including North Shore bridges, see-saws, jumping areas, rhythm sections, wall rides and other unique features. It can be ridden as a continuous loop or work on a specific skill at one of the 12 stations. Designed for beginners to intermediate riders, ‘The Playground’ has proven to be hugely popular with UC Stromlo's mountain bike riders of all ages and abilities.
It is also a great loop for riders who want to test demo bikes, skills coaching area for clubs and a good place to warm up if you are unsure what your ability is or which trail grade to start with.
The Playground is open to the public when not booked.
A huge thank to the partners and sponsors of The Playground project including Trek Bikes, Capital Hotel Group , CORC (Canberra Off Road Cyclists), ONYA bike and Cre8ive. Without their support, The Playground would not exist.
Pump Tracks
A hub of activity, especially on a Saturday morning or warm summer’s evening, UC Stromlo’s purpose-built pump track draws a crowd. Whether you’re wanting a warmup before hitting the trails, finetuning your skills or racing a mate, the pump track is open to riders of all ages and cycling abilities.
Trials
UC Stromlo’s dedicated trials area can be found near the northern end of the Event Pavilion car park and contains sections which were used for the 2009 UCI World Mountain Bike Championships. Our trials area is a mixture of both natural and artificial terrain and obstacles have been constructed using old hardwood trees, blue stone rocks and various concrete structures. Plans are currently in development to design and build a new trials area in the Park.
The trials area should only be ridden by competent trials riders and only on a trials specific bike with working front and rear brakes and appropriate tyres with adequate tread. There are varying degrees of difficulty and riders should only use these facilities within their own abilities. Do not ride the trials area in wet weather and/or high winds.
An Australian Standard Certified helmet is mandatory, and other padding such as gloves, knee pads, and elbow pads are highly recommended.
BMX – Our plans for future facilities
Plans are in development to design and cost a future freestyle BMX facility at UC Stromlo that will cater for all riding levels from beginners and novice riders all the way through to professional BMX riders.
The previous dirt jumps we had have been decommissioned. In the meantime, beginner and intermediate level jumps can be found within The Playground, Pump Tracks and on various bike trails within the park.
Mountain bike and skills training providers
Looking for a course or training session to improve your skills? Go to our calendar at events and closures.
Booking
If your organisation would like to book any of the mountain bike trails or Pump track for training, competition or events, please visit Book for more information.
Photo credi: (Tile) VisitCanberra | (Trials) Alex Markwart