Thunderbolts Way

[Advwannabe]

Is the name for one of the bike riding meccas in inland NSW. It takes you through the Great Dividing range. I had to ride back to Sydney from Brisbane and thought I may as well make a ride of it.

I hadn't planned on it chucking down rain and record floods along the way. The first day down from Brisbane and the Oxley Highway was effectively a wet weather test of the new Macadams. Not bad!

Sunday was mercifully a little drier and I was able to enjoy some fast dirt around Walcha before the rain arrived again



before turning onto the Thunderbolts. Corner after corner and views like this



It couldn't last though. I got of and took this photo just as the air started to thicken and cool



After a solid drenching I convinced myself it would be dry enough to attempt the Barrington Tops road over the range to Moonee Flat. Not clever. THe ride though the clouds near the top of the range was pretty cool though



before some steep rough downhills and finally some fastish downhill corners with views just before the bottom of the range.





Just about the only things that would have made this ride better would have been a decent bashplate, shock and some TKCs. The rear shock faded badly over the rough country and we had effectively no damping left after 100 miles or so of dirt. Trying to coax Tigger up a steep incline with the ammount of axle tramp it was getting was 'interesting'. Overall though, short of really knarley single track, Tiggers can handle anything!

[HockleyBoy]

Nice report and great photos. You are lucky having such great trails to ride in that part of the world!