IT doesn’t matter if you’ve only ridden your bike once in the last 12 months.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
That’s the message coming from everyone involved with this weekend’s North Star Trail Ride as it closes in on its 10th anniversary.
Organiser Jeff Nixon said the ride started with 60 riders in 2006 and has continued to grow each year.
“Every year our numbers doubled until we hit 1000 and then we jumped up to 1400,” he said.
Regardless of your ability Nixon said there was something challenging for everyone, ranging from six-kilometre tracks up to the full 84-kilometre challenge which winds through seven kilometres of the infamous ‘enchanted forest’.
Rider Chris Thomas, who doubles as the trail ride webmaster, said the weekend was a chance to “ride with your mates”.
“You can go there with your mate who only rides once a year and you can go with your other mates that ride every weekend - that’s North Star,” he said.
“It doesn’t really matter how good or how bad of a rider you are, you can go out there and have a good time and laugh at each other falling off. Nothing is taken too seriously; that’s what it’s about.”
“It’s not about who can ride the fastest or who can ride the slowest, who’s the best or who’s the worst. That doesn’t matter, just as long as you’re there to have a good time on a motorbike, you fit right in.”
About 1400 riders will be spread across a total of five different tracks.
The five tracks will run through about 300 square kilometres of terrain and Nixon said people shouldn’t be concerned about the high numbers.
“Don’t let the numbers put you off,” he said.
“You’ve probably only got a rider every 100 to 150 metres which is comforting that you know someone’s nearby, but it’s not crowded.”
Nixon said they tried to make the ride slightly different each year.
“This year the enchanted forest is on the tail end of the loop so as you’re coming back we’ve got a diversion in there.
“If people are a bit tired they can opt to get onto the 40km track and head back.”
The event starts on Friday night with a barbecue and drinks, and Nixon said he expected a good number of people to turn up on Friday morning.
Registration fees cost $75 for 16 and over, $50 for under 16, $40 for novices and $10 for pee wee riders.
“The cost is all related to the track you’re riding and camping is free,” Nixon said.
