The NORTH STAR TRAIL BIKE RIDE is the biggest event on the North Star Sporting Club’s calendar and it’s on again this weekend. When the first event was held in 2006, just 50 riders came. Last year 660 turned up.
“It’s become a major event in the Goondiwindi/ Moree area and it grows each year, especially after the 2008 and 2009 events were given good wraps in major articles in the Australasian Dirt Bike Magazine,” said organiser Jeff Nixon.
“We’re hoping the trend will continue in 2010, although we won’t complain if it levels off at five to six hundred,” he said.
This year’s ride is shaping up to be another great event, with new tracks, recent rains and oragnisers becoming more experienced, especially at marking trails.
The trail ride is a non-competitive community event, held as fundraiser for the North Star Sporting Club and the North Star School.
The trail ride is open to anyone with a dirt bike (off-road motorcycle). This means the ride is open to riders of all ages and abilities and dirt bikes of all types, from Ag-Bikes to Motocross Bikes, with trails for Open/Senior, Novice/Junior and Pee Wee Riders.
The North Star Sporting Club with all its facilities will be open for camping, meals and drinks from Friday Night, so those who have to travel a long way or are just keen, can make the most of their weekend and be settled in ready for Saturday morning. The clubhouse is heated and has a new hot shower block. There will also be plenty of firewood to make camping out in July a bit more pleasant.
All the trail loops leave right from the Sporting Club grounds and pass through the paddocks, creeks, gullies, scrub, gravel pits and hills on the farms surrounding North Star.
The Open/Senior Track has undergone major changes for this year. The new track is approximately 80km to 90km in length with two fuel and water stops helping to break it into three sections of around 20km to 30km.
This length has allowed the track to reach into completely new areas and provides a wide variety of terrain and riding conditions so although this year’s track is a bit longer than previous years it has a better mix of tight technical sections and easy going open sections. It should take an average rider around 2.5hrs of riding time to complete the loop.
The Novice/Junior Track will be the same format as last year with Easy (3km), Medium (8km) and Hard (12km) loops within the one track along the creek near the Sporting Club. This format compensates for the wide range of abilities within the Junior and Novice riders and allows them to progress to a more challenging trail as they build their skills and confidence.
The Pee Wee Track is a flat, smooth track marked out in the horse event ring in front of the club house and beside the camping area where parents can easily supervise their Pee Wee rider. The Pee Wee track is intended for very young riders who have just learnt to ride a motorbike.
For the pee wee riders who don’t find the Pee Wee track challenging enough it’s just a small step up to the easy loop on the Novice/Junior Track.
For those who have trouble out on the trails there will be plenty of sweep riders to lend a hand or call for further help if needed and the NSW Ambulance will be in attendance at the Sporting Club Grounds.
Saturday night’s entertainment will include the barrel race in the horse ring, where the bike riders who haven’t had enough riding for one day can take on each other as well as some of local horse riders on their horses. There will also be video of some of the days riding mayhem on the big screen in the clubhouse.
Apart from a reliable dirt bike in a reasonable condition, riders must have sturdy boots (proper motorbike boots highly recommended), long pants, long sleeved shirt, motorcycle helmet, eye protection and gloves.
Riders should carry their own drinking water with them while riding and bring their own fuel and fuel containers that can be placed on the fuel trailers to be taken to the fuel stops.
Riders can sign up for the ride from 8am on Saturday with the trail loops open from 10am to 3pm while on Sunday sign on will be from 7.30am to 9.30am and the loops will be open from 8am to 1pm.
For more information and pricing visit the Dalby Moto Website www.dalbymoto.com.au. or phone 0428 545 367, 0428 763 231 or 0429 355 773.
The North Sporting Club also has a website www.northstarsporting.org which has some information.
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