The original gravity destination for many Australian MTB riders, Thredbo. With Australia's only summer long MTB chair lift access it's been the home of a tonne of national DH racers and the DH track is one of the most, if not the most iconic DH track in Australia. With the increase in popularity of Enduro and all mountain riding the facilities are expanding with new trails for us to enjoy. The unique experience of chairlift mountain biking right here in Australia is a massive draw card. There is something about sitting down with the fresh breeze of the chair lift, soaking in the view, before dropping into another epic run that can't be replicated on any other kind of shuttle.
The Location / Getting There
Thredbo is located in the famous Kosciuszko National Park. It's a 15 hour drive from Brisbane, otherwise Canberra airport is the closest major airport to fly to but will still require a 211km drive to Thredbo itself. Being located in a national park the landscape here is spectacular, making for a great finish to your journey to Thredbo.
Accommodation
Being a ski resort in the winter there are a tonne of accommodation options for mountain bikers at Thredbo. To easily see a range of options click here.
*Tip: If you're planning on cooking your own food during your stay in Thredbo stock up on groceries in 'Jindabyne' on your way to Thredbo for a wider range of options at more competitive prices.
Thredbo Mountain Biking Resources
Thredbo has all the infrastructure to support your mountain bike needs during your stay. There is a shop with workshop under 100m from the finish of the trails, should you have a mechanical during your stay they can help you out. Dare we say it, should there be some rainy weather while you're there, there is a free to use bike wash at the bottom of the trails as well. How good is that!? Then of course the trails on the mountain itself, you'll need to pay for a lift ticket to access these on the chair lift. Once you're ticketed up you're ready to get on the lift and up the mountain!
The Top 4 Thredbo MTB Trails
1. All Mountain Trail
The Thredbo all Mountain Trail is a looooong descent that flows it's way across the mountain. Despite being such a long descent there is only one real up hill pinch which lasts maybe a minute at it's worst. Other than that it's all gravity fed goodness! Expect mostly berms and fast flowy turns on this trail although there will be a few sections with rocks and roots to keep you on your toes. This is a great trail to start the day on getting warmed up or... just ride all day, it's that good!
2. Ricochet
The latest addition to the Thredbo mountain bike park, 'Ricochet' is 3.2km long and designed to cater for modern all mountain / Enduro riders. The trail winds it's way down the mountain with a tonne of great berms broken up with fun traverses and unique rock features.
3. Kosciuszko Flow Trail
Think of the all mountain trail but with more open berms allowing you to carry some serious speeds and you've got the Ksociosko flow trail. A few fun jumps are thrown in for good measure as you open it up and get your bike going as fast as you're brave enough to allow it to.
4. Cannonball DH
The original beast of Thredbo, the Cannonball DH track. Flat out speeds and as rough as it gets, this track holds no prisoners. Only take this trail on if you're an advanced rider and have been riding all the other trails with ease so far. The rough terrain here is brutal enough to shake even professional riders around as they ride across the rugged, rocky terrain.
The Best Gear For Thredbo MTB
Tyres
There are a number of sharp rocks lurking in the dust of the Thredbo mountain bike park making your MTB tyre choice critical. We recommend you go with a strong sidewall for the best protection, for example the Maxxis Double Down / DH casing tyres or Goodyear DH tyres. This can save you not only tearing up your lighter tyres but a seriously long walk down the hill.
Weather Gear
It may be summer but things can get pretty windy and cold at Thredbo on that big mountain! Long sleeve jersey's are always ideal (almost essential) for these conditions and depending on the weather a wet weather jacket or wind breaker can go a long way.
Bike Prep
The huge amount of descent time you can get in using the chair lift means any weaknesses of bike maintenance that you've been neglecting will quickly become exposed. To make sure you're spending as much time riding as possible we recommend getting your mountain bike serviced before you go to avoid unexpected mechanical issues. Thredbo has a nasty habit of rattling bikes loose!
Suitable Bikes
If you're looking to enjoy the long winding alpine descents and aren't too fussed about the Cannonball DH track an all mountain / Enduro bike like the Giant Reign, Norco Sight, Santa Cruz Hightower, etc. will serve you well. If you're after that full throttle experience on the Cannonball DH track a DH race bike like the Norco Aurum is best suited although it is still enjoyable on long travel enduro bikes.
Wrapping It Up
If you're a gravity driven mountain biker looking to explore some unique Australian alpine terrain and exciting mountain bike trails Thredbo should be on your list of places to ride. It may not have the variety of trails like other destinations (yet) but the quality is unreal and the chair lift experience simply not replicated anywhere else in Australia like it is here.
