Tasmania: Australia’s Mountain Bike Heaven
With Kelsey Timpany, Pivot Athlete
When I first landed in Tasmania, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. Often dubbed as the ‘forgotten state of Australia’ and renowned for its raw, rugged beauty - a place so behind the times, its actually ahead.
I knew Tasmania had been building a name for itself in the mountain bike scene — Derby, Maydena, St Helens, have been gracing keen mountain bikers itineraries since its rapid incline in infrastructure in the last 10 years — but I had no idea the capital city Hobart, was such a gem.
What I found was a city with raw, rowdy riding, under the formidable Kunanyi (Mount Wellington), and a community that lives and breathes the rugged outdoors with a lifestyle I didn’t know I needed.
What I found was a port city steeped in heritage, buzzing with art, music, and culture — all tucked beneath kunanyi / Mount Wellington, and a community that lives and breathes the rugged outdoors with a lifestyle I didn’t know I needed.
The hero of the Hobart riding scene
The hero of the Hobart riding scene is kunanyi / Mount Wellington known in Palawa kani, the language of Tasmania’s First Peoples, as kunanyi. This iconic landmark sits at 1,271m, an alpine giant that casts its shadow across Hobart’s skyline — and forms the backbone of the local riding scene. From The Springs Lookout, you can drop 680 vertical meters down to the iconic Cascade Brewery – where all good mountain bike rides finish.
There’s a rawness here you don’t get in polished bike parks — it’s you versus the terrain, with the sound of cockatoos overhead, wallabies (a variation of a Kangaroo) at your wheels and poisonous black belly snakes in the heat of summer.
Soho’s slopes are home to a gritty web of all-mountain, enduro, and XC trails that wind through eucalyptus forest, mossy gullies, and granite slabs.
There’s no shortage of elevation or terrain — the challenge is choosing which direction to drop and to avoid poisonous black belly snakes, and wildlife around blind corners.
Summer in Hobart means dry, dusty conditions and fast, loose corners. But it’s the post-rain, tacky dirt that really makes the place shine. These were the exact conditions I tested the trail network in, aboard my Pivot Mach 6—the ultimate Tasmanian bike. It’s mulleted for fun on the tight, steep terrain, has just the right amount of suspension to let it rip, and is geometrically sound enough to handle the climbs on kunanyi.
From the classic trail Red Wine
a local favourite where the forest glows green before dropping into the dank, grippy depths—you’re suddenly in a technicolour wonderland of roots, rocks, and flowy berms pulling you deeper into the bush. Then there’s my new obsession: Pubes—a steep, choose-your-line-and-commit chute. It’s my favourite style of riding: huck and hope. A match made in heaven with the Mach 6.
Hobart’s riding scene is as tight knit as they come. On any given day, you’ll spot everyone from kids getting shuttled by their parents in classic Aussie Toyota Land Cruisers, kitted out in full downhill gear, to hardtail purists—no dropper post in sight. Then there’s my clan: the thrill seekers. Many of us are former pros or unsung heroes in our field, chasing those fleeting seconds where it feels like we’re back in the glory days.
There’s an unspoken rule here:
If you see a rider at the trailhead, you say gidday. The best part? kunanyi delivers.
There’s a gritty charm here. Many of the trails have been shaped over years by passionate locals. Some are officially sanctioned, others less so, but they all reflect the wild character of the land — and the riders who call it home.
At the base of Mt Wellington sits the Cascade Brewery, Australia’s oldest operating brewery and a central figure in Hobart’s trail ecosystem. Their land forms a crucial link between the mountain and the city.
Tasmania
Cascade Brewery Taphouse welcomes mountain bikers with open arms, with dedicated bike parking in front of the historic landmark and $6 AUD pints for happy hour. Does it really get any better?!
Tasmania is fast becoming the Disneyland of mountain biking in the Southern Hemisphere, and Hobart is only a small sample of it. Wild terrain. Trail diversity. Stunning backdrops. And now, a rapidly growing network of purpose-built trails that rivals anything on the mainland.
But Hobart, for me, is where it all connects — where wilderness meets culture, where your trail ride ends with a cold beer or ocean swim, and where a community of like-minded dirt lovers are carving out something special, one corner at a time. If Tasmania is not on your list, be sure to put it on there!
Images Courtesy of RFPhotographics
