Blue Derby | A Quick Guide to a Long Weekend with Josh Carlson

Ah, Blue Derby, a paradise for mountain bikers. The combination of the decaying granite in the soil, the gargantuan boulders, the forest, and of course, the magic World Trail has worked to create a massive network, catering to everyone from true beginners to full-on trendsetters.

But with over 125km of singletrack, decision fatigue is real when you’re standing at the trail board trying to figure out where to go, or the desk in Vertigo, or another shuttle provider, trying to book uplifts in the main stacked loop or up to the Blue Tier and Atlas.

And when you only have a long weekend to spend here,  you want to get the most out of your time in Blue Derby. Friend of Flow Josh Carlson has spent a fair bit of time among the towering eucalyptus regnans and man ferns, and he knows his Deadly Buggas from his Black Dragons. He also raced here when the Enduro World Series came to town in 2019 and 2023 under the guise of the World Cup EDR.

Related:

• How To Ride Derby | Flow’s favourites routes in Blue Derby
• First round of Shimano Trail Born to cover cost of handbuilt trail in Blue Derby
• From landslides to infinity berms | What’s the latest from Blue Derby?

It’s impossible to pick a lousy trail in Derby, but there are a few ways to maximise the ascent-to-descent ratio and take full advantage of your shuttle pass, so you don’t burn through the uplifts you’ve booked before lunch.

In January, Josh spotted mega-cheap airfares into Launceston and decided a long weekend in Northeast Tassie was in order. Fortunately for us, Carlson on Course has revived his Spoken Trail series and created an exemplary how to do Derby on a long weekend guide.

And so he booked his flights, rented a Levo SL from Vertigo and went hooning around among the granite.

We’ve teamed up with Josh to give you his top tips on how to spend a long weekend in Blue Derby.

Use Snig Track and Roxanne to maximise your shuttles

Yes, after the big show, we just made about maximising your shuttles and the ascending-to-descending ratio, to start this off by recommending a climb — oh, the irony!

But after you jump off the shuttle to Black Stump, resist the urge to make a beeline for Flickity Sticks, Air Ya Garn, Hazy Days, Kumma Gutza or Return to Sender.

Roxanne has featured each time the World Cup has rolled into town, and it’s a more raw and natural descent with some mega rock gardens and a lovely introduction to how grippy the granite in Derby can be.

Roxanne is accessed via Snig Track, an engaging, techy climb that takes 20-30 min on a pedal bike and about 15min on an e-MTB. It’s a fantastic warm-up to get your body moving and also goes through Derby’s Green Room — a paradise for those afflicted with Bryophilia and Pteridomania (a clinical love of all things moss and ferns).

The beauty of Roxanne is it loops back to Black Stump. Meaning you’ve only burned one of your uplifts, and the world is still your oyster when it comes to delectable Derby descending, but to be honest, you’re going to want to ride it more than once.

Hit the granite classics | Kumma Gutza, Detonate & Trouty

While you’ll have a taste of the granite on Roxanne, this is just the start. Head back up Snig Track to do the full Kumma Gutza with all of its slabby, janky goodness or take off down the start of Flickity Sticks to access Detonate — arguably the most famous trail in Derby.

Here you’ll find the boulders which are just wide enough for an 800mm set of bars to sneak through. They are a sight to behold and a wild one to ride. It’s not all that techy, but it’s a feature you have to commit to and stay light on the brakes. The rest of Detonate, however, is pretty spicy, so be on your A-game and keep an eye out for the iconic features that challenged the world’s best enduro racers, like the Lily Pad — which is actually before the rock monoliths.

To ride both Kumma Gutza and Detonate, you’ll have to use an uplift or climb up Long Shadows, but both trails are absolutely worth the effort.

And then there is Trouty. Situated on the other end of the trail network, don’t go into this one hungry, as it’s a bit of a hike to get out there. It’s a classic Derby trail that SHOULD NOT be missed.

You’ll need to make your way over to Krushkas and ride most of the loop. It’s a lovely climb, so settle in and enjoy the greenery, before you’re rewarded with a flowy descent into the Trouty/Cuddles junction. You get a short intro into this chunky monkey of a trail before you hit the best view over town. Then it’s into the slabs — steep, rough and more lines than you can shake a crank arm at.

Check out the new handbuilt trail

To celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Blue Derby, World Trail is set to open a brand new hand-built trail stemming from the Black Stump shuttle drop-off. This trail had been in the works for some time, and was eventually the first recipient of the Shimano Trail Born program.

The new trail will follow a ridge between the Long Shadows climb and the Flickity Sticks descent. When it opens in April, it will be blue, but like a fine wine, it will mature into a dark blue/black tech descent over time.

Josh caught up with Glen Jacobs of World Trail, who was also in town and gained some insights into the witchcraft and wizardry the trail builders harness to create Derby’s signature trails.

See the Derby Tunnel, Tastey Trout Falls & Hazy Days

While the gnarly enduro trails and big adventure trails dominate the coverage of Blue Derby, there are quite a few landmarks and oddities around the park that are well worth your time to experience. They are accessible for riders of all levels and make great adventures if you have the whole family in tow. It’s also a terrific way to get your eye in after a long travel day so that you don’t break yourself straight off the plane.

The Derby Tunnel is accessed from the trailhead via Rusty Crust and Axe Head. You can knick straight over to the tunnel via a new bridge, but if you make your way all the way up Axe Head onto Sawtooth, you can see the infamous S-Bends, Tasty Trout Falls and the Sawtooth Lookout. With a lovely view over town and down the Cascade River, it’s an excellent spot for a picnic.

This tunnel was originally bored because an agreement could not be reached to move tailings across another miner’s lease. So they went under it and now you can ride through it! At about 350m long, it’s all lit up inside and downhill the whole way; we dare you to ride through it and not hoot and holler on your way out — it’s simply not possible.

Making your way back up towards black Stump either via Long Shadows or a shuttle uplift is Hazy Days. This is one of Derby’s newest landmarks for a couple of reasons. It’s named for the town’s loveable larrikin Jeffrey Hayes. Jeffrey himself was a staple of Derby, a well-loved character known for his unique catchphrases, welcoming demeanour, and, man, could he throw a party.

Sadly, Jeffery passed away in 2020. Hazy Days is forever a tribute to Jeffery, his impact on Derby and what it has become today.

The other reason it’s so key to the trail network is Hazy Days offers a shuttleable green-rated descent, so beginner riders can experience the joy of mountain biking with an uplift. Even though it’s green-rated, it’s packed full of easter eggs, and side hits to keep experienced riders plenty entertained.

It also leaves from the same trail hub as Air Ya Garn and Kumma Gutza, which all finish at the trailhead. So if there are big variances in rider skill in a group, you can make your way up together, split up on the descent and meet at the trailhead.

Make time for the Blue Tier

Descending from the tippy top of the Blue Tier sub-alpine plateau onto the front porch of the Weldborough Pub, this 23km adventure ride tours some of Tasmania’s oldest forests. It is one of the original adventure rides in the area and has just had a top-to-bottom rebuild thanks to World Trail and the Blue Derby Trail crew — boy-howdy is it running well.

Berm, after berm, after double, after berm, after double and another double thrown in‚ it is seemingly endless flow that will illicit involuntary yips and yells from even the most curmudgeonly tech purist. Don’t believe me? Watch Josh’s video.

The trail is fantastic, but even more stunning is the environment. If you thought The Green Room on Snig Track was lush and vibrant, you are in for a pleasant surprise, dear reader. When you stop to catch your breath, take some time to look around and appreciate the landscape you’re riding through.

Plain and simple, build time in your trip to do the Blue Tier. Most of the shuttle companies in town have a Blue Tier option, and some offer it as a combo where you ride to Weldborough and have lunch. Then, instead of driving back to Derby, they drop you off at the top of Atlas to ride back home.

Atlas deposits you back into the stacked loop three-quarters of the way around Dam Busters. Instead of doing the the Dam Busters descent, go back on Krushkas and ride over to Cuddles — trust us, it’s worth it.

Bulk Air Ya Garn laps

Air Ya Garn is the trail that made airflow famous, and it is one of, if not THE most popular trail in Derby — it’s not hard to see why.

While it is a black-rated descent, there are B-lines around everything, so if you’re not quite up for the BIG jumps and gaps, there is no forced risk. However, if you opt to hit the jumps, many of them have significant gaps, so you have to commit.

But the beauty of Air Ya Garn is that it’s constructed so that you can progress as your confidence and skills build. Take a sighting lap and work your way up to the moon booters. Save a couple of shuttle laps for Air Ya Garn, you won’t be disappointed.