'BALKAN 'Blog

Balkan rebuilds the Apple Isle

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 02:10:00 -0400

Watchout if your heading to the Tasmanian BMX titles in October 2010. The Balkan has just put the final touches on a Dirtz knockdown and rebuild @ Southern City BMX track. Totally new layout, heaps more tech, faster, harder, better :P. The Tassie BMX riders now have a UCI level training track, watchout at the Aussie titles next year. Check out our latest photos.

We will be asphalting the Liverpool BMX track corners next, then the boys head south to Bunyip Bike park, Vic for a total jump park build and then Warrnambool. Vic for a freshen up. Then we head to Queanbeyan !!! for the Jump Park build of the decade;)...we are seriously looking forward to this one. We want to really show what Dirtz can do and we have been given a BIG open canvas. Stay posted.

August will see the official opening of the Mount Annan XC (Stage 1 and Stage 2). Stage 3 will be next and gives us the chance to throw some real tech XC track down. It is a delicate balance to get technical trail that is also sustainable through events and recreation. We will post the opening date as soon as we now it ourselves and expect to see all you aerobic junkies on your MTB's for the the latest XC trail to hit the Sydney basin.

All for now,

Barnesy & Balkan

The Takeuchi takes a ride

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:31:00 -0400

Well we had a first test day for the Mount Annan Botanic garden, MTB trail on Mon 14/6. Very good test crew as we had all levels of riders, so it gave us a good insight into how different parts of the trail worked with different levels of skill. Overall the feedback was great but will still see us tune a few things over the next week. We are then in limbo for a while until the decking for the last bridges arrives. Official opening still scheduled in August. Big thanks to everyone that turned up the track is already ridden in better.

Meanwhile Balkans big baby, (The Takeuchi...imagine a track bobcat on steroids! ) has taken a trip south, as he struggles with the wet @ Tyers jump park, Vic. The Takeuchi was the only machine that could cope with the mud, he just kept burying normal bobcats :)

He will be back in NSW for a couple of days then makes the bigger trip south to Tassie. To do a total knock down rebuild on Southern City BMX. This track will then host the Tassie BMX State titles ! ...so it must be better than anything they have seen in Tassie before. Then it looks like we get a start on Quenabeyan 'Scar' jump park !! Yeah

Mount Annan 100mph

Mon, 24 May 2010 08:58:00 -0400

Well we have been spending some time in Victoria recently, sizing up some Jump parks and BMX race tracks that we will soon be starting. And we have also just been given the go ahead for 'The Scar' jump park @ Queanbeyan. We are really keen to do this one as we reckon it will set a new standard for legal Jump Parks in Oz.

But the big new is Mount Annan MTB trail. We have been working on this for about 2 yrs so it was great to finally turn some soil over. We started Stage 1 & 2 six days ago. So far about 5km of trail in 6 days, which belies what all the 'experts' said we could do:). Keeping in mind this includes armoured water crossings, bridges (properly done) and full bench trail. We have also included a pump track, a flow trail (berms and rollers) and a few nasty climbing sections. Opening date will officially be in August sometime, it remains out of bounds till then ...sorry. We will post some video and photos up real soon and get the opening date out as we have it confirmed.

Balkan & Barnesy

Wheres Balkan?

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 18:05:00 -0400

Geoff 'the balkan' Cartwright is still at it.... Having just finished 3 x Jump Parks in La Trobe Council, Victoria (which everyone was over the moon with).

We then moved out to Mt Annan Botannical gardens, NSW and marked out the first loop of their new XC loop, including pump track at one of the junctions in the track.

He has now jumped a flight and headed up north to Darwin where he is completing the Satellite City BMX track rebuild. With Jingili already done and now Satellite, the N.T. BMX racers are going to have some kick arse tracks to race and train on.

Balkan then heads a bit further south to Caboolture for another BMX track rebuild. This one will be a challenge as the area is very restricted, but we have come up with a design that we reckon is going to make this one of the best tracks in Qld. (along with Townsville and Pine Rivers :)) .

We'll add some photos to the site as soon as we can.

Barnesy

BUSY BALKAN

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 06:46:00 -0400

Here at Dirtz we have been flat out. Geoff 'The Balkan' Cartwright just put the finishing touches on a complete rebuild of Pine Rivers BMX track, which we reckon is now the most Tech track in the Sunshine state. Great club, hardworking, get along to their Open to check the new track out. It is really hectic with lots of combinations. http://www.bmxq.org.au/events/Flyers%202009/2009%20Rivers%20Rumble%20Noms%20Form.pdf

Having finished that, we were onto completing a design for Chichibyu, Japan. We did this with young BMXer Kai Sakikibara. Japanese BMX were after a Technical track that would raise the eyebrows of the best BMXers in the World. They saw some of our stuff and next thing we were putting this track together with Kai. Geoff and Kai have now left for Japan and will be spending 13 days there to build this track. I have posted a concept of the track in our Photo Gallery.

When the Balkan gets back from the land of the rising sun, he heads straight up to Jingili, N.T. where a complete rebuild awaits. Here we will be finishing the track with Soiltech stabiliser. It is a trial to see if this is the answer to hold up to the northern wet season. For our Northern BMX cousins we are hoping this is the magic wand that will give them that extra time on a truly tech track leading up to the 2010 National Titles.

Once again, anyone in a BMX club will be very surprised at what we charge to design or rebuild a track. Basically we have already made all the mistakes you would make doing your own track (simply because we have done so many). So learn from our mistakes and give us a call/email.

Keep it rubber side down and smiling :)

Barnesy

SOPA

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:38:00 -0400

This past week Luke and my self have been busy at SOPA (sydney olympic park)) we have introduced a few changes and gave the old girl back some curves so far its coming along awsome ........the rain has put a dampener on it now so pics and full report as soon as this weather leaves us.

CEERS BALKAN

NHULUNBUY

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:36:00 -0400

Nhulunbuy was 5th track to be BALKANIZED this year for those that dont know Nhulunbuy is small mining based town in East Arnhem land in the N.T to say the least its a very isolated place and is shut off from the rest of Australia nearly half the year so in BMX terms they only have half a race season when compared to other states....

After shoe whipping a few crocs and dropping a few buffalo DUNDEE style to get them off the track the job of inspecting the site arrived ....to the Balkans dismay there where 2 big cables holding up there lighting tower for support wich kinda threw a spanner in the works adding too that the bobcat was on a late start as the owners where doing there best too fullfill there work commitments before they could donate its use ...

When it finally showed we had sorted the cable issue and all but had the track sitting in stock piles ready to be rebuilt.

The next day went without a hitch with the rebuild in full swing and the usual questions of will the sprockets make it over the jumps on the first straight ....After a lenghty consultation with the club members it was decided the sprockets will now adopt the Balkan sprocket 'SPEED STICK' training program ( patent pending! ) .

With many lunch and afternoon sit downs... any problem pending was solved .

After 6 days we where looking at a new track layout which allowed for Nhulunbuys BMX season to get under way with their first gate/training night of the season ....It was awesome too see all the kids enjoying the hard work put in buy everyone who was involved...And lets not forget the younger riders who also picked up rakes and shovels too help with the build. There work ethic is awesome ...so awesome in fact they also have a PUMP track which they practically built themselves to train on and teach the littlys some skills..GOOD STUFF GUYS. I believe they are actually forming there own commitee to run there pump track.

I would like too thank every one involved in getting Dirtz up there for the build and the appreciation shown for the track ...Just because your club may be in the middle of nowhere doesnt mean you cant have a 'pimpin' track and these guys have proved it .

Again thanks for the experience and I will definetly be back ....

BALKAN.

Balkan Blog is alive!

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 07:21:00 -0400

Geoff 'The Balkan' Cartwright is the DirtzTraxnTrailz builder. He's the guy that brings our designs and innovations to life. He lives and breaths off road bicycles and has built more tracks (BMX & 4X) than any other guy in Australia. He is the fastest and the best.

Because of that, we have had him flying all over Oz building all types of tracks. We thought we would throw a bit of a blog on our site, so the Balkan could tell the people in Bike World where he is and what he is up to. Sort of like 'Where's Wally' but with BMX and MTB's all around him. :D