#rockytraildestination: Rydal Showground, Lidsdale State Forest, Lithgow NSW
Event: JetBlack 24 Hour Endurance MTB Race, 3+4 March 2018
Rocky Trail Links:
About the JetBlack 24 H
A decade of rocky trails and still rocking on! – We are excited to celebrate our 10-year anniversary with the 10th edition of our very first cross-country race, which has become our flagship endurance event: the JETBLACK 24 HOUR.
It has been an amazing journey and in 2018, the JetBlack 24 Hour with its JetBlack 6+6 Hour offspring will take place at Rydal Showgrounds near Lithgow and with thanks to our hosts, the Central Tablelands MTB Club and the NSW Forestry Corporation who will help us put together an awesome race track and all that supported by the Lithgow City Council and the team at the Lithgow Tourism Information Centre.
You can race in teams of up to 6 in the 24 Hour and up to 4 in the 6+6 Hour and there are the classic age categories in the solo divisions. Bring the family, friends and the kids – there is so much space and we can’t wait to entertain you in “classic 24-hour race style”! DJ, great food, kids activities, that signature Rocky Trail wake-up call on Sunday morning – the Rocky Trail crew awaits you at Rydal!
Come and Be a #rockytrailracer – be sure to sign up to the newsletter for all the event updates!
Accommodation and local business offers near Rydal and in and around Lithgow
You can camp at the event centre from Friday until Sunday. However, we thought, some of you might want to stay off-site and the 6+6 hour racers would have the perfect schedule to do so especially. Also, if you’re bringing the family and kids you will have access to our caterer and services in the event centre, but might prefer a hotel-set-up.
Here are some ideas and the local businesses of Lithgow and surrounds are looking forward to us arriving in town – they are offering a wide range of specials, which we’d like to share with you. As more and more offers are coming in, we’ll be updating this list and you’ll find a full overview on our website too.
Local accommodation – Hotel and Motel offers
Bushmans Motor Inn Lithgow
Bushman’s Motor Inn Lithgow
526 Great Western Highway
MARRANGAROO NSW 2790
Ph. (02) 6352 1655
Set on 9 acres, the Bushman’s Motor Inn is located on the Western Side of Lithgow approximately 5 km from the CBD and 3 km from the visitors centre. The property has a pool, a spacious car park with parking space out the front of each room (free parking), a licenced restaurant, vending machine & streets ice cream freezer all on-site and is located just 12km from Rydal.
We are pleased to offer the following to your participants in the Jet Black 24Hr Mountain Bike ride at Rydal:
- Free Garlic Bread or Bruschetta with any Main Meal Purchased from our Restaurant
- Special Rates!
- $135.00 P/N (when staying for 1 night only) in our Deluxe Rooms inclusive of Kick Start Breakfast (delivered to the room the night before) OR
- $125.00 P/N (when staying for 2 or more nights) in our Deluxe Rooms inclusive of Kick Start Breakfast (delivered to the room the night before)
…awaiting confirmation of further offers
Local business offers
…awaiting confirmation of further offers…
What the #rockytrailracers say
There is so much to do and so much to see – we’ve chatted to some of our #rockytrailracers who have raced at Lidsdale State Forest before and would like to share some tips on this #rockytraildestination – we’ve been running downhill events in Lithgow for years and hope we can tempt you to a weekend away!
Briony Mattocks, Shimano Team racer
Briony Mattocks competed at our “Rydal test event”, the SHIMANO MTB Grand Prix race at the Lidsdale State Forest in April 2017.
Briony Mattocks at the Shimano MTB GP at Rydal, 2017
About Rydal
“Rydal was a bit of a surprise for me last year – I had not only never ridden there, but to be honest I probably wouldn’t have been able to point it out on a map. After a pretty easy and somewhat scenic drive across the mountains I was greeted with an awesome XC race track nestled in a patch of bushland near the showground. I really enjoyed thrashing out fast laps at Rydal, and chatting to other Rocky Trail racers of all types ave abilities echoed the fact that it provided a stack of fun and competition for everyone.”
About the race track
Click to view slideshow.“The trails feel hand cut, well thought out and ride really well – it’s the sort of place where it’s relatively beginner friendly but also challenging for the more serious racer, as the trails get more technical the faster you hit them.
There are plenty of corners to attack with speed and, some old school flowy sections, as well as a great section full of A and B lines to keep you on your toes and provide a bit of “hell yeah!” if the odd drop, small gap or berm are your thing.”
Juliane Wisata, Rocky Trail co-founder & Marketing Director
Juliane (left) with Cosmo and Race Director Martin Wisata; Event Officer Erica Price right.
We have been visiting Lithgow for years now and it’s always a highlight on our events calendar. I quite like getting “inland” and enjoy the bushland surrounds – I remember we once took a drive from Thredbo up via Canberra and then onto Lithgow via Oberon – all that with a baby on board, but we took a few stops along the way to explore and have a picnic by the river and it was a great experience.
We are used to staying in the town of Lithgow and the food offer is incredible – I’m more than happy to share our favourite Vietnamese Restaurant tip with you below! It’s a must for us when we’re there! We have been based at the Lithgow Pony Club with our downhillers below Hassans Walls so to discover Rydal was a real treat for us.
The trails as Briony said are great – I did the clean-up lap after the Shimano MTB GP and fell in love. With an active club, an amazingly welcoming Rydal Showgrounds Society and a great venue partner with the NSW Forestry Corporation it was a done deal.
The facilities are great – our caterer most likely will be able to use some of the fantastic facilities at the showgrounds – beautifully rustic barns and a massive, flat (!!!) meadow and event centre and all that surrounded by all those singletrails.
We are so excited that so many local businesses have come on board to support our event – be sure to check out their accommodation offers and specials! So here we go, a few tips below from us:
Attractions
You must check out Hassans Walls look-out when you’re in town, it’s a magical place – we get to it quite often, as the downhill start is not far from the look-out.
Cafes and Restaurants
The Lithgow Workies Club makes one mean Chicken Schnitty Parmigiana, a well deserved dinner for a #rockytrailracer for sure! We also love the Tin Shed, a Cafe-Restaurant-Wine Bar that serves delicious meals and deserts in a friendly and romantic setting.
Museums
Nice selection of museums ranging from a Small Fire Arms Museum to historic sites.
Impressions from the JetBlack 24 Hour event from previous years
Click to view slideshow.(includes photos by OuterImage and Dan de Witte)
About Rocky Trail Destination:
Rocky Trail Destination is part of Rocky Trail Entertainment Pty Ltd and specialises in the establishment, marketing and promotion of cycling destinations.
Do you know a region, a venue or an active council that could benefit from our services? Give us a shout!
All photos by OuterImage.com.au 
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