Chances are if you live in Central Victoria you have come across or heard about a guy , Jason Tolland, or Jake to the locals. He is a local mountain biking legend in the small but massively expanding town of Castlemaine, located smack in the centre of Victoria. Jake owned Castlemaine Cycles for ten years, until it recently sold and is now known as Cycle Concepts, in which Jake is now the Manager. (Which is great for all as it gives him more time to ride and build trails!) Jake is the driving force behind why Castlemaine is being put on the map as being one of the best places in the country to ride. Jake has spent countless hours over many years, building tracks all over the town, and organising social rides and club races. He is however quick to point out “I have had over the years a lot of support from the local guys and gals that have gotten into the mountain bike scene here in Castlemaine. We have through the development of the club gone from 2 guys running a race to a team of people within the Rocky Riders who come together for club races, enduros and social rides. “
Each week the club has 3 rides leaving from the shop and all abilities are welcome, the riders are extremely friendly and always wait up for people. These rides are also great as they always finish with a compulsory beer and pizza at the cafe next door. Home for school holidays, I found myself in at Cycle Concepts annoying Jake most days and after hearing so many of his hilarious stories, passion and knowledge for bikes, I wanted to dig a little deeper and find out what keeps this old school, hardcore mountain biker so passionate about the sport. Here’s how it went:
Name: Jason Tolland
Also known as: Jake, Frank the Tank
Occupation: Bicycle Retailer (Cycle Concepts, Castlemaine)
No. of years riding: 20 something years
Current Bikes: Giant Anthem Advanced SL 0, Yeti 575, and a Giant Anthem 29er (forcefully by my employer and strictly for scientific purposes only)
Dream Bike: 25th Anniversary Yeti 575, Yeti 66 and Scott Genius LT and anything that is new and shiny from Giant
Favourite place to ride: Castlemaine, Morzine in France. Places that are technically difficult and that scare the shit out of me.
Favourite cyclists: In the old days it would be John Gregory, he raced the World Cup series with less than $2000 in his pocket and camped at races. Nowadays it would have to be local talent Lach Norris, and all of the local boys as they’re always willing to have a crack which I greatly admire.
You’ve been likened as the Gary Fisher of Castlemaine, some might even go as far as of Australia, how did it all start?
God I hope I am not anything Like Gary Fisher ! I have never invented anything or made masses of money . Back in the day I was living in Melbourne with no car and could only go as far as the train could take me, heading out on rides around Kinglake and the Dandenong’s. I would come home to Castlemaine once a week for a ride and then one day it just clicked that there was so much potential for riding here and it was the place to be. I bought the bike shop in town. I happened to run into a man named Evan Jeffery, who has excellent skills and is super fit. Evan had started a loop of technical tracks in the Pineys. We both knew that it needed more. Together we set about creating a network of trails we could ride. We built the tracks to suit both the terrain and our preferred riding style; all the steep nasty climbs are thanks to him, and all the fun stuff like flowing berms and switchbacks are thanks to me. Through the shop and my many riding buddies, Castlemaine was a must go location for quite a while. Before my kids came along our house was an unofficial B&B for lots of my mates to drop in for a ride and a cheap bed. Cross country racing was more popular in the early 2000s (remember Cadel @ the Sydney Olympics ) We wanted to run races and make use of the trails that we had built, so after a few races run by other clubs helping us, we got a committee together and formed our own club subsequently the ‘Rocky Riders’ club was formed.
You’ve been on the riding scene, and in particular mountain bike scene, for most of your life, what is it that has kept you hooked for so long?
The sense of adventure I get every time I get out on the bike, I love that. Achieving the right balance of flow , speed and smoothness on the trail is high on my list . The best riders make riding look easy, that is what I aspire too. Also, it gives me friends that aren’t boring; otherwise I’d be going to bbq’s at people’s houses talking about pets, kids and house renovations. Mountain bikers in general are the right kind of people, we all share the same ideals and sense of purpose.. Riding also means I can drink heaps more beer.
What has been your craziest bike moment?
I used to head to Mount Beauty and race in the cross country on Saturday, sleep in the back of my old Land Rover then back it up on Sunday for the downhill race with the same bike (minus the bar ends and add motorbike goggles and chest armour ). Some awesome crashes but such good times. The hairiest moment would have been on a long back country ride in the Victorian Alps. When time, distance, huge mountain climbs and the weather took a turn for the worst. Our pickup vehicle could not get through to where we were supposed to meet. It left our group exposed and with a long ride out. Riding through the bush 20 miles north of Licola in the dark, without lights, food or any sort of survival gear was scary and quite dangerous. Eventually the back-up vehicle found us and we were, tired cold and ok.
It’s a well known fact that you’re an old school hardcore hairy mountain biker who has a massive passion for all things bike related. How has the mtb scene changed over the past 10 years?
There are a lot of people that come over from road riding, buy all the latest gear and expect to be awesome at it. They need to put in the hard yards and practise the skills required in order to have an appreciation of the sport. These days if you’re fit you can go quite well, where as, back in the early days of mountain biking ( before decent brakes, forks or frames ) you used to have to demonstrate some form of finesse. I really admire the people who practise the skills over and over until they master it, who give it all a crack in an attempt to get better at the sport. In order to succeed you need to fail, and I think a lot of people nowadays want to be good without having to put in the effort or have a crack.
You have created a heap of sweet single track all around Castlemaine, how do you decide on what to name a track?
Pretty much if someone has put in the most effort, or had an epic stack or it’s on their land etc. we name it after them. Not a lot of thought goes into the naming of a track, we try to keep things simple here. Jubberland is named that because the guy who owns it surname is Jubber (actually spelt Dzioba), Ken’s track is named that because Ken built it, and Porno track got the name because found a porno on it one day. Baco trails sit right behind the Bacon Factory, and the Pineys, well there in a Pine forest.
What tips would you give someone wanting to build a track in their area?
Read the IMBA Trail Book, it has some great advice in it. Also, make sure you build them legally. I attempted a degree in Environmental Planning and Policy and have a basic understanding of the bureaucratic framework and implications of trail building. Following the correct processes is important if you want the trail to still be there in the long term. It’s about consulting and advising the right people before hand and maintaining a positive relationship with them. It’s when people build trails without consulting the land managers or obtaining the current permits which result in conflict and a negative outcome.
It’s because of these trails that Castlemaine is being put on the mountain biking map and races are being held here. Your weekly Wednesday night rides are getting massive, with people travelling from Melbourne to ride. Is it a good feeling to know you helped create it all and people are out having a blast riding your trails?
It’s funny, for a long time we tried to keep the trails a secret but as new members joined the club our views slowly began to change and we decided we wanted as many people to know about the trails so they could see how awesome the riding is here. I love running the events, and I always try to make the courses as fun as possible. I set out to create a course for each race that I would have loads of fun riding.
What events do you guys have going on here?
July 17th we had the Inter-Winter Series over at the Baco Tracks which will be an Olympic Cross Country course. August 27th/28th we will have our 6hr Enduro as part of the State Series, which has loads of novelty events, camping and fun times. The club also has 3 social rides every week, Wednesday night, Saturday morning and Sunday arvo. In summer we also run a Crit Race on Thursday nights, and on any other given day there are people out riding and keen to ride with others.
The mountain bike purist that you are, you were a non-believer- dare I say – hater of 29er’s. However you were recently spotted stealthily riding the Giant Anthem 29er. Please explain.
Yes this is true, I was seen out wearing a pink tutu riding the 29er. However, you can’t be a hater if you’ve never tried it. What I didn’t like about it was when every man and his dog jumped on the bandwagon and then stated paying out on those who continued riding 26er’s. The course and what you want to do with the bike dictates the best choice of bike. There are definitely some good things about the 29er, but there also some not so good things. I hope that 26er’s do stay around and that 29er’s will just be another aspect of mountain biking.
Where do you think Castlemaine will be in terms of mountain biking in the next 5-10 years?
I think Castlemaine will be seen as a mountain bike mecca for offering a massive amount of diverse tracks; we have pine forest, the Great Dividing Trail, rocky goldfields single trails and old mining access tracks. They range from stupidly insanely technical to easy and flowing. If you are a beginner there are tracks here to suit, and if you’re an Olympic Cross Country rider there are also tracks to suit.” What I don’t want to see is the trails being turned into a mountain bike park.” The fun of mountain biking is the journey; starting in one place and finishing in the other, getting a little lost in between and making your own adventure is what it’s about. I think having mountain bike parks takes that sense of adventure and the fun out of a mountain bike ride.
What has been the most significant equipment development since you’ve been in the business?
Affordable dual Suspension bikes have allowed riders to push their capabilities a little further and take their mountain biking to the next level. It has allowed us older guys keep riding comfortably and to keep on pushing ourselves to go over higher drop offs and ride more technical trails.
Pretty much every time I walk into this shop you are either bruised, bleeding, broken, fractured or concussed. I have seen you do some gnarly moves out on the trails, your one of the most talented and skilful riders I have ever seen. How does someone with your skill level end up pinning it so often?
Well, those gnarly moves are all flukes! Most of the time I just stack! Every time I have nailed a trick, I have fallen off half a dozen times trying to get it. The trick is to keep trying until you get it, you will never succeed if you first don’t fail and try again. I will continue to practise until I nail it, and that generally results in a lot of stacks first! The main reason for all the stacks however is I try to show off. Generally, pulling a mono whilst sliding round a berm at a quick pace will most likely result in catapulting over the bars (ed. which explains why he has brace on his wrist at the moment) most of my stacks are a direct result of trying to be a show-off!
So that’s how my chat with Jake went, his knowledge and insight into mountain biking are phenomenal. I have definitely learnt a lot from him and what I admire most is his attitude and values of mountain biking. He loves the sport at its purist and most basic form. His stories about racing cross country, early days of downhill, enduros and completing massive self supported rides across the country have me wanting to make sure I am in this sport for a very long time! Jake works full time, is a father of 2 young children, president of the Central Victorian Rocky Riders club, teaches MTB skills to school kids, build and maintains trails and coordinates the events and social rides and still finds time to ride his bike and share his awesome stories. Certainly take my hat off to him, and on behalf of everyone who has ever ridden at Castlemaine would like to say Thanks Jake!!
Another one of Jake’s ‘Where Am I?’ moments
Castlemaine is located 1.5 hours Northwest of Melbourne smack bang in Central Victoria. There is an amazing amount of diverse tracks, ranging from pineforest to goldfields and bush tracks. The main track networks are the ‘Pineys,’ the ‘Baco,’‘and the Great Dividing Trail. The Pineys are full of tight switchbacks and technical trails, the Baco has some steep climbs and lots of fast flowing berms, whilst the Great Dividing Trail or “ Goldfields Track “ runs from Ballarat to Bendigo
( www.goldfieldstrack.com.au )has a great mixture of trail types, fire roads, double trail, singletrack ( the best is located between Daylesford and Castlemaine ) lots of harsh rocky drop-offs combined with cruisy less scary trails. One thing is for sure, these trails offer something for everyone, whether you’re a beginner or an Olympic cross country rider you won’t be disappointed when you come riding in Castlemaine.
CLUB RACES AND SOCIAL RIDES:
Sunday July 17th: Inter-winter series “Chasing Bacon” XC Race
Sunday July 17th: Inter-winter series “Chasing Bacon” XC Race
Sunday August 28th: Victorian State Series ‘Jubberland’ 6 hour Enduro. Be sure to head out and setup camp on Saturday as there’ll be lots going on, the novelty events are priceless to watch.
Saturday Morning Shop Ride: Leaving from the Theatre Royal at 9am
Sunday Afternoon Shop Ride: Leaving from Theatre Royal at 2pm
Wednesday Night Shop Ride: Leaving from Cycle Concepts at 6pm, finish with a beer and pizza at the Theatre Royal
Thursday nights in Summer: Crit XC races
LINKS
- Jakes blog containing hilarious photos, stories and general info about cycling http://castlemainecycles.blogspot.com/?spref=fb
- Follow Cycle Concepts and Rocky Riders on facebook
Some of the Races that Rocky Riders have organised:
Pineforest enduro 2002-2003 60kms of hard work,
Singlespeed Nationals 2004 Castlemaine Fat tyre Fest 2005
Singlespeed World Championships 2004
Interwinter 2010-2011
Castlemaine 6 hour enduro from 2006-2011
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