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About CORC
Established in 1988, Canberra Off-Road Cyclists (CORC) is the largest mountain bike club in Australia. CORC affiliated with Mountain Bike Australia in 1999 as an MTBA Foundation Club. The CORC membership base also covers nearby regions such as regional NSW and northern Victoria, with members joining the club from right across Australia.
CORC offers a variety of competitive and social activities for riders of all ages and abilities. The club runs about 70 racing events each year, ranging from weekly dirt-crits to the biggest 24hour race in the world, the Scott 24. Arms of the club look after regular Downhill events as well as, Four Cross, Olympic format Cross Country.
CORC also sponsors and runs the ACT Schools Mountain Bike Championships – a four hour enduro format for junior, senior and college riders. The 2007 event hosted nearly 500 riders – all of them competing (and eating) for free.
CORC often runs events in tandem with other organisations or promoters, like the final round of the very popular Working Week 8hr series, or rounds of the NSW State Series, and offers its expertise to smaller clubs, assisting with events most recently in Bermagui, Wagga Wagga and Tumut.
CORC has hosted many Australian National Championships, from events at Mount Stromlo almost 20 years ago, through such diverse venues as Majura Pines and Blue Range, and now back at a rejuvenated Stromlo Forest Park.
The 2007 Nationals at Stromlo Forest Park saw top level competition for the first time on the Glen Jacobs designed tracks and was very important in identifying areas of improvement for the venue. There is no doubt that by the running of the Scott 24, many aspects of the venue had improved considerably and the vegetation in the area, so devastated by bushfires in 2003, had significantly returned, covering both the ground and reaching skyward with the promise of shade in years to come.
Stromlo Forest Park will, of course, be home to a round of mountain biking's World Cup in August 2008 and to the 2009 UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships just a year later.
Rider Development
But CORC is far more than racing. Apart from averaging around 1.5 racing events each week across a calendar year CORC provides many social riding opportunities as well as events aimed at rider development.
CORC is very supportive of junior riders and has an active junior rider development program. All riders under 17 get free race entry at CORC club races with proof of age. In addition, new Under 17 riders get their first race licence fee covered by the club, and at their next CORC race they receive a personalised card with 10 free club race day licenses.
CORC also conducts several junior rider training days throughout each calendar year.
Women's development is another aspect of the club. CORC operates two women's-specific training camps. These have proved incredibly popular, with riders travelling from far afield to the Birrigai Outdoor Recreational Camp for the three day event. Including accommodation, catering, seminars on nutrition and stretching, massage, bike set up and maintenance, there's still lots of time to get out and ride under the eye of CORC's skilled and experienced coaches.
In addition, CORC hosts Women's Social Rides and owns three front suspension bikes which are available for loan if you or your friends would like to have a go at Mountain Biking.
Access All Areas
Mountain bikers without somewhere to ride may as well toss their fat tyres in the bin. CORC's Trails Team has been very active over the past decade, not only playing a major role in developing Stromlo Forest Park, but also maintaining trails in other popular riding areas and lobbying for facilities identified as in need, such as a legal jumps park in Gungahlin, and has plans for other off-road links throughout Canberra.
CORC also hosts several websites (including this one!) covering club activities as well as national and international events. CORC's quarterly newsletter, The Dirt, includes reports on club activities, members' tales and information on upcoming events.
CORC is affiliated with, and provides rider insurance through MTBA.