A skill you can actually get better at
Every ride you're a bit less rubbish than last time. It's hard, it's humbling, and that's the point.
Learn. Get dirty. Come back a better dad.
A free hub for Tasmanian dads on two wheels: dirt bikes, adventure bikes and mountain bikes. Clubs, groups, legal places to ride, and the mates to do it with.
Free. No spam. Unsubscribe any time. Run by dads, not a dealership.
Why ride
It's not a midlife crisis. It's maintenance.
Head space
Two hours in the bush with no reception does more than another coffee. You can't think about work when a root's trying to throw you off.
Something to do with the kids
Junior clubs, ride parks, pump tracks. A reason to get everyone off the couch and covered in mud together.
Mates
Blokes who'll check your bike, lend you a tie-down, and notice when you've gone a bit quiet.
Straight up: it costs money and it carries risk. The community's here so you do it sensibly, with the right gear, in the right places, with people who've made the mistakes already.
Everyone's welcome at the rides and events. The name's about who we're for, not who's allowed.
Pick your lane
Three ways onto the dirt
Not sure which? Most blokes start with whatever their mate rides. That's a fine reason.
Dirt bikes
Trail · enduro · motocross
The classic. You'll need a bike, proper gear, and somewhere legal to ride: a club track, a ride park, or forest roads if you're licensed and registered. Kids can start young at junior clubs.
Good if you…
- You want the full engine-and-mud experience
- Your kids are keen on motorbikes
- You like a clear skill ladder to climb
- Entry cost:
- Moderate
- Licence / rego:
- Club track or ride park: club/MA licence. Forest roads: motorcycle licence + registered bike.
Adventure bikes
Dual-sport · ADV touring
Road-registered bikes that handle gravel, forest roads and the Tasmanian Trail. No club membership needed. Great for multi-day escapes where the whole island opens up.
Good if you…
- You already have (or want) a motorbike licence
- You'd rather explore than race
- A few days away sounds like heaven
- Entry cost:
- Higher (bigger bike)
- Licence / rego:
- Motorcycle licence + registered bike. Standard road rules apply.
Mountain bikes
Trail · enduro · gravity
No licence, no rego, no fuel. World-class trails at Derby, Maydena, St Helens and around Hobart. Your legs do the work the engine would.
Good if you…
- You want fitness out of it too
- You'd like to ride after work
- It's the easiest lane to bring kids into
- Entry cost:
- Low to moderate
- Licence / rego:
- None. Just respect trail grades and closures.
Get started
Five steps. No heroics.
Haven't ridden since you were 16? Or ever? Here's the order to do it in.
Decide trail, enduro or motocross
Trail is relaxed bush riding. Enduro is trail with a stopwatch. Motocross is jumps on a track. Most dads start with trail.
Buy a reliable second-hand trail bike and the non-negotiable gear
Helmet, boots, gloves, goggles, body armour. Spend on the gear before you spend on the bike.
Get legal
In Tasmania, state forest roads are public roads, so you need a licence and a registered bike. Look into Transport Tasmania's restricted-use registration.
Ride somewhere legal first
Cambridge Ride Park or a club come-and-try day. Get your eye in before you head bush.
Join a club
Cheapest coaching you'll ever get, and the fastest way to find riding mates.
Not legal advice. Rules change. Check with Transport Tasmania, Parks & Wildlife and Sustainable Timber Tasmania before you ride.
Clubs & Groups
Find your crew
Every club, group, venue and operator we know of. Pick one, click through, and actually turn up. That's the hard bit.
35 listings
- DirtStatewideGoverning body
Motorcycling Tasmania
Statewide body for motocross, enduro, dirt track, trials and road racing. Licences, club directory, event calendar.
link to be vetted
- DirtSouthClub
Motorcycle Enduro Riders Club (MERC)
Southern enduro and grass-track club, 30+ years, family-friendly and volunteer-run. Coaching for new juniors.
link to be vetted
- DirtSouthVenue/trail network
Cambridge Ride Park
Purpose-built, family-friendly legal dirt bike park at 51 Cranston Pde, Cambridge. All ages. Closes when wet, so check the page first.
link to be vetted
- DirtSouthClub
Southern Junior Dirt Bike Club
Elderslie (168 Horners Rd), about 50 min from Hobart. Seven tracks graded PW to X for kids and juniors.
link to be vetted
- DirtSouthClub
Southern Tasmanian Motorcycle Association (STMCA)
Motocross, enduro, dirt track and juniors. Home of the Oatlands MX track.
link to be vetted
- DirtNorth-WestClub
Tasmanian Endurance Riders Club (TERC)
Devonport-based off-road club running forest grass-track and enduro.
link to be vetted
- DirtNorth-WestClub
Coastal Motocross Club
Blackwood Park behind Penguin. National-standard MX track with free trails on neighbouring forestry land.
link to be vetted
- DirtNorthClub
Launceston Motocross & Scramble Club
Motocross at Santarena Park.
link to be vetted
Link coming soon - DirtEast CoastClub
East Coast MX Club
Motocross club based in St Helens.
link to be vetted
Link coming soon - DirtWestNorth-WestTour/hire operator
West Coast Dirt Bike Adventures
Guided multi-day trail tours in the North-West and West.
link to be vetted
Link coming soon - DirtStatewideResource
Dirt Bike Australia
National rider body.
link to be vetted
Link coming soon - DirtStatewideFacebook group/page
Tasmanian Dirt Bike Riders
Statewide Facebook group for dirt bike riders. Group to be confirmed.
link to be vetted
Link coming soon - DirtAdventureMTBStatewideFacebook group/page
Dirt Bike Dads Tasmania
Our own group. Ask questions, find a riding mate, no question too dumb.
link to be vetted
Link coming soon - AdventureStatewideFacebook group/page
Tasmanian Adventure Riders
The main Tassie ADV group. Ride planning, track conditions, gate intel.
link to be vetted
- AdventureStatewideFacebook group/page
Tassie Adventure Rider
Tasmanian ADV YouTube channel and page. Saturday breakfast runs, route and gear videos.
link to be vetted
- AdventureNorthTour/hire operator
Tasmanian Motorcycle Tours
Launceston. Guided and self-guided tours on BMW GS, plus dry hire.
link to be vetted
- AdventureStatewideResource
Tasmanian Trail
480 km multi-use trail, Devonport to Dover. Sections ridable on ADV bikes where legal. Check the guidebook.
link to be vetted
- AdventureStatewideResource
ADVrider "Tasmanian Riders Hub"
Long-running forum thread full of local route knowledge.
link to be vetted
- AdventureStatewideFacebook group/page
Tasmanian Women Riders Network
Not dads, obviously. A welcoming Tassie riding crew, and a place partners can find their own.
link to be vetted
Link coming soon - MTBSouthClub
Hobart Wheelers / Dirt Devils
Hobart's biggest cycling club. XC, enduro and DH racing, social rides, trail advocacy.
link to be vetted
- MTBSouthFacebook group/page
Hobart MTB Rides
Most active group for finding someone to ride with down south. Search "Hobart MTB Rides" on Facebook.
link to be vetted
Link coming soon - MTBNorthClub
Launceston Mountain Bike Club
XC and trail club, Osmaston.
link to be vetted
Link coming soon - MTBNorth-WestClub
Mersey Mountain Bike Club
North-West club that hosts state championships.
link to be vetted
- MTBSouthClub
Tasman Peninsula Mountain Bike Association
Community-run club with its own 90-acre trail property (South-East).
link to be vetted
Link coming soon - MTBSouthClub
Derwent Valley Trails
New trails group launched Oct 2026.
link to be vetted
- MTBNorthEast CoastVenue/trail network
Blue Derby
125 km of world-class trails in the north-east. Shuttles, hire, family trails.
link to be vetted
Link coming soon - MTBSouthVenue/trail network
Maydena Bike Park
Gravity park an hour north-west of Hobart. Shuttles, hire, bike school, beginner trails.
link to be vetted
Link coming soon - MTBEast CoastVenue/trail network
St Helens Mountain Bike Trails
110 km across the Stacked Loops and Bay of Fires Trail.
link to be vetted
Link coming soon - MTBSouthVenue/trail network
Glenorchy, Meehan Range, Kingborough & Hobart Rivulet
The local after-work options around Hobart.
link to be vetted
- MTBStatewideResource
Tassie Trails
Tasmanian MTB trail and event info.
link to be vetted
- MTBStatewideResource
Ride Tassie
Facebook page for planning MTB adventures in Tasmania.
link to be vetted
- MTBSouthResource
Trailforks Hobart
Trail maps and conditions.
link to be vetted
- MTBSouthTour/hire operator
Tasmanian Mountain Bike Adventures
South Hobart. Tours, hire, kunanyi shuttles, Maydena transfers, skills coaching.
link to be vetted
- MTBSouthTour/hire operator
Hobart MTB Tours
Guided tours on kunanyi / Mt Wellington.
link to be vetted
- MTBStatewideResource
Bicycle Network Tasmania
Advocacy body. Social rides and a group-ride directory.
link to be vetted
Legal & safety resources
- DirtAdventureTransport Tasmania: restricted-use registrationlink to be vetted
- DirtAdventureSustainable Timber Tasmania: recreational vehicle access on state forestlink to be vetted
- DirtAdventureClarence City Council: trail bikes / Ride Tasmania Safelylink to be vetted
- MTBParks & Wildlife Tasmania: mountain bikinglink to be vetted
Know a club, group or trail that's missing?
Where to ride
Legal, in plain English
- Ride parks like Cambridge. Turn up, pay, ride.
- Club tracks and club days. Join a club and get an MA licence.
- State forest roads, but only if you're licensed on a registered bike.
Unregistered bikes on public land, parks or reserves get seized by police. Don't be that bloke.
Forest roads and gravel are public roads. Licence, rego and standard road rules apply.
Check Sustainable Timber Tasmania and Parks for closures, locked gates and fire restrictions.
Tell someone your route. Reception out there is patchy at best.
Free public networks: Derby, St Helens, Hobart's parks.
Paid lift/shuttle parks: Maydena.
Club trails. Respect trail grades and turn up to a dig day now and then. Trails don't build themselves.
PenguinDevonportLauncestonDerbySt HelensOatlandsMaydenaElderslieGlenorchyCambridgeEvents
What's on
Events gathered from Motorcycling Tasmania, club pages and trail networks. Submit yours below.
- DetailsDirtCome & Try club day (placeholder)
MERC · Southern Tas
- DetailsMTBWednesday social ride (placeholder)
Hobart Wheelers · Glenorchy MTB Park
- Details TBCAdventureSaturday breakfast run (placeholder)
Tassie Adventure Rider · Hobart
- Details TBCMTBBeginner skills session (placeholder)
Maydena Bike Park · Maydena
- Details TBCDirtJunior practice day (placeholder)
Southern Junior Dirt Bike Club · Elderslie
- Details TBCDirtClub enduro round (placeholder)
TERC · North-West
- Details TBCAdventureGravel day loop (placeholder)
Tasmanian Adventure Riders · Central Highlands
- DetailsMTBTrail dig day (placeholder)
Derwent Valley Trails · Derwent Valley
- Details TBCAdventureTasmanian Trail section ride (placeholder)
TBC · Devonport to Deloraine
Running something? Use the "Tell us" form under the directory.
Dad Diaries · coming soon
Real blokes. Real yarns.
Dirt
Back on a dirt bike at 44
Last rode at 16. Turns out the bike remembers more than the knees do.
Coming soon
Dirt
Taking my 9-year-old to his first club day
He was nervous. I was more nervous. We both went home grinning.
Coming soon
Adventure
Three days on the Tasmanian Trail on a bike I bought on Marketplace
What broke, what didn't, and why I'd do it again tomorrow.
Coming soon
Subscribe · free
Join Dirt Bike Dads
One email a fortnight: what's on in Tassie, where to ride, new groups, gear tips, the odd good yarn. That's it.