Old Coach Rd to Gate   (4.20km)

Notes:

The Old Coach Rd used to be the main road leading from Lithgow to Newnes but now only runs 4.2km from Glow Worm Tunnel Rd before being gated and re-purposed as a fire trail.  It is a very smooth dirt road, which indicates it doesn't see a lot of traffic, but that being said it is a road and therefore you must prepare for other vehicles.  For the most part Old Coach Rd is a slight pedalling descent to the gate with only a few small climbs.  Nothing particularly exciting but a nice way to warm up for the big descent to follow.

The start of Old Coach Rd is roughly 30km from Lithgow along a rough dirt road.  While easily driven in a 2WD it's will rattle you silly - borrow someone's 4WD, better still borrow someone who can drive a 4WD and get them to take you around some of the fantastic 4WD tracks (not to mention pick you up at the end of your ride).

I've ridden the Old Coach Rd and Old Coach Rd Fire Trail on two occasions both starting from the intersection of Glow Worm Tunnel Rd and Old Coach Rd (this video) the exits were quite different.

Trip 1

Our driver then went onto to the car park at the end of Glow Worm Tunnel Rd, walked down through the tunnel and back up to the car park again.  They arrived back at the car park roughly about the same time as we arrived on our bikes.  Our route was Old Coach Rd to Gate, Old Coach Rd Gate to the Rail Trail, Rail Trail - Old Coach Rd to Glow Worm Caves and Rail Trail - Glow Worm Tunnel to Car Park.

Trip 2

Our driver then went onto to the car park at the end of Glow Worm Tunnel Rd, walked down through the tunnel and back up to the car park and then drove all the way back to Newnes via Blackfella Hands Rd (Crazy 4WD Trail).  Our route was Old Coach Rd to Gate, Old Coach Rd Gate to the Rail Trail, Rail Trail - Old Coach Rd to Newnes and we arrived back in Newnes about 2 hours before the driver did!

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