Are you new to the sport of mountain bike racing and interested to find out more about how it all works at HMBA? Please download one of our Beginners Guides below:
Cross Country (XC):
Downhill (DH):
Safety and Equipment
Safety is paramount for all HMBA riders at our events. Just as in any other sport or activity the right clothing and safety gear can make all the difference to your enjoyment. For participating at any AusCycling sanctioned activity you need:
• AusCycling membership or the purchase of an AusCycling day permit
• Australian certified bicycle helmet for any XC type activity. For DH you need a full-face helmet that is Australian certified helmet or one that has been certified by an International Standard organisation.
• Your feet need to be fully enclosed – ie no sandals or thongs. Proper bike racing shoes are best but any hard soled shoe will suffice. You may like to get clip-less pedals and shoes, but make sure that you are familiar with their use (getting your feet unclipped) well before your first race.
We recommend the following:
• Eye wear to prevent bugs and dust and leaves and such annoying your eyes. For DH most riders use race goggles.
• Cycling gloves – full or half finger ones for XC and full finger for DH
• Padded cycling shorts will aid your comfort and a cycling jersey has plenty of pockets to put your food and spares in. DH racers sometimes use BMX-style clothing.
• For DH we recommend body armor and additional protection for knees and elbows.
Before heading out on any of our tracks, HMBA recommend the following:
• Make sure your bike is in good working order
• Always wear an approved safety helmet
• Ride on designated OPEN trails ONLY
• Avoid riding in Wet or Muddy conditions
• Refrain from taking short cuts or making new trails
• Be courteous to all other users
• Report any noted acts of vandalism
• Take your rubbish with you
• Enjoy yourself & ride safely within your level of ability – if you would like to improve your skills please click here to be taken to our Coaching and Development page.
*All Riders Ride at your own risk*
There are often specific rules regarding the requirements for national and international level events – you should also refer to the technical regulations listed for that event.
Riding Locations
Not only does the club have access to the fantastic trails at Awaba Mountain Bike Park, but we also use some other great locations in the Hunter region. Please click on the below links to find out more information about any of these areas:
HMBA and Adaptive MTB
HMBA encourage riders of all physical abilities to get involved in our fantastic sport.
Click here for more information about Adaptive Mountain Biking and the initiatives that HMBA have undertaken to support this growing facet of the sport.
XC Racing Grades and junior age limits
From 2026 HMBA will be re-aligning our XC race grades to better accommodate junior riders within the senior grade racing structure dependant on their age, in accordance with AusCycling guidelines
Based on this, the following Racing Grades, laps (based on a course of approx. 5-6km length) and age limits will be utilised from the start of the 2026 season.
| Grade Description | Number of Laps | Age at 31st December of current year |
| A Grade Men | 5 | 19 years and older |
| A Grade Women | 4 | 19 years and older |
| B Grade Men | 4 | 17 years and older |
| B Grade Women | 3 | 17 years and older |
| C Grade Men | 3 | 15 years and older |
| C Grade Women | 2 | 15 years and older |
| D Grade Men | 2 | 13 years and older |
| D Grade Women | 1 | 13 years and older |
| E Grade Men | 1 | 11 years and older |
| E Grade Women | 1 | 11 years and older |
| E Bike Open | 4 | 15 years and older |
| Junior Under 9 | 2 (Separate junior course) | 7 or 8 years old |
| Junior Under 11 | 3 (Separate junior course) | 9 or 10 years old |
| Junior Under 13 | 4 (Separate junior course) | 11 or 12 years old |
| Junior Under 15 | 5 (Separate junior course) | 13 or 14 years old |
| Adaptive Open | Dependant on each race course | Dependant on each race course |
Nb: HMBA recognises that some junior athletes may demonstrate skills, endurance, and race craft beyond what is typical for their age and has therefore established the following framework to identify and approve exceptional cases for grade progression from the 2026 season and in the future.
This policy is designed to support athlete development while maintaining safety and competitive integrity.
Progression to a higher age or grade division may be approved via one of the following three pathways.
Pathway 1 – Prior HMBA successful grade riding competency
If a junior rider has raced in HMBA grades above the age limits in the table above for at least two races prior to the 2026 season and would like to continue riding in the same grade, they may submit a written request to the club. Following review of their previous results in that grade, approval to continue riding in the higher grade may be granted if the club is satisfied that their results reflect that the rider has the necessary physical, technical and emotional maturity for the higher grade.
For all other riders from the start of the 2026 season:
Pathway 2 – Accredited coach endorsement
Where a junior athlete is currently training under an AusCycling-accredited coach, the coach may provide a written letter of support to HMBA confirming that, in their professional opinion, the athlete has demonstrated sufficient:
– technical riding skills
– physical endurance
– race craft and tactical awareness
– emotional maturity to compete safely
Pathway 3 – Performance-based trial assessment
As an alternative to coach endorsement, HMBA may approve progression using a performance-based trial process as proposed by AusCycling.
This method uses objective race-time comparisons calculated via a spreadsheet model and requires the following criteria to be met:
– the junior rider must compete in a minimum of two HMBA events (events do not need to be consecutive)
– in each assessment event, the junior rider’s grade must be run on the same course and at the same time as the proposed higher grade (ie: course layout and race conditions must be comparable)
– the junior rider’s predicted race time for the same number of laps in the higher grade must be within 5% of the fastest JUNIORS time in the next higher age group / grade division. For Example, an U15 riding 2 laps in D grade must have an estimated 3 lap race time that is within 5% of the leading U17 or U15 already riding in C grade (who may not necessarily be the overall C grade race winner)
The 5% “performance factor” of the older age category is used as a benchmark to ensure the younger athlete has all the underpinning physical, technical, tactical and psychological skills development to support entering the higher category. If the rider demonstrates this performance standard across the required events, they will be deemed eligible to progress to the higher grade.
Where progression is approved via this pathway, HMBA will strongly recommend that the rider and their family consider engaging an AusCycling-accredited coach to support further development of race skills and long-term progression.
All requests to support junior racing advancement under any of the three pathways above should be submitted to xchmba@gmail.com
We believe that this policy provides a clear, evidence-based mechanism to identify exceptional junior riders while remaining aligned with AusCycling guidelines and HMBA’s commitment to rider safety, fairness, and sustainable athlete development.
We will also continue with the dedicated junior races from 8 AM prior to the main cross-country rounds, with plans to explore incorporating skills development into these sessions as well.