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[sick_em_rex]

Hi all,
I have only just joined this site but I'm curious to know if anyone remembers the track we had built in Westleigh at the back of the Ormond School? It only had the 1 race meeting but it was a great track. Cedric Moses who owned Westleigh cycles at the time was the spearhead behind it getting going but alas it only lasted the 1 meet. Not sure why, maybe someone on here has some more info on it. I was lucky enough to win the open class and got myself a nice bootie of gear as first place reward.

[Phil Kaye]

Hey Sick Em, welcome to the site. Glad that you are enjoying it. I can't remember Westleigh but I am sure that there are some here who may.

Cheers

[COASTY]

Hi Sick-em.
For some reason this track rings a bell. I lived in Castle Hill so it wasn't far away. I hope someone has more info.
Damon, where for art thou? I know you'll know this place.

[(((sonic)))]

I moved to Westleigh in 1985 and remember the track well, although i remember Ormond as not being a school but more of a "bad boys home" as Mum used to call it....I can not remember an organised meet there (that must have been before 85) but we used to tear it up all the time, was a fun/good little track, we also used to make around i the Reservoir just behind the track on our bikes.....Westleigh was a great place to grow up!

Ormand was bulldozed to make way for a housing estate in the mid 90's, it a shame really........pitty i have not get any pics.

Back then the track and Ormand was classified as THORNLEIGH, but once the housing estate commenced and the track bulldozed hornsby council moved the boarder.

I remember the bike shop @ Westleigh shops very well, but we mainly rode down to Thornleigh Cycles for our gear..

B

[sick_em_rex]

Hi Sonic,
Good to read your reply. I lived in Westleigh up until 92 when I moved into my first home. My Mum still lives there now in an estate opposite the res and I visit pretty regularly. You're right, the Ormond school was a home for troubled kids. I remember them also bulldozing it for the new estates that are there now. I didn't realise you were still able to have been riding on the track up until then. I only went to it twice and that was with it even being in my own backyard so to speak. i just didn't think you were allowed to rock up whenever and cut loose on it. Then again, we weren't meant to ride around the res like we used to either ;-) Westleigh was an awesome place to grow up. We had a great bike culture amongst probably 20 of us and we used to ride from sunup to sundown. There were bush tracks littered around the place with some great jumps and trails and also some pretty awesome jumps standing alone in bizarre spots that the residents hated us using. One was down next to the tennis courts next to a green electricity substation. You had to get your runup across 2 roads effectively so the cars driving past didn't like us much. Thorneligh cycles was definately the better shop out of the 2 but a lot of us would hop a train and go down to Turramurra as that shop had way better gear than both combined. That was where I got my JMC Darrell Young bars from.

[(((sonic)))]

Sweet rex,

My Mum and Dad are still there also, like you said, it was a great bike culture.

I know exactly the jump you are talking about, there was also another just before the "S" bends on Qtr sessions rd, near the main gates to the Res, a short sharp little number that used to give you a lot of air if you hit it at the right time.....

I was always cruising Westleigh on my Patterson, hanging out with the Hulme boys (Dick and Ben).

You are correct about Ormond too, permission was not granted to hit the track, we where always getting chased out of there, but that was half the fun.

I moved to Westleigh in 84'ish, finished school in 1990, went overseas for a few years between 93-96, back there at least once a month for a beer with Dad.

Good memories.

Ben

[(((sonic)))]

This is pretty much exactly the same way it was when tearing around Westleigh............i have had it since '84....Patterson #1 in my stable......

B

[(((sonic)))]

Have you still got your DY bars Rex?