Canberra mountain bikers Kye A'Hern and Jackson Frew chase world championship dream

Which is going to make the mandatory two-weeks hotel quarantine a nightmare.

But it's all worth it as the Canberra mountain biker contests his first world championships at the senior elite level.

It's something both he and fellow downhiller Jackson Frew need to endure if they want to chase their dream competing on the world stage.

A'Hern's hoping to leave in about a week for a training camp with his Canyon Factory Racing team in France before heading to Austria for the worlds on October 11.

He claimed the junior world title in Quebec in September last year and has barely had the chance to compete on the world stage since.

The coronavirus pandemic has seen most of this year's World Cups cancelled and there's still the chance the same might happen for the world championships as well.

But at this stage he plans to fly out in about a week.

As he takes the big step up into the elite ranks, he's dreaming of a top-10 finish.

"It's obviously still a bit of an unknown - they can still cancel events at the last minute - but we're hoping to get over there in about a week and try and get another world championship," A'Hern said.

"This is my first year elite this year ... it is a big, big step. This year I've had really good training at home here and I'm feeling really good going into it.

"I'd be happy with top 15, but if I can crack into that top 10 I'd be really happy with that."

MORE CANBERRA SPORT

That would make what's to follow all the more easier to handle - two weeks locked in a hotel room.

The pandemic has meant A'Hern can often be found tearing down the slopes of Mt Stromlo.

He was there on Saturday when ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr opened four kilometres of extra mountain-biking trails in the park - just in time for the glorious spring weather to arrive early for the enjoyment of hundreds of enthusiasts and families.

A'Hern said if he didn't have a world-class facility like Stromlo on his doorstep then he wouldn't have become junior world champion.

How he copes cooped up away from those wide expanses is another matter.

"Not when we get to Europe we don't, but on the way home we do have to do hotel quarantine for two weeks," A'Hern said.

"I can't say I'm looking forward to sitting in a hotel room for two weeks.

"I think with the amount of activity I do I'll go stir crazy, but it's all part of going overseas at the moment so we have to do what we have to do."

Frew has his sights set on a top-20 finish at the worlds as he experiences his first Canberra winter in a while.

The Kona Factory rider will also head off in a few weeks to get ready for the pinnacle of his sport.

He said any racing they get in this current climate would be a bonus.

Frew was a silver medalist at the junior worlds in 2018 and finished 30^th in his first elite worlds last year.

"I'll try to keep my expectations low and just head in with an open mind, especially with so long ... since we've raced a world-level event - it's actually this weekend 12 months ago was world championships," he said.

"It's a bit of an unknown, but hopefully keep building on where I finished up last year around the top 20ish and keep moving forward.

"The elite ranks are an incredibly tough field, so just keep building and keep making gains and hopefully crack into that top 20."