MTB: Best Mountain Biking Tracks and Trails?

Zascar

Lads can anyone tell me what the good tracks and trails are for mountain biking in Ireland? I'm just getting back into it after a long time out of the saddle, I know the Dublin mountains very well - but I'd like to start going further and exploring the best trails. I hear there is some savage stuff in Wicklow and beyond - properly purpose built mtb courses, downhill etc.

Jip

Have you checked out the Mountain Biking Associations of Dublin website http://www.madmtb.com/
AFAIK there's now some decent purpose made mountain bike trails in the Dublin Mountains.

There was also a good piece on mountain biking in the Dublin mountains on Capital D a few weeks back, the show is embedded in their MAD site, it's worth looking at.

Morgan

You can find details of official mtb trails here:
http://www.cyclingireland.ie/Home/MTB/Access.aspx (linked to http://www.mbi.ie)

In addition to the four existing Coillte trails there are plans underway for trails in Donegal, Wicklow and Galway. I'm hoping to keep the site updated with news of these developments.

zil

There are lots of trails in both the dublin and wicklow mountains, unfortunately hardly any of them are official. Clubs generally have a gentlemens agreement with coilte to allow the trails to exist but as a result people are very hesitant to provide public directions to any of the unofficial trails as coilte could shut them down whenever they feel like it and no one wants them to get abused.

Your best bet is to join up with one of the local clubs. They'll bring you round the trails and show you where to go.

Zascar

Cool thanks for those links, I'm really looking forward to checking them out. I hear the Wicklow mountains has improved a lot but can't wait to check out Ballinastoe etc too!

DirkVoodoo

I think Ballinastoe is the best one for either beginners or people getting back into the sport. Loads of great trails, some technical parts (I'm still crap on the big rocky drop) but mostly just fast singletrack.

Djouce is a little tougher, some narrower off camber tracks with plenty of roots. Last time I was there I spent more time falling off than I did on the bike.

Silvermines (?) was very hard for me, I didn't really enjoy it. One part was marked out for a race, steep downhill with non stop switchbacks. I can't make a mountain bike turn that sharply unfortunately, big wide circles are as far as I got.

Never been up 3 rock but heard it is good. Best thing is they are all easy to get to, at most a 1hr 30min cycle to Ballinastoe. Obviously if you have a car this is not a problem.

Zascar

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Silvermines (?) was very hard for me, I didn't really enjoy it. One part was marked out for a race, steep downhill with non stop switchbacks. I can't make a mountain bike turn that sharply unfortunately, big wide circles are as far as I got.

Do you mean Leadmines?

http://www.madmtb.com/maps/map_barnaslingan_carpark.htm

I heard its great, did not know there was a course there I cannot wait to check it out!

DirkVoodoo

Zascar wrote: »

Do you mean Leadmines?

http://www.madmtb.com/maps/map_barnaslingan_carpark.htm

I heard its great, did not know there was a course there I cannot wait to check it out!

That's the one.