mountain biking - cork

ldr

hello to everyone, a couple weeks ago got myself a mountain bike and have been riding it in the ballincollig regional park. is there anywhere around cork ballincollig where to go?

thanks

Where to start......there's loads around or within a close drive....Farran Woods, Tracton Woods (unbelievable trails here!!!!) near carrigaline, Curragh Woods in Midleton, Garryduff just outside Rochestown and of course the Ballyhoura trails are only an hour away too.

Have a look on www.mbcc.ie (I'm not connected to them in anyway as it happens)....they're a great club in cork and have a guide to all the local trails on their forum.

ldr

thank you for the quick reply.
dont have the car carrier for the bike yet, so have to cycle to them.
over the weekend ill chance the farran woods

langdang

It's about 10 years since i took a bike round Farran Woods. Last I heard it was frowned upon by Coillte - we used to get away with it as kids I suppose. Be considerate of other forest users, it's very popular with families/kids so it's more suited to relaxed pootle than anything hardcore!
There was people who used to go for some pretty hairy dropoffs and bombholes in disused parts of the quarries in Ovens but that was and is most definitely frowned upon

Tracton is very good, altho i haven't seen most of the new developments down there. Ballyhouras is very good for everyone except real adrenaline junkies. Tracton would be tougher skillwise, especially in the wet. ( the bits I know of anyway!)

You're midway to a lot things where you are - there is stuff in killarney and kilgarvan too. Altho I'm pretty sure any of the trails I knew of in Killarney are now off the menu too....

Nice downhill track in Dunmanway, when I saw it last (again - years ago) the vast majority of it was do-able without super skills or a super bike.

As already mentioned, the mbcc boys would be the best resource on Cork. Tracton and Garryduff would be their home turf...

ravendude

ldr wrote: »

hello to everyone, a couple weeks ago got myself a mountain bike and have been riding it in the ballincollig regional park. is there anywhere around cork ballincollig where to go?

thanks

Good man, welcome to the most funnest sport going
In order of difficulty you'd have:
- Ballyhouras: perfect for starting out, - Some more experience mtbers like to look down on it, but lots of upgrades happening at the moment that might change things a bit
- Garryduff: the next step up from the ballyhouras, a few technical bits and a few steep bits, but its safe enough overall.
- Tracton: another step up in technical terms, lots of roots and steep sections, still cross country but with elements of DH
- Dumanway: a pure DH track, - I disagree with the poster above, - you'd want to be at it a while to be honest, - there's stuff here that can seriously mangle you. One of the tracks is probably the steepest in the country.

There's other stuff around but you'd need to get out with other local mtbers to find them.

You really do need a car to get the most out of it to be honest

ldr

thanks you for the replys.
really enjoying being out on the bike, been out on it every evening since i got it (one week).
ill go to the farran woods this weekend, until i find a bike rack suitable for my car ill have to stay near home

langdang

ravendude wrote: »

- Dumanway: a pure DH track, - I disagree with the poster above, - you'd want to be at it a while to be honest, - there's stuff here that can seriously mangle you.

I'm either seriously DAYcent on a hardtail or the original track has been replaced or seriously worked on.





I'm leaning towards option B unfortunately...

studiorat

alright langers!
Which ones are would you cycle to from the city centre of an evening perhaps? I've no car in Corklike.

What are the climbs like?

I'd have to say to anyone get out to Ballyhoura asap, guaranteed a good time!

langdang

studiorat wrote: »

Which ones are would you cycle to from the city centre of an evening perhaps?

Garryduff. There is a handy cycle path so you can do it without encountering too much traffic. Starts near Pairc ui Chaoimh, via mahon, to somewhere near the Rochestown inn. Haven't used it but should be easy to suss out.

studiorat

Cheers will report back!

Still finding my way around.

ravendude

langdang wrote: »

I'm either seriously DAYcent on a hardtail or the original track has been replaced or seriously worked on.

You probably haven't been on the new steep track by the sounds of it.
Don't think this is really suitable for newbies on xc bikes...
http://www.pinkbike.com/v/136638

Yeah, fair enough, the old track can be ridden on a hardtail, (not that most people would keep up with proper DH bikes on a hardtail) - but there's no way I'd be sending a beginner over the rock drop, or even the chicken run for that. It was built as a DH track by DH folks. There's a lot of noobs that find it hard going around the ballyhouras.

langdang

ravendude wrote: »

the old track can be ridden on a hardtail

"can" or "could have been" - ie is the old track still there and rideable or has it been dug out to form the new track? Or fallen into disuse and overgrown? Just wondering like.:)

ravendude

The new "steep" track is completely different to the old one.
Its seriously steep, the videos don't even do it justice.

There was tree felling in Dunmanway this year so the top part of the old track (that used to be trees before the open section) is covered in debris.
About 3/4 of it is open still, and I think the lads from down that way are fixing up the top part as well, (literally at the moment I think.)
Its good fun that old track, particularly the open "bmx-y" section.

langdang

ravendude wrote: »

Its good fun that old track, particularly the open "bmx-y" section.

Ya twas good craic alright the day we were there.

thebouldwhacker

Belted over there a few years ago on spec with my now old trek 3500, I cycled up to the top of the hill not knowing what was up there. After the fire road climb and being so happy that it was worth my while I said I'd give it a go. By christ it scared the life outa me, esp the last ramp, I had to go back so far I'd say I still have scars on my ass from the rear wheel. a good solid course, nice and fast. It was stupid really, I was there on my tod about 45mins before dark so if anything happened I'd have been rightly fooked, but all's well that ends well.
I looked into dh after that but tbh the people I met weren't exactly helpful so I bought a road bike.
Its great to have places like it in the country, and for me I can say I nailed a dh ride (admittedly not as gracefully as the dh girls and boys do it but I was still on the bike by the end so I'm happy)

Ricky91t

studiorat wrote: »

alright langers!
Which ones are would you cycle to from the city centre of an evening perhaps? I've no car in Corklike.

What are the climbs like?

I'd have to say to anyone get out to Ballyhoura asap, guaranteed a good time!

Second Garryduff, nice and close, works out about 10km from the CC, It's uphill on the way there so take it easy ( Garryduff has a pretty big climb to start with ), but it's handy enough on the way back being mostly downhill!

ldr

cycled to farran woods, was wrecked by the time got there, its not far, its just up hill all the way. brilliant, if anyone is going to any of this places maybe we could meet up and ye could show the trails

ldr

anyone up for a trail spin in the farran woods this sunday?

cycletheroad

I did'nt realise their were so many places around Cork for mountain biking, me being a blow in:D. I ve been heading to ballyhoura on a regular basis. Could i ask where exactly in Carrigaline i could find Tracton woods, Farran woods? thanks.

ldr

cycletheroad wrote: »

I did'nt realise their were so many places around Cork for mountain biking, me being a blow in:D. I ve been heading to ballyhoura on a regular basis. Could i ask where exactly in Carrigaline i could find Tracton woods, Farran woods? thanks.

farran woods is just 5k, outside ballincollig, heading to macroom, you will see a sign to your right, farran woods, straight on after that

cycletheroad

ldr wrote: »

farran woods is just 5k, outside ballincollig, heading to macroom, you will see a sign to your right, farran woods, straight on after that

Thanks for that, ill definitely check it out, if i decided to bring the car and park up there, is it safe enough etc?

2pink

Hi, Just wondering does anyone know of a club that does BMX stuff for kids (11 year old). I heard there was some place in carrigaline but I can't locate any info on it.
I'm in Cork South side so anywhere close would be great!
thanks

studiorat

Ricky91t wrote: »

Second Garryduff, nice and close, works out about 10km from the CC, It's uphill on the way there so take it easy ( Garryduff has a pretty big climb to start with ), but it's handy enough on the way back being mostly downhill!

Jaysus, never thought I'd hear a cork man say Garryduff was a big hill, given that the city is so hilly in the first place. Been up there a few times since, can't manage to get down that steep section without falling though. Over the handlebars twice the last time.

Isn't there some class of a BMX set- up in Blarney?

hill killer

are there any groups or idividuals night cycling around cork, im new to the sport so any help would be great.