Coillte trails - new surfacing

Slogger Jogger

I live down south of Wicklow near the Wexford border. Lots of trails around me for MTBing. Today was the 2nd time in 2 months that I've encountered Coillte trails that have been resurfaced. I was in Carrick forest near Croaghan Kinsella mountain. Miles of trails, great for biking - or at least they were.

The new resurfacing they've done amounts to dumping out big rocks and leveling it roughly. A b***h to cycle on. No attempt has been made to roll it and the grade of rock is quite big too, so it makes for a very bumpy and probably unsafe cycle. A bit of a pain as this was pretty much my downhill having made the effort with a climb on an okay bit of trail. Is there nobody involved in laying trail that makes use of them and knows this is crap.

Icyseanfitz

its coilte what do you expect? competent work its depressing how far behind the likes of the uk we are in terms of trails and trail centers tbh

Rovi

Are you talking about purpose built MTB trails, or the forestry service roads?

boomdocker

Common practice with Coillte - resurfacing fire roads in preparation for timber haulage.

Just pedal harder..

Chips Lovell

I didn't think there was any coillte mtb trails in south Wicklow?

Slogger Jogger

Sorry, by trails I just mean forest trails - not MTB specific.

Mycroft H

Its a fire road which also doubles as a firebreak. I've seen it in several coillte forests both here and in the west.

BUACHAILL

Am I missing something here? your giving out about Coillte not considering mountain bikers when surfacing a road within the forest thats not actually designed for mountain biking in the first place and shouldn't really even be in there doing such an activity without an appropriate license ? really ?

jimstir

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

its coilte what do you expect? competent work its depressing how far behind the likes of the uk we are in terms of trails and trail centers tbh

I think that is a little bit of an unfair comment. The mountain bike trail in Ballyhoura Co. Limerick is run by Coillte and it is regarded as one of the best mountain biking tracks/trailsin Europe

griffin_sh

jimstir wrote: »

I think that is a little bit of an unfair comment. The mountain bike trail in Ballyhoura Co. Limerick is run by Coillte and it is regarded as one of the best mountain biking tracks/trailsin Europe

I dunno guys, I`m tending to agree that this country really needs a lot more than the ballyhoura`s, i know there have been a few attempts but nothing on the scale of the UK.. I reckon they are light years ahead of us .. !! How much trouble will the bikers be in if coillte is sold off ??? :eek:

C3PO

jimstir wrote: »

The mountain bike trail in Ballyhoura Co. Limerick is run by Coillte and it is regarded as one of the best mountain biking tracks/trailsin Europe

Ballyhoura is a fine facility but I have never heard anybody (bar yourself!) suggesting that it would be considered one of the best MTB trails in Europe! The UK has at least 10 that are better and that's before you even start on France, Spain etc!

Also to the best of my knowledge the maintenance of the track in Ballyhoura is not carried out by Coillte but by local mountainbikers? The trails in Ballinastoe and Ticknock are in dreadful condition and in my opinion Coillte only built them to "tick a box"!

Slogger Jogger

BUACHAILL wrote: »

Am I missing something here? your giving out about Coillte not considering mountain bikers when surfacing a road within the forest thats not actually designed for mountain biking in the first place and shouldn't really even be in there doing such an activity without an appropriate license ? really ?

If I wasn't cycling I'd be running, as hill running is my usual scene. But you couldn't even run on these resurfaced trails, you could break an ankle. Credit to Coillte for the odd MTB specific trails they've done, but its not really enough is it and compares badly with other countries. Coillte are trying to promote outdoors use of our forests. You couldn't walk or wheel a buggy on these surfaces.

Where I live I've forest trails on my doorstep. Should I avoid them and drive 45 mins to the nearest MTB specific trails? Great if you have time on your hands to do that.

BUACHAILL

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

If I wasn't cycling I'd be running, as hill running is my usual scene. But you couldn't even run on these resurfaced trails, you could break an ankle. Credit to Coillte for the odd MTB specific trails they've done, but its not really enough is it and compares badly with other countries. Coillte are trying to promote outdoors use of our forests. You couldn't walk or wheel a buggy on these surfaces.

Where I live I've forest trails on my doorstep. Should I avoid them and drive 45 mins to the nearest MTB specific trails? Great if you have time on your hands to do that.

I understand your point but that does not mean its correct. Just because its on your doorstep it is not a justification to slate it as its not designed correctly for mountain biking as this is your hobby. Not all Coillte forest's are adequate for such activities nor do they allow it on all of their properties.

Coillte are going to be bought out at some stage and will probably no longer be semi state so the chances of any designed improvements for any activities would amaze me. The only reason they make any sort of effort is simply because they are semi state which means the public have access to it, When this eventually changes i think there will be serious changes and i fear not for the better

Red Neck Hughie

BUACHAILL wrote: »

Coillte are going to be bought out at some stage and will probably no longer be semi state so the chances of any designed improvements for any activities would amaze me. The only reason they make any sort of effort is simply because they are semi state which means the public have access to it, When this eventually changes i think there will be serious changes and i fear not for the better

My understanding is the land remains in state possession - it is the trees which are on offer - can anyone confirm this?
It could mean continued public access with higher standard access roads to suit commercial partners possibly. Win-win.