Ticknock: How to find blue/easier trails

rollingscone

Me a dumb
Me rode/pushed my Singlespeed MTB up top of Three Rock but why me no find which trail is blue trail?

SRSLY was pushed for time before work and didn't want to risk being caught halfway down a trail I couldn't hack and having a long walk of shame to the bottom.

Foolishly I assumed that the trails would be colour coded...and the maps I've found show one long trail.

Can anyone help an idiot out?

Wanderer78

only been there a couple of times, so dont know the trails all that well, but theres many unofficial trails there which are probably marked on strava, along with the official trails

comanche_cor

The trails are not color coded AFAIK - the official trails there are all blue-ish in nature.

On your way up the tarmac road from the trail head the tails start on your right. You will see a wooden post of the a bike on it... just follow that around and it will bring you in a loop on back to the trail head.

There are unofficial trails also around three rock / ticknock. These are more red in nature and if not know where you are going are best left to a day where you are happy to explore ...

Wanderer78

comanche_cor wrote: »

The trails are not color coded AFAIK - the official trails there are all blue-ish in nature.

On your way up the tarmac road from the trail head the tails start on your right. You will see a wooden post of the a bike on it... just follow that around and it will bring you in a loop on back to the trail head.

There are unofficial trails also around three rock / ticknock. These are more red in nature and if not know where you are going are best left to a day where you are happy to explore ...

some parts black in my estimations, approach with caution

QueenMTBee

The Coillte trails are colour coded - but only red and black. Hence the coloured markers (pic attached). TBH most of the reds aren't really reds and the black definitely isn't really a black. There's nothing on the Coillte trails that can't be done on a hardtail. There are also lots of current/old enduro trails of varying difficulty - probably not recommended unless you're experienced or you're up there with someone who is and can show you around.

comanche_cor

Wanderer78 wrote: »

some parts black in my estimations, approach with caution

True, very true

Just realized OP is on a singlespeed - I'd suggest that you stick to the 'euro' trails: https://www.trailforks.com/region/ticknock/. I reckon that these would suit a single speed more as they have decent flow ...

you can loop these a few times if you just come back down to the barrier and head down that fire road (the barrier is on the right side as you climb the main tarmac road up to the masts - you will know it when you see it)...

rollingscone

Excellent! Thanks all.

It's a rigid Singlespeed too...

2.35" / 60mm tubeless though so should be able to handle blue trails just fine.

Wanderer78

rollingscone wrote:

It's a rigid Singlespeed too...

No suspension?

Lusk_Doyle

Ride them all. When you find one that you don't crash on you have reached your destination!

rollingscone

Wanderer78 wrote: »

No suspension?

Just the tyres.

rollingscone

I continue to suck.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1726353296/shareable_images/map_based?hl=en-US&v=1532509252

Can anyone tell me if I went near the start of the Euros?

mollser

rollingscone wrote: »

I continue to suck.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1726353296/shareable_images/map_based?hl=en-US&v=1532509252

Can anyone tell me if I went near the start of the Euros?

Fair play for going up Kilmashouge - that's a brute of a climb! When you turned off the fireroad and into the forest climb, you were on the Eurosceptic trail, you stopped and turned around but you should have kept going - this turns into a nice long swoopy downhill trail. This would have led you then to the top of the 'Metro' trail, back to the car park.

You ended up descending the 'Tom's' climbing trail - a great descent indeed but it is actually meant to be done as a climb, leading up to the Eurosceptic trail.

Talk to the Biking.ie lads in the cabin at the foot of the carpark, they'll send you right.

bogmanfan

As stated before, look for these signs and follow them. Can't go astray then.

rollingscone

mollser wrote: »

Fair play for going up Kilmashouge - that's a brute of a climb! When you turned off the fireroad and into the forest climb, you were on the Eurosceptic trail, you stopped and turned around but you should have kept going - this turns into a nice long swoopy downhill trail. This would have led you then to the top of the 'Metro' trail, back to the car park.

You ended up descending the 'Tom's' climbing trail - a great descent indeed but it is actually meant to be done as a climb, leading up to the Eurosceptic trail.

Talk to the Biking.ie lads in the cabin at the foot of the carpark, they'll send you right.

Yeah ...I became convinced that I was going the wrong way up a different trail and turned back :$

Full disclosure I walked from Kilmashogue lodge to the carpark and up the last few bends on the gravel road...no kudos earned there.

Cheers!

smacl

rollingscone wrote: »

Full disclosure I walked from Kilmashogue lodge to the carpark and up the last few bends on the gravel road...no kudos earned there.

Even attempting Kilmashogue on single speed gets kudos from me. I struggle plemty getting to the top on my 34/32 granny combo.

rollingscone

Round 3:

Still a lot of learning to trust the bike to be done.


https://www.strava.com/activities/1762099199/shareable_images/map_based?hl=en-US&v=1533894459

steamsey

Excuse the handiwork on this map - please add to it if anyone wants

steamsey

Brief thread here from main cycling forum on the official Ticknock trails, thought it might be useful to have a link to it here

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=107772656

drunkmonkey

It'd be great to have a trail thread maybe as a sticky and difficulty levels ranging from easy to your going to hurt.

rizzodun

Probably better to request it moved to this forum. This forum is on a 6 month trail basis, directing away from it won't help traffic.

steamsey

rizzodun wrote: »

Probably better to request it moved to this forum. This forum is on a 6 month trail basis, directing away from it won't help traffic.

Good point. How do I do this? Mods / Beasty anyone watching - can we please move the linked thread from main cycling forum to here please

rizzodun

steamsey wrote: »

Good point. How do I do this? Mods / Beasty anyone watching - can we please move the linked thread from main cycling forum to here please

I've reported a post on the thread with a request to move it.
Let's see.

magicbastarder

threads moved and merged

rollingscone

Planning on heading back up this week as I'm off work. Going to swap to a 34x18 as aside from having to walk the gravel climbs on the 38x I've also found it hard to hit features with sufficient momentum on the flat/uphill bits and those are where I want to learn/get comfortable with riding over rocky sections.

Fitted a set of riser bars over the weekend and the front end feels much better now.

The Noble Nudge

Was up to Ticknock Saturday first in a long time Metro 2 I think is the name of it...really enjoyed that...
Crashed of course and had about 13 women to witness it! Hello to the Lady threshers!! and thanks for the concern....
I didn't escape them all day was even parked beside the ring leader in the car park....
Cant wear that top again!

steamsey

Cleaned up the official map of Ticknock trails, let me know if anyone wants me to change anything - might make a good stickey

JazzyJ

steamsey wrote: »

Cleaned up the official map of Ticknock trails, let me know if anyone wants me to change anything - might make a good stickey

That'll be out of date soon :pac:, with works on the trail from the upper to lower carpark! Passed by last night, looks to be heading down the doubletrack/sharknado.

QueenMTBee

The Noble Nudge wrote: »

Crashed of course and had about 13 women to witness it! Hello to the Lady threshers!!

Shredders - not threshers!!!!

bogmanfan

JazzyJ wrote: »

That'll be out of date soon :pac:, with works on the trail from the upper to lower carpark! Passed by last night, looks to be heading down the doubletrack/sharknado.

Spotted that on Sunday evening. Seems they're extending the trails down, possibly to the biking.ie hut.

Tenzor07

bogmanfan wrote: »

Spotted that on Sunday evening. Seems they're extending the trails down, possibly to the biking.ie hut.

They are yea, and with the speed they've been building i'd say it will be complete by this weekend..


Just watch for cars when crossing to the lower section of the trails...

muckwarrior

steamsey wrote: »

Cleaned up the official map of Ticknock trails, let me know if anyone wants me to change anything - might make a good stickey

Technically Eurosceptic is just the top section of trail that starts near the Wicklow Way. The first bit that comes off the tarmac is Kiddies Highway as far as the clearing, then the next section is Tom's Climb I guess. Tom's was actually a much more technical trail in that area but then they built a new trail over most of it and that seems to have inherited the name.

steamsey

muckwarrior wrote: »

Technically Eurosceptic is just the top section of trail that starts near the Wicklow Way. The first bit that comes off the tarmac is Kiddies Highway as far as the clearing, then the next section is Tom's Climb I guess. Tom's was actually a much more technical trail in that area but then they built a new trail over most of it and that seems to have inherited the name.

Good to know. Like this? If so I'll add in a spiel on Kiddie's Highway and Tom's.

steamsey

i mean like this

muckwarrior

steamsey wrote: »

Good to know. Like this? If so I'll add in a spiel on Kiddie's Highway and Tom's.

Yep, labels look right now

steamsey

Ok so latest Ticknock map here, subject to change once they finish those new bits. If anyone has a correction to the map, just shout.

Tenzor07

steamsey wrote: »

Ok so latest Ticknock map here, subject to change once they finish those new bits. If anyone has a correction to the map, just shout.

That's great work, certainly wouldn't be needed if there was decent signage as opposed to a red arrow on a wooden post... forget your glasses and you'd definitely miss them!

Big Nasty

Surely Kiddies Highway should be first and Metro One last?

steamsey

Big Nasty wrote: »

Surely Kiddies Highway should be first and Metro One last?

Oh in terms of the order of the descriptions? Yeah, makes sense. I'll do it tmrw

steamsey

Updated map with descriptions starting with Kiddie's Highway

Which brings me to a question I had - obviously we're not allowed to discuss trail building but are we allowed to discuss trail names? For example, on Euroservices, just after the first big-ish berm to the right, you can jump off into the forest. It was an Enduro trail. It's short but technical and takes you back down to main fireroad. Can I ask if that trail has a name?

bogmanfan

I believe that's 'Bacon n Cabbage'

steamsey wrote: »

Updated map with descriptions starting with Kiddie's Highway

Which brings me to a question I had - obviously we're not allowed to discuss trail building but are we allowed to discuss trail names? For example, on Euroservices, just after the first big-ish berm to the right, you can jump off into the forest. It was an Enduro trail. It's short but technical and takes you back down to main fireroad. Can I ask if that trail has a name?

muckwarrior

steamsey wrote: »

Which brings me to a question I had - obviously we're not allowed to discuss trail building but are we allowed to discuss trail names? For example, on Euroservices, just after the first big-ish berm to the right, you can jump off into the forest. It was an Enduro trail. It's short but technical and takes you back down to main fireroad. Can I ask if that trail has a name?

If it's after the corner then that's Tokyo Drift. It joins up with the end of Bacon n' Cabbage.

Tenzor07

muckwarrior wrote: »

If it's after the corner then that's Tokyo Drift. It joins up with the end of Bacon n' Cabbage.

Ah the original and best trails down that side of the hill.....

steamsey

Had a short but decent spin up Ticknock yesterday evening.

Did Kiddie's Highway, Tom's, Euroskeptic. Up to top loops and jumped off Euroservices onto Bacon and Cabbage - which was muddy and a bit slippy for first time in a while.

Then back up to do Metro 2 - the finish of Metro 2 and Euroservices is riding pretty well now and the loose stuff has largely moved off the main riding line

Finished with Bottom Loop / Metro 1 - riding well. Seems to be a few more little jumps and doubles than I remember - and it now goes all the way to the biking.ie hut. It's still very loose as is newly built. No more climbing up to the top car park from the back of the biking.ie hut.

JazzyJ

steamsey wrote: »

No more climbing up to the top car park from the back of the biking.ie hut.

Loved that climb to get started!

Tenzor07

JazzyJ wrote: »

Loved that climb to started!

There needs to be a climbing trail from the bike hut to the trails, bit stupid having to scrape along with the cars on the road...

JazzyJ

Tenzor07 wrote: »

There needs to be a climbing trail from the bike hut to the trails, bit stupid having to scrape along with the cars on the road...

Just use the walking trail :pac: Hikers love the banter. :eek:

Tenzor07

JazzyJ wrote: »

Just use the walking trail :pac: Hikers love the banter. :eek:

Ha! I try and avoid that, so at least when I meet walkers and joggers on the MTB trails I can give them a very stern look when I come across them...:pac:

Tenzor07

Upgrade works finally taking place on "Tom's Climb" which had turned into a sandy dry river bed, although not a bad place for a lovely walk as so many people do when the sun is shining...

steamsey

Cool. Nice to see they are continuing to look after the place.

Tenzor07

Hardly a surprise!

steamsey

Shots fired.