Hill Of Allen good or bad?

Marty McFly

Hi

So I got myself a MTB just before last Christmas and have been really enjoying it but I have been using it for cycling on the Curragh. Going up around Donnellys Hollow is the most adventurous I've been.

I just ordered myself a new bike a Vitus Mythique VRX and am looking to start doing more proper trails.

I'm wondering is Hill of Allen okay to cycle on? Or a good place to try?

Thanks

mad turnip

https://www.pinkbike.com/video/515767/

mloc123

People have put in a bunch of great work up there making some interesting trails...I tend to hike up the main access road an run down the trails, some day I must head over with my MTB

Marty McFly

Thanks for the replies.

That actually looks brilliant I'm only a stone's throw away from it.

Once the new bike arrives think that will be my first place to go.

Marty McFly

Ok so this may sound like a silly question but were do you park to go up the Hill of Allen?

I took a spin up in the car today to take a look but couldn't find an entrance or were to park. Maps took me into Roadstone Quarry entrance.

mad turnip

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Tower+parking/@53.2317791,-6.8569836,949m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x485d81ac7412a1f9:0x31889c2922b6b8ac!2sHill+of+Allen!3b1!8m2!3d53.2305556!4d-6.866389!3m4!1s0x485d8054374b01b7:0x6874eb19916f5c46!8m2!3d53.233497!4d-6.8568286

I think it does be closed quite a bit.

Marty McFly

mad turnip wrote: »

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Tower+parking/@53.2317791,-6.8569836,949m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x485d81ac7412a1f9:0x31889c2922b6b8ac!2sHill+of+Allen!3b1!8m2!3d53.2305556!4d-6.866389!3m4!1s0x485d8054374b01b7:0x6874eb19916f5c46!8m2!3d53.233497!4d-6.8568286

I think it does be closed quite a bit.

Thank you very much I drove up and down that road today and didn't notice it. Much appreciated.

nelly17

Technically its permanently closed - I park down the road at the car park opposite the old leap inn and cycle up. I would say that the trails are fairly advanced with some decent gaps so if you're starting out it will take you a while to get the skils required for up there, its not like coilte trails

Heres a link to some videos up there

Damien360

Marty McFly wrote: »

Ok so this may sound like a silly question but were do you park to go up the Hill of Allen?

I took a spin up in the car today to take a look but couldn't find an entrance or were to park. Maps took me into Roadstone Quarry entrance.

the carpark is always closed to prevent fly-tipping. Opens once a year only for a day for heritage week. There is space for a single car only against the barrier as you drive down the hill towards the cross roads. You will pass the house on the left with a brown brick wall and right beside that is the entrance with a large stone in front of it.

Your best bet is park at the carpark opposite the old petrol station pumps and cycle back up the hill. It's not the safest route as I wouldn't walk that.

Kids are regularly in there so there is an entrance from the roadstone side but I am not sure whereabouts.

Marty McFly

nelly17 wrote: »

Technically its permanently closed - I park down the road at the car park opposite the old leap inn and cycle up. I would say that the trails are fairly advanced with some decent gaps so if you're starting out it will take you a while to get the skils required for up there, its not like coilte trails

Heres a link to some videos up there

Ah okay that's what I was wondering I was only thinking of going there due to it being so close to were i live would be handy.

But if that's the case I'll hold off until I've done some the other trails first get myself more assured.

mad turnip

If your close to hill of allen, your next closest spot is probably slade valley. Check it out on trailforks the trails are quite beginner friendly with bombhole and dire straits being the hardest of the bunch.

andyd12

Alot of work done on the hill by local lads and trails are quite advanced. Some of the jumps and drops are beyond beginner level.

prunudo

andyd12 wrote: »

I'm sure you didn't mean to, but not a great idea to draw attention to features that some may find more daunting than others. Authorities use the likes of this place or social media to see where trails are being built, would hate to see others hard work gone to waste.

andyd12

prunudo wrote: »

I'm sure you didn't mean to, but not a great idea to draw attention to features that some may find more daunting than others. Authorities use the likes of this place or social media to see where trails are being built, would hate to see others hard work gone to waste.

Agreed and I see your point.
But the OP said he was a beginner and I was just trying to warn him the trails are not beginner.
Either way, will modify accordingly
Either way I will edit my

Wanderer78

prunudo wrote:

I'm sure you didn't mean to, but not a great idea to draw attention to features that some may find more daunting than others. Authorities use the likes of this place or social media to see where trails are being built, would hate to see others hard work gone to waste.

I'd imagine strava and trailforks would be very popular for investigations, we were like dogs when ours turned up on them

prunudo

Wanderer78 wrote: »

I'd imagine strava and trailforks would be very popular for investigations, we were like dogs when ours turned up on them

We know it's happening, they know its happening, just always weary of drawing to much attention. Especially at present as there are plenty of idle hands during lockdowns, on both sides!
God be the days pre technology where you had to use some small detective skills to figure out where trails were and went.

Dcully

I never knew this was a thing, before i got a MTB up the hill of allen on the road bike was a regular route as im also only a stones throw away.
Sadly im retiring from trails after my last fall, too ould now and cannot risk another injury.

Wanderer78

Dcully wrote: »

I never knew this was a thing, before i got a MTB up the hill of allen on the road bike was a regular route as im also only a stones throw away.
Sadly im retiring from trails after my last fall, too ould now and cannot risk another injury.

ah dont give up, maybe just downscale the trails you re doing, nothing wrong with cross country trails, theyre also good fun, falling is awful though, the older you get

Lemming

Wanderer78 wrote: »

ah dont give up, maybe just downscale the trails you re doing, nothing wrong with cross country trails, theyre also good fun, falling is awful though, the older you get

You can also just take alternate lines around jumps/drops instead of hitting every feature as intended. There's a lady in her 60s who does the Steel City downhill Race here in Sheffield, known as Granny McNarly, and she doesn't hit jumps or the like; there was a podcast interview with her a while back - either the Hkt podcast or the downtime podcast series, can't recall which if you're interested. So where there's a will there's a way; just need to be sensible when it comes to your risk assessment.

Wanderer78

Lemming wrote: »

You can also just take alternate lines around jumps/drops instead of hitting every feature as intended. There's a lady in her 60s who does the Steel City downhill Race here in Sheffield, known as Granny McNarly, and she doesn't hit jumps or the like; there was a podcast interview with her a while back - either the Hkt podcast or the downtime podcast series, can't recall which if you're interested. So where there's a will there's a way; just need to be sensible when it comes to your risk assessment.

now theres a legend, now i have to search for her interviews and videos

Lemming

Wanderer78 wrote: »

now theres a legend, now i have to search for her interviews and videos

I may have imagined the podcast as I now can't seem to find it; may have gotten mixed up with interview articles of which there have been a few.

Edit: also it's "Granny McGnarly" if trying to find anything, pardon my earlier typo.

Dcully

Dcully wrote: »

I never knew this was a thing, before i got a MTB up the hill of allen on the road bike was a regular route as im also only a stones throw away.
Sadly im retiring from trails after my last fall, too ould now and cannot risk another injury.

Yes i will still do cross country trails but no fast or even semi fast twisty downhill bits for me.