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Coolaney National MTB Centre

13

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 2,598 ✭✭✭rizzodun


    kingoffifa wrote: »
    thanks for that lads. very quick replies!


    I'm guessing ye are from that part of the world.


    *slightly off topic (completely...)



    how would a complete novice outsider get around union wood? i wouldn't be worried about the technical stuff. i'm quite capable of walking. just more so would i find my way around easy enough? i believe they are unofficial trail in there

    Club trails ran by Northwest MTB. I'll send you a PM.


  • Registered Users Posts: 169 ✭✭waterboy15


    Any more news coming out about opening up some or all trails ?


  • Registered Users Posts: 377 ✭✭covey123


    Something for your Sunday morning....

    https://youtu.be/sQgEkAkVQeU

    Just subscribed to this guy, good footage and hopefully more to come


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,859 ✭✭✭prunudo


    Some nice fast flowy parts but some of those rock gardens look awful, especially given they don't look like they're on a steep enough section to carry speed.


  • Registered Users Posts: 377 ✭✭covey123


    prunudo wrote: »
    Some nice fast flowy parts but some of those rock gardens look awful, especially given they don't look like they're on a steep enough section to carry speed.

    True, hoping some of them only put in for armouring.I like the use of that boulder on the berm around the 7.30 mark though


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  • Registered Users Posts: 14,148 ✭✭✭✭Lemming


    covey123 wrote: »
    True, hoping some of them only put in for armouring.I like the use of that boulder on the berm around the 7.30 mark though

    Saw that and thought it a good incorporation of existing features into the track design. A fair few of the other berms left a bit to be desired in terms of how they appeared surfaced with a lot of visibly large, loose chipping sitting quite high onto the berms. Hopefully that'll correct with use and a bit of rainfall.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,598 ✭✭✭rizzodun


    He could do with not locking the back wheel into every corner and dragging ruts into the trail though....


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,254 ✭✭✭Tenzor07


    covey123 wrote: »
    Something for your Sunday morning....
    https://youtu.be/sQgEkAkVQeU

    Good video by Sir. SkidsaLot..

    However it looks like a standard Coillte "Cut & Paste" job, it could be Ticknock, Ballinastoe or Ballyhoura.. Boring narrow fireroad trails, featureless apart from a few rocky bits...

    Great for say a stag party to hire an eBike and do something different...


  • Registered Users Posts: 569 ✭✭✭Peter T


    Some nice bits in it but nothing that would make me take the 3hr drive up there


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,254 ✭✭✭Tenzor07


    Peter T wrote: »
    Some nice bits in it but nothing that would make me take the 3hr drive up there

    This is why the center won't see much use, it's too far from the main population centers, e.g. Dublin, Cork, Belfast, so people won't travel...

    Maybe some passing tourist trade for the Bike hire shop beside the trails, other than that, no one from the UK or Europe will come over here with there bikes when they have much better ones on there doorsteps...


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  • Registered Users Posts: 569 ✭✭✭Peter T


    If you're based in Dublin you'd almost make it to bike park wales in the same time by plane and hire a car :pac:


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,254 ✭✭✭Tenzor07


    Peter T wrote: »
    If you're based in Dublin you'd almost make it to bike park wales in the same time by plane and hire a car :pac:

    I'd rather go to Gran Canaria, 3hrs45mins flight! :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,699 ✭✭✭bogmanfan


    Looks decent enough to me. 2.5 hours from Dublin, so around the same as Ballyhoura. I'd say it will definitely be worth a day trip.

    I know it's not cool to say so, but those Coillte trails are great for winter training in my opinion. Totally ridable in all conditions, and better than totally destroying natural trails in winter time.


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,148 ✭✭✭✭Lemming


    Tenzor07 wrote: »
    This is why the center won't see much use, it's too far from the main population centers, e.g. Dublin, Cork, Belfast, so people won't travel...

    Maybe some passing tourist trade for the Bike hire shop beside the trails, other than that, no one from the UK or Europe will come over here with there bikes when they have much better ones on there doorsteps...

    I don't think distance from main population centres carries as much weight given that people will travel greater distances if what is on offer is "good" (obviously a bit subjective). Happens every day here in the UK given that most of the big names are not anywhere near major population centres; the odd one out being BPI which even then can best be described as 'reasonably close' - and it's a park, not a trail centre if I want to get pedantic about it.

    Last month I drove over 4 hours to get to Kirroughtree (one of the Seven Staines in Scotland) for an Enduro race. Drive time onwards to Glasgow from there was near 2 hours by virtue of it being twisty country roads for the most part. Went up to Fort William a few days later; another near 2 hour drive. Then did a 6 hour drive back to Sheffield. I take the ferry back home and spend days at a time at the GAP, Ticknock, etc. That's a 3.5 hour drive to Holyhead + ferry time + about 20 mins drive time from the family home to the GAP.

    Travelling isn't an issue - and I'm probably the intended tourist demographic they want to attract, but I can't see myself doing that when I can scratch that itch closer to the famliy home (being Dublin). At least not for what's on offer thus far. Now they may unveil some awesome red/black trails at a later date but for now, no. Which comes back full-circle to the "if it's good" argument I made above. The trails just don't have any appeal from what I've seen so far as they look quite dull and uninspiring.

    Edit: bogmanfan does raise a fair point regards all-weather trails. I still would be disinclined to travel to them unless I was living in Ireland.


  • Registered Users Posts: 377 ✭✭covey123


    Lemming wrote: »

    Last month I drove over 4 hours to get to Kirroughtree (one of the Seven Staines in Scotland) for an Enduro race. Drive time onwards to Glasgow from there was near 2 hours by virtue of it being twisty country roads for the most part. Went up to Fort William a few days later; another near 2 hour drive. Then did a 6 hour drive back to Sheffield. I take the ferry back home and spend days at a time at the GAP, Ticknock, etc. That's a 3.5 hour drive to Holyhead + ferry time + about 20 mins drive time from the family home to the GAP.

    ..... I'm not in the slightest way envious..... really,I'm not....


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,859 ✭✭✭prunudo




  • Registered Users Posts: 474 ✭✭booooonzo


    Lemming wrote: »
    I don't think distance from main population centres carries as much weight given that people will travel greater distances if what is on offer is "good" (obviously a bit subjective). Happens every day here in the UK given that most of the big names are not anywhere near major population centres; the odd one out being BPI which even then can best be described as 'reasonably close' - and it's a park, not a trail centre if I want to get pedantic about it.

    Last month I drove over 4 hours to get to Kirroughtree (one of the Seven Staines in Scotland) for an Enduro race. Drive time onwards to Glasgow from there was near 2 hours by virtue of it being twisty country roads for the most part. Went up to Fort William a few days later; another near 2 hour drive. Then did a 6 hour drive back to Sheffield. I take the ferry back home and spend days at a time at the GAP, Ticknock, etc. That's a 3.5 hour drive to Holyhead + ferry time + about 20 mins drive time from the family home to the GAP.

    Travelling isn't an issue - and I'm probably the intended tourist demographic they want to attract, but I can't see myself doing that when I can scratch that itch closer to the famliy home (being Dublin). At least not for what's on offer thus far. Now they may unveil some awesome red/black trails at a later date but for now, no. Which comes back full-circle to the "if it's good" argument I made above. The trails just don't have any appeal from what I've seen so far as they look quite dull and uninspiring.

    Edit: bogmanfan does raise a fair point regards all-weather trails. I still would be disinclined to travel to them unless I was living in Ireland.

    Nail on the head!


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,146 ✭✭✭okane1


    Anyone here lately. I'll be in the area over Christmas and plan on bring mtb with me. Worthwhile for a few hours to burn the Christmas diet?


  • Registered Users Posts: 474 ✭✭booooonzo


    It will be open for xmas so bring your bike.
    It's a "soft opening".. ake from that what you will :rolleyes:

    NW-Mtb will have some Stephens day spins if you want to join in


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,146 ✭✭✭okane1


    booooonzo wrote: »
    It will be open for xmas so bring your bike.
    It's a "soft opening".. ake from that what you will :rolleyes:

    NW-Mtb will have some Stephens day spins if you want to join in

    Thanks for invite. I'll up in Mayo from the 28th. I'll bring the bike and check it out.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,146 ✭✭✭okane1


    Delay. Folks still riding it? Might try it out next week?


  • Registered Users Posts: 377 ✭✭covey123


    okane1 wrote: »
    Delay. Folks still riding it? Might try it out next week?


    ...Irish trail centres are like buses now, you wait years for one,then 2 come along at the same time...


  • Registered Users Posts: 787 ✭✭✭rustynutz


    Has anyone been on the collooney trail yet, what's it like? Do you need to b a member of a club to use it?


  • Registered Users Posts: 22,080 ✭✭✭✭Big Nasty


    rustynutz wrote: »
    Has anyone been on the collooney trail yet, what's it like? Do you need to b a member of a club to use it?

    I would imagine you can just rock up with your bike and off you go


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,366 ✭✭✭iwillhtfu


    rustynutz wrote: »
    Has anyone been on the collooney trail yet, what's it like? Do you need to b a member of a club to use it?

    I don't think any of the trails are open yet


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,859 ✭✭✭prunudo


    iwillhtfu wrote: »
    I don't think any of the trails are open yet

    Yeah, if I remember correctly they were hoping to have it open for Christmas but there were trees blown over from a storm and they delayed the opening.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,598 ✭✭✭rizzodun


    Trails are more or less cleared again but still snagging and finishing off to do. This storm tomorrow will probably take a few more down though, knowing the luck with it so far.

    Opening date not confirmed, entrance is blocked off while they finish.


  • Registered Users Posts: 787 ✭✭✭rustynutz


    Ok, thanks for the replies, looking forward to trying it out


  • Registered Users Posts: 377 ✭✭covey123


    From the Coolainey FB page;

    https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2476788812572419&id=1541297972788179&__tn__=%2As%2As-R

    Still no open date announced,anyone from the West hear anything on it?


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  • Registered Users Posts: 6,366 ✭✭✭iwillhtfu


    covey123 wrote: »
    From the Coolainey FB page;

    https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2476788812572419&id=1541297972788179&__tn__=%2As%2As-R

    Still no open date announced,anyone from the West hear anything on it?

    Apparently the lads from North West MTB club are using it, I recall seeing a member replying to a post on FB saying it was open to their members :confused:


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