Ballycroum loop. East Clare.

This is a looped walking trail but makes for excellent spin on the bike. Really amazing country side and the riding is pretty decent. Some nice climbs and sweet little descents. Little bits of hike a bike here and there. Park at the bottom beside farm house and sheds. Farmer is sound.

http://www.shannonregiontrails.ie/media/Media,6853,en.jpg

Tie this in with a stop at the beach in cahermyurphy forest at the top of Lough graney. This links to the earlier post about Flagmount/East Clare.

Welcome Back

Hey so finally got around to renewing the domain name.

Few places to bike

So here are the Coillte Trails at

Derroura, Galway. This is one of the purpose built MTB trails in Ireland. Link this with the trails in Moycullen and Rosschaill and a stop in the Bike shop MBW in Moycullen.
http://www.coillteoutdoors.ie/index.php?id=53&rec_site=111&activity=10&no_cache=1

Portumna, Galway
Flat loop but if you are nearby a pleasant spin. Good night cycling.
http://www.coillteoutdoors.ie/index.php?id=53&rec_site=115&activity=10&no_cache=1

Monivea Woods.
Nice little woods. Flat. I used to go for night spins here. There was a connaught leaque race here a few times a couple of years back. Again if you live nearby a good place to pick out a a local spin.
http://www.coillteoutdoors.ie/index.php?id=53&rec_site=100&activity=&no_cache=1

Ballyhoura,Limerick/Cork
Purpose built mtb trails. Lots of trails, some good flowing sections not overly technical but a lot of cycling to be done there. Bike rental available at car park
http://www.coillteoutdoors.ie/index.php?id=53&rec_site=114&no_cache=1

Union Hall. Silgo.
A bit of a downhill area I think. I haven't been there but have heard a bit about it. Any info on it would be welcome.
http://www.coillteoutdoors.ie/index.php?id=53&rec_site=114&no_cache=1

MTB Trail Moycullen.

Amazing building going on in Moycullen Village. They have gone in with a mini digger and are building tabletops, swooping berms and allsorts of fun. The trail itself is quite good without the building. Add  one of the best pumptracks in Ireland a minute away, The excellent Moycullen Bike Works shops(certified for alot of repairs by alot of the big companies) and the local trails at Rosschaill and you have a whole lot of mtb in one small area. Oh and the coillte trails at dourroura a little futher on. Big one goes to the connemara mtb club.

bmx track ballinrobe

Haven't been here but great track by all accounts, flood lit. I think Monday evening is open evening.

pump track moycullen

Amazing pump track in moycullen village. Hang a right at the lights in town. head out road for about a mile untill you come to a new industrial estate on the left. The track is in the back of this small estate. Flood lit. Call in to the mtb shop Moycullen Bike Works in the village to find out about the track, access, bikes and club.

Westport MTB Race trail

Went to a connaught league mtb race here. Good little track. Not super techincal. Seems like more to explore other then race route. Not recommended after night on beer and fry up just before race. I just put in a rough outline of where i think the trail is but should be easy to follow bike tracks.

Trails down in cork and up north

Here is a link to the trails section of mountain bike club cork (mbcc). Lots of really good stuff. Very good if your heading off down that direction.

http://www.mbcc.ie/viewforum.php?f=9&sid=42a48fb360567383d0d2b07a98d7b7ad

For up the north there is www.trailbadger.com and http://www.notthesundayrun.com/ lots of maps and info for biking up north. Trails around rostrevor are really close now with motorways.

Flagmount/East Clare Way

None of this is techincal. But really nice bit of countryside to have a cycle in.
Tried two bits of trails. The first was the cahermurphy forest trail. It's a coillte signposted walking route. Located outside flagmount, east clare. The first bit is really nice little bit of single track and then heads up on road/dirt road. ~Nice hour spin. Very scenic.
The second cycle was part of the east clare way from Maghera Hill back round to cahermurphy forest parking. A real mix. Woodland. Little bog hike. Road. Good xc ramble in east clare. Not technical but good if your into this kind of riding..

Could link the two together for a big day out in the countryside.

Cong Woods

Cong woods. Used for connaught league xc races. Cycled there a couple of years ago at a race. Lots of wood land.Huge potential for further development. Miles of forest road

Cratloe

Haven't ridden here but by all accounts excellent. ~Seems to have loads of potential lots of trails but needs exploring etc a good few walkers so keep an eye out.

Killaloe woods

Very scenic, very technical, big hill at start. Very good. Used for nps mtb races. Lots to explore. East clare way is worth exploring.

MERLIN PARK near Galway Cystal

Lookin for a spin in the city. Small but fun woods. On the 1 side of the woods find your own spin through the woods. On 2 side of the road, a big hole in the ground we call upies/downies. Just good fun. Could really do with a building crew to unlock the potential of a city bike park.

CLARENBRIDGE

CLARENBRIDGE. The original.
This was the beginning of mtb for me. Hand built by Donncha O Brien. Many a miserable winter league races on an old yellow Gary Fisher. Still super single track, no hills but still plenty of fun. Maybe 6km all singletrack. Follow the wooden white arrows.

Kylebrack Loughrea

The Pretender. Built by me. My local trail and constant obsession. About 13km of trail in total. Mostly singletrack. Clarenbridge with hills I think. Bit of a maze if you haven't been there. Needs some white wooden signs. This is near Loughrea.

Western way 2

So this is a great bit of trail.

Western Way 1

ds

First bit of the western way that's worth gettin on the bike for. Tie this in with western way 2 and the coillte trail near by at dourroua. For a good day out.

Rosschaill

Just found a new lease of life thanks to a new team building and digging out there. Better than ever and well worth a spin. With the building on going promises to get only better and better.

Coffin Trail Achill

This is as good as it gets. On a good day the views are amazing and the trail flows. Short. Don't drive too far to get there. But try and get there. Just watch out for the vertical sea cliff a foot from the trail on the way down. Drive to mast. Take in views. Get on bike. Up over summit. Descend amazing trail and switchback down to beach. Eat sausages in campervan. Go surfing in perfect 3ft swell. And then hit Westport for night and next day if alive push bike up craogh patrick for your sins and desent from summit as punishment.(reward)

Croagh Patrick

A classic to be be done once at least. Big push up to the summit. The all the way back down in what feels like a couple of mins.

Just outsde Loughrea on gort road

On a long evening in the summer when there hasn't been rain for a while. Needs to be dry. Nice fun loop feels very open mountain. From the top of the long but nice fire road climb make your way over to the summit. Head down and right over open hill until you make out the very faint remainder of a trail. This curls around to the left and becomes more definate. Follow down to road. Maybe over grown but nice trail for the open mountain feel.

Blackhead loop

Excellent day out. Varied riding amazing views. One really hard technical xc/downhill run. Brilliant. Shame about all the gates. Start and finish on the beach at Fanore.

Green Road, Burren Mountain Biking from Eoin Fitzgerald on Vimeo.

Tuam downhill track

Lots of jumps and gaps and all sorts of fun that i can't do. When in the woods there is a fire ascent left or right. Right is easier.