Mountain Biking

This chapter describes day mountain bike rides. These are mainly natural trails and all have an element of the epic ride about them.

Rides are sorted by country. Use the menu to jump to the country you are interested in.

Scotland

Wales

Australia

New Zealand

Scotland

Regularly voted one of the best countries in the world to go mountain biking, and quite rightly so. It is where I cut my teeth offroad and I still believe that you have to go a long way to beat the Highlands for an epic day out in the hills

	Mount Keen The only Munro that you can cycle (well push partly) to the top. A 60km epic from Glen Tanar, over Mount Keen, into Tarfside and back via the Fungle road.
	Loch Muick A long tough ride over Carn O'Mounth into Glen Clova rewarded with a big downhill to Loch Muick.
	Firmounth and Fungle Starting and ending in Aboyne, this ride combines the Firmounth and Fungle roads in a big day out on the hills ending with the excellent Fungle singletrack.
	Arrochar Peninsula Loop Technically a fairly straight forward ride, mainly on fire roads and well sign posted but some big climbs and stunning views.
	Glen Ample and Glen Finglas A long loop from Callander in the Trossachs up Glen Ample and returning the wrong way down Glen Finglas with a good pub stop for lunch.
	Birse Castle A half day ride from Aboyne out to Birse Castle and back along the Fungle and Glen Tanar.
	5 Hills, Aberdeen A route from Aberdeen linking the 5 small hills that surround the city into a day's varied biking.
	Burma Road, Aviemore A big day out in the Scottish Highlands taking in the Burma Road, Ryvoan Pass and Rothiemurcus Forest.

Wales

Like Scotland, there are no shortage of superb hills in Wales. Whilst it might not be as remote the mountain biking tends to be on bridle ways and RUPPs, which are often steeper and more techincal presenting their own challenges.

	Black Mountains Killer Loop Tough, technical ride (and push) in South Wales. The carry onto Y Glas escarpment is compensated with a downhill as sweet as they come back into Llanbedr.
	Gap Track, Brecon Beacons A long way of cycling the Gap Track including the Brinord Tramroad.
	Mach 3, Machynlleth Way marked cross country route including the tricky Chute descent.

Australia

There is certainly plenty of open space is Oz. During my year here on a working holiday I will do my best to explore some of it.

	Heritage Trail, Perth Hills 50km route, mainly on former railway lines, on the outskirts of Perth, Western Australia.
	Mundaring 8 A 40km figure of 8 loop using some the best singletrack on the Munda Biddi trail and Mundaring Loop set in the Perth Hills around Mundaring Weir.

New Zealand

In late 2006 I spent 2 months in New Zealand sampling the world class mountain biking on offer. Some of the longer rides undertaken are described below. Everything I rode plus much more is described in the excellent book, Classic New Zealand Mountain Bike Rides by the Kennett brothers. This book is available from Ground Effect.

	Great Barrier Island Only 4 hours by ferry from busy Auckland, Great Barrier Island has lots of quiet, dirt roads and mountain bik tracks to explore.
	42nd Traverse A mainly downhill ride in the Tongariro National Park. Local tour companies can arrange transport or you can cycle in and out from National Park, like I did. In the rain.
	Big River, Reefton 25kms of solid climbing on a 4WD track up to an adandoned gold mining town at Big River. Very interesting and a great descent back to Reefton.
	Moke Loop From Queenstown an interesting route taking in the Moonlight Track, if I could've found it. An unintended epic.
	Mount Dewar With a high point over 1300m and a continuous descent of 800m this is a short but tough ride which also takes in Skippers Road.
	Port Hills Just South of Christchurch oodles of primo singletrack run from the Sign of the Kiwi cafe to Godley Head on the coast. NZ biking at its best.

Return to top