‘Bring Your Own Bike Trails’ now open at Belmont Demesne.

Belmont Bike Farm has 15 kms of fantastic trails that cover a diverse range of natural routes.
Pit your wits on fast-paced woodland terrain or take it at a slower pace, climbing up the foothills of Little Sugar Loaf.

After lots of hard work behind the scenes, we are delighted to announce that Belmont Demesne a.k.a. Belmont Bike Farm is now open for their network of singletrack bikes trails to the general public on Tuesday 18th of August 2020.  This is all thanks to their partnership with Sport Ireland and the best bit is that these trails are absolutely free of charge to use.

With few family biking amenities on offer in Ireland, the Belmont Bike Trail Network is a fantastic addition to this rapidly growing sport.

Bikers and biker families can simply bring their own bikes & helmets (BYOB & H) and hit these amazing off-road trails, with the some of the most breathtaking scenery County Wicklow has to offer, from stunning woodlands to spectacular views of the East Coast.

The Belmont trails are designed for all types of bikes and bikers of all ages and abilities.  The more serious bikers can get their thrills on the more challenging woodland terrain, whilst families can take it at their own pace and spend some quality time together cycling the gentle loops that meander through the beautiful Belmont estate and working farm.

The Low Down – How It Works

Bikers are welcome to pop into the Fatbike Adventures bike shop for a quick briefing before hitting the trails. There are maps at the bike shop courtyard and start of the green and blue trailhead next to the green tram carriage.

Helmets must be worn on all trails at all times.

The bike and the hike trails are free to use, but if you’re arriving by car there is a small car parking fee of €3 which goes towards the development and maintenance of the trails. If you’re renting bikes from us, we ask that all children and teens under the age of 16 be accompanied by an adult.

Bike Hire, Servicing & Sales

If you don’t have a bike, or your trusty steed is in need of repair, the option to rent one of our super cool fatbikes is always an option. Advance booking of rental bikes online is essential (simply click on the red BOOK NOW button) Our electric fatties are currently reserved for our guided tours only.

We’re a fully fledged bike shop & are registered for the Bike to Work scheme.  The brands we stock, service & sell include Surly, Silverback, SE Bikes, Scott, Salsa, REEB, Raleigh, Mondraker, Commencal & Leaderfox/Switzz.

Our resident bike whisperer The Big Magick Kowalski is a creak finding genius with qualifications as long as your arm and plenty years of experience.  He can fix, service and restore any type of bike, shock, fork, wheel or cog.  He ain’t called Magick for nothin’ – True Story!!

The Bike Trails

There are currently two dedicated bike trails marked Blue and Red. The Blue Trail is graded moderate and the Red Trail is graded difficult.

The Green Bike and Hike Loops are graded easy for the short and medium loops, with the long loop graded moderate.

Bikers must cycle in a clockwise direction only on the trails.

The Pump Track Trail is designed for hardtail bikes or BMX bikes. This two-section trail has a Junior trail designed for under 12’s, which helps to develop skills from basic pushing onto cornering, standing and pumping.  The larger trail for over 12’s requires a moderate level of bike skills and fitness. Time spent on the Pump Track Trail is excellent for honing and improving bike handling skills.

What Trail is Right for You?

Belmont Demesne is to be enjoyed by all ages and generations. We do ask that all children and teens under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

Grade: Easy 

Trail: Consistent, generally even surfaces suitable for off-road bikes only. Low gradient with minor dips or occasional bumps. Average gradient 5%.

Ability: Low level of bike control ability required.

Grade: Moderate

Trail: Variable and slightly uneven surfaces suitable for mountain bikes only. Some dips, hollows, rocks and protruding roots, timber boardwalk sections and moderate gradients. Average 6%

Ability: Moderate level of bike control ability and physical fitness required.

Grade: Difficult

Trail: Very variable and uneven surfaces suitable for mountain bikes only. Technically challenging with tight turns, small rock steps, bumpy terrain and steep exposed side slope. Average gradient 10%.

Ability: Requires a high level of competency in bike control and a high level of physical fitness.

Food & Refreshments

We offer prepackaged snacks and drinks in the bike shop and for the sweaty bikers in need of a cooling off we also have a very popular slushy machine!!

If you’re looking for something more substantial than a snack be sure to check out Bak’d Café at Arthur’s Barn is located in the Walled Garden. Bak’d does awesome wood fired pizzas, delicious sourdough breads, coffees, ice cream and sweet treats. There are lots of daily specials to look out for. Ingredients are fresh and locally sourced.

Be nice, say hi!

Respect for nature and respect for people – is the Belmont Demesne mantra! Belmont is a family amenity,  please be polite to fellow bikers and hikers. Be careful on the main avenues, you might meet cars or horses. Leave no trace. Please keep all dogs on leads and pick up after them.

Bikers remember Belmont is a working farm – if your wheels happen to cruise through anything that came out of the back end of an animal KEEP YOUR MOUTH CLOSED!!

The post Bring Your Own Bike Trails at Belmont Demesne appeared first on Fatbike Adventures.

If you’re thinking about biking in Dublin, we just happen to be on Dublin’s doorstep about 30 minutes by car/train from the city centre on the coast.  If you’re not in the mood for Wicklow then we also offer a tour in the Dublin Mountains.

Our Belmont cycle route brings you on hand crafted single track trails through the natural beauty of the Silent Bogwood forest up onto and around the top of Bray Head, and, if you’re feeling energetic even the Little Sugar Loaf Mountain. Bray Head promises spectacular views of the Irish Sea (even Mount Snowdon in Wales on a clear day), the Wicklow Mountains, coastline all the way North of Bray to Dublin, and South of Greystones to Wicklow Town and Wicklow Head.

There are various trails at Belmont, most are manageable for people with all levels of fitness. There is now also the option of using an electric fatbike which is a huge favourite for families with children ages 10 and older.

We serve freshly ground coffee in our bike shop & right next door there’s awesome wood-fired sough-dough pizza on tap for pre and post ride recovery refreshments.

Why not bring your own bike in for repair/servicing at our fully equipped bike shop and indulge in eating / drinking / riding of bikes while you wait.

Directions:

Google Map here 

Our address is Fatbike Adventures, Belmont Demesne, Lower Windgates Road, Greystones, County Wicklow A63 FX34

By Public Transport

• By Train /DART Trains run every hour from Dublin City Centre.  You’ll be heading South of Dublin for either Bray or Greystones DART/Train stations.
• Then it’s +/- 5minutes in a taxi or a 30 minute walk from either station. We highly recommend a taxi, cost is +/-€5 per person.
• It’s well worth spending the extra 10 minutes on the train as this takes you along the seaward side of Bray Head into Greystones and is well worth the view.

By Taxi /Hire Car:

• By road it’s less than a 30 minute drive from Dublin City Centre, 5 minutes from exit 7 on the N11.
• The best way to get to us via Taxi, is to ask your driver to head towards Bray Golf Course, then find Fatbike Adventures on Google maps.
• Taxi cost: +/- €25-€40 per person.

This tour route is great for big groups, families and people new to off-road cycling.

Price: €65 per person for Half Day
Duration : 3 hours

Book Now

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Earlier this year we linked in with Mary & Jamie, owner operators at Ride the Alps, near Morzine in France.  We share a common love in all things fatbiking related especially snow, no surprises there really…

So Mary, tell us a little more about yourselves;

How is it that you guys came to be working in the Alps doing what you do?

• We moved out to the Alps in 2003.  There are personal reasons behind our move out here but in professional terms Jamie was ready to make the move from being a guide employed by other companies to setting up his own company.  His cousins had a chalet in Morzine and he had made a few trips out here to ride so he knew the wider area and was really impressed with the trail network.  I got a posting to Geneva with my job at the time, we moved out here full time and Ride the Alps was born.  We are now based in Morillon in the beautiful Haute Giffre valley where the trails are not so well used as they are in the more popular Alpine resorts.

What did you do in a previous life?

• Jamie started off his adult life as a professional mountain bike racer – he was one of the members of the first British mountain bike team.  He then focused on adventurous travel and adventure racing.  He started his guiding career over 25 years ago.  I worked for 10 years for a non-government organization in the area of international development.  I have recently returned to this sector, whilst continuing to run the business side of Ride the Alps.  You can find out more about us here

Why fatbikes?

• Because they looked like so much fun!  And because we wanted to develop a winter season for our business.  Our summer season always fills up very quickly and it’s a super-busy time for us.  Our winters are relatively quiet.  Jamie does some snow shoe guiding and igloo building but we were looking for something he could develop a real passion for in the winter and we came across fat bikes.

Do you ride any other types of bikes?  When and why?

• Absolutely!  We love all things bike-related.  During the summer season (May to mid-October) we ride our trail bikes.  Jamie rides an Orange Alpine 160 and I ride an Orange Five.  A lot of our summer trips are point-to-point high mountain routes with a lot of technical riding.  You can find out all about our trips here.

So tell us more about your tours/packages and what you offer?  What age groups?

• From fit and able teenagers to old-timers.  So long as you have the fitness and skills to ride you’re very welcome on any of our trips.

Is it more for individuals, groups of friends, hard-core cyclists or families?

• We can tailor some of our trips to suit the needs and abilities of our guests.  For other trips you need to be an experienced and technically accomplished mountain biker.  We do a couple of family trips each season.  Almost all of our trips are with private groups of friends or families.  For fat biking trips we can take novices and expert mountain bikers.  There are trails to suit all levels.  Jamie guides people down powder runs, up to mountain refuges but also along the scenic river valley trail.

Do you guys offer airport transfers?

• Yes, we work with a local airport transfer company & can help to arrange this.

When is the best time to visit?

• For fat biking any time from December to April.  Snow conditions vary throughout the winter season but the best conditions are usually in January, February and early March.  We can always find somewhere to ride on the fat bikes.  One of the great things about them is that we don’t need perfect snow to be able to ride.  For trail biking it’s May to mid-October.

Do you have to buy a ski pass to go fatbiking?

• No.  In fact in our area the fat bikes aren’t allowed on the lifts.  We are not strictly allowed to ride on the pistes but often a piste will be closed because the snow isn’t good enough for skiing but it’s perfect for fat biking and then we can take an uplift and have a fast blast down!  You can also sometimes do this at the very end or the very start of the day when there are no skiers around.  Otherwise we use hiking trails, which are permissible for bikes.

What fatbikes do you have on your fleet, can people bring their own?

• We have Specialized “Fat boys” and Jamie guides on an On One “Fatty”.  Yes, you can bring your own fatty.  You can also rent e-fatbikes if you want to take the effort out of the ride!

Do you offer servicing or have a workshop in-case anything goes wrong with someone’s bike?

• Yes, absolutely.

What else is there to do in the area where you’re based?

• So much fun stuff to do in our valley!
  • In the summer:  Trail running, hiking, rafting, kayaking, paragliding, lake swimming, climbing, via ferrata and more!
  • In the winter: Skiing, snowboarding, cross country skiing, ice skating, igloo building, snowshoeing, husky dog sledding, ski joering etc. If you want a less active stay there are mountain spas, beautiful towns and villages to visit and boutique shopping on offer.

There you have it folks, if you’re a regular visitor to the French Alps and you’re looking to spice up your trip, defo consider booking a fatbike trip with Jamie, our fatbike voucher might even be a great stocking filler in a just over a week’s time.

We are cooking up some plans for a small Fatbike Adventures delegation to visit the Jamie and Mary at Ride the Alps in early 2019, some of the following dates might be a winner for yourself and a few mates:

1st – 3rd March 2019      /      22nd – 24th March 2019      /      5th – 7th April 2019

The prices are reasonable but vary depending on the: number of people in your gang (4-6 is best).  Pricing is set to include  airport transfers, B&B accommodation, fatbike hire & 2 days of guiding.

You will of course need to sort your own flights to Geneva, but fear not Aer Lingus fly direct from Dublin once a day and flights are also well priced.

Please get in touch with us at info@fatbikeadventures.ie for more information.

Check out our interview with Mary & Ride the Alps we did earlier in the summer here.

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The trail head & car park are 270m above sea level with the summit of the Three Rock Mountain at 444m above sea level. The three large rock formations i.e. the namesake of the mountain are nearby Two Rock Mountain at 536m a.k.a. the Fairy Castle.

This sign posted trail network is a looped route that starts and finishes at the same point.  The trails are fast and fun with plenty of features to keep everyone entertained.

Parts of this terrain can be quite technically challenging so if it’s been a while since you were on a bike, it might be worth considering either our  Ballinastoe Mountain Bike Trail or Belmont Bike Farm & Bray Head tour routes in next door – County Wicklow.

If, however, you’re looking for some high speed action with plenty of technical features then Ticknock is the place for you!

Directions:

Google Map here 

By Public Transport

• If you don’t have a car the best way to get to us is via Taxi, your stop is “Ticknock Forest, Sandyford”.
• Cost: +/- €25 plus €1 per person extra.

By Car

• M50 Motorway Southbound: Take Exit 13 Dundrum off the M50, take the first exit at the roundabout, take the second left at traffic lights, keep left at next lights. Turn right turn up Ticknock Road, just after crossing M50 Bridge. Follow Ticknock Road for 2km and turn left into Ticknock Forest.
• M50 Motorway Northbound: Take Exit 13 Sandyford off the M50, take the first exit at the roundabout, take next right at the traffic lights, continue straight through next cross roads, continue past Lambdoyles pub, after 1km take left turn up Ticknock Road, just after crossing M50 Bridge. Follow Ticknock Road for 2km and turn left into Ticknock Forest.

Duration
Half Day: 2-3 Hours

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This route brings you through some truly beautiful woodland & forest, alongside the Avonmore River to the ancient Clara Vale Churchand Bridge and back. The 12km distance is easily manageable for people with all levels of fitness and a favourite for families with younger children.

Price: €65 per person for Half Day
Duration : 3 hours

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This past weekends’ 53 Degrees North Adventure Festival on the lakes in Blessington, County Wicklow was unquestionably “dadventuring” heaven.

‘Dadventures’ is a hashtag/phrase we’ve been using of late and it is pretty much what it says on the tin.  Sure, where else would you and your kids get to try throwing an axe, some archery, biking, hiking, kayaking, SUP boarding, yoga, slack-lining, camping (with some epic adventure films), good solid nosebag and some bodacious local craft beer (over 18’s only please drink responsibly) all in a single weekend … without having to re-mortgage the gaff.

Our Switzz Bikes electric fatties were a massive hit – these bad boys have a huge range of 110km’s on a single charge. We had four electrics running on a small 5km circuit and the batteries were completely drained after the 1^st day – that’s mad Ted, mad I tell ye!!  Clear proof that whether you love ‘em or hate ‘em, electric bikes are definitely the future.  If you’re young and able the electric fatty makes you feel like Thor on Redbull. If you’re injured, unfit or feeble then you feel like, well, Thor on Redbull as well.

I personally particularly loved having the bike rack with cooler compartment – NOTHING beats a big fat ride, (get your t-shirt here) particularly when there’s an ice cold beverage to be had at the top of a mountain! If you are by any small chance fat curious, check out one of our previous blogs on the topic here.  Please feel free to contact us with any questions, anytime.

It’s always great to catch up with old friends and a bonus to make new ones!  A big shout out to all of the people involved & fair play to:

53 Degrees North in association with Columbia Sports Wear 

Renault Ireland

Axe Throwing Ireland

Rashr

O’Brother Brewing

Fools and Horses Coffee

Gals Gone Wild

Total Experience

Komoot

Glendalough Distillery

Wicklow Tourism & Wicklow Outdoors

Last but by no means least, special credit and applause to 53 Degrees North, Columbia Clothing and event organizer Ben Finnegan. Take a bow Ben! Suffice to say we can’t wait to do this again next year – yourself and your team have been a pleasure to work with.

Peace.

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If you’re planning to stay & play in Wicklow check out the links below

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either 10, 20 or to 38 Km

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Proudly bought to you by

Bike Park Ireland / Fatbike Adventures / O’Brother Brewing

Calling all fatbikers – it’s that time of year again and in joining tradition with the fine fellow fat fanatics at Fat-Bike.com we’re proud to bring you our Global Fatbike Day plans for the Emerald Isle.

Check out what we’ve cooked up for your fatbiking pleasure below:

Fri 1^st Dec / Sat 2^nd Dec

Arrival – Bike Park Ireland

• Camping is available at Bike Park Ireland or if camping ain’t your thing then
• The County Arms Hotel – Birr, County Offaly check out rates below

Sat 2^nd Dec

Global Fatbike Day – Ireland

• 11am – 1pm Fatbike Bimble – Some good ol mucking about on fatbikes, join our guided tour through the hills and forests of farm & bogland, great craic altogether.
• 1pm – 2pm Fatbikers’ Brunch – Mucky Boot Café food is just incr-edible! True Story.
• 2pm – 4:30pm Bike Park Ireland Uplifts & Trails – Fatties smash these trails like they’re on rails = insane fun!
• 7pm – 10pm Beers & Bike Film – Sure what else would you be doing

Nitty Gritty Info

• Fatbike Bimble, Burger & Full-Day Trail Pass
  • €10 paid on arrival (incl free bike & body wash)
• Fatbike Bimble, Burger, Half-Day Uplift (afternoon) & Full-Day Trail Pass
  • €27 online or €30 on arrival, please book the afternoon “Half Day Uplift Ticket” online here
• Camping
  • €7.50 per person per night
• County Arms Hotel
  • €85 Double room – Bed & Breakfast / €65 Twin room per person sharing. To book call +353(0) 57 912 0791 (be sure to mention reservation number 036864)
• Fatbike Rental
  • €50 per day (we have kids, adult and electric fatbikes available) price includes 4 awesome O’Brother Brewing beers (The Chancer, The Sinner, The Preacher, The Fixer) please book a half-day tour online here
• O’Brother Brewing Beers
  • 6 Beer gift packs available at obrotherbrewing.com

We areaware that the spirit of the Global Fatbike Day events are not meant to be commercialized please be assured the above prices are purely to cover costs.

We look forward to seeing you all there. If you haven’t ever tried a fatbike out yourself you might just be ‘fat-curious’… read more about that here.

Read more about our Global Fatbike Day 2016 shenanigans here & the history of Global Fatbike Day here.

The post Global Fatbike Day – 2017 appeared first on Fatbike Adventures.

Special thanks also to the local Wicklow News for the additional newspaper publicity. Check out the full article on all of the very worthy competitors here.

Craft beer and micro breweries are on increase in Ireland, new craft beer labels are appearing out of the woodwork and beer drinkers the world over are rediscovering their taste buds.

County Wicklow just happens to be home to three world class micro breweries all of whom (Wicklow Brewery, O’Brother Brewery, Wicklow Wolf) are punching way above their weight on the international beer scene.

Ireland has no less than 20 microbreweries on it’s East coast. True Story! If you don’t believe me then count them on this here map.

It is my sincere hope that Ireland takes a leaf from it’s closest neighbor and that something on parr with the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) develops/starts in Ireland. What is CAMRA and how does it work I hear you ask? It works like so; locals and visitors are encouraged to Drink Responsibly and are equally encouraged to support their local business’s by collecting stamps for every pint of craft beer imbibed at their local watering hole, kinda like getting a free cup of coffee with every 6 cups purchased, except this time it’s not coffee, and hey, let’s not kid, ALOT more fun! A jolly fine concept indeed!

So I’ll wrap up my piece by letting you in on this little gem;

If you’re the type who likes to mix his/her pint of handmade guilt free micro crafty loveliness with a naughty dash of healthy exercise i.e. some super fun relaxed off road cycling on an all terrain omniterra monster 2 wheeled truck a.k.a. A fatbike! Then look no further, Fatbike Adventures have teamed up with Wicklow Brewery, Wicklow’s Historic Gaol and Morton’s Coaches and just so happen to offer 2 beautifully tailored fatbiking beer tasting tours.

Each tour includes some of the following quintessentially Irish sites Glendalough & the world famous St Kevin’s Monastic site, Wicklow’s Historical Gaol, Wicklow Brewery, Avoca Handweavers and last but not least the mythical Motte Stone.

Read more about and book your tour tickets operating daily from Dublin here .

If you already find yourself in Wicklow Ireland then look here

We look forward to seeing you soon.

Wicklow Enterprise Centre Winner 2016

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