Chris Armstrong Mountain Bike Officer
Chris looks after all things mountain biking in Northern Ireland ...it's a tough job but someone's gotta do it!
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Perfect MTB Addition to a Belfast City Break
Posted on July 16, 2015 @ 3:24 PM in 
Over the past decade Belfast had deservedly gained a reputation as one of the UK's must visit 'City Break' destinations. Soaked in world famous maritime heritage with renowned hospitality, a growing live music scene and some of Ireland's finest restaurants litterly popping up on every street corner it is easy to see why Belfast is drawing visitors from far and wide.
To add to the mix, those visiting Belfast on a short break can now use the iconic Lagan Towpth to cycle (off-road) from the city centre directly to the Barnett Demesne Trails and Jumps Park in the Lagan Valley Regional Park.
This compact trail centre, located in the outskirts of South Belfast, opened to the public in 2013 and offers a range of family-friendly green and blue trails with a number of red trail options for those after a bit more of an adrenaline rush. The trail centre also boasts Northern Ireland's first and only purpose-built jumps park - not for the faint hearted!
The cross-country trails start from the Mary Peters Athletics Track, off the Upper Malone Road (trailhead postcode BT9 5PR). The main blue trail (3.9km) contours the banks of Northern Ireland's premier athletics facility before climbing up through the mainly oak and beech woodland of Barnett Demesne.
The blue trail consists of tight, twisty singletrack with some fast and flowy sections where you can really get the buzz on - this place is littered with Strava segments!
The red trail sections (Fanplastic, Serpentine and Lose Your Barnett) then break off from the main blue and offer some more technically challenging features such as boardwalk, log rides, rock gardens, rollers and drops.
If you're all about 'grabbing air' then you'll want to make a beeline for the Barnett Demesne Jumps Park, located next to the lower car park beside the Mary Peters Athletics Track. With six lines of purpose-built jumps to choose from (3 lines currently undergoing maintenance) there are few other similar jumps park facilities with such easy (off-road) access to a UK city centre.
Each jumps line is graded according to its size and difficulty meaning that us mere mortals can start off on (and stick to) the smaller beginner jumps, leaving the expert jumps (pictured above) ...to the experts!
If you are planning a visit to Northern Ireland's capital this year, be sure to check out the Barnett Demesne Trails & Jumps Park page for more information on the latest trail conditions, bike hire and upcoming events.
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2 comments have been posted in reply to this article
Posted by MountainBikeNI.com on July 23, 2015 @ 2:20 PM
Hi Patrick
Did you try 'Mobile Team Adventure' on 028 9064 6695. They have a range of mountain bikes available for hire on the Barnett Demesne Trails.
Also, Belfast Activity Centre is located near the trailhead. They also rent out bikes suitable for these trails. Their number is 028 9060 0132.
Hope this helps
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Posted by Patrick Smyth on July 23, 2015 @ 1:50 PM
"Perfect for a city break"... So long as you bring your own bike.
We are flying in from England this weekend. Had been looking forward to tackling these trails at the MP Track.
Short of taking a "Belfast Bike" and taking round.. May as well forget it.