davagh forest

Northern Ireland has a growing network of local and national trail centres, and Davagh Forest, in the beautiful Sperrin Mountains, is one of the best. There’s a gentle green trail, a twisty blue and a rocky red, plus a skills area with green to red-graded features and a pump track. Davagh may be out in the sticks but it’s well worth a visit, o ering spades of flow on naturally-sculpted trails. It hosts the annual Davagh Enduro.

essential info

FACILITIES Changing rooms, toilets, bike wash, cafe and bike hire (both Sundays only), skills coaching. NEARBY BIKE SHOP Cookstown Cycles, 028 8676 9667 www.cookstowncycles.com Outdoor Concepts (hire and coaching), 028 9073 7271, www.outdoorconcepts.co.uk MORE INFORMATION www.mountainbikeni.com www.outdoorconcepts.co.uk GETTING THERE Davagh is six miles from Cookstown, off the A505. Postcode: BT79 8JH

the trails GREEN TRAIL 3km BLUE TRAIL 7.5km

Fast and flowy, the blue trail has a quick ascent and an even quicker descent, complete with some great rock sections that are at the more technical end of the spectrum when ridden at speed.

RED TRAIL 16km

The beginning and end sections of this route are the same as the blue. After the trails split, a long, steady climb takes you up the slopes of Beleevnamore Mountain before the trail splits into two options for the rock-slab-ridden descent. It’s easy to loop back around and try the other line, and there are optional trickier sections too.

SKILLS PARK AND PUMP TRACK

Warm up here before you head out onto the trails. Ideal for beginners, intermediate riders and experts alike.