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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Rachel Dixon

Mountain biking: all you need to know

Mountain biker sillhouette
There are well cycled routes in some of the most beautiful places in the UK, including the Scottish Highlands, the Lake District and Snowdonia. Photograph: Jonathan Hayward/AP

Bike centres
There are mountain bike trail centres all over the country with waymarked, graded routes, often on forestry land, and with amenities such as bike hire, washing facilities, shops, cafes and changing rooms. Visit forestry.gov.uk/england-mountainbiking or dmbins.com in Scotland, mbwales.com in Wales and mountainbikeni.com in Northern Ireland. Here are Ibikeride.com’s 2014 Trail of the Year awards based on rider reviews:

Scotland
Glentress mountain bike trail centre Scottish Borders (overall winner).
Innerleithen mountain bike trail Scottish Borders
Kirroughtree mountain bike trail centre Dumfries and Galloway

For more on all these, see 7stanesmountainbiking.com

Bike in Snowdonia
The platform at Rhyd Ddu station on the extension to the Welsh Highland Railway passing through the spectacular Aberglaslyn Pass. Photograph: Christopher Thomond

Wales
BikePark Wales Merthyr Tydfil
bikeparkwales.com
Afan Forest mountain bike trail centre Neath Port Talbot
afanforestpark.co.uk
Coed y Brenin mountain bike trail centre Snowdonia
beicsbrenin.co.uk

England
Gisburn Forest bike trails Lancashire
gisburnbiketrails.com
Hamsterley Forest and Descend Hamsterley mountain bike trails County Durham
descendbikepark.co.uk
Chicksands bike park, Bedfordshire
chicksandsbikepark.co.uk

Great natural routes
Prefer to tackle Mother Nature’s trails? Here are Mountain Bike Rider’s top three natural trails in the UK – read the top 20 and find maps and GPS routes at mbr.co.uk.

1 Nan Bield Pass, Lake District
“Sunken alpine hairpins, fast stony singletrack, sketchy, mucky gambles, sudden techy chutes, chilling streams, nightmare ruts … all set amid an awesome Lakeland valley landscape.”

2 Rhyd Ddu, Snowdon
“This mountain circuit will take you to the top of Wales’s highest peak – and back down along a route you’ll never forget.”

3 Torridon, Scottish Highlands
“This splendidly isolated trail ascends consistently and gradually – rarely does such great altitude come so easily. Once up on Bealach Ban, you are greeted by one of the best views anywhere in the UK.”

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