Spectacular weekend of mountain bike action expected at 'Coillte Biking Blitz' in Slieve Blooms

OFFALY Tourism are excited to announce that the Slieve Bloom mountain bike trails are set to host a spectacular weekend of mountain bike action as it welcomes the 'Coillte Biking Blitz' from April 22nd to 24th. The 'Coillte Biking Blitz' is a cross country mountain bike event aimed primarily at beginners but with something for everyone.

Experts, novices and families of mountain bike riders will travel from all over the country to the Slieve Bloom for a weekend of festivities hosted around the official opening of the trails which will take place on Friday April 22nd.

Competitors will experience all the trails across the entire Slieve Bloom mountain bike trail network, which are connected across the Offaly and Laois county borders. Expert riders will complete close to 100km over the weekend with Novice and Junior riders taking in 45km of the best trail centre trails in the country. The event also has fun events for children and entertainment over the weekend. All event information is available online at www.bikingblitz.ie

Saturday April 23rd will see riders start in Baunreagh in County Laois. Expert riders will take on a massive 45km loop into Offaly and back. On Sunday April 24th - the event will be based at Kinnitty Castle and expert riders will climb to the top of the Wolftrap, descend into Laois and return to Offaly to complete a route of nearly 50km long. There are lots of other 20km options for Novice and Junior categories each day!

The Biking Blitz is a mass start cross country mountain bike event, aimed primarily at beginners but with something for everyone. There are three senior categories to choose from; Novice, Ebike or Expert, plus youth categories from under 6 to under 18. Coillte built mountain bike trail centres are used exclusively for these events to ensure a fast flowing course in all weather conditions.

The Slieve Bloom trails are one of Coillte’s five national mountain biking trail centres and form part of Coillte’s 13 dedicated cycling sites around Ireland. There are currently 35km of new mountain bike trails (MTB), with trailheads at Kinnitty and Baunreagh. These trails, which are waymarked in one direction and designed especially for mountain bike use, vary in difficulty. They range from the grade trails: ‘blue’ (moderate, with some single-track sections) to ‘red’ (difficult/severe, with challenging climbs and tricky descent). The trails have been developed by Coillte in partnership with Fáilte Ireland, Offaly and Laois County Councils and are partially funded by the Dept of Rural and Community Development.

There will eventually be 100km of biking tracks to explore on the Slieve Bloom Mountain Bike Trail, so keep an eye for new developments! The trails at Slieve Bloom Mountains reward the cyclist with spectacular views stretching across the midlands of Ireland and on a clear cloud free day you can see the four highest points of each of the four provinces.

Now part of Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands, Offaly is literally a “hidden gem” with its wide open spaces, historic and scenic locations, not to mention stunning nature offering you the opportunity to switch gears, or dial them up with exciting adventure sport and really enjoy yourself. For more see www.visitoffaly.com