Park in Ballycastle village. A four to five hour loop epic taking in the fantastic views at Fair Head.
Hills accessible from Poleglass/Suffolk, off the M1 - a number of options for start point. Good mid-size epic overlooking Belfast City, but return journey on road, unless you re-trace your route. Superb views over the city.
Overlooking Belfast. As well as Divis and Black Mountain, there is is a trail that leads off around the back of Divis mountain. Can link up to make a Belfast Hills Epic.
Starting and finishing at Cushendall, NE Antrim coast. A long ride combining minor roads with forest tracks and some good climbs and descents.
A popular challenge on foot every August, not too many have topped the 7 mountains over 700 metres in the Mournes wielding a bicycle.
Start/finish from Newcastle or Rostrevor. The Mournes contain many epic rides. Any of Tollymore Forest, Donard Wood or Rostrevor Forest are perfect locations to start / finish an epic in the Mournes.
Park at Trassey Car Park, OSNI Map 29 Grid Reference 311313. A popular fell run each year of 5.5miles and 1500ft of climbing on Boxing Day, and a rewarding experience for those who don't mind lugging their bike a wee bit!
Rostrevor, just East of Warrenpoint, signposted from Newry or Newcastle on the A2. Popular with XC bikers, with great climbs and mental descents, some great sections of singletrack. A great place to start an epic.
Slieve Martin cairn stands 485 meters above Rostrevor Village and there are 4 different routes that will take you to the peak.
25 miles, with plenty of carrying!
Just off the B180 from Newcastle (turn left at Bryansford). Labyrinth of single track sections all throughout the forest. Has previously hosted Irish downhill championship races. Super place for a day out.
Off the A2, 5 miles N of Limavady. Turn left onto Bishops Road B201 and follow the signs. A good sized forest providing plenty of forest track, some challenging climbs and sections of single track. A breath-taking ride along a grassy path on the cliff edge leads to nice but steep singletrack off the ridge into the forest. Has hosted Downhill races in the past, and is currently enjoying lots of work that will meet the approval of the braver amngst you!
Starting in Castlerock. Get there along the A2, 8 miles northwest of Coleraine. Mostly forest tracks combined with occasional sections on minor roads. Possible to extend into Banagher Forest and over Mullaghmore into Glenshane Forest. A tough day’s ride.
Starting at Ponderosa Pub (supposedly Ireland's highest), Glenshane Pass, the A6 Derry Road. This epic type trail is best done on a good sunny day, after a long dry period or good hard frost, as it entails crossing open mountain and some boggy sections.
Donegal genuinely contains some of the best biking country in Ireland, IF you like to explore...
The Grianán is located on the western edge of a small group of hills that lie between the upper reaches of Lough Swilly and Lough Foyle. Although the hill is comparatively not that high, the summit dominates the neighbouring counties of Londonderry, Donegal and Tyrone. Located at the edge of the Inishowen peninsula.
A fifteen minute ferry journey from Burtonport. A great day out with spectacular scenery, lung-busting climbs and exhilarating descents. All double-track and tiny tarmac roads. There are tracks and trails all over the island, so the possibilities are endless.
Start at Glenveagh or Gartan, or indeed anywhere along the way. Ordnance Survey Ireland Map 6. Some great climbs and fast rough descents. A 25-30 mile loop. Scenery fantastic.
Starting and finishing in Ardara, taking in Maghera, Port, Glencolmbkille, Teelin, climbing Slieve League, then back to Ardara via Glengesh. 80Km and over 2300m of vertical climbing.
Start in either Ravensdale (accessible from main road between Newry and Dundalk) or Carlingford (go through Newry CENTRE and take signs for Omeath / Carlingford). Excellent XC, spectacular scenery and a bit of a wilderness feeling in places. Rides from an hour to a 6 hour epic.