GLENCULLEN ADVENTURE PARK TRAIL GRADES
The GAP is a gravity bike park, the trail gradings and increased technical difficulty reflects this and is not directly comparable with a cross country trail centre.
TRAIL MAP
Information
Please take a look below at the varying difficulty levels of the trails in Glencullen Adventure Park. Note from the map that currently we do not have any green beginner trails built in the park.
GREEN TRAILS
(note we do not currently have any green beginner trails in the park)
Beginner Trails: What to expect
Green Bike Park trails are a great introduction to mountain biking but still require previous experience of riding a bike off-road competently. Although the trails are generally of uniform surface and reasonably wide, sections will have off-camber surfaces and obstacles such as small rocks, gravel, roots, bridges and small pot holes. The gradient on green trails will not be excessively steep up or down so can be tackled by most physically fit people, young and old.
IS THIS TRAIL FOR YOU? – GREEN
- Green grade Bike Park trails are suitable for: Beginners or novice mountain bikers with some basic off-road experience and competency.
- Bike required: Most off-road, well maintained mountain bikes are suitable.
- Trail and surface types: Trails are undulating with a wider trail tread. Trail surface might be loose, uneven or muddy at times with small potholes. Includes short flowing single track-style sections.
- Gradients and technical trail features: Moderate climbs and descents. Easy trail features such as berms and rollers.
- Suggested Skill level: A Basic skill level is required, should be capable of riding and controlling a bike safely off-road including cambers and controlled braking on loose surfaces.
RED TRAILS
Advanced Trails: What to expect
Red Bike Park trails require a high level of well-developed bike handling skills as they consistently entail difficult riding on all manner of surfaces. Advanced trails may feature fast and flowing manmade sections or be more natural and technical in style and appearance. Most trails feature a slight mixture of these styles and are made up from a combination of long steep descents, loose variable trail surfaces, and numerous natural and manmade obstacles including timber structures.
IS THIS TRAIL FOR YOU? – RED
- Red grade Bike Park trails are suitable for: Proficient mountain bikers with advanced off-road bike handling skills used to riding technically demanding difficult trails.
- Bike required: Good quality well maintained off-road mountain bikes with hydraulic disc brakes. Mid to long travel (140mm to 200mm) modern full-suspension all-mountain or downhill bikes recommended.
- Trail and surface types: Steep and tough terrain, with constant technicality. Expect very variable surface types and a high frequency of natural and manmade obstacles.
- Gradients and technical trail features: Red trails can include, steep descents of a challenging nature, natural trail features such as rock gardens, large and numerous exposed roots and technical terrain, as well as manmade trail features such as large berms, timber features, and large advanced jumps and drops.
- Suggested skill level: An advanced level of skill is required; riders must be confidently able to handle off-cambers, larger drops, jumps and steep gradients, with an ability to control the bike over very uneven and often slippery trail surfaces such as roots and rocks.
BLUE TRAILS
Intermediate Trails: What to expect
Blue trails require previous experience of mountain biking and are the perfect progression providing plenty of challenge for the average rider. The trails are generally swooping an undulating in their nature and will include some challenging riding with steep slopes, fast sections and numerous obstacles/trail features.
IS THIS TRAIL FOR YOU? – BLUE
- Blue grade Bike Park trails are suitable for: Intermediate mountain bikers.
- Bike Required: Functional good quality well maintained mountain bike. Mid to long travel suspension bike recommended.
- Trail and surface types: Descending single track trails. Trail surface generally smoother but will include obstacles of roots and rocks.
- Gradients and technical trail features:
Most gradients are moderate but might include some unavoidable steep sections. Includes technical trail features, roots and rocks, berms, rollers and small jumps. - Suggested skill level: An intermediate level of skill is required; riders must
be able to perform controlled braking on steep descents, be able to corner
at speeds and ride short and steep, ups and downs and the other trail
features identified.
PLUS TRAILS
Some trails in the park will be highlighted with a + sign to show that these are plus trails.
+ trails are a variation of intermediate, advanced and expert trails, they feature a high frequency of bike park style features such as jumps, drops or gaps that require, or actively encourage, a rider’s wheels to leave the ground.
Standard graded trails may include some of these features but not to the same frequency, scale or focus as a + graded trail.
Look out for the + symbol on the trail maps and trail name boards to help you decide if it is a suitable trail for you.
PLUS TRAILS: ARE THEY FOR ME?
- A trail with the additional Plus grading features a high frequency of BikePark style features such as jumps, drops or gaps that require, or actively encourage, a rider’s wheels to leave the ground.
- Do you actively seek airtime and confidently tackle drop off’s, jumps and gaps? If so, then plus trails are right up your street! The trails are colour graded as usual to denote the extent of the challenge of the bike park style jump and
drop features. - If you prefer riding more naturally technical terrain or are not confident at handling the bike in the air and prefer ‘wheels on the ground’ then please stick to the standard blue, red and black trail gradings where the frequency of jumps and drop features is far lower.
BLACK TRAILS
Expert Trails: What to expect
Highly difficult riding, Black BikePark expert trails include challenging technical downhill riding and large BikePark features. Some of the elements you will encounter include: Large manmade and natural unavoidable jumps, drops, rock faces and technical terrain, timber ramps or features and all gradients and ground conditions. Expert mountain bikers should be the only riders who use these trails.
IS THIS TRAIL FOR YOU? – BLACK
- Black grade bike park trails are suitable for: Expert mountain bikers, used to highly technically demanding trails.
- Bike required: A good quality, well maintained off-road mountain bike with hydraulic disc brakes. Long travel (160-200mm+) modern full-suspension all-mountain and downhill bikes recommended.
- Trail and surface types: Challenging Downhill trails; Black trails contain great technical challenge and often continuous difficulty. Downhill trails can evolve over time and in adverse weather conditions becoming far more challenging and difficult to ride. Can include any useable trail or surface.
- Gradients and technical trail features: Expect large, committing and unavoidable technical trail features. Large jumps and drops and severe terrain on the steepest gradients.
- Suggested skill level: Expert only; suitable only for riders with a very high standard of technical riding skills who can confidently handle large drop offs, jumps and severe technical terrain.
PRO LINE TRAILS
Pro Line: What to expect
Extremely Difficult Rating – Pro lines are just that, lines suitable for professional and elite riders who have honed their downhill and BikePark skills to an exceptionally high level only. Pro lines will include: mandatory jumps, gaps, and large features with no ride-arounds.
IS THIS TRAIL FOR YOU? – PRO LINE
- Pro Lines are suitable for: Riders with an elite level of technical ability; incorporates everything from steep technical downhill riding to large jumps with gaps and no ride around.
- Bike required: A high quality and well-maintained mountain bike with hydraulic disc brakes. Long travel (160-200mm+) modern full-suspension all-mountain and downhill bikes recommended.
- Trail and surface types: Severe constructed trails and/or natural features. All sections will be very challenging. Includes extreme levels of risk.
Jumping ability obligatory. - Gradients and technical trail features: These will incorporate some of the largest riding features with unavoidable drops and mandatory jumps.
- Suggested skill level: Professional only, riders at the very top of their game with considerable experience of riding highly challenging terrain and large jumps
and drops.