A world-class mountain biking trail opened in Belfast this week after years of campaigning.
Members of the Cavehill Mountain Bike Club have been calling for a maintained trail to be opened on the North Belfast site for the past 20 years, and officially began work on the site in December 2021.
After months of work in collaboration with Belfast City Council, the downhill trail opened this week as a pilot project aimed at showcasing Cavehill Country Park as a first-class visitor attraction for outdoor activities.
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It also provides mountain bike enthusiasts with a managed and maintained facility to enjoy throughout the year.
Running from the top of the Cavehill down through the scenic surrounds of the park, 'The Middle' trail offers mountain bikers an exciting challenge with its many jumps, drops and berms.
The trail was constructed by hand, using natural materials to best preserve the local environment and protect biodiversity in the park.
Chairman of the Cavehill Mountain Bike Club, Bern McClure, told Belfast Live it's a relief to see the trail up and running. He's hoping it will be well-used by local bikers, and that it will attract others from further afield.
"Believe it or not but five years ago, the council were considering banning mountain bikers from Cavehill. We were also told Cavehill wasn't suitable for mountain biking, yet we have been biking here for 20 years," he added.
"We did a lot of lobbying with the council and North Belfast councillors have been fantastic, they've been very supportive across all parties. We consulted with other users of the country park to make sure we're able to integrate the mountain bike trail into the infrastructure.
"It's a fantastic asset, there are a great number here today and this is a Tuesday evening. We're here to encourage as many people as possible to come along, especially young people. They're better off coming up here with a bike rather than a blue bag.
"This is a culmination of our hard work and lobbying over the years, it's just fantastic to see."
The trail took six months to build, which included drainage, health and safety checks, and inspections carried out during the summer months. Maintaining the trail will be an ongoing project for the mountain biking club, made easier through the use of a specially designed app that can be accessed through scanning QR codes along the trail and marking down any issues or concerns.
Bern said they're hoping this downhill trail will be the first of many, making Cavehill a real destination spot for mountain bikers.
He said: "This is the first trail, which will be a pilot for a year. There's other mountain bike trails in the park that we'll look at getting on board after.
"It's designed as a downhill course. You're expected to have a level of competency on a bike, this isn't a trail for novices, it's for people with experience mountain biking.
"It starts at the very top near the caves. There's a couple of qualifying jumps at the start that test the biker's skill level, if they're getting over those, the rest of the trail just flows. People can go as fast as they'd like."
He said they have been overwhelmed with support so far, and are happy to see it's even led to some people returning to the sport after a long break.
"The response has been fantastic, everyone just loves using the trail. Even the numbers of people that are coming back to Cavehill, guys I would've mountain biked with 20 years ago but had given up the sport are now back and just loving it," Bern added.
"In the past we'd maybe have to travel to get trails that are really equipped for purpose, but now we have one here that we can just enjoy right here."
Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Christina Black said the trail is an exciting new opportunity for the city. She added: “The new mountain bike trail is an excellent addition to the many different outdoor activities that can be enjoyed in our city.
"Cave Hill Country Park is such a popular location with locals and tourists, and I have no doubt the new trail will open the doors to an even bigger audience of visitors.
She continued: “I want to congratulate and thank all of those involved in the development of the trail and encourage mountain bike enthusiasts to come along and enjoy the challenges on offer.”
New signage has been erected throughout Cave Hill Country Park to ensure walkers, cyclists, runners and tourists can enjoy all of the outdoor facilitates safely.
Residents can give their views on Cave Hill Country Park, including “The Middle” mountain bike trail, by completing a survey at https://yoursay.belfastcity.gov.uk/cavehill-mountain-bike-pilot
Video by Belfast Live videographer Harry Bateman.
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