Cycling & Mountain Biking

Cycling adventures await for everyone

With so much space and relatively little road traffic, the Mourne Mountains & Ring of Gullion is the perfect place for all levels of cyclists and mountain bikers. Even if you don’t feel like bringing your own bike, there are plenty of places you can hire them out and set off exploring.

Castlewellan Forest Park is a must-visit for mountain bikers of all ages and abilities.

There are several trails to choose from including short, flat, hour-long cycles around the lake and longer climbs into the forests. You can hire your bike at various reasonable rates from the team at Life Adventure Centre in the Courtyard.

Down the road at Rostrevor Mountain Bike Trails there are several stunning routes on the shores of Carlingford Lough, and you can also rent your bike for the day from Life Adventure in Kilbroney Park Rostrevor. Many of the trails here are challenging enough but are among the most rewarding on these islands with incredible coastal views and some exhilarating single track descents.

Come & Try Electric Biking in Newcastle with Bike Mourne and enjoy the absolute buzz of electric bikes on the stunning County Down Coast… go further, see more & feel awesome… how biking should be!

Spin along canals, through woods and around castles

The Newry Canal Way is a less dramatic but no less beautiful way to spend some time in the saddle. At twenty miles, it will take a little something out of those legs and while it is a day out it is a gentle one with plenty of chances to stop along the way.

Across at Crossgar you’ll find the hidden gem of Tobar Mhuire Estate and a circular trail through woods up to the Mourne Mountains Viewpoint. A surprisingly gentle gradient in an often quiet and rather mystical setting, a pedal round this place will live long in the memory.

Down the road near Downpatrick Castle Ward offers great trails for all abilities. There are four routes to choose from and none are too taxing. Even the longest at around nine miles is more than manageable and fans of Game of Thrones® will love the location cycle trail dedicated to the series. There’ll be no need to tie on the roof rack either as you can rent bikes from Clearsky Adventure Centre at very reasonable rates.

Those who want to follow in the slipstreams of cycling greats will love the routes around the Ring of Gullion. The Giro d’Italia passed this way in 2014 and it’s easy to see why. This area of outstanding beauty is great for cyclists. Direct access to the Ring of Gullion is available from Newry via National Cycle Network Route 9 all the way to Slieve Gullion. There are also lots of cycle routes through Slieve Gullion Forest Park, with no need to go lugging your bike around as you can hire one from Ring of Gullion Cycles, which as its name suggests is right in the heart of the action.

Up hills, down dales, across rivers and through picturesque villages with stunning scenery at every turn, the Mourne Mountains & Ring of Gullion offers so much to cyclists of all stripes and types.