Nanaimo riding suggestions

[AussieDreamZ]

I'm heading to the Comox area for the long weekend with a couple of mates and we'll have a half day to kill in Nanaimo... So a suggestion or two would be appreciated.

We'll be on XC/AM style bikes no shuttles so whatever we do has to be pedal powered.

Oh and it needs to be a dog friendly trail too

[Darthyoga]

I think this: http://www.hellobc.com/en-CA/SightsActi ... sville.htm
May have been the place I rode a few years ago and it was buckets of fun single track. Not DH, but flowy.

There are a couple in here:
http://www.canadatrails.ca/mtb/mtbbc.html
http://www.island.net/~pmcgarri/Nanaimo.pdf

[Inacycle]

Ride the Abyss Trail. It's got a great mix of singletrack (some double track), rocky climbs, rock n rolls, rock'n hucks, ups and downs and views of the ocean. Here's a map: http://www.island.net/~pmcgarri/abys.pdf There are other trails you can connect and make it a loop ride for a few hours. Park near the trailhead off of Harewood Mines Road. There is a steep dirt/rocky section at the beginning to climb up. (The BC Bike Race included the Abyss Trail this year.)

I think it would be a dog-friendly area but check with a local bike shop (Arrowsmith Bikes 250-758-6675). Keep an eye out for motorbikes and ATVs as these are seen more often than not poaching the singletrack sections of the trails.

[Lady Gravity]

too bad you're not riding in cumberland - some wickedly fun xc-ish trails there. in nanaimo i've only ridden at doumont, and it's pretty fun.

[AussieDreamZ]

Thanks for the suggestions and links girls, we'll probably check out the Abyss trail as it has piqued my interest.

too bad you're not riding in cumberland - some wickedly fun xc-ish trails there. in nanaimo i've only ridden at doumont, and it's pretty fun.

I'm actually in Cumberland for most of the long weekend after riding there last year i was itching to get back and do some more exploration

[Di]

how was the trip??

[AussieDreamZ]

It was an amazing trip!!! We were camping right by cumberland so spent 3 days riding there... I think i got through every trail on the map! Thirsty Beaver was as much fun as you said it'd be Di, and the other new trail Blue Steel was like riding a huge DH pump track!

We also spent a day on Forbidden, on our first lap we found lots of xc and i feel like we climbed as much as we decended....

So over all an amazing weekend, and lots of fun flowy trails (and a little bit of tech if you know which trails to head down) that definetly cater to the XCer who loves their DH