New to mtb thanks @Nige Looking for trails in Tantallon, I know there are a bunch but cannot find anything on Trailforks. I’m just off Exit 5 so close to Bowater which I hear is good but I’m not sure exactly how to get there or if it is way too difficult for a beg/int. Any input would be appreciated.
The only real singletrack out this way is in Bowater. There are fireroads galore and the rail trail, but nothing particularly interesting there.
The trails in Bowater are intermediate or so in difficulty. There’s nothing scary to ride really, but it’s all pretty technical and slow speed, so it takes some practice to get the flow going, but it’s definitely a good time. It’s best to go with someone who knows their way around, because most of the entrances are hidden and there’s directionality to some of the routes. I know ECMTB has held group rides there, and that may be a good way to get started. Not sure if studs are required in there right now, but there has been some ice this season,
The Old Coach Road trail runs from the Indian Lake golf course on the Halifax side to Glen Haven/Seabright on the St. Margaret’s Bay side. I used to ride the Old Coach Road a lot from the Halifax side. I’ve also gone in from Otter Lake - I’m not sure if you can still get in from that way, and I’ve gone in from Hubley. I’ve never done the whole thing from the Halifax side, but I have made it from Hubley to the exit at Glen Haven. It’s been a whole lotta years since I’ve ridden it, so I’m not sure what kind of shape it’s in, and there may be development on both ends which has altered it since then.
Apparently the fire road is managed by the All Terrain Vehicle Association of NS (ATVANS), so maybe it’s being somewhat maintained? There used to be a whole lot of water holes, especially coming in from the Indian Lake side, and the ATV’ers may not care about them.
https://novascotia.ca/nse/protectedareas/wa_fivebridgelakes.asp
Thx…I’ll look out for the next group ride.
Thx alot for the info
I used to ride that and Jimmy’s Roundtop, which is the section that starts at Joshua Slocum or the entrance to Three Brooks. My parents live on the other end of it in Seabright, and we would ride the entire loop from Tantallon, to Goodwood and back. IIRC, the whole loop was about 25 kms and even used to be an XC race course in the 80s (each lap took well over an hour!).
I haven’t been in there in decades, but I would imagine that it’s still as bad as ever, with mud well up over the hubs.
Rode with @JeffV from Otter Lake down to Old Coach Rd and over to Indian Lake a few weeks ago. Everything was frozen so it was quite fun, but otherwise there would have been way too many water holes. There was also a stream crossing that was only possible because we skirted around it on the frozen lake.
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