XC Rides – Page 3 – CycloTrail

Gorizia – Local trails

Post author:Notos
Post published:January 28, 2020
Post category:XC Rides
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Country: Italy
Region: Gorizia
Length: 18,2 km (five circles)
Elevation gain: 850 m
Maximum elevation: 241 m
Technical difficulty: 3/5
Download GPS Track: Gorizia_Cyclotrail
Date of ride: 12.01.2020.
Suitable for E-bike: Yes

Day before, we shuttled on Ajdovščina and Sveta Gora and I managed to fall on my first ride on descent on Sveta Gora trail, so after the fall I became stiff and all the time I rode with brake in my head. Luckily I wasn’t injured, but I couldn’t relax anymore that weekend… After Ajdovščina and Sveta Gora, next day we visited small Italian town on border between Slovenia and Italy.
Near Gorizia there is small hill 241 meter high. Even though elevation is not so high, it offers nice views on nearby mountains in Italy and Slovenia.

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Ploče and Baćina lakes

Post author:Notos
Post published:November 23, 2019
Post category:XC Rides
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Country: Croatia
Region: Ploče/Baćina lakes
Length: 26 km
Elevation gain: 501m
Maximum elevation: 235 m
Technical difficulty: 2/5
Download GPS Track: Ploče_Baćina lakes_Cyclotrail
Date of ride: 26.06.2018.
Suitable for E-bike: Yes

While I was in Ploče, this track was my standard after job route. Some of this route I used for running, but it was mostly used for maintaining MTB form. It isn’t very attractive route that guide you through beautiful scenery, but it is great ride for sightseeing town Ploče and Baćina lakes. Start is at Birina lake. There is plenty of space to park a car, and from there you follow the road to the center of city which afterwards leads you to the local hill. There is military outpost, so access is limited for civilians, luckily you are able to climb on top of the hill and enjoy the view on delta of river Neretva and Pelješac peninsula. Access road is some old carrigeway which is one way road that I used also for downhill, and there starts my short video.

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MTB Ćićarija – Žbevnica

Post author:Notos
Post published:October 28, 2019
Post category:XC Rides
Post comments:2 Comments

Country: Croatia
Mountain: Ćićarija/Žbevnica peak
Length: 31 km
Elevation gain: 1238m
Maximum elevation: 1014 m
Technical difficulty: 3/5
Download GPS Track: MTB Ćićarija_Žbevnica_Cyclotrail
Date of ride: 22.06.2019.
Suitable for E-bike: Yes

Žbevnica is highlighted peak on western side of Ćićarija mountain, and also the last peak in west of Croatia higher than 1000 meters. I visited Ćićarija for the first time in 2016 with my friend Petar who run 100 miles of Istria few times and knows this region very well (and he is from Istria). Even though we cycled then mostly on unpaved road with very few singletrack trails I liked Žbevnica peak because of its long grass and opened sights in all directions. It reminds me on Hahlić in so many ways.
This year I decided to go back to Ćićarija, but I wanted to include more singletrack in the route. I asked local guys for some insights and I’ve got gpx track from Goran who helped me with some advices and gave me few pointers. He warned us that track could be overgrown with vegetation on some parts, and it was, but not enough to change our mind not to ride it.

We rode this track two days after Stol, which is very hard route, the kind of route that you enjoy to ride, and like to remeber it, but also kind of ride that makes you hate your bike for at least two days.

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