Mountain Bike Trails in Birds Hill Park – A Manitoba Gem
I was introduced to the mountain bike trails in Manitoba’s Birds Hill Park by a fellow mountain biker I met on a Winnipeg bike forum. He’s an avid biker who seemed to know his way colse to the park very well and had been mountain biking for many years more than myself. Yet even he didn’t know about some of the exquisite particular track trails I found there this year! More on that later, first I’ll tell you about the bike trails he did show me.
Birds Hill has an area in the North full of walking, hiking, and horse back riding trails. This is where maybe the most tantalizing of the mountain bike trails are hiding. Read on and you’ll know where to find all the great particular track mountain bike trails in Birds Hill Park.
Mountain Bike Kids Camp
If you can find your way to Griffiths Hill then you are doing good. You’ll know if you’ve made it because there’s a viewing tower there (see map legend). From there you don’t have to go very far to recognize some very tantalizing trails that cycle up and down a ridge created by glaciers. Bike your way behind the tower on the “Esker” trail and look for entrances down the ridge on your left hand side. Yeah, that’s what I’m talking’ about! Short and cool wee particular track trails that twist straight through the trees. They’re fun to descend and tantalizing to climb. I think there’s three or four of them along the Esker trail behind the tower which descend down to the “Chickadee” trail (again, consult you legend). Now, come back to the tower and take your bike along the Bluestem trail heading in an Eastern direction. You should be on top of a ridge again and be able to very quickly (within 20 feet) find entrances to descend the ridge. Very fun mountain biking.
Razor E200 Electric Scooter Review
Razor E200 Electric Scooter Feature
- Sleek electric scooter with ultra-quiet chain-driven motor and twist-grip throttle
- Hand-operated rear brake
- Motor cruises at speeds of up to 12 mph; up to 45 minutes of use per charge
- 8-inch pneumatic tires for smooth ride; full-size deck and frame hold up to 220 pounds
- Recommended for ages 13 and older; 90-day warranty
Razor E200 Electric Scooter Overview
The Razor E200 2006 version is a new and improved electric scooter that can reach speeds up to 12 mph. Full size deck and frame with full speed potential. Large 8″ pneumatic tires for a smooth ride. New chain driven motor and new twist-grip throttle.
Razor E200 Electric Scooter Specifications
Cruise around the neighborhood in style with the Razor E200 electric scooter. An ultra-quiet chain-driven motor, and a handy twist-grip throttle accelerator, the E200 is the perfect device for teens and adults wanting to speed over to a friend’s house or head to the park. Unlike Razor’s E300S and E500S scooters–which offers a seated ride–the E200 requires you to stand while zipping through town.
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But standing in the E200 isn’t a problem thanks to the full-size deck and frame, which are custom designed for ages 13 and up. Once you’re on the move, the variable-speed motor ramps up to 12 miles per hour–fast enough to have fun, but not fast enough to be a menace on the street or sidewalk.
The long-life rechargeable battery, meanwhile, lasts for up to 45 minutes of continuous use per charge (with an eight-hour charge time), so you can easily cruise to the grocery store and back without running out of juice. Other details include 8-inch pneumatic tires for a smooth ride, a hand-operated rear brake, and such accessories as a pair of 12-volt batteries, a charger, and tools. The E200, which offers a maximum weight limit of 220 pounds, is backed by a 90-day warranty.
The buyer and rider of the E200 scooter are responsible for knowing and obeying all local, state, and federal regulations regarding the riding and use of scooters.
Specifications:
- For ages 13 and older
- Single speed chain-driven motor
- 24V (Two 12V) sealed lead acid battery system
- Battery charge time: 12 hours
- UL approved battery charger incluided
- Product Weight: 45 pounds
- Assembled Product Dimensions: 37 x 16 x 42 inches
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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: May 28, 2011 12:12:05
Now, back to this trail I discovered this year. It’s very well known, but I think it’s fairly new. It’s called the “Bur Oak” trail. Look at your map again. Look in the South-West corner of the map for a estimate seven in a circle. That’s the Bur Oak trail. It’s undoubtedly a paved walking trail, but on the face of the paved walking trail a wicked single-track mountain bike trail has been cut. It’s used for races on some Wednesday nights in the summer. Olympia cycle puts it on I believe. You can pull your car right into a spacious parking area faultless with picnic tables, covered picnic area, fire pits, and washrooms. The trail is fast and twisty hard packed particular track that varies from flat to up and down. From the parking lot look for the trail entry just next to the covered picnic area. This section can be ridden very fast but has it’s share of twists and turns, so remember the golden rule of particular track mountain biking: look ahead. Look way ahead, colse to the next corner. Your peripheral foresight will take care of your immediate needs, and finding ahead will allow your brain to register what’s arrival and remove any surprises. It’s like the Bush regime religious doctrine of pre-emption, only with less death.
After you ride for about 10-20 minutes (depending on your speed) you will arrive at a three-way crossroads. Stay left and you faultless the trail circle with about the same estimate of riding left…but you don’t want to do that if you have the power for a wee more! Head down the trail in the middle and you treat yourself to some windy root-filled descending. You will emerge from the trail on the left, so you have the choice of taking that one now as well and then emerging in the middle. Make sense? The trail on the left appears to head along a sand-ridge, which it does for a short time. quickly you will see a trail entry on your left-hand side which has a right descent followed by an entry to your left. The infer I say take the trail in the middle is because you get to descend the twisty stuff instead of climbing it, which is better for my old legs.
Birds Hill Park is predominant for the Winnipeg Folk Festival which comes rain or sun every July. I think the Winnipeg Folk Festival was voted best festival in North America recently. I usually go camp in the festival camping, which is a wee wild and loud but very safe and full of marvelous people, sites, and sounds. There’s other camping with more services for population who want more quiet or privacy. Where I camp there is a hill called Popes Hill that festival campers play bongo and dance and hang out on ’till the wee hours of the morning. John Paul 2 visited Popes Hill back in 84 (don’t quote me, that’s agreeing to Mark). The hill is titanic and fun to ride up and down. Nothing crazy, fairly plane but it’s good practice. Look for it North of East Gate Drive. On the map look to the East end of the park for an L shape which is the road colse to the festival (a.k.a. Group) camping area. Go down that L shaped road and you’ll see trail-heads that lead into the camping area. You will find lot’s of neat camping spots with Bbq’s for some wieners, and if you walk West across the camp area you’ll soon see The Hill which is a great place to visit on a bike or by foot.
The final trail law in Birds Hill Park I’ll tell you about is not undoubtedly on the map. across the street from the White tailed deer trail is a restaurant. Turn onto the road that the bistro leads off of and keep going for 50-100 yards. Look for a trail important off on your right side. I’ve only been straight through there a concentrate times, so can’t say much about it other than it’s fun and challenging. There is a gravel pit in there, but you can mostly avoid the sand and gravel while biking colse to it. You’re likely to see some quads and dirt bikes, but they like to hang out in the pit more than the particular track trail. That’s been my wee experience anyway. Make sure your mountain bike is dialed in before you head out, naturally. Take a spare tube and pump. All these trails are doable by the beginner, but don’t make the beginner mistake of not being properly equipped. Most importantly, take lots of water with you. You cannot do these mountain bike trails with only one bottle of water – you need two or a camelback. Mountain equipment Co-op has exquisite deals on camelbacks. It’s their own brand (not the camelback brand name) but they’re less than half the price of the bike shops and they’re perfectly fine. Then you can get rid of that useless under-the-seat bag which keeps breaking and put your tube and tools in your backpack! Be sure you check out a good map of Birds Hill Park before you head out on your ride, so that you can get a good feel for the area you’ll be biking in.
Have fun!
Mountain Bike Trails in Birds Hill Park – A Manitoba Gem
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