If you like long, fast, flow trails, you must visit Klínovec in the Czech Republic. I was especially delighted with the eight-kilometer Rubin trail. However, there are also plenty of attractions for lovers of natural trails.
Trail Park Klínovec offers 5 trails ranging in difficulty from green to pro line, where downhill competitions are held. In total, this gives approximately 35 km of trails. Only one of these trails has a natural character, but apart from the official trails, there are also four trails where enduro competitions took place.
The trails in the bike park were in very good condition even at the end of the season. I also give a plus for the fact that in mid-September, when other bike parks are open only on weekends or even not at all, you can still ride in Klinovec during the week. I give a small minus for the trails difficulty estimates, because most of them are inadequate, or more precisely, too high.
Let’s start the review of the trails, as always with the easiest one.
Azur – blue (green) trail in Trail Park Klinovec
The longest trail, ten kilometers long, marked as blue, but in fact it is a typical green trail that anyone can cope with. Just a nice long descent on a smooth surface.
Rubin – red (blue) trail in Trail Park Klinovec
There’s actually nothing on this trail either, i.e. no tables, drops, roots or stones, but I still liked it very much. This is the best flow trail I have ever had the pleasure of riding, meaning there are very long sections on which I didn’t have to brake or pedal. You just ride very smoothly, at high speed, over rollers and well-shaped berms for 8 km :)
Baron – black (red) trail in Trail Park Klinovec
This trail should be marked red, not Rubin. On this trail there are some additional features here, but everything is passable, you don’t have to jump. In the upper part there are several small tabletops, while in the lower part there are larger ones – about 4 meters long. In addition, there are several rock gardens and the same as on Rubin, i.e. the possibility of smooth riding at high speed. I really liked it too :)
Illegal – orange (black) trail in Trail Park Klinovec
Orange trails are rarely found in bike parks. This color marks trails that are more difficult than black ones, but in my opinion Illegal does not deserve such a color.
This is the only official trail in this bike park with a natural character. The upper part of the trail is quite easy, even for a black trail. Only after the first intersection with the ski slope does it start to get steeper and more difficult.
My crash from 1:04 in the video below is from this trail.
It only ended with a bruised hip, so I picked myself up and finished the trail, but I didn’t want to take any more risks and got off the bike in every more difficult place. I didn’t post the recording of the trail on YouTube, because who would want to watch such a ride… ;)
I recommend this recording:
Downhill – orange (really!) trail in Trail Park Klinovec
This trail deserves its color! I was on it, I saw it, I walked my bike even more often than on Illegal ;) The trail is fast and you can’t go slow here, because there are drops after drops that you can’t avoid.
Watch the ride performed by competitor Nina Hoffmann:
Special stages (SS) from enduro competitions in Trail Park Klinovec
These trails are not marked on bike park maps, but can be found in ride logs on Trailforks or Strava. The easiest of them, marked in this year’s Czech enduro series as RZ 5, starts near the Rubin trail.
To start RZ 2 and RZ 3, you need to ride approx. 1 – 2 km from the upper station of the lift. Part of this travel can be covered by a trail called Wurzertrail on Trailforks, which follows the red hiking trail. Quite an interesting, easy descent.
In my opinion, RZ2 is a red trail, just like RZ5, although it is more difficult than it. I would estimate the RZ3 as black.
You can find all three trails above on my Strava track:
There is another SS, supposedly the most difficult, running from the nearby Dub peak. I didn’t ride this one.
And that’s not all!
If you are not afraid of uphill climbs and have fun on flow trails with tables, I recommend going to Boží Trail. You can get there in the same way as RZ2 and RZ3, but you have to go a little further. It’s also on the Strava track above. It’s a short trail, a bit forgotten, but quite nice.
Like any decent bike park, Klinovec has a skill zone (training area). It is located at the upper station of the ski lift and allows you to practice your skills or warm up on the pump track, wooden footbridges and two drops..
To sum up – a place worth visiting. There are few places in our geographical region with such long MTB trails. There are few places where they are built so well in terms of smooth riding. And there are few places where you can test yourself on enduro competition routes without having to climb like in a real competition.
And while in this area, it is also worth visiting the nearby TrailPark Plešivec.
Thank you :)
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