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A new section of the Tin Fu Tsai North Section Mountain Bike Trail in Tai Lam Country Park opened to cycling enthusiasts today (December 11).
A spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said, "The 5.9-kilometre new section connects the Tin Fu Tsai Section to the Twisk Section Mountain Bike Trail. It was designed and built by the AFCD with the assistance of trail building experts from the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) and in accordance with the principles of sustainable trails promoted by the IMBA."
The mountain bike trail difficulty rating system devised by the IMBA was adopted. Of the trail, 2.1km is rated as blue route, which is a difficult trail suitable for cyclists with a certain level of mountain biking skills. The remaining 3.8km is rated as black diamond route, which means it is a very difficult trail that requires users to be experienced and possess advanced skills. A number of challenging features, such as berms, rocky sections and small drop-offs, are provided on this narrow and winding route.
The spokesman said, "Distance posts have been erected along the new section. It is the first mountain bike trail that has this facility, which can help trail users who encounter emergencies to accurately report their locations to rescue teams, so that they could be provided with assistance promptly.
The building of the new section was supported by various mountain bike groups. Volunteers from these groups participated in six volunteer trail-building sessions organised by the AFCD and helped build part of the new trail.
The Tin Fu Tsai North Section Mountain Bike Trail is rugged and narrow, and mountain bikes generally move at high speed. For the sake of personal safety, hikers heading for Ho Pui, Tin Fu Tsai or Tai Tong are advised not to enter the new section and to use other trails to avoid accidents. Mountain bikers should observe the code of practice for mountain biking in country parks and ensure their own safety as well as that of other country park users.
Details of mountain biking trails in country parks are available at the AFCD's website: www.afcd.gov.hk/english/country/cou_vis/cou_vis_mou/cou_vis_mou.html.
Ends/Friday, December 11, 2015
Issued at HKT 15:31
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