About the Centre

Kilfinane OEC is administered by County Limerick VEC and approved by the Department of Education & Science. Our Outdoor Education Courses use the Outdoors and Adventure Sports to present participants with new and challenging experiences that will help them develop life skills.
Our programmes aim to:

Build confidence and self esteem through achievement of challenges and the development of new skills
Develop life skills such as teamwork, initiative, respect & leadership
Increase awareness and understanding of the natural environment

Courses

With 90km of the best Mountain Bike Trails in the country Kilfinane OEC is the new home of Mountain Biking in Ireland.
As the leading Centre for Mountain Biking in Ireland they have designed a skills pathway to help you get to grips with this exhilarating sport. Courses are designed in Half- Day modules in such a way that you can join in at the appropriate level. They also run courses and skills clinics on demand for groups.
The Mountain Biking courses are open to adults & youths aged14+. Bikes, helmets and elbow pads are included in course fee for all courses except Level 3 Skills. Our basic bikes skills course is also open to younger children aged 8-13yrs who have their own mountain bike in good working order.

KILFINANE OEC – MTB SKILLS PATHWAY

• TRY MOUNTAIN BIKING
• MTB CORE SKILLS LEVEL 1
• MTB CORE SKILLS LEVEL 2
• MTB SKILLS LEVEL 3

ADDITIONAL SKILLS

• BIKE CARE & TRAILSIDE MECHANICS
• MTB BASIS MECHANICS
• MTB NAVIGATION

LEADERSHIP PATHWAY

• TRAIL CYCLE LEADER AWARD
• MOUNTAIN BIKE LEADER AWARD
• SMBLA TUTOR

MOUNTAIN BIKE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Basic Bike Skills – ½ Day:

If you could do with brushing up your cycling skills before you Try Mountain Biking then this course is for you. We will look at bike set up, braking, using gears, balance & control. The course takes place at the Ballyhoura MTB trailhead but focuses on general cycling skills. The session includes a short cycle on forest roads with a chance to try a basic single-track trail.

Try Mountain Biking – ½ Day:

Try Mountain Biking is specifically designed to introduce the beginner to Mountain Biking in a relaxed atmosphere. It will gently introduce you to the bike & equipment, safety & set up, braking, gear selection, body position & balance.  It will involve a guided bike ride explaining the trail network. Our instructor will offer advice on any aspect of Mountain Biking.

Mountain Biking Core Skills Level 1 – ½ Day:

This course is for the regular mountain biker who would like to improve their skills. It will take you through the 4 Basic Core skills & biking techniques. Skills covered include Track stands, Manual front wheel-lift, Power assisted front wheel-lift, Rear wheel-lift & pumping the trails.

Mountain Biking Core Skills Level 2 – ½ Day:

Core Skills Level 2 is suitable for the regular mountain biker who has come to terms with level 1 skills and would like to further improve by adding 4 new core Skills such as Step up’s, Step over’s, Bunny Hops and Lateral Bunny Hops.

Mountain Biking Skills Level 3 - ½ Day:

This course is designed for the regular mountain biker who would like to tackle more difficult terrain with confidence. We will look at the tactics involved when tackling more of a variety of obstacles. Areas looked at are drop offs, climbing & descending, cornering, tree roots.

MTB Basic Bike Care & Trailside Mechanics - ½ Day :

This course will equip the mountain biker with the necessary skills to set up, maintain and fix some basic mechanical problems while at home or out on the trail. In a relaxed atmosphere this will be a hands-on interactive course. We aim to cover the basics such as loose Head sets, Chain breaks, adjusting gears & brakes, punctures and tyre repairs, broken pedals. Bring your bike along.

Mountain Biking Basic Mechanics - ½ Day :

This class based course takes place at Kilfinane OEC. Our tutor an experienced MTB bike shop owner will take you through all the skills you need to look after basic mechanics yourself including tuning gears, changing parts & brake pad replacement.

Mountain Biking Navigation - ½ Day:

A practical course designed for Mountain Bikers who want to learn to navigate their own way on the hills MTB Navigation will cover the basic skills for trail and hill navigation.  Course content will include introduction to the map, map setting, line features, attack points, timing, route planning, route cards and introduction to the compass. Mountain bikers will be equipped to navigate on both single track and trails with confidence. Bring your own bike and gear.

Trail Cycle Leader Course

The Trail Cycle Leader award is the appropriate award for leading groups of bikers on trails such as the Ballyhoura MTB trails. It is the ideal qualification for staff in Outdoor Education Centres, Adventure Centres, Schools, Youth Groups, anyone leading groups within a club or for bikers who just want to improve their skills.
The course consists of two days training. Participants must then complete logbook requirements and then attend for a one day assessment. This award is certified by Scottish Cycling and is recognised by Cycling Ireland.
Pre-Entry to SMBLA Trail Cycle Leader Training
Candidates must be over 18 years old and have log book experience of at least 20 mountain bike rides of 1.5 hr duration in a variety of terrain and weather conditions. Longer runs of 2 to 3 hrs duration, with at least one being 6 hours and 2/3 detailed route cards should also be included. The terrain covered should be appropriate to the level of award sought.
Candidates should also register with the SMBLA and British/Scottish Cycling.

Evidence of having acted as an assistant mountain bike leader with a group is recommended (but not essential) to help acquaint the candidate with the skills and issues covered by the course.

Other Activities

• Mountain Biking
• Kayaking and Canoeing
• Hillwalking and Mountain Skills
• Rockclimbing and Indoor Climbing
• Orienteering and Team Challenges
• Campcraft and Survival Skills
• Riverwalk

Accomodation

Refer map Activity Holiday tab for details 

Shop

Yes

Directions

Refer to website below

Contact Details

Kilfinane Outdoor Education Centre
Kilfinane 
Co. Limerick 
Ireland 

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00 353 (0)63 91161/91059 
00 353 (0)63 91201 

http://www.kilfinaneoec.com