In July had the privilege and opportunity to travel to the island of Antigua. This would be my first major trip in four years since the March 2023 incident that seriously injured me both physically and mentally. While have written about the rides earlier. In this entry am both making it about the riding with links to the posts about the rides. It is also creating a spot to easily share some of the info I know about riding mountain bikes in Antigua.
Please keep in mind this is rough and I don't have all the info about riding in Antigua.
First mountain bike ride in Antigua with Alistair,
Second ride exploring trails near Dickenson Bay,
Third ride was a ride around McKinnon's Salt Pond,
The fourth ride was special as headed to 2Six8 Craft Brewery the centre of the Antiguan mountain bike scene at Falmouth Harbour. And would be a two part ride,
Part one was Lower Guinea Bush,
Second part was the Saddlebash Downhill from the top of Guinea Bush Hill,
The fifth ride was sort of a repeat of the second in the Bush Bay Trails however we added a slight variation,
The last ride in Antigua was an easy spin to Runaway Beach,
The local cycling club is the Road Runners Cycling Club which my guide and friend Alistair is a member and if I recall correctly organizer of the mtb part of it all.
2Six 8 Craft Brewery is the only craft brewery currently in Antigua and Barbuda. And is the centre of the Antiguan mtb community. The owner rides as well as builds mtb trails. And is where Ontario's Team Van Go's Johnny hangs out when in Antigua.
Website,
Instagram,
Interestingly riding on Guinea Bush and down to 2Six8 kind of reminded me of those early stories we ready back in the 1990's of the oldest MTB club the Laguna Rads. Who would do rides and then finish at the fire pit for food and a beer.
When riding in Antigua and Barbuda it is important to note there is two fauna to be aware of. The first is the Antiguan version of barbed wire Acacia farnesiana aka Cassia .
However the one to steer clear of is highly toxic. That is the Machineel tree which is poisonous can cause severe skin blistering among other things. Don't touch and stay well clear of when it rains.
Gear wise there is one very important detail one must keep in mind when travelling to Antigua and Barbuda. Anything camouflage is illegal to have or wear in Antigua and Barbuda. the only exception is is you are military and on active duty. This means all camouflage whether it is actual former military issue or some weird pattern some fashion industry designer thought was cool. Leave anything that isn't basic simple designs and solid colours at home.
Gear wise other then your bike and usual gear be aware the only spares will be what you bring with you. So pack that spare UDH Hanger or whatever derailleur hanger you have. Clothing wise bring gear for hot weather. It is a good idea to bring some form of hydration system to help keep fluids up riding in the tropical heat.
It is expensive getting parts and such shipped to Antigua. Any spare parts, clothes, armour, and what not bring some with you. Pass it on to the crew at 2Six8 so they can can pass it on to local riders.
It should be noted there is no trails mapped on line anywhere yet. The best source for the trail info is 2Six8 Brewery in Falmouth. Most of the actual singletrack is around Guinea Bush at least what I rode. There is other areas that one can ride but it is really more like the 1980's where it is old access roads and double track. I only touched a bit of what is rideable off road wise in Antigua. There is from what I could see huge potential for more possibly in the future. It will be interesting to see how it evolves in the future.
While it was shorter time then I had wanted it was enough not only to leave one wanting more. But for me after coming home it helped with moving forward around the long term effects of injuries. And hope one day in the next few years to go back for longer. Who knows, maybe I will end up somehow like my buddy Marshall who disappears to the Caribbean for three months to ride.
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