Duration: Approximately 6 hours
Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆
Suggested Route: Mui Wo Mountain Bike Practice Ground > Lantau Sightseeing Bus
Highlights: Hit the first mountain bike practice ground in Hong Kong! Don’t worry if you’re a newbie rider, just ease yourself in at the Beginner Practice Area and then work your way up!

Located in the Lantau South Country Park, the Mui Wo Mountain Bike Practice Ground is Hong Kong’s first mountain biking trail and one of Asia’s biggest mountain bike practice trails. The 4.5-hectare training ground features 9 km of biking trails in and around the site. The trails come in five difficulty levels and are designed in accordance with the International Mountain Bicycling Association standards, suitable for everyone from first-time to advanced and professional riders.

Thanks to its entry-level facilities, it is perfect for beginners and even children who love a good adrenaline rush and would love to get a taste of mountain biking. Sounds like your children (or you)? Follow the itinerary below and get ready for a dirt-y kind of family day!

The practice ground comes with a number of design features and tracks for different types of training, such as the Tot Track for beginners as pictured.

Get a First Taste of Mountain Biking

Take bus 1, 2 or 4 from the Mui Wo Pier bus terminus, alight at the Lai Chi Yuen Cemetery bus stop and walk for about 20 minutes to the mountain bike practice ground. If this is going to be your first mountain biking experience, we recommend taking the time to learn about the facilities and different biking tracks. It’s always advised that you pick the right track according to your skill level and experience, and wear the right protective gear. There are many organisations in Mui Wo that offer mountain biking courses. Choose one with a professional coach who can guide you through the entire experience.

It’s always fun to share the same interests with your kids. It makes family time that much more memorable.

Tips: Bike rental isn’t available at the training ground. Visitors can rent bikes at the bike shops near the Mui Wo Pier, or sign up for a mountain biking class in advance (your instructor will likely provide the gear you need).

Pedal to the Beginner Area
If you’re first-time mountain biker, we recommend taking the time in the Beginner Practice Area to familiarise yourself with the course and equipment. In fact, before you start, be sure to warm up sufficiently and wear the necessary protective gear – helmets, elbow and knee pads, etc are the basic protective gear you need.

The Beginner Practice Area is designed with 14 different terrains, including Uphill Challenge, Rock Garden, Switch Back, Steep Descent, and more. Beginners can familiarise themselves with their bikes here and get a better feel of the different terrains.

Perfect for adventurous beginners.

The Growing Popularity of Mountain Biking

While Hong Kong is relatively new to mountain biking, the sport has been steadily gaining popularity among children and is widely accepted by parents. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Angus began his mountain biking journey when he was 8 or 9, and has set up a mountain biking training school in recent years. His summer training camp is so popular that children get to enjoy a full adventurous experience. Angus brushes off the achievements with a laugh, saying that they are merely results of his passion for the sport and for coaching.

Having lived in Lantau for more than 30 years, Angus still remembers the excitement he felt when the Mountain Bike Practice Ground first opened. As an outdoor junkie, he says that the mountain trails are now practically at his doorstep. From not having a single track to now having one of the largest mountain bike training facilities in Asia, Angus says he has happily witnessed the rise and development of the sport in Hong Kong.

Mountain bike instructor Angus grew up in Mui Wo and has more than 25 years of biking experience. He says he is proud to have turned his personal interest into a career, “After getting the professional qualification as an internationally-recognised PMBIA mountain bike instructor, I returned to Mui Wo to set up a mountain bike training camp, hoping to bring children closer to nature through mountain biking.”

Beginners can first familiarise different terrains.


Advance to Technical Training
If you’ve already perfected the different terrains in the Beginner Training Area, go one level up and try out the technical features area, such as Jumps, Rock Garden and Skinny, as well as the Tot Track and Pump Track.

Serious about mountain biking? Take on the Rollercoaster section!

The average mountain biking experiential class lasts about two hours, during which you’ll first learn some basic knowledge of mountain biking before hitting the dirt. Based on your skills, the instructor will then pick a safe and the most suitable track for you to train on.

The Pump Track is paved in asphalt.

Since the Mui Wo Mountain Bike Practice Ground opened, mountain biking has gained much popularity among children. If you want your little ones to develop an interest in a sport that is quite literally off the beaten track, you may want to give mountain biking a try. As with most sports, mountain biking requires skills and a certain level of physical strength, so it’s best to get started at age 7 or above.

 

How to Get to the Mui Wo Mountain Bike Practice Ground
1.
From the Tung Chung Station Bus Terminus, take New Lantao Bus 3M to Lai Chi Yuen Cemetery, then walk along the emergency vehicular access for about 20 minutes; or
2.
From the Mui Wo Pier bus terminus, take New Lantao Bus 1, 2 or 4 to Lai Chi Yuen, then walk along the emergency vehicular access for about 20 minutes