Mui Wo Mountain-bike Ground The Biggest In Asia

Hong Kong's first mountain-bike training ground officially opens near Mui Wo on Saturday. Spanning 4.5 hectares, it's the biggest practice venue for mountain biking in Asia and can accommodate around 500 bikers at a time.

The facility provides five routes of varying degrees of difficulty and contains features such as jump lines, a pump track and a ladder bridge. It took three and a half years to build at a cost of some HK$40 million.

The construction of the training ground is part of the expansion of the mountain bike trail network in South Lantau. It completes the longest circular mountain bike trail in Hong Kong, stretching 18 kilometres.

Godfrey Ho, a chief engineer with the Civil Engineering and Development Department, said the biggest challenge of the project was to balance construction with conservation of the natural terrain.

"Most of the mountain bike trails are built in country parks, so we needed to minimise cutting down trees," he told RTHK.

Lim Hui-min, a mountain bike drill specialist, believes the facility will help promote mountain biking in Hong Kong.

"There will be more beginners, kids and ladies participating in this sport, so it can become more family-oriented," he said.

Lim said the training ground would also trigger a range of supporting industries, including coaching, set-up and rentals, which would compliment the growth of mountain biking in Hong Kong.