Ae is fast becoming known as the 7 Stanes mountain bike center to ride. The Forestry Commission and their team of trailbuilders have put together almost 50 km's of dedicated mountain biking routes within the forest.

 Weather Check: Get the 5 day Met Office forecast for Ae 

Ae Red Route Record Time: Feeling fit? Have a go at the course record. Start and finish at Ae Bike Shop & Cafe .... Current Record 1 hr 35 min 56 secs! Set by Martin Andrew from Grizedale. Just piped the previous record held by Andy Fairgreave by a few seconds. Got to admire Martin's style as he nailed this time on a singlespeed bike!!

Ae boasts everything from the family-friendly green runs right through a choice of blue and red routes to the new freeride style, downhill skills route and the infamous Ae downhill course.

New green and blue routes finally put Ae on the map for families with younger children or for those who enjoy a more leisurely bike ride. They both follow trails close to the bottom of the valley which has the river Ae flowing alongside. A fantastic place to bring the kids for an action packed family day out on the bikes. These routes are ideal for tag-alongs which you can hire from Ae Bike Shop, along with adult and kids bikes.

The Ae Line or Scottish Renewables trail has been extended to 24 km's. This unique and classic red route gives riders an enormous variety along tight single track and forest roads. Lots of up and down with everything in between, this is an exhilarating experience which will have you buzzing especially at the end when you hit the famed Omega Man descent. This final section eventually takes you back to trailhead at the bike shop & cafe but before you get there you'll take in a series of berms, tabletops, jumps, double jumps and some big drop offs! If that doesn't sound exciting enough there is a black option for you to slip onto and some big logs await you at the bottom of the trail if you want a final test of skill, nerve and determination!

Capping it all, Ae Forest has it's own 1.6 km competition downhill track and a new orange rated downhill skills route known as the Shredder !! These courses are for the experienced or truly mental riders out there! The Ae Downhill course is regularly used for national competitions and amongst it sections is the 22ft Coffin jump. The name says it all, beware this is not one for the inexperienced riders.

The worst kept secret in recent trailbuilding is the new Orange rated skills route known as The Shredder!! This gives those building up to the DH course a chance to experience the thrill of the ride on a new freeride style route that is not quite as full on as the Ae downhill course. This is still 1 km in length and a great way to improve your riding skills. The route is now officially open so if you enjoy or want to experience a bit of downhill action then get yourself onto the Shredder!!

The choice on offer now for mountain bikers at Ae is exceptional and there really is something for everyone. If you've not experienced Ae for a while or haven't been at all then you really should get yourself along and sample the new routes and facilities.

Ae Forest is not just for the bikers though. Ae has beautiful woodland walking, horse riding, and fishing to offer. For further info on these facilities contact the Forestry Commission's Recreation Ranger on 01387 860247.

Please click on the link for the downloadable Trail Map.