Some of the route follows the 4 Islands Epic stage race, so make sure you are one with your mountain bike. Doing this route, you will see things that 85% of the island visitors don’t see, and that is special on its own. After doing a short warmup on the path to Valdarke and the main road to Dražica after that, the serious part starts.
Ok, you will still ride along the road for a bit, but the hills will be pretty steep. That’s good because the views will be nice, right? Great! Don’t forget to take a small detour from the road to the St. Ivan church (7.1 km) to have a great view of Veli Lošinj and Velebit. After a while, the descent to Pjeski Bay starts. It’s best to have a good mountain bike with air suspension, or else your teeth might fall off (joking, of course). Be ready for some more “rodeo” from time to time on the way to Krivica Bay.
The cool thing? I’d say 8-9 out of 10 people visit Krivica by boat, and you just shredded the paths to it by bike!
I recommend a breather at tavern Balvanida after which you will have to climb the steep descent you came along. The climb is challenging but manageable. After reaching the top, the descent that is used on the Epic Series stage race begins! Avoid the sharp rocks and brake patiently to not go over the bars. Avoiding punctures is basically an art when riding on rocks like this. After coming back to Veli Lošinj, enjoy the paved road a bit and rest.
Good job, you did it!
Points of interest:
Highlights – must know – trail notes:
This route is ideally ridden on a mountain bike.
There are some water refilling stops in Balvanida but ideally have a 0.5-liter bottle topped off as often as possible.
If you are not a mountain biker, the route may not be for you. That being said, for advanced mountain bikers that regularly ride and visit trail centers, the route shouldn’t be a challenge.
- Be mindful on the loose descents!
- Wear a helmet at all times!
- Look far ahead and dismount if you are unsure about the technical parts.
