The trail has already received critical acclaim from national mountain bike journalists and was on Friday opened as a sneak peek for its supporters, who arrived in droves.

It has been about six years since I last went off road on a mountain bike and — dressed in business attire with a GoPro plugged to my forehead — I was more than ready to give it another bash.

After a couple of sketchy attempts to jump on my hired bike, and a quick seat adjustment, I folded my tie into my pocket and followed the echoes of excited voices down one of the gravelled trails.

I was not sure what to expect from the green courses, but assumed the track — designed to bridge families into the world of mountain biking — would be a doddle.

Not so.

The beginning of the four-kilometre trail was scenic and pleasant. I sat back and cruised along as the sunlight filtered in through the gaps in tall pines.

The sealed path meant little effort was required to gain a decent turn of speed, and the smoothed flat surface made for little jolting on the arms.

I pumped a bit harder, wondering how easy it would be to break my collarbone on one of the pines that lined the narrow path, assuming they were there to add an element of excitement to the beginner course.

My only recollection of mountain biking came from spending years riding on a Longford farm, tearing about on a blue-and-white dual-suspension Apollo.

The memories did not prove useful when it came to sudden braking on the Hollybank path, particularly in my favourite section, which featured downhill hairpins.

A quick squeeze on the rear lever slid my rear tyre out and almost saw me eat dirt — a genuinely exhilarating experience.

I was having fun.

I pushed a little harder, gaining more speed as the flat surface changed to humps and the gravel path gave way to an uneven dirt track.

The ride required more energy than I expected, most of it was dedicated to remaining alert and dodging the array of protruding tree roots and rocks.

The thick pine surrounds changed to sparse gumtrees as the path began to climb, opening up a stunning view into a valley on my left — a great reward for the uphill challenge.

Although the old Apollo sits in pieces at my Launceston home, de-wheeled and in dire need of a service, I imagine it will not be long until I am back riding again.

The brief experience at Hollybank was incredible and something I cannot wait to re-live.

I may even join the mountain bike club.