About IMBA-UK >> Updates >> Update 64 (Aug 2009)
Forestry Commission Scotland's Ae Line Trail at 7Stanes
Welcome to the IMBA UK Members update.
If you have information, news or events for the next email update, please by Friday 25 September. I look forward to hearing from you.
There's still time to win a weekend break in 7stanes country - competition details below.
Members will have received notification of the 2009 IMBA AGM, if you haven't, please check your email spam folder, or and I will resend the information.
This IMBA members event takes place over the third weekend in October, with the AGM & Seminar on Saturday 17 October in the Keswick area. If you would like to come along and take part, remember to send in your booking form.
Big changes are afoot in the Afan Valley in South Wales with the appointment of a new Mountain Bike Ranger who is putting together a programme to maintain trails that have been allowed to slowly deteriorate over recent years, as the emphasis has been geared towards developing existing trails.
Yes folks that's why you will find truck loads of stone at strategic places alongside the trails. Volunteers are always welcome to assist with maintenance.
It's not only a new Ranger. At last after three years of filibustering by Neath Port Talbot Council, the Bryn Bettws Lodge visitor Centre opened on the 29th of August. This centre is already at altitude and is only 50 yards from the Wall and W2 trails. There are two Bridle Paths and a permissory route that links to the Skyline and descents for Energy and Whytes Level so you can miss that crazy queue at Glyncorrwg on a Saturday and Sunday morning.
Bryn Bettws Lodge has accommodation for 40, in En-suite mini-dorms four star accommodation at 2 star prices, with a trail Cafe/Restaurant that is open to all. B+B is £22.00 per night with a continental Breakfast, another £3.00 will get you the full Welsh. The centre boasts a low pressure Bike Wash and secure container storage for your Bikes and Afan Valley MTB have a Bike Shop on site for those trail repairs, spares and Bike Hire. Their MIAS accredited Mountain Bike Leader Training School is also in the complex.
Afan Valley MTB will be operating an Uplift service from March 2010, which will cover all three Mountain Bike centres in the valley. The most popular route anticipated is the collection from their terminus at Glyncorrwg Unit 3 to Bryn Bettws Lodge. For more information as things develop go to www.afanuplift.co.uk or www.afanmtb.com.
Andy Braund is the Forestry Commission Wales's new mountain bike ranger in north Wales. He comes into the post after voluntarily looking after the trails in Penmachno, where he lives, for the last two years.
A keen mountain biker, who is passionate about outdoor activities, Andy is looking forward to taking on the responsibility of the trails at Gwydyr and Coed y Brenin.
For more information on the FC Wales mountain bike trails in north Wales, Andy Braund can be contacted on 0845 604 0845.
More information on the woodlands of Wales is available on: www.forestry.gov.uk/wales.
The North East is bubbling with big mountain biking events. Just some in the next few weeks are:
For further info about activities at Hamsterley Forest, visit the Trailblazers website: www.hamsterley-trailblazers.co.uk.
Members may have read of the bulldozing of a series of jumps built by school children in Oxted Green Woods in Surrey. The story can be found by visiting this link: www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/s/2056075_young_bike_riders_secret_site_bulldozed.
The chairman of IMBA UK, Karl Bartlett, has written to the National Trust to express our concern about this action, and to open a dialogue on the development and management of sustainable, inclusive, mountain bike facilities.
North Yorks County Council - who are charged with protecting our bridleway and byway network - having failed to ban bikes on the Skeeby bridleway near Richmond, have now decided to attack the nearby Applegarth route.
You can find the route on OS Landranger map 92 in grid square 1601. The bridleway runs largely westwards, through Whitcliff Wood, under Whitcliffe Scar past Applegarth, to the road at GR 114020.
The fight back is being led by bridleway campaigners The Byway & Bridleway Trust who led the successful Skeeby defence and will also lead in the forthcoming public inquiry. But it needs some funds to finance the case.
This route needs to be saved, so any assistance with fundraising will help mountainbiking protect its heritage. Emails with offers of assistance to: bbtrust@mac.com, for further info visit www.bbtrust.org.uk.
Aston Hill is one of the premier DH, 4X and XC riding locations in the South East. CTC - the UK's national cyclists' organisation, Aston Hill Mountain Bike Club and Forestry Commission have joined forces to create a special CTC membership that provides access to one of the South East's best mountain bike trails.
CTC Aston Hill membership and day tickets have been set up to ensure continued development of the site and provide support for the club. Until recently, the future of Aston Hill was in doubt and the gates were often locked, disappointing many mountain bikers who wanted to ride the trails. The partnership agreement will ensure Aston Hill's future and provide funding for a Forestry Commission Ranger to look after the site. Aston Hill Mountain Bike Club will continue to manage the site on land owned by the Forestry Commission.
For more information visit www.ctc.org.uk/desktopdefaultMTB.aspx?tabid=5288.
Cyclehighlands of Ballater, Aberdeenshire would like to thank all the guides from the Ballater Mountain Bike Club and IMBA members who helped with the 4th Ballater Bike Safari on the 14th August. Despite rainy conditions the event was a success and one of the highlights of Ballater's Victoria week. More info on the Ballater Mountain Bike Club can be found at www.9zerofreewheelers.co.uk or www.cyclehighlands.com.
The Scottish Mountain Bike Development Consortium (SMBDC) met in Edinburgh on the 14th August. With the final draft of the framework document now with at the graphic designers, the Implementation plan is progressing well with significant progress made on a number of fronts.
Funding has been confirmed through Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and SportScotland. With more consortium members hoping to confirm their financial contributions as soon as budgets are finalised.
The Service Level Agreement (SLA) between the SMBDC and Scottish Cycling and the SMBDC's members Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) are both nearing sign off.
The consortium have now finalised the job description for the proposed Project Officer. An advert for the three year post will soon be published on the consortium members' websites. It is hoped that the recruitment process will take place through late September, with interviews for the chosen candidates in early October and the chosen candidate (notice permitting) starting in November.
The framework document has now completed the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) screening process (Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005). With this work complete the final version of the framework document is now with the graphic designers and will be ready for publication in early October.
Paths for All is the national charity promoting the development of multi-use path networks and walking for health within Scotland.
We know that there are many community and voluntary groups all over Scotland working with and on paths: planning, building, maintaining, promoting and supporting people to use and enjoy paths. Many of these groups work in isolation from other groups doing similar things. Previous studies from a project in the Highlands, have shown that there is a demand for groups to get together to share best practice. As a result of this, Paths for All and FEVA (Forum for Environmental Volunteering Activity) are aiming to run a networking conference in spring 2010.
This will be the first national opportunity for these groups and individuals to come together, learn from each other and to share experiences with other projects and people. Importantly, we want to use the conference to launch a series of themed courses as well as ongoing learning and mentoring opportunities. People will be able to build on their own skills and confidence by signing up for these at the conference.
At the moment we have a very limited database of groups who are interested in paths but we are sure there are many groups that we have not had any contact with. So we would appreciate your help with two things:
If you would like to complete a questionnaire to help with this, please email to request a copy of the community questionnaire.
This has been produced and is now out for consultation. Copies of the document can be downloaded by following this link (4.9 MB download):- www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/draftrecreationstrategy2009.pdf
Comments, and a commitment to help with delivery, are being sought for the draft Recreation Strategy for the Peak District National Park Authority. Views are being sought from organisations involved in delivering or supporting recreation in the Peak District.
The consultation period will run from 3 August 2009 to 25 September 2009 and will be conducted online. Please make sure you have read the draft Strategy before completing the online consultation.
The online consultation will take around 30 minutes to complete.
For further details and a link to the online consultation, please visit - www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/recreation.
Earlier this year, with generous support from SRAM, IMBA Europe announced an ambitious program to provide leadership in sustainable trail design and trail advocacy across Europe.
As Eurobike, the most influential bicycle trade show on the Continent approaches, IMBA-Europe's staff is scheduling meetings with leading bicycle companies. "The manufacturers, retail operators and related businesses that operate in Europe are excited about the leadership that IMBA Europe now provides," says Mike Van Abel, the group's executive director. "In the months and years ahead, I expect that IMBA Europe will become the go-to authority in areas like trail construction standards, sustainable design and best practices for managing mountain bike tourism."
During the show, Van Abel will conduct two 15-minute talks of the purpose and programs for which Europeans have enlisted the help of IMBA.
Where: DIMB booth, Number 201, West Entrance (WE 201)
When: Thursday (Sept. 3) and Friday (Sept. 4) at 9:30 a.m.
To find out more about IMBA Europe, visit www.imba-europe.org.
The annual reports of the Waterways Ombudsman Committee and the Waterways Ombudsman for 2008-09 are now available on-line by following this link.
The Waterways Ombudsman scheme can deal with complaints about British Waterways which are referred to the Ombudsman by dissatisfied complainants after completion of British Waterways' own complaints procedure. The Committee oversees the work of the scheme, but cannot deal with individual complaints.
The annual reports include:
Welsh Downhill Mountain Bike Association - The WDMBA is a not for profit association, set up by riders from Wales. Our primary aim is to promote the sport of downhill mountain biking in Wales and develop a number of sustainable downhill tracks. For further details see the website.
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