About IMBA-UK >> Updates >> Update 65 (Sept 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 23 October. I look forward to hearing from you.
Members will have received notification of the 2009 IMBA AGM, if you haven't, please 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, please remember to send in your booking form.
The search is on for volunteers of all ages to help complete part of the West Midlands' newest mountain bike trail on the Forestry Commission estate at Cannock Forest, near Rugeley.
With only six months to go until the new trail is due to open to the public, three 'Big Build Days' are being arranged by Chase Trails volunteers over the autumn and winter to help get the trail finished in time.
Chase Trails, a group of local mountain bikers who have already given up countless weekends and raised thousands of pounds to help enhance the cycling facilities at Cannock Chase, are now on the look out for even more volunteers to lend a hand building two more sections of trail.
On Sunday 4 October 2009, Sunday 15 November 2009 and Sunday 3 January 2010 from 10am until 4pm, families and their four-legged friends will be encouraged to play their part in creating the West Midlands' newest mountain bike trail. Children and dogs must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
Experts will be on hand to offer guidance and instruction on trail building and safe working practices, so no experience is necessary. A barbecue lunch and refreshments will also be provided to satisfy all those healthy appetites.
Anyone interested in supporting the project or joining the Chase Trails volunteer group should call Rob Lamb on 07951 135506, visit www.chasetrails.co.uk or check out their new blog for all the latest news and trail building information at chasetrails.blogspot.com.
An exhilarating new section of mountain bike trail opened on the Forestry Commission estate in Hamsterley Forest earlier this month.
The Forestry Commission, Hamsterley Trailblazers and Groundwork unveiled a new section of single track on Saturday (12 September), which links together two popular 'red routes' in the 2,000 hectare (5,000 acre) woodland, near Bishop Auckland, creating a loop over 14 kilometres long and offering a unique experience of County Durham's biggest wood.
The project has been made possible thanks to a £50,000 CDENT PREMIER Award from the County Durham Environmental Trust (CDENT) under the government's Landfill Communities Fund.
One of Britain's top trail builders, Pete Laing, designed the trail to world class standards, complete with enough jumps and turns to have bikers grinning from ear to ear. Work on the ground was done by contractor Alan Patterson, using locally quarried stone and a hardy team of over 20 volunteer trailbuilders.
In addition to the CDENT funding, backing for the trail also came from the former Teesdale District Council (£40,000), Forestry Commission (£28,000) and Hamsterley Trailblazers (£20,000). Trailbuilding volunteers were managed by Groundwork.
One of the ultimate aims is to create one of the UK's best single track red routes at Hamsterley Forest up to 25 kilometres long, which will have huge appeal.
A reminder that this year's Cycle Show takes place on the weekend of Friday 9th - Sunday 11th October, at Earl's Court.
You can find out about the show, the attractions, the events and the celebrities by visiting www.cycleshow.co.uk. Tickets bought in advance save on the on-the-door price.
Kent County Council has secured planning permission for a proposed new Activity Park south of Gravesend.
Plans for the UK's largest cycling park have been approved and construction is due to get underway in 2010 ready for completion by 2012. The project is backed by Kent County Council and British Cycling, covering a 46 hectare site, between the new and old A2 in Gravesend, and will include a range of exciting cycling and activity facilities.
The new park will include an all-weather Cycle Sports Circuit, mountain bike routes, a community sports pavilion, an international standard skateboard park, a BMX park, a natural play area and children's cycle play area. The cycling facilities will cater for all ability levels and offer a variety of routes and cycling surfaces. The pavilion will house a café, youth meeting area, gym and multi-use area for exercise, music workshops and activities.
The facility will bring together local people and national sports bodies, such as British Cycling, British Triathlon, CTC, International Mountain Bike Association, Cycling Time Trials and the British Horse Society and local sports clubs.
The first event of its kind designed to encourage disabled and non-disabled riders to get out on the 7stanes trails has been hailed a huge success.
More than 80 people visited Ae Forest, north of Dumfries, on Saturday, 12 September, for the Ae All Abilities Day to try out everything from four-wheel downhill mountain bikes to powered carriages.
Ae Forest is among the first in the UK to have a downhill track suitable for disabled and able-bodied riders. On the day, members of the Rough Riderz, a club for four-wheel mountain bikes, performed demonstration runs on the trails.
Those feeling brave were even given the chance to try out one of the four-wheel bikes although there was plenty of interest for those who were not after such an adrenalin fuelled experience.
There were demonstrations on flatter parts of the trail by Da Vinci Mobility, which offers hand powered cycles, Molten Rock, which offers Bomas four-wheel mountain bikes, Rugged Hire, which has Fieldmaster powered carriages and The Care Shop, which offers traditional powered invalid carriages.
For more information visit www.7stanes.gov.uk.
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