Hi,

Lots going on at Bedgebury this year,courses for beginners, intermediates, ladies, juniors and the introduction of a Junior club on a Saturday, so please check out the website:

Home

Also as it is not adverised on the website yet, Specialized will be there on the 28th March for a bike demo day, and the Boars will be in attendance to supervise.

Look out for more exciting goings on throughout the year too.

Ali.
(BFCC ladies rep)

Sounds good, but I was rather hoping that the exciting news would be that the trials had been redesigned and decent drainage been put in. Oh well I can dream…. 😉

I was rather hoping that the exciting news would be that the trials had been redesigned and decent drainage been put in.

+1 🙂

I agree. This is all rather pointless unless they have improved the trails, in terms of both construction and layout.

I must admit however that I haven't been there for a while.

Being in Langton Green you're close enough to come help on trail building days and sort the drainage out?

Being in Langton Green you're close enough to come help on trail building days and sort the drainage out?

It's a good point and one I'm not going to deny being interested in. I would love to help make Bedgebury the sort of trail centre that lots of people think it should have been…. As long as there is a good plan and more Indians than Chiefs?

I live about an hour away and would be happy to help out as well.

I was rather hoping that the exciting news would be that the trials had been redesigned and decent drainage been put in

+2

whenever i've ridden there I've alwasy come away feeling disappointed at such an opportunity missed.

I think a complete redesign is needed

Agree with that and to be honest I would only consider helping out if that was the plan.

"Bedgebury will be the Southeast's premier cycling destination, recognised nationally and internationally, offering cycling for all abilities, for the purpose of skills development, recreation, enjoyment and competition"

When "will" it be the Southeast's premier cycling destination? My experiences have left me underwhelmed to be honest. Get the trails sorted and then start with the fluff of promotion IMHO.

It's got great potential IF done properly.

Fair point all and thanks for those. The trails were always a compromise that wasn't ideal from inception due to budgets, time constraints, politics and so on – most riders agree with you all. The club have made the best out of the trails from a rather constrained deal (am being polite here!) and a lot is being done behind the scenes to get permission from the Forestry Commission to change the trail layout and enhance the riding. Check out http://www.boarsonbikes.co.uk/ for trail building updates and also for committee meetings – you can then find out first hand what happens and why! The offers of help will be welcomed I'm sure. Personally I think the trails are okay – nothing like Afan Argoed or Glentress but much closer to Tunbridge Wells for me :-). I really appreciate the efforts of the club trail pixies – remember that this work was all voluntary and without the budgets available to other trail centres.

glenncampbell – Member

Fair point all and thanks for those. The trails were always a compromise that wasn't ideal from inception due to budgets, time constraints, politics and so on – most riders agree with you all. The club have made the best out of the trails from a rather constrained deal (am being polite here!) and a lot is being done behind the scenes to get permission from the Forestry Commission to change the trail layout and enhance the riding

The majority of mtbers do not or are unable to grasp or understand this bit. Maybe it is time for FC/E to do a piece in the STW mag re all the hoops that have to be gone through to get a trail put down. To get a 1k section in my local community woods has taken best part of a year and is promised to at least be started before end of the current financial yr. First section done last year and the counter has show at least 1k users a month!!!!
We are lucky in that all the organizations required to make it happen want it to happen and the top 7Stanes man is on board to design & build 😆

Thanks Trekster – you're lucky with the design and build front I have to say. Is it Andy Hopkins? I think the Welsh and Scottish FC have made trail design and build there much, much easier in fairness – that makes a huge difference. If anyone is interested, the next trail build day at Bedgebury will be March 13th, starting a 9.45 in the main car park (near Quench cycles). Hope to see you all there.

The answer to "when will it become the SE Premier destination" etc etc is simple. When more than the usual half dozen people turn up to help with trail builds. Not being in Scotland or Wales and not having large bike manufacturers on the doorstep means we don't get EU money or any other come to that. Last year around £25k was spent on repairing the trails which had deteriorated badly. This year the budget is likely to be less than half of that – virtually all raised by the bike club. So we NEED volunteers to help out and make the money go further.

So, sorry it's a slightly depressing answer, but if even 1% of the people who ride there, or 10% of the bike club members turned up to each build day, there really would be a noticeable difference.

See you all on the 13th then!

you think that's not many?
trail building is like that. we build because we love it. the rest just want to ride

I liked Bedgebury, but I agree that it has plenty of room for improvement. It needs a proper rethink, but this of course requires proper money.

I'm not sure what people expect from what is mainly at best an undulating area of forest. Personally I can't think of much about the current course that I don't like, maybe thats because I ride a cx bike there and can get through the mud easier and have the fun of having to concentrate a bit more on the rooty, bumpy bits. There are a couple of bits where the trail has widened where people have to fight through soft ground and maybe there is the case for a bit more boarding. But what do people want in the way of improvements, more bermed corners, smoother trails? List them on this thread and let them know.

There is a very nice section of twisties and pump track that takes up very little space and is very involving to ride.

It's well designed and fun, but there are other sections that seem a little dull and unadventurous in comparison. Thetford makes the most of relatively flat terrain, Bedgebury could certainly do with borrowing one or two ideas.

That comes across as harsh… As I said, I did rather like Bedgebury overall and certainly plan on returning this year.

With respect I don't really see what the whinging is all about. Maybe I'm just a bit simple and too inexperienced but I think Bedge is great. It's got all I could reasonably expect considering it's in the flat South East. I ride XC. By that I mean that there are 3 important interacting ingredients… i) The terrain, ii) the bike and iii) the rider. I'm crap and my bike's way better than I'll ever be. As for the terrain… well it's um country. And it's wild, and muddy, and rugged, and rooty,and frankly just like I like it! I realise that someone will more than likely reply to this post with a snobby downer as seems to be the nature of this strange forum but for all you other folk out there who are as socially outcast as me – chill, and don't let people put you off – it's great! (IMHO)