I'll be coming down. Can't guarantee 10am as out the night before but won't be too late, will cycle down I think.
Bike Forum
Pentlands trail repair dates
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Posted 11 months ago #
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Don't worry about coming down later. It will be fine.
Posted 11 months ago # -
I'm not sure if I'll make it or not as SWMBO has a 5k race on Sunday and may require my taxi-driver services. If I do make it I'll probably also cycle down as I don't have any tools to bring.
Posted 11 months ago # -
I shall try to make it along at some point on Sunday. That was me that said hi as we passed on the canal on Wednesday btw. I was having a late ride to escape the chaos of my flat move - much as I'll probably also be doing on Sunday. Only I'll not be that late.
Posted 11 months ago # -
Well 8 (ish) mountainbikers turned up. We completed a decent amount of work and got very muddy. Repaired a bit of path and a load of preventative maintenance in clearing drains and ditches.
Big thanks to the guys who made it, big raspberry to those who didn't.
Lets have a bigger turnout next time. You will be nagged Sunday 21st August. Get it in your diary now
Posted 11 months ago # -
Which path did you work on?
I missed today as I was in Ft Bill/on the bus back from Ft Bill, but will be there for the next one!
Posted 11 months ago # -
It was good fun, I didn't realise how much I miss playing in water and mud. We worked on the path from Bavelaw to Green Cleugh, digging out drainage ditches and pipes and some resurfacing. I rocked up at 12.30 and nattered away at people so the others did more but I'm still knackered. Stiff back tomorrow I think! Main think is the Rangers were very happy with it all too so the future looks good.
Posted 11 months ago # -
Well that was fun in a muddy messy kind of way!
Heres some photos - I'll try and get the video up later (I forgot to get one of the path before we started).
The drain that disappeared and caused the damage:
After:
On the other (muddy side):
The pipe after being cleared: if I'd seen this beforehand there is no way I would have been putting my hand in there!
Job done: maiden voyage:
On to the next section: "Paul - are you in there?"
Posted 11 months ago # -
I'd say that was pretty good turnout, well done folks.
Posted 11 months ago # -
**feels ashamed, briefly**
Good stuff guys. Sorry couldn't participate but it'll only take an emergency / unexpected turn of events to keep me from the next one...
(again)
Teej, were you directed straight to those points or was it a case of having a look & getting started? Just wondering how much the Rangers had planned out?
Posted 11 months ago # -
There were two rangers in the work party. The rangers had noticed that the bit we started on was in a bad way. Sorting it out took about half the time. Then we walked back along the path and checked each drainage pipe as we game to it. Some were silted up badly enough that it took a ranger's eye to even know there was one there.
Posted 11 months ago # -
rob - this what what the rangers suggested as a good task for the first time - and they were there with us today all day.
It will be a while until we are let lose on our own I guess
Posted 11 months ago # -
Thanks Ronin for posting the picture of me taking it easy letting the others do all the hard work
Was a great effort guys and we should feel proud about this little piece of work, it was no small effort, my muscle pains are testament to that!
The Rangers were great and were getting stuck in with the digging work as much as anyone.
TJ, do you know where the second session will be?
Posted 11 months ago # -
PaulGillespie - Member
TJ, do you know where the second session will be?
To be decided yet. The rangers have their criteria and priorities, we have ours, I shall attempt to seek a consensus / compromise.
What bits do you think we should aim for?
Posted 11 months ago # -
I don't think Pistachio will get any official work any time soon as I think the Rangers said it was not in the Pentlands Park. We should maybe have a discussion offline about this.
Phantoms is the obvious choice. Although i've not been down here for about 9 months so not sure of the current state.
At the end of Logan Lee, before the wooden bridge, is getting pretty rutted and cut up. I don't think it will be long before this place turns nasty. The path is already widening as the ruts are so deep that it's very hard to pedal through. I think this area could do with a look.
Either way, I'm happy as long as I have a spade in one hand and cake in the other
Posted 11 months ago # -
Pistachio is in the park and is on the list - it would involve a lot of work and could do with some consultation with the horse riders who use it. Needs a lot of work doing and runs the risk of folk complaining of "sanitisation" more work in Green clough / around the Howe ( the bit you mention) might be a good one as well
Pantoms has work being done on it by the "friends of the pentlands" - don't want to clash with them but equally that might be a good place for us to put in the labour as it needs a lot of work
Posted 11 months ago # -
'twas a great day, my back is sore today and I think I nearly blocked the shower drain with mud when I got home!
Thanks again TJ for organising.
If the Friend of the Pentlands are doing something on the top of Phantoms what about us tackling the lower bit below the gate?
Alternative, I'd like to see some drainage added to the Kirk Burn path.
However, as Paul says I'm happy to chip in with whatever.
Posted 11 months ago # -
Well from chatting to Susan yesterday, where and what gets done is all down to landowner negociations and permissions, but if we continue to work with them they are keen to hear what bits we would like to work on and our other ideas on making things better and see what can be done from there, which is fantastic.
It might be a good idea to 'get in' with the FoP, and attend some of their sessions.
Martin was saying that no one turned up to their own advertised repair session on Saturday, though it was a bit damp.
When I ran back to look for my gloves it was quite satisfying to see water flowing through the newly cleared ditches!
Posted 11 months ago # -
Well I don't think we'll be short of places to work then.
Working with the FoP could be a good bridge builder, if they see us doing our bit then will be more accepting of MTBers, not that i've experienced any grief but it's always good to re-enforce the ties.
Strangley looking forward to the next session!
Posted 11 months ago # -
It was a good session yesterday, it was gratifying to see that we'd done a visible bit of work and that it started making a difference as soon as the rain started again.
I'm pretty disappointed that I won't make the August session but hopefully I'll be able to make other dates in the future. And thanks and congratulations again to TJ for making it happen!
Posted 11 months ago # -
I'm all up for working with the Friend's of the Pentlands they make cracking cakes
Posted 11 months ago # -
that was great yesterday! feeling pretty tired after working til 4am, mind!
not sure i can make the august date, but if i can i will!
Posted 11 months ago # -
It was indeed good fun. And I reckon we achieved a pretty respectable amount.
Posted 11 months ago # -
Anyone else feel a bit broken today? I must be getting old.
Posted 11 months ago # -
Bloody hell, based on that second pic I'm not sure I should be allowed a shovel!!
Posted 11 months ago # -
Just got this from the rangers
Hi Jeremy,
Just to say a big thank you to you and the team for all your hard work yesterday, please pass on our thanks to everyone who grafted on the day. I really enjoyed working with you guys on a very worthwhile piece of practical work that will have immediate benefits - you can certainly see where we've been!
I'm looking forward to the next one in August, we need to discuss what would be best for then so if you want to put the word out and perhaps we can draw up a list?
If there are any photos we'd love to see them, maybe put a link from our website.kind regards,
Susan.
ps definitely need a cake input for the next one.......
Posted 11 months ago # -
ps definitely need a cake input for the next one.......
Does that make me a good or a bad influence?
Posted 11 months ago # -
Chris, thumbs up in my book!
Posted 11 months ago # -
Great work guys! If there was one section to chose to repair it was that one. Nice to know why it suddenly became a rutty mess, reason wasn't that obvious when riding past.
Quite disappointed that the dates clash with races/weddings etc, but then it's hard to avoid a race these days. Where are the rangers own repair dates published, someone mentioned they do saturdays too.
Where is Pistachio?
Posted 11 months ago # -
pistachio is the bit in the woods above kinleith farm next to the rocky road. Used to be nice singletrack now a sprawl o multiple lines and muddy pits
These two dates were the only possible ones this summer for the rangers
Posted 11 months ago # -
Sorry I missed it, was hoping to be more recovered but wasn't to be. Well done folks!
I spoke to the Friends a while back, tbh they seemed to be mostly interested in taking membership fees off people and told me they wouldn't "accept" volunteers who weren't paid up. It's not a lot of money but it didn't seem a good start.
Posted 11 months ago # -
pistachio is the bit in the woods above kinleith farm next to the rocky road. Used to be nice singletrack now a sprawl o multiple lines and muddy pits
Ah, yes. The section between the burn crossing and the road (on the way up) is especially bad. It could certainly be better drained without it necessarily being 'dumbed down'.
Posted 11 months ago # -
Dougal - Member
Ah, yes. The section between the burn crossing and the road (on the way up) is especially bad. It could certainly be better drained without it necessarily being 'dumbed down'.
The trouble is the trail's in the wrong place really, it runs through 2 natural low points in the woods and is barely above the water level (when the stream ran high last winter it started to flood into the trail bed!) So any drain dug out to the stream risks becoming an inlet. No simple options for this bit as far as I can tell
Posted 11 months ago # -
And a few more for good measure:
Posted 11 months ago # -
Guys that looks like excellent work, im really disappointed I missed out. Apart from the August repair dates, are there any other opportunities around Edinburgh for trail maintenance and other related improvements/conservation?
Keen to help!Posted 11 months ago #
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