This is purely a speculative post so please no scathing comments telling me how stupid etc I am but what is actually involved in building and running a bike park such as bike park wales?

Is the land owned, leased, loaned to the bike park? How is it maintained i.e. voluntary basis or do they employ? How does insurance work for such a place?

It is apparent to me that here in the north east we are peppered with pretty big hills, old quarries and open cast sites, all that in my head could lend themselves to building something pretty good. Yes we are close to Scotland so have the 7 stains around 2hrs away and we have loads of natural riding however it would be great to have something on the doorstep.

I know most may see this post as a waste of time but its something that the more I think about the more I would like to see happen.

Cheers

dunno the answers to your questions but you’ve already got descend hamsterley?

There’s a chap I follow on Facebook  who is looking to build something similar near Carlisle called GNAR bike park. I think he’s already quite far into the planning process – it might be worth looking him up, or offering your help?

When we built Esher Shore in Surrey we rented the site from the land owner (Sandown Sports). We also paid expensive insurance cover.

The park was primarily built by volunteers, with the on-site bike shop (Freeborn) donating staff whilst the shop was quiet during the Winter, and the shop did all the administration.

The building of the bike park was paid for (materials, tools, etc.) by the shop and the park sponsors (mainly Specialized UK) with the bulk of the 1000s of hours labour done by the volunteers.

The entrance fee to use the park covered the rent and insurance, and helped maintain broken woodwork and other wear and tear.

It was all run as “not for profit” and in later days as freeride / north shore became less in demand, it started to cost money to operate, and so the decision was made to remove the woodwork and bring in 1000s of tonnes of dirt to build “Esher X” (huge dual slalom / 4x and play park)

Which did not go down so well with the land owners leading to the park and shop being ejected from the site.

Thinking about the original Esher Shore bike park, it was wildly successful considering it was all done on a shoe string using volunteer labour, ran for 8 years, attracted a lot of interest from the bike media

During its peak had 200+ riders a week coming from all over the UK as well as International visitors like Wade Simmons and Geoff Gulevich

We also held several “jams” supported by the park sponsors (Specialized, Freeborn, DMR, Da Kine, Monster, etc.) which were extremely well attended.

Truly a labour of love, it was time well spent but I would not do it again. If you undertake a project of this nature, it can be very rewarding but also frustrating and be prepared to work for free for a long time to make it viable. Esher Shore itself would not have supported any kind of salary for a dedicated member of staff.

Also be very mindful of the location, and realistic with visitor numbers, as though we found at Esher Shore we had to build it before “they” would come!

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/new-mtb-park-in-cumbria?replies=12#post-6301910

Think this was a small thread on the ideas of the chap Legolam mentioned. Sounds good!

Define ‘North East UK’

I’m betting you mean North East England.

Worth getting hold of Mick Stephenson of NEFA, who was behind much of the stuff at Chopwell, and a number of other projects.

middle of the uk/north east england.

the north east of the uk couldnt want any more trail centres – what with kirkhill and pitfichie already here :S

Did have a chuckle on that 🙂

yup I did mean north east England, my bad just went into auto pilot typing mode………

Some nice info up there so far, im certainly not saying im in the position to put something like this into practice but always interesting to see how people see ideas and what is involved in the implementation.

There’s loads of potential at the quarries above the old cement works in weardale, there were plans that went tits up in the recession. It might come back one day. People within an hours drive time might be a problem in NE though if you want to make any money.

eddie11 – Member
There’s loads of potential at the quarries above the old cement works in weardale, there were plans that went tits up in the recession.

I always thought that place had some good potential, especially with the possibility of a rail link. Or even better a cool funicular type thing using the old conveyor belt link down to the valley!

When I win the Euro Millions… Twice…

Im not wanting to make money just though it would be a cool concept, once all of the open cast is finished there is going to be plenty devastated ground in south Northumberland, not sure how deep these places end up etc but was just something I was thinking about

BPW has a fair chunk of EU development money involved (as the general area is considered in need of a boost via tourism and creating some local jobs) and Cognation includes the local councils, which probably makes the planning permission side a lot easier.

Not sure anything like it would be viable as a purely private project.

The opencast stuff gets backfilled – go look at the land behind Blagdon Farm shop as it used to have a huge pit cutting right across between the hall and the shop. Now its all gone, landscaped to perfection.

Wear valley is ok, but from Wolsingham you’re only 5 miles from Hamsterley. Why bother hauling yourself all the way up to Eastgate to do battle with the grouse & peasant sorry, pheasant shooting brigade? They had enough bother with that lot over the ski lifts on Fendrith.

yeah fair point hot_fiat makes sense, there was rumors a while back of something happening up towards amble on an open cast site with dry ski slopes, bike trails etc but think it was all talk

If you’re after decent riding in South Northumberland, either go and explore Thrunton with a GPS on a nice sunny day, or drill into it on Stava. We have a bike park, it’s just very hush-hush. 😉

The reinstatement of open cast land could leave real potential for construction of mountain bike trails in the process, real potential to sculpt in at the start. When you see what was done at cramlington with northumberlandia it opens up fresh ideas.

timthetinyhorse – Member
Im not wanting to make money just though it would be a cool concept, once all of the open cast is finished there is going to be plenty devastated ground in south Northumberland, not sure how deep these places end up etc but was just something I was thinking about

I opened this because I wondered how many people would use a trail park up at Wick and Thurso. 🙂

I like your quarry idea, but it does raise the question of access.

If you’re not looking to make a business out of it, why not start a pressure group to go for access like Scotland and the Scandinavian countries have? Then you will have unlimited trails.

It amazes me that the southern members of STW haven’t organised and done this on a England wide basis. There’s loads of well educated and competent folk here.

Maybe you should be the organiser, it can’t be much harder than herding cats. 🙂

The reinstatement of open cast land could leave real potential for construction of mountain bike trails in the process, real potential to sculpt in at the start

Definitely, but you have to get in right at the start, before the first ground is cut. The reinstatement design is pretty much part of the process for getting permission to mine there in the first place.

Bear in mind that Northumberlandia is the spoil heap for the new active mine at Shotton. RJB or Banks or whichever collection of earth pillagists they are now, went to what was Blyth Valley Borough Council at the start of the process & said: “We’d like to dig here, in return we’ll build some jubbleys on the land.” The collection of whippet keepers and pigeon fanciers that the people outside my front door jokingly elect to office (the local intelligentsia repeatedly vote in this buffoon to Westminster), were bound to say yes – they’d not seen kahoonas like that since they bulldozed Isabella pit & the NUM club shut.

hot_fiat – Member
If you’re after decent riding in South Northumberland, either go and explore Thrunton with a GPS on a nice sunny day, or drill into it on Stava. We have a bike park, it’s just very hush-hush.

Been riding there for years bud, didn’t mention it due to its hush hush nature 8) the place is great but im reluctant to use it during the winter as the ground gets cut up pretty easily and turns into a mud bath and the regular builders end up spending time making repairs rather than cutting in new trails.

hot_fiat – Member

The reinstatement of open cast land could leave real potential for construction of mountain bike trails in the process, real potential to sculpt in at the start

Definitely, but you have to get in right at the start, before the first ground is cut. The reinstatement design is pretty much part of the process for getting permission to mine there in the first place.

Bear in mind that Northumberlandia is the spoil heap for the new active mine at Shotton. RJB or Banks or whichever collection of earth pillagists they are now, went to what was Blyth Valley Borough Council at the start of the process & said: “We’d like to dig here, in return we’ll build some jubbleys on the land.” The collection of whippet keepers and pigeon fanciers that the people outside my front door jokingly elect to office (the local intelligentsia repeatedly vote in this buffoon to Westminster), were bound to say yes – they’d not seen kahoonas like that since they bulldozed Isabella pit & the NUM club shut.

you must be pretty local to me with your references to the Isabella pit etc…….northumberlandia did inspire my thinking a little as if something was planned in from the start the potential could be huge!!

epicyclo – Member

timthetinyhorse – Member
Im not wanting to make money just though it would be a cool concept, once all of the open cast is finished there is going to be plenty devastated ground in south Northumberland, not sure how deep these places end up etc but was just something I was thinking about

I opened this because I wondered how many people would use a trail park up at Wick and Thurso.

I like your quarry idea, but it does raise the question of access.

If you’re not looking to make a business out of it, why not start a pressure group to go for access like Scotland and the Scandinavian countries have? Then you will have unlimited trails.

It amazes me that the southern members of STW haven’t organised and done this on a England wide basis. There’s loads of well educated and competent folk here.

Maybe you should be the organiser, it can’t be much harder than herding cats.

Indeed and I suppose if your good with cats it would be no problem at all 🙂

Yes I think access needs to be changed in the UK, out access rights etc are so tight in comparison to out friends over the border but would this make the implementation of bike parks easier? Im not sure.

On another note, I used to spend a fair bit of time up thurso surfing, nice part of the world with one of the funniest night clubs ever 🙂

I’m right opposite Blyth Sports Centre.

It amazes me that the southern members of STW haven’t organised and done this on a England wide basis. There’s loads of well educated and competent folk here.

Because frankly England is overcrowded compared to Scandianvia, or even Scotland, and I don’t think open acces is nececeraly a good thing. We,a llong with horses, would just end up being banned from one ‘footpath’ at a time as they became unpasable rutts, generating more bad press against biking in the countryside.

hot_fiat – Member

I’m right opposite Blyth Sports Centre.

sound, I was on south shore and now on the new wensleydale park estate…

thisisnotaspoon – Member

It amazes me that the southern members of STW haven’t organised and done this on a England wide basis. There’s loads of well educated and competent folk here.

Because frankly England is overcrowded compared to Scandianvia, or even Scotland, and I don’t think open acces is nececeraly a good thing. We,a llong with horses, would just end up being banned from one ‘footpath’ at a time as they became unpasable rutts, generating more bad press against biking in the countryside.

I can see the merit of your argument for sure however the vast majority of “footpaths” around me are destroyed by the gymkhana club anyhow……..even the bridalways are deemed impassable during winter by the hooves of large animals and they don’t see much traffic at all as far as bikes are concerned yet the rambling crowd are still very fast to point the finger at bikes, I don’t get it

thisisnotaspoon – Member
Because frankly England is overcrowded compared to Scandianvia, or even Scotland, and I don’t think open acces is nececeraly a good thing. We,a llong with horses, would just end up being banned from one ‘footpath’ at a time as they became unpasable rutts, generating more bad press against biking in the countryside.

Open access is just that. We don’t get banned from our footpaths etc.

At the moment your overcrowding is forcing the population on to a restricted number of paths, and they have a greater density of use than they would otherwise have.

The other benefit is that each set of users becomes more tolerant of the others because each has the right to be there.

I’m sure someone from the landed gentry will be along shortly to refute this, but ignore them, their ancestors stole your access rights in the first place. 🙂

timthetinyhorse – Member
…however the vast majority of “footpaths” around me are destroyed by the gymkhana club anyhow……..even the bridalways are deemed impassable during winter by the hooves of large animals and they don’t see much traffic at all as far as bikes are concerned …

This is really a case of suitable bikes. Trail park oriented bikes are pretty useless for this sort of thing, but there is an answer. A fatbike will ride over that sort of stuff and leave it in better condition.

I live in the northeast and I’d settle for something like this

sharkattack – Member

I live in the northeast and I’d settle for something like this

not sure what the demand for something like that would be in all honesty but if you can get it implemented go for it 😯

Not bothered. If I had a decent spot I’d build it for myself.

You just can’t get people motivated up here. There’s a lot of riders but no ‘scene’ like there is in other places. Looks what’s happened to Northern Downhill. Building tracks from scratch on private land, running uplift days and races and they constantly have to cancel events due to lack of interest. Carl and his crew put a lot of effort in, deal with all the boring stuff (paperwork, insurance etc.) All people have to do is turn up and ride. You’d think that would be enough to get some kind of momentum going locally but it’s not there.

totally agree and iv raced a couple of the trail bike TT and endures and they have been spot on, it appears the love for actual DH races up here has dropped out since endure started to take off, its certainly true that the DH races aint getting filled up anymore but why is this?? Is the “endure” scene growing and taking some of the DH people with it?