Well improving really. What tools do I need? Im thinking a folding spade some secateurs a saw and a rake.

I already have all of this and the first 3 thing will fit in a bag rather easily but how am I supposed to get to the trails with a rake? Are there foldable trail building rakes or any alternative that I can use?

What else might I need?

unscrew the rake head put it in your bag and tie the handle to your top tube .. sorted

What else might I need?

permission from the landowner?

😉

Public park I am the landowner. Well a little bit.

Before you start ask yourself does the bit your "improving" need work to keep it in a good state of repair or are you making it so you can ride it because it's too hard and other people think it's just fine.

Many many sections need pruning work and draining/filling. Some stuff may look impossible to some and a challenge to others.

Its not too hard but it needs some pruning and a couple of berms could do with building up a bit. If anything it could do with being made a bit harder and faster. It has already been worked on but holes were dug in rather daft places so if you stray off line a little bit then you hit the floor hard with your face. There are also some fallen trees that break up the flow of the trail and can do with lips building up them. Not loads of work but it would certainly help the flow of the trail.

Yep, what Tom said. Pruning is good though and improving drainage almost is almost always a positive thing to do.

I favour bush-hooks over secateurs, but then again I've brashed through the middle of FE plantations (with permission ;-). However, they do tend to be perceived a little bit more in the "offensive weapon category".

I'm not so sure about a rake though. If it's to clear trail debris and organic then a boot edge / stick is often sufficient. Once you get rid of some overhanging trees and other vegetation the amount of stuff landing on a trail usually decreases.

A chillington hoe / Azada is a great piece of kit for a lot of trail work but you'd probably struggle to carry one of those as well 😉

At the moment there are a lot of leaves on the trail and I wanted to rake them off so its easier to spot where to go as it gets quite dark in the evening because the trees are quite thick.

mattock, spade,silky saw……….

My spade can double up as a mattock. Are silky saws the best or will any other folding saw do the job?

Can you buy cheap stuff from the supermarket or wilkos and stash it nearby?

If I've got something secret I'm working on I like to leave stuff in the woods, hence buying cheap. The missus would kill me if I lost her good stuff!

I think in the early days I might have made things too easy but trailbuilding has a learning curve just like riding does.

Also try not to be to blatant/obvious or some narrow minded busybody will foil your cunning plan…

Will something like this do instead of a bush hook?

You need one of these

Go through anything, just don't get stopped by the plods carrying it without a very good explanation.

My personal favourite, very durable and razor sharp.

I wouldn' leave one of these lying around though and woe betide if yhe rozzers stop you 😉

Cheeky Monkey's is the exact same as mine… Didn't come with much of an edge on it though but it has one now. It could do with a bit more weight to it but that's handy when it's going in a rucksack. The other really handy tool I have isn't a digging tool at all, it's a cheap woodworking adze which I use as the world's smallest mattock. Very handy.

Hand chainsaw is a very, very useful tool, cutting decent sized branches with a small brashing saw is a total pain, these things go through trees like butter. Though not live trees obviously, but for clearing winterkill and the like they're fantastic.

Northwind – whats a hand chainsaw?

And on the miniture theme i think its a roofing hammer i use, the one with more of a hook/blade/lever thing on one side. Works well for shaping smaller sections..

IMO your time, after a bit of foliage trimmming and repairning things that are falling apart, is better spent forming/building new trails.

You'll keep everyone happy that way. (I'm more on the form than build side) You won't upset the people you don't know by destoying something they love and you won't make something that was easy too hard for other users.

buy cheap tools, stash them near the trail. no more lugging 'deadly weapons' around the streets.

Handchain saw

Cheers Jon

Felco F600 is perfect trail saw!