Help Roger Vieira make Derby your next MTB destination

If Derby Football Club news is anything to go by, residents of Derby are in dire need of some alternative sporting activities. A group of local riders is hoping to persuade the council to add some new trails to a local park – perhaps you’d like to add your voice in support. Here’s their press release.

Derby’s mountain bike community call for purpose-built Allestree trails

• Group asking for graded trails designed for differing levels of ability
• Trails should be separated from other users, keeping it safe and not impacting on rewilding
• Calls supported by national downhill champion and Derby resident Roger Vieira

A group of Derby based mountain bikers are calling for the city council to consider incorporating purpose-built mountain bike trails as part of its plans for Allestree Park.

The park, currently going through a public consultation, is the only place within the city that has steep enough hills for a range of trails to be built, catering to both the beginner and advanced rider. Other cities, such as Sheffield and Bath, have seized on the biking boom that has occurred since the pandemic and Derby’s mountain biking community is urging the council to follow suit. This work could be enhanced by partnering with a volunteer-led trail association – something that hasn’t materialised in the past due to the lack of appropriate sites in the city.

The group argues that even though Derby has a vibrant mountain bike scene, its riders are sadly forced to burn carbon and get into their cars and drive to the Peak District, the Derwent Valley or the increasingly oversubscribed Cannock Chase if they want to enjoy their sport close to home.

Of course for many, either due to cost or being too young to drive, the sport is simply out of reach – something properly designed trails in Allestree could alleviate. Funding for the trails could be supplemented by Crowdfunding or by working with national cycling bodies.

The group is being supported by the UK’s National Downhill Mountain Bike champion, Roger Vieira – a resident of the city. Roger said creating a few thoughtful, considered, and professionally designed mountain bike trails on the park would act as a superb gateway for people who want to try the sport – as well as hone their skills.

We aren’t proposing covering the park in a warren of trails with bikers whizzing by scared dog walkers but a small number of considered and well-designed ones – separate from other parts of the park. People from around the city could easily ride to them, cutting down car pollution, and helping to create a focal point for people interested in the increasingly popular sport. I travel around the world mountain biking and see how communities benefit from the positive effects it has. The council needs to seize this opportunity and work with us to create something that could create a lasting positive legacy at a time when cycling is booming. Other cities have succeeded – so why not Derby?

Roger Vieira – National Downhill Mountain Bike champion

Group member, James Coxon, 39, echoes Roger’s view. He said Derby is far behind neighbouring cities despite having a strong mountain bike community.

Allestree Park represents the only feasible place where an appropriate dedicated mountain bike trail could work in the city. The council, with the support from local enthusiasts, have a fantastic opportunity to create a small number of trails which could really boost the cycling culture in the city – as Parkwood and Lady Cannings has done for Sheffield -bringing in tourism, as well as lasting social and health benefits. Often people misunderstand mountain biking as just this high adrenaline sport but a massive part of it is enjoying being out in nature. A suitably designed network of trails, designed for different abilities, could easily and safely sit alongside wildlife habitats in what is a very large park. There is room for everyone, and the trails don’t need to interfere with other users’ enjoyment.

James Coxon, local rider

Anyone wanting to support the calls for mountain bike trails can do so by visiting the council webpage.

Hannah Dobson

Managing Editor

I came to Singletrack having decided there must be more to life than meetings. I like all bikes, but especially unusual ones. More than bikes, I like what bikes do. I think that they link people and places; that cycling creates a connection between us and our environment; bikes create communities; deliver freedom; bring joy; and improve fitness. They're environmentally friendly and create friendly environments. I try to write about all these things in the hope that others might discover the joy of bikes too.

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