Here’s a track that I have zero plans of ever riding (I’m realistic in my skills goals), but I’m glad it exists (although also slightly glad it’s far enough away that my husband won’t be shredding it every weekend while simultaneously shredding my nerves). Helfare and Shimano teamed up to create Matt Jones’ vision for a new freeride line at Caersws Bike Park, Wales. It’s always good to see brands putting money into trails, and it’s nice to see Caersws Bike Park getting a boost in profile. It’s also good to see ‘big’ lines being developed, especially when risk averseness has caused the loss of so many local/unofficial jump spots. This triple black diamond graded trail joins four other tracks rated red through to black at the site, and they’re taking bookings now. Pack your gnarpoons!
New freeride line Helfare Highway powered by Shimano, officially opens to the public at Caersws Bike Park bringing Matt Jones’ vision to life.
Matt Jones’ clothing brand Helfare and Shimano teamed up to fund and build an incredible new freeride/downhill track at one of the up-and-coming bike parks in the UK. The objective for Shimano and Helfare was to create a one-of-a-kind trail that not only gives riders somewhere special to ride for years to come but also to further put Caersws Bike Park on the map.
Having full creative input on a brand-new trail is something that Matt has always wanted to do and with the support of Shimano he was able to bring his dream to life. Matt has had input through every stage of the build but it was park owners Matt Simmonds and JR who alongside trail builders Alf Raynor and Gareth Brewin worked through the harsh Welsh winter to create the trail you see today. You can watch the progress of the build on Matt’s YouTube channel.
Matt Jones said: “Working with a pure blank canvas and building a track on a hill for people to come and ride is something that never happens for me. This is something that I have always wanted to do and we’ve built a track that I think has every cool feature in it that I’ve ever wanted to ride. I’m sure grateful to Shimano for coming on board and helping us build Helfare Highway, it has everything and I can’t wait to see people ride it.”
It has taken several months of heavy lifting, lots of digging and quite a bit of head scratching to create what you can see and ride today. This new track truly is one-of-a-kind, with a mix of slopestyle, freeride and downhill features to make it different to almost any jump line that currently exists in the UK and is officially classed a Triple Black Diamond run.
As part of Shimano’s ongoing commitment to mountain biking throughout Europe, this new trail project will ensure that everyone who loves the sport has a place to ride both now and in the future. Shimano has been at the forefront of mountain biking since its first groupset, DEORE XT, was introduced in 1982.
Helfare Highway powered by Shimano is open to the public now, so head to the Caersws Bike Park website to book uplift.
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