Glenafton Bike Club in Ayrshire are looking to gain funding from various sources for new trails in the New Cumnock and Auchinleck areas, In New Cumnock the proposed site is near Afton Reservoir ,we are looking to have a selection of graded trails here similar to some of the 7 Stanes trail centres , over near Auchinleck we are looking to have a smaller site more along the line of Lee Quarry , the site is currently an old spoil bing from the old Barony Colliery and would need to be completely man-made .This would give riders another site to ride in the area with the emphasis on skills and ideal if you just want to session sections over and over again. We will be carrying out a feasibility study for the trails and this is where you all come in . We need to know if there is enough demand for these type of trails in the area , we have funding for the study so now we need feedback, input from local riders and those from further afield. Please let us know what you all think , your support and feedback would be appreciated.
Big thumbs up from me as I'm local to this area.
Thumbs up from myself and no doubt a good load of my mates too.
Although it's good to have the 7 Stanes not too far away, it still costs a fortune on diesel if you want to ride these trails regularly, as they're 1-2hrs+ away.
Something nearby would defo suit riders from Ayr, Killie and close to the south side of Glasgow.
Let's get buildin'..!!
Put this up on other sites
Trailscotland
Mtbe forum
Bikeradarmtbe
Bike magic
Thumbs up frae me, good luck.
Have you got someone to do you a web site people could respond to?
Go for it, I'm in Glasgow and would travel if there was something there.
Thanks for quick response, trekster - will put listing on those other sites as soon as I can.Thanks . Kinda thought there would be good support for new trails in this area. Keep it coming 😀
If it was worth the travel myself and my friends would prob visit a least a coupla times a year..
top plan, being able to build on a bing sounds good, don't forget to plan a pump track
Sounds good , i would travel from paisley for something like that
althepal - Where abouts are you in the UK ? The more folk we get positive feedback from outwith the area the better chance we have of the project taking off.
Sounds good am down at drumlanrig so I would defo ride it. My mates from Ayr and mauchline would love it aswell
Good train links. Imo if you are doing it should be building a ring trail that takes in drumlanrig ae mabie and possible kirroughtree. That is something that would be more desireable for me. Right on the trails from glasgo in a hour would be great. Make the link up trail red and smaller greens and blues in auchinleck and new cumnock. Could talk to scotrail about more capacity on the train.
Actually not needing to book the bike on the train is a big advantage too. Loads of capacity on those trains.
I come form Ayr but stay in falkirk i would definitely visit the trails two or three times a year.Good luck 😀
gcubed, That's great to hear. I'm in Prestwick, and ride with Walkers cc in Kilmaurs, I'll get this posted up on our forum, the more the better.
I'm constantly harping on about the potential for mountain biking in the New Cumnock/Dalmellington/Loch Doon area, such a huge, rugged area with bu66er all in it, and with all the unemployment and money that should be available from the likes of the minerals trust, really is a no brainer for the area.
Best of luck mate, I, and many others from our club would be willing to do all we can to help.
Greg.
Just back from a wee meeting with the Barony A - Frame trust , this is the restored winding wheel monument site which stands on the grounds of the Barony Colliery . They are keen for such trails to be developed and indeed have told me of a potential other site in the area. Yes , please post up on Walkers site as we need all the help we can get. It all helps with the studies results. Cheers
Would definately go there is the trails were wll designed and offered a good mix of challenge and fun. I'm Glasgow based.
Good luck.
I'm from NI, would be very handy for me off the Troon boat. I generally head to Scotland once or twice a year for the sole purpose of mtb'ing. I also sneak the bike in the car lots more when I'm over working. There's enough MTb tourists heading to the 7 stanes to justify stenaline doing a daytrip MTb rate but youre normally limited to kirroughtree, mabie etc unless it's right in the middle of summer when you can get to glentress and back in a day. Alternatives within easy reach of the boat would get plenty of Irish visitors.
I would use such a facility as my farther in law lives in Darvel and its a trip to the 7 stains from him.
Another big thumbs up from me. Live in Ayr and would be perfect for midweek rides.
Good luck.
I'm south side Glasgow so Auchinleck only 30mins away so would use it for sure
sounds great - also Glasgow (well East Kilbride) so would be handy.
I have also posted to GMBC site
can't see the train links being much use for new cumnock , as the proposed site at the dam is roughlhy 5 mile from the train station. all up hill
Thanks for all the positive responses. If anyone wants to list on any other forums please do , much appreciated. Let me know what sites you list them on so I can view them.
can't see the train links being much use for new cumnock , as the proposed site at the dam is roughlhy 5 mile from the train station. all up hillPOSTED 10 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST
And there's about 3 trains a week!
na there's a few trains it the main line to carlisle , but it miles to the dam , by time you pedalled there you'd be ****ed and need to turn back . you pick up a fair bit o speed coming back doon but watch out for the sheep
Dumbarton for me, really hope this gets of the ground!
na there's a few trains it the main line to carlisle , but it miles to the dam , by time you pedalled there you'd be **** and need to turn back . you pick up a fair bit o speed coming back doon but watch out for the sheep
Know that road well, My Granny, bless her heart, lived in one of the cottages right at the start. I have great memories of playing there when I was a wee yin!. 'You stay away from that afton!!!' - Of course, a river out the back garden was the first place you headed to at that age!.
gcubed, Is there any decent riding up by windy standard, and the reservoir at the moment? I've been meaning to get up there.
Glasgow southside. Could see myself as a regular user if the trails were good.
I would use it for sure, just a short trip from Dumfries.
Yes even when we have the best in the world on your door step its nice to have a change now and then!!
Best mate is from Killi so would be a great place to meet up.
to nobeerinthefridge , your gran must have stayed in afton road ? i used to stay in lochbrowan cres .
and stevewhyte the best on your doorstep ? you stay in dunfries 😕 not the alps or canada
Not exactly related, but if I've been heading to Drumlanrig and I've gone down through Ayrshire instead of the M74, I've passed a couple of guys on DH bikes with pressure suits and full facers around the Mauchline area. They were pushing the bikes along the grass verge. I've seen them a couple of times now. Any ideas where they're likely to be heading?
This sounds really good as I live in Ayr. Be well up for contributing time and energy to help if I could and this gets off the ground. As Nobeer said lets keep this going and see what can be made happen! Best of luck!
to boardinbob ,ha haa thats me ! give me a peep next and i'll show you 😉
Keep it coming , any offers of labour , supplies and help will be greatly appreciated when the time comes.It won't happen tomorrow, mores the pity but hopefully the powers that be won't drag there heels and we get to build the trails . 😈
Im in Mauchline so this would be great,have mates in Glasgow who would travel down
what site near Afton Reservoir ?
Keen to help out when the time comes
sounds great, my family are all in ayrshire so whenever I come up from down in england tend to have to use 7staines would be good to do some ayrshire ridin, good luck!!
I holiday up that way every few years so these trails would be even more of a pull factor for me. Good luck!
shieldsmtb - Memberto nobeerinthefridge , your gran must have stayed in afton road ?
Sure did. Was a great playground for a wee boy!.
has anything been marked out over how much area there is to play with ?
All us Ayrshire boys are probably related to each other
to boardinbob , where you fae
did you see my comment about where the boys clost to mauchline go ?
yes please
This would be fantastic, go for it. I live in Kilmarnock and do a ride at Glen Afton around once a year. Would be great to have some proper trails there.
One for the Glasgow folk to note - it's over 100 miles round trip to Glen Afton.
to boardinbob , where you faedid you see my comment about where the boys clost to mauchline go ?
Kilmarnock originally but I'm up in Shawlands now. I'll keep an eye out for you the next time.
BoardinBob - Member
All us Ayrshire boys are probably related to each other
Now that is true, lolsss.
As much as I hate to 'get involved' there's a danger I could be tempted to get involved.
I'm from Prestwick so would definately ride there.
Yea sounds good and I'd travel from West Dunbartonshire. I'm not a big trail centre fan so would be looking for something a bit different. I've got a bit bored of the standard forest trail centre so anything a bit different would be great. Any chance of some rugged exposed trails along some of those hills by the coast?
new cumnock isn't near the coast
The afton gets rough sometimes right enough though
Took a wee run up today as we need to start with the studies , one of the team was at meeting with regards to the wind turbine proposals for the Afton area. Which way this way will effect the proposed trails is not known yet ( indeed we don't know if they will go ahead , but from what we could see from our recce ride today there looks like theres certainly some survey work being carried out ) The other sites are still worth persueing and may prove easier to get up and going just for just now.
Wind turbines would be just the very thing - they'll need to stitch all the turbines together using access tracks anyway, so push for additional trails between those tracks to be funded as a planning condition. You might be surprised as to how open to it they might be - as its probably cheaper than [url= http://www.scotsman.com/news/fintry_s_green_revolution_means_power_to_the_people_1_1153980 ]asking them to build an extra wind turbine[/url], although you could ask for one of them too 🙂
Hello dudes/dudetts, I scoped the Glen Afton area with a forest manager/mountain biker from Llandelga, North Wales and he said Glen Afton has got real potential. The fire road infrastructure is already there and would require some upgrading, but not a lot. Forestry Commission own about 12 sq/Kms, which would do for starters. There's scope for riders who prefer big country rides. Also, we are trying to develop walking trails and other outdoor activities.
I would appreciate your help by supporting our fight against a wind farm proposal, which could ruin our chances of having some quality mtb trails in Ayrshire. We currently do not have any trails and have to travel 1.5 hours every time we go biking. This wind farm proposal is for seven turbines, which would open the floodgates for others to develop. We have successfully opposed a proposal 2 years ago in Dalmellington, Ayrshire and need you to support our cause once again. Anyone age 12 years and above can object. Please click on the link below to object online and forward the link on to friends and family.
Thanks.
Yours in Cycling, Campbell, Glen Afton mountain bike club, also on Facebook.
http://eplanning.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/online/pagedComments.do?action=nextPage&caseNo=11%2F0983%2FPP
This is just what we have been waiting to hear about! I live in Auchinleck and currently travelling up to 3 hours - no big hassle but would be amazing to have something like this on our doorstep. There are 3 of us who ride regularly together and we are all very much behind this and will tell everyone we know! Keep us posted with anything we could do to help!
Just doent mention carparking charges
in what way are you expecting a wind farm be detrimental to bike trails?
Trails being closed when the turbines being serviced for one. The scale of the wind farm is S36, which is 400 turbines. Haven't seen any wind farms on any 7stanes centres either.
Are you objecting purely on the basis that the wind farm will spoil chances of trail development?
+1 here mate from that area and now in Glasgow but would pop dan regularly
No! there are a few factors why we think the wind farms will scupper our plans.
1.The accessibility due to the trails being closed, when the turbines are being serviced.
2. The affect the turbines would have on number of outdoor recreational tourists.
3.It would restrict our scope of where we want to design the best trails.
4.Our landscape has been decimated by opencast mining, of which 45% of coal in the UK comes from.
5.The Cumulative impact of opencast mining and a S36 wind farm, would have detrimental affects on the Glen Afton Centre Project. We don't need another Whitelee. We want to create a place where 'Burns' would be proud of. Not many people know that it was 'The Bards' initial idea to develop mountain biking in Glen Afton, where else could the poem 'Flow Gently Sweet Afton' originate from.
Sounds great im for helping email in profile
Has there been any movement on this ?
I'm having a meeting tomorrow to finalise the consultants brief, then we will submit for tender. Hoping to get the study started in July. Anyone wishing to join up with the club, will find details in the Cumnock Chronicle and Facebook under Glen Afton mountain bike club.
Thanks.
I never realised there were so many on here from the area. Down in Winchester living but from Mauchline (was up at the the old pit last sat before the holy fair. still great!)
gcubed . Ref the Barony trust.
My family has been in touch with the Barony trust a lot and know Billy Menzies well, due to the fact that my Grandpa is one of the 4 at the bottom of the A frame. He has done fantastic work for the site and was instrumental in getting it to the standard its in just now. I think it would be a fantastic idea to make some trails around the Barony bing and if you want any help at all let me know. Unforunately cause I live all the way down here, I wont be able to get the spade out and help in that way.
As for Glenafton, I was up there with my Uncle and Girlfriend the other week there and all me and her could do was pick out lines on the hill for rattling down. Great train links from New Cumnock and a massive variety of terrain. There doesnt seem to be that much in the way of set up there so initial investment wold be high. Excellent people to talk to about that would be the Minerals Trust. The opencast companies are always happy to boost their green credentials.
cobrakai - next time your coming up get in touch wi me as i've dh short runs at the golf coarse
Sheildsmtb, any chance of giving me a wee look? I'm in prestwick. Cheers.
cobrakai - Thanks for your support. Theres an event on this weekend , A Sense of time - A Sense of place held at the A-Frame to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the disaster. local schools are stageing a play / show over the weekend . Hopefully the study can include the A-frame site and could end up being our own Lee Quarry.
Nobeerinthefridge , aye no probs my email is shieldsmtb@aol.com
fantastic stuff - anything in around ayrshire would be superb - good luck and keep us updated please!
Any news on this project?