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Over the last couple of years many MTB riders local to Holmbury/Peaslake have been working very hard to paint us riders in a good light to the Hurtwood control.
This culminated in the Hurtwood control taking a very open minded view of us and allowing sanctioned trailbuilding/maintenance.
The most high profile and obvious advantage of this is that funding was obtained to rebuild the bottom section of the trail known as BarryKnowsBest.
Back in the autumn approx 500 metres of fresh trail was built by a trailbuilding contractor. This has been mainly greeted as a very good thing, and is ridden by A LOT of riders, and even the local residents are in favour of the 'management' of a few MTB trails.
This weekend some twonk decided to build two large jumps on this new section of trail.
The twonk has dug a VERY large pit, and buried quite a few logs on the fastest part of the trail after a bermed corner. A local resident witnessed the jump/s being built and is absolutely fuming about MTB riders wielding spades and pick axes in the forest in an unsanctioned way.
The Hurtwood ranger Mark is also extremely unhappy.
If you know who did this please ask them to not do it again
The jumps have been removed and a build day will have to arranged to 'tidy-up' the aftermath.
As an aside, a push-up track has been created through the bracken so that people can 'session' the bottom section of BKB, the ranger is going to block this, please use the bridleway back to the top, it is only short and is an established right of way.
Think before you act.
****T, ****T, ****T
That's so clearly a properly built bit of trail. What kind of arrogance do you have to have to think that by changing it you're making improvements?
Let alone the safety issue and the sheer amount of hard work that went into getting BKB re-routed and that goes on in the background already.
Two rider i spoke to today rode the trail last week, no jump thre.
Went around the big bermed corner in the dark last night, and wallop, over the bars into the bracken!!!
Building things in unexpected places on the exit of corners is just stupid!
must have been done late on Sunday, wasn't there Sunday afternoon
2nd DaveFarmer - if you try and jump when leaning over as you do in a berm you'll be all over the shop. So a sh*t idea by someone who has no clue!
I have tried to upload a couple of pics of the jumps here if this works;
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Some people just don't get it. Surely it's 'rad' kids isn't it? I wish I had the time to go hacking up someone elses hard work...
For f*ck sake, what kind of c*nt would do that on a trail used by all types of riders?
Here you go:
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ha, misguided trailbuilders
they're crap
idiots
it's probably just kids, they wouldn't know about sanctioned trails or Hurtwood Control
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school holidays, innit?
Think before you act.
that's a big ask for a lot of people.
that's a big ask for a lot of people
So very true.
Can't see where the 2nd photo is leading but have to agree with the OP. We're there out of generosity and we need to remember that act of curtesy.
What a total fanny. And I bet you'd never get the "builder" to an organised dig day either.
BKB gap jump LOL.
The twonk in question drives a van, and his friend drives and expensive German estate car, definately not kids!
Both cars were spotted by the riled local resident (she possibly made a note of registration!)
Zip tie strongly-worded signs on the trees?
P'haps they're trying to recreate that TdF shot of a bloke gap jumping the peleton ? In this case substitute a load of elite roadies with some fat IT managers from London though.
Great... any news on whether the "jump" got flattened or is it tiptoe around the corners time at the weekend?
I've seen a few groups of knobs on pitch hill building dodgy trails (one pair who left their VERY shiny, VERY new downhill bikes on a fireroad out of their own sight) but they're at least not so dumb they build it on the best known trail in the area, the one that's not been recently extensively rebuilt.
As far as I am aware the 'jump' has been removed.
I am goingt ot ride over there this sfternoon, so will have a look and report back
I agree that building on this trail is very silly, but there are some good trails being built around the place - just in out of the way places....at least they can be arsed to do something rather than moan about it on this forum!
How do you think all these trails got there in the first place - from builders like this
Trails come and go over the years - ho hum.
atlaz, were they walking round with their tops off? Always found that alittle bit wierd about some jump folk
Altaz, what kind of bikes were they (serious question; it's often easy to identify people by their bike).
freeridenick - I'd agree to some extent if the warnings from Hurtwood weren't so explicit about unapproved trail building.
gee - Honestly, can't recall. Just remember thinking that if I had a shiny new bike I'd be inclined to leave it somewhere I could see it
atlaz, yes building on the hurtwood is pointless and damages our reputation. Luckily other stuff is being built in areas which is not so much in the spotlight and does not attract the local parish council/general major
The first one makes some kind of sense but I'm struggling to understand what the second one is meant to do?
Isn't the quarry the place where people used to go to do all the ultra knarly radcore business?
There is no accounting for idiots.
I rode there on Friday and it wasnt there. Rode there yesterday and came flying round the corner to find this poorly placed attempt of a jump with a big pitt to the side of it, absolute idiots with no respect for other users.
I saw the ranger knocking it all down later so it is definately gone now, good.
I keep on seeing fullface dh boys around this area, i think they think BKB is some sort of full on downhill track.
Maybe Howard at Pedal and Spoke in Peaslake may know, that shop seems to attract the rad-core-gnarl-fest riders!
i saw BKB uplift days being advertised in the bus stop just before Easter.
There are some massive jumps around the hills if you are that way inclined I just dont get why anyone would vandalise a nice flowy bit of trail like BKB. It's happening all over though, I was caught out over at Swinley the other night when something I expected to be a tabletop is now a 10 foot gap, that was a brown trousers moment...
Perhaps the trust could ask for a specific area to be set aside for the gravity lot maybe over at the quarry, jumps are fun no doubt so maybe it's an idea to cater for that group as well as the XC crowd.
Dave, I rode it with Laurence yesterday afternoon and it was fine. I also immediately jumped to the conclusion it was kids that did this after reading your first post. Saw about 10 of them at the bus stop yesterday with jump bikes. Interesting to hear this was done by adults.
Hanno
This whole project of engaging with the Hurtwood and having safe trails that can be enjoyed by all is so important because it is the only alternative to stopping mountain biking on the Hurtwood completely. The situation is serious and that is why lots of people have put in a hell of a lot of hours. Then some d!ck thinks they know better.
Dave - what do you know about who these idiots were? A van and an estate car? Ay ideas?
Damn, and there's me thinking they had actually done something to make that section of trail interesting, oh well...
Do you drive a van or an estate car Mikey? 😉
Perhaps ride it faster then mikey.
Sorry its beneath you, Mikey74. If you want "interesting" you can go elsewhere.
For most people it is interesting enough - during the winter it was quite literally the only nicely rideable section on Holmbury Hill. Plus any level of rider can get something out of it by going faster and smoother, and while they are doing that the trail will stay durable and rideable. Chuck in that kind of jump, in that location, and suddenly a lot of novice riders are going to get hurt, plus a lot of panic and unnecessary braking will be going on, leading to erosion etc.
This is in place for the enjoyment of everyone one, not to be highjacked by a few.
It never ceases to amaze me the stupidity of some people, bet they wouldn't build jumps on marked trails somewhere like Cwm Carn or Afan so why do it here ?
Are they intent on getting us all banned from the best riding area for miles around ?
I hope they enjoyed wasting their time building something that has lasted only a few days, idiots 🙄
i saw BKB uplift days being advertised in the bus stop just before Easter.
You've got to be making that up?!!!
Damn, and there's me thinking they had actually done something to make that section of trail interesting, oh well...
Ah, a fella who likes to ride of piste on his steed.
Hora are you local? I always thought you were northern.
glenp - out of interest do you pay the hurtwood to take your groups on the trails of the hurtwood? as its beginners who generally are causing all this erosion you talk of.
I'm a Yorkshireman 😀 but lived down in London/south for over 10yrs.
hora was well know for his riding skills down here for sometime 😯
I'm still gobsmacked. Uplift for singletrack?