I know some of you ride here and thought you might like to see the work to repair, improve and generally tittillate the Bike Park
If you want to help out with the digging check the Facebook page for updates or turn up pretty much any weekend when it is not pissing down.
That's just spectacular work !
I know I am biaised having started it but Louis and the guys have done most of the real work. It is incredible to think the entire site is hand dug by volunteers using the tools and technics you see in this clip. Even better that it just keeps improving.
Came through there back in the summer on the way back from Lordswood and couldn't believe how its grown! Is any of it stoned / all weather? Used to race cross there and it was a proper shitfest all winter!
Looks mint but you're 4 hours away from me. I've put it on my spring '21 hit list along with the track at Portreath.
Looks superb. The kid expressed a desire to go back there yesterday, we haven't been in a while, so we shall hopefully pay a visit one weekend 🙂
None of it is hard surfaced which is why we are fanatical about draining. We recently had to close for a few days because it was just too wet to ride without destroying the trails but it is amazingly weather proof - I was there a couple of hours back and it was rideable despite the recent rain. Give it a couple of dry days and it as solid as you want.
Sharky - if you do want to come down and make a day of it I can show you around Lordswood - natural single track - when you get bored of the park. Also, the Bike Park has a BBQ built in the middle so you can have a hot meal.
Sounds ideal! See you asap, hopefully post pandemic.
Sharky – if you do want to come down and make a day of it I can show you around Lordswood – natural single track – when you get bored of the park
Just him.... or some others of us too 🙂
I can arrange a group ride once the plague has passed if you like.
Be warned though, last time I did that it morphed into the Big Bike Bash
I was only thinking of me and my 12 year old really... but the more the merrier 🙂
Happy to do as many ride tours as there are people who want to join me. PM me a weekend you want to come visit and I will show you my playground.
Will do mate, weekend of 21st is looking weather friendly currently, so will see how it goes and drop you a PM.
Okay - where are you coming from and how long do you want to ride?
Lordswood will be muddy but I can offer bike cleaning as I only live 1/4 mile from bike park/woods.
WCA.. whatever happened to the MBR article 4 ish yrs ago?
(turns out I broke my wrist that day)
Great to see SBP is still growing! I've never ridden the park myself, but passed through a bunch of times on the way to Lordswood.
Since moved out of the area but if I'm even back i'll check it out!
Okay – where are you coming from and how long do you want to ride?
Newbury so not far.
My lad will jump all day mate. Trails, well they'd be a bit of bonus fun, but primarily it will be for the jumpy/pumpy/bermy stuff for him... Realistically though, 2-3 hours with runs, snacks, banter, standing round watching, etc.
I'll be doing the same, but with 20% of the speed and skill.
I'm up for a trip just to ride the jumps to be honest. It'll be me and my pregnant mrs. so I don't mind chilling in one spot, having a BBQ and staying in a local Travelodge or something.
Coming from Sheffield so probably make a weekend of it even if I don't ride both days. We've never been to Southampton before so I'm sure we can entertain ourselves.
MBR article : https://www.mbr.co.uk/routes/trail-centres/southampton-bike-park-366792
I also have a proper jump bike which I am happy to lend out if anyone needs it - my ankle doesn't cope with fully rigid anymore.
Sharkattack = if you are travelling that far then deff make it a weekend. We have the New Forest and beaches as well as the Bike Park. Shopping too if that is your thing. Happy to have a BBQ at our place rather than the clay one at the Bike Park - might be more comfortable for the Mrs.
Happy to have a BBQ at our place
Careful... you never know what could end up starting from that behaviour 😉
From BBQ to BBB?
And the dig goes on :
Build it and they will come :
Fairclough, Deaks and Fielder during the week.
Hosting Weeksy this weekend.
Just come up on my feed
Hey Nick, really awesome work on the bike park.
Can I make a request, any plans for young riders?
I know my kids (3 & 5) aren’t the aimed for demographic, however start of summer they were both happy riding the little pump track on their balance and first pedal bike. At some point it got made a bit bigger, and now they can’t make it up the slopes and it’s put them off so they stopped riding there, much to my sadness
There isn’t much else there that I’d say is safe for them really. The 5 yr old has followed me slowly down some lines and the 3 yr old insisted once and stacked it as it was quite rutted up in places.
DT78 - I will have a word with Louis tomorrow. This is aimed at being a bike park for all ages and shouldn't exclude any age.
I would suggest riding the bottom half of any of the trails rather than staring from the top. That makes them a lot less frightening.
Can you give that a go and give feedback (plus anyone else) so we can get this right.
There is always the risk that the regulars and builders get better and 'improve' things to the point that no-one can start there. I think the Winchester Bar End jumps are an example of that I want to avoid.