Visited yesterday with the family and was told that he's to be gone by next week. Hadn't been down in years, due to length of time the trails were closed post-Storm Arwen. You can still see how badly the forest was damaged. The black trail remains long gone, but the red now seems largely back. However,with Rik gone, it seems very likely that the estate will just let what's left fade away (seemingly they're just not interested).
I'll always have a lot of affection for the place, having ridden and raced there for years. Always felt like a unique place to ride, even before the sport largely moved on to different styles of building. Always felt like a beautiful forest to ride in, no matter the season.
Always had a good experience of the Bike Shed too, whether it was the offer of a coffee when the cafe was inevitably closed, or a new bottom bracket fitted with my race start time 30 minutes away.
Here's to him and thanks for the work.
He's been fighting a losing battle with the Estate for years regarding the trails, I think.
It's one of my favourite spots locally but there's so much of if closed with storm damage since Arwen it was becoming less and less worth the trip up in recent times. The Black never reopened after the storm and they took ages (years) to clear enough of the Red. Rik did what he could but it's a helluva'n ask for one guy + volunteers when what's needed are forest machines in places.
It's a real shame; Drumlanrig has something different to everything else around D&G but they either just don't see it or we just don't put enough cash in the Duke's back pocket. I suspect the latter, personally.
One of the issues is so many people not paying. That and the cost to the estate is quite high and arwen didn't help. Last I heard Rik was looking at premises not far away but his collection of bikes is needing houses.
Duke of Buccleuch is supportive of cycling and Bowhill has a sympathetic estate manager who mtbs and trails here are opened quickly after wind damage.
The new dukes a ****
Aye that's probably true. I've only had dealings with the father. Apparently the son now runs the business.
That's a real shame, unfailingly Drumlanrig was fun to ride - as above, different to any other 7stanes centre. I've been meaning to get down there for years (see the problem...) but hasn't realised the black was out of action.
Dam.
So sad, saw the pics of the last shop ride on FB yesterday 😞
Drumlanrig has been my goto, and nearest, trail centre type location for the past 15 years or so, and always a pleasure to go and have a natter with Rik.
I have fond memories of Drumlanrig, I would often go for a morning there before an evening shift. A beautiful and different sort of trail centre.
The black trail remains long gone,
The black (first big loop) is still there and mostly cleared again - did couple laps on it at the weekend.
That's the "big rooty tree" in the background on the "Edge" section of the black route on Saturday.
What's the plan from Rik about the future?
I heard he's got a plan for a shop nearby but his big collection of old vintage bikes might be looking for a home.
