Back to the programme. I've been having a productive day (!) and created a survey to get an idea of the whether this club thing could work, or whether it'll be like herding a bunch of full-face-wearing cats. There are only 5 questions or so so please take a couple of minutes to fill it out:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=m2dSAf3gm_2fmrB12uRAtjQQ_3d_3d

Kingtut, we had a run in with horsey people riding the trail in 50 Acre Wood. When I pointed out to her that she was riding the wrong (or "opposite-to-marked" if you're an anarchist type) way round an MTB trail, and the bottom half of said trail was blocked by forestry work, she got a bit arsey and claimed that she didn;t need to pay any attention to that sort of thing because she live there. My response of "Here? In the woods?" didn't go down too well.

Normally I feel like a dick telling people to get off the mountain bike trails, but she was properly clueless – not to mention leading a young girl around on a horse that was only just broken in.

Ah you'll always get the odd clueless bint, sometime on a horse sometimes not.

And sometimes on a black ScandAl, wearing roadie kit 😉

Ah you'll always get the odd clueless bint, sometime on a horse sometimes not.

🙄

My point still stands 😉

So whose comment was this? 😉

More purple and gold theming would be good.

😉

boo is all i can say. I will make some enquiries with some folk I know at the University (staff, not students)

Paddy, seeing as you're on here, would any of your chaps be able to help us with issues like planning or change of use applications? The Uni guy was very keen to point out that the trails don't have planning permission, and if what ADH is saying above is true, this could be a major hurdle.

I'd just avoid any outside interference by any means possible, work exclusively with the landowner as far as possible. If the NIMBYs get involved, then I'll do what I can as a resident. There are a good few riders in LA, not necessarily of the huck n gnarl variety, that I could co-opt into a fightback.

i replied on the facebook page.
contact steve dowie at chicky for advice on public venue

a good few riders in LA, not necessarily of the huck n gnarl variety

I think that's quite a good point actually (and what I alluded to in my survey response) with Still – too many riders will say "I never ride there because it's too gnarl-core-huck-stoke-tastic so I don't really care if it's closed" because it's all or nothing – eg proper skills/technical/steep stuff or just the bridleways with nothing inbetween to progress/improve on. If there was a promise of some more progression-friendly trails (eg more jey) then I reckon people would get a lot more interested…

Aye, Still has plenty of potential for some wheels mostly on the deck techy stuff that won't get in the way of the rest of the huckability.

Cheers Mr Doyle. 😉

There are some really good suggestions comng out of the survey, and a lot of people are supportive of the club idea – shame it's limited to 100 responses.

Clubber, I know what you mean. I think the easy stuff is there – it's just linking it together, the place is like a bicycle-mounted version of a Pachinko game and you never seem do the same run twice. If the rumours are correct and the bulldozers are already going in, we could at least be starting with a blank slate. :-/

I'm sorry if any of you take this the wrong way but what gives us the right to ride here? even if it's been going on for years.

The land is essentially private and the uni are under no obligation to keep access open (other than to the footpath) to us or anyone else surely?

The odd cheeky trail is okay but the stuff in Still is hard to ignore!

Mr A, the beginners sessions are my idea 🙂

Why don't you all chip in and buy it?

Nickegg, to flip that around, what's wrong with people riding there? Apart from the issues with litter, H&S (bit of a red herring IMO as downhillers aren't a litigious bunch) and user conflict, the site has been going fairly smoothly for about 5 years now. The DH trails are just a narrow strip of land down the middle of the wood, with the rest of the wood given over to dog walkers and arsonists. 😉 There's nowhere else around where people can ride trails that hard in relative safety.

Backhander, you mean the one that says senior members should coach junior ones? Have you ever seen me riding? 🙂

Redthunder, I would think it was more sensible to keep the costs outlay to a minimum, but it might be a possibility. They did actually try to give the wood to North Somerset Council a while back, but they wouldn;t touch it due to concerns about liability.

Mr A…Couldn't agree more.

My view would be that the Uni would make money from the timber felled so if a group can organise a lease or similar then perhaps the Uni would follow that option instead as it provides an income of sorts???

…and perhaps removes some of their responsibility over what goes on in the woods?

Whilst I am as gutted as everyone else that this spot is closing I am actually fairly suprised it has taken this long. Over the past few years the building has been completely unregulated, the whole of the bottom section looks like it has been napalmed. I am sure even a couple of years ago there was far more ground vegetation even just bracken and brambles. The University Land Management, that has very generously let people use it, must have had serious doubts when walking in along the main path with a 30 Foot(plus) Road gap across it. That alone would make them seriously reconsider people using it, as from a laymans viewpoint, that is pretty dangerous. Ultimately only dialogue with the University will make the site work, they seem to have been fairly amiable to its use for Mountain Biking but I think it needs to be a combined effort from one organised group.

Only a suggestion Mr A. Might be pretty cool and encourage newcomers to the club; like me. More members = more revenue 😀

Dam it. Still woods is awesome. I live a fair drive away but go when can. It will be a shame to loose it.

I'd pay a members fee. I pay woodland riders and I only get there once or twice a year. Its worth it, its cheaper than a days uplift.

Maybe have a word with guys from woodlands to see how they set it all up. They rent the land etc and pay insurance the whole lot. It can work.

Filled in survey and joined done the facebook thing

Seems its all too late though, mini diggers theer and fences so they are moving quick to rip it all down.

Its seems Still woods is not at threat, its already a gonna. I have to say its not just a big lose to bristol its a big lose full stop.

from a laymans viewpoint, that is pretty dangerous.

That's kind of why it worked, though. The were accidents up there on a fairly regular basis, no-one's denying that, but the big stuff was so big that anyone who tried it HAD to know what they were doing. The majority of nightmare lawsuits I've heard about have been from people who've never jumped a bike before thinking "That doesn't look too hard, I'll just have a go at that". 😐

I'm in the process of setting up a site for the campaign at http://www.savestillwoods.blogspot.com so add it to your bookmarks or RSS feeds if you're interested in keeping updated.

Mr A, I can ask about but I doubt there would be any official support for it. I have put in a few planning apps myself and would probably be able to help out in preparing them in my spare time though. Could also stick together some drawings if required. Not sure exactly what regs they would require planning under though – earthworks aren't generally classified as a structure on private land like that. Will have a look into it when i get a chance.

FYI

Subject: Good and Bad news for Still

Hello All,

I run the university bike club. The signs that have recently gone up in still woods are as much of a surprise to the bike club as they are to everybody else. The university bike club use still as their main 'training' area and play area and it will heavily effect the bike club if it is shut down for good! Due to recent happenings I am now in personal contact with the guy who runs still woods. As the land is University owned and the wood is to be managed with the university users best interests in mind he is happy to accommodate for mountain biking in the woods on top of the universities research concerns in the wood with some conditions.

Everyone must bear in mind that the university owns this land for research purposes and they have been good enough in the past to allow for mountain biking to take place in the woods. However the reasons for the sudden shut-down and ban on riding is as follows:

~ The woodland area behind long ashton must be maintained. All woodlands in the UK are maintained in cycles and it is perfectly normal for woodlands to be shut down for maintenance periodically.

~ The trail building in still woods is out of hand and been poorly managed.

~ Local walkers have complained about cyclists almost knocking them over etc

~ Litter problems

~ Emergency services putting pressure on the university to put in more safety measures due to the amount of call outs to the woods.

~ The university is liable if anyone is injured.

~ Unauthorised felling of trees. (Especially young tress!)

~ General destruction of the natural woodland that should be being used for research.

From the universities point of view these are all very good reasons for having the woods shut down for cycling for good so we must all be very careful what we do next. I URGE ALL OF YOU NOT TO CARRY OUT ANY 'ACTIVIST' SORT OF ACTION! This will only make things worse and will very likely end with cycling in the woods banned for good. Contact with the woodland managers should be made through myself. From today the managers will be using me as a single point of contact.

What will be happening over the next two months, and can not be stopped, is that the woods will be shut down. New boundary fences will be erected and jumps, berms etc will be removed. Reinstating the natural woodland will be the priority. Trail building and cycling must not take place over the next couple of months as the trails will only be flattened again and the chances of cycling being allowed in still again will be reduced.

The woodland managers do understand that the woods are widely used by mountain bikers from all over the UK and realise that banning cycling in the woods will have some serious negative effects to UK mountain bikers, especially in the south west, so they are willing to negotiate some solutions. These are along the lines of:

~ Agreement of three main trials which will not interfere with the regeneration of the woodland and research which will start to be carried out.

~ All riders must have insurance to ride in the woodland. (This will be hard to enforce but signage will be erected saying something like 'riding is completely at your own risk etc etc).

~ All woodland riders must take responsibility for the designated trails. This means NO UNAUTHORISED trail building. LITTER MUST BE TAKEN AWAY even if it isn't yours.

I think this is a fair solution and will probably be the only solution unless the woods are to be shut-down for cycling permanently.

The next step for the saviour of riding in still will be in the spring time. This is when the contractors for the regeneration of still woods will be ready to start work. Myself, Antony and a professional trail builder can then work with the environmental contractors to mark out three main trails which we can then develop and use!

I hope this clears some things up for people. I will sort out a 'Still Management Group' which I assume will include myself, Antony and some of the others in the admin list for this group. We will act ion the best interest of everyone who rides at still. For now the key to getting permission to ride in still again is to not take any rash actions and allow what must be done in still over the next few months.

Thanks for reading,

Danny Ball (Hamish),

University of Bristol Bike Club president
President-bikeclub@bristol.ac.uk

I do think that many people are missing the issue here.. the wood is wrecked! dont get me wrong I ride there and have for a few years now but its a dump, litter, trees torn up…. not a great message by any means!

Went up there this afternoon and they've already taken out all the jumps and berms. The place is a complete mess, with dirt and logs scattered everywhere and loads of digger tracks.

I'm completely gutted, and part of me thinks someone at the Uni should be strung up by their heels for this – yes there were issues, but to chuck 5-6 years of people's hard work down the drain in a couple of days is not going to endear them to anyone.

But on the positive side, this could be the start of something much bigger, if everyone can work together.

Mattster Regarding riding insurance policy
Best take a look at Swingly forest you pay towards insurance
for riding in there woods.

Does the uni need to endear themself to anyone though since it's their own land? By the sounds of it, the only criticism that could be levelled at them is that they didn't do anything earlier rather than waiting until the place was trashed (from a non-mtbing pov) and then going in full pace with little notice.

I'd suggest that all the people making a mess of the place need to take responsibility for it. And worst of all they've let themselves down 😉

MrA, interesting that The Uni guy was very keen to point out that the trails don't have planning permission – a few years ago I recall the Uni bike club being awarded a sum of money by Deloitte for developing the wood. A presentation was made to the uni and a deloitte representative showing how Still was used and how their kindly donated money would be spent!

Well its gone. Peoples hard work down the drain put what it does mean is a fresh, and if handled correctly, authorised new start to bigger and better things.

Look at it as an opportunity to build three of the best trails that can built there and then do it. It will also mean a place thats not covered in litter and junk.

I hope that the situation is handled well and in the end peopel calm down and realise it is an opportunity to do things right and build three great lines.

worst of all they've let themselves down

Clubber, you've been taking your dad lessons then? 😉 I don't think anyone "let anyone down" – people moved on (at the University and on the riders' side), lines of communication were broken and the new generation of people using the site weren't aware of the issues. When I went up there yesterday, the only rubbish I saw was in bags and there were notices from a local resident saying thank you to the people who had picked it up.

But what's done is done and it seems like a good opportunity to move the place forward, the way people have done at Gawton , Longleat, et al.

I'll keep an eye on your blog Ant and try to help / donate / join in when its time to get stuff done.

That was very much intended as a tounge-in-cheek comment…

Anyway it sounds like things are moving on and hopefully it'll mean a more organised setup which will prevent this happening again and more importantly, hopefully mean that there's little chance of it ever just being permanently closed down.