Show me… trail features – inspiration for school project build!

Show me… trail features you’ve built

I run an MTB Club along with a couple of other guys at the school I work in. As well as running local rides, we’re also building a short XC/Trail loop on some disused land in our school grounds. We’ve got a core group of 15 teenagers really keen to get building, and an ever-growing stock of rubble/aggregate, logs, spare timber etc.

Hoping to build an XC loop with some technical skills sections, berms, low-level north-shore etc, approx 500m long in total. We’re also integrating some MTB into the PE GCSE Curriculum, so hope to use the new trail for that aswell as skills development with the club kids.

The land is pretty flat, but we do have some large landscaped mounds that we can build in for the up/downs etc.

Looking for some inspiration from the STW trail-building community!

Thanks in advance – Paceman 😀

sounds incredible! i cant help, but i’d love to see a thread that keeps us updated with designs, build photos and the finished product.

I’d be happy to do that. The boys are all REALLY enthusiastic about it (we’re a boys school by the way) so i’m hoping we come up with something special as it evolves over time.

Likewise – no use for helping but sounds an excellent and creative project. All be best and keep us updated on progress.

Sorry not alot of help either but what a fantastic idea!

Good luck and keep the thread going be interested to see how it goes

Probably worth giving Ian Warby at CTC a call.
He’s done similar projects in Leighton Buzzard:

http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=4467

Building foundations on a berm.
SingletrAction, Stainburn

these are only just off the ground, so people can practice balance.
SingletrAction, Stainburn

Part of a log ride and rock thing
SingletrAction, Stainburn

Cole Shute
SingletrAction, Stainburn

Some more pics from Stainburn, here, http://www.singletraction.co.uk/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=32
Mostly low level timber trail, narrow with some tricky corners and steps plus a see-saw.

Loads more pics to be found in the SingletrAction gallery.

More skinny log rides over a trench
SingletrAction, Stainburn

What a great idea! Well done and good luck.

What about arranging a field trip to a local trail centre?

Trail being cleared, dug, foundations, surfaced.

I wish we had that when I was at school, fantastic idea and good luck. I don’t know if it’s near to you but every Sunday there used to be voulenteer trail building at Follow the Dog on Cannock Chase. You could get tips from there? Swinnertons cycles used to organise it.

You’d be welcome at any SingletrAction dig day for some ideas but I’m guessing you’re down in Sussex.

Paul and Simon have already suggested some good stuff and Ian Warby is a good guy to talk to. Finding a local trail group could be really useful, pick their brains on a dig day and you never know, they might come and give you some design advice, maybe help with tools or the like.

Is there a local IMBA rep / presence?

You could do worse that trawl through the IMBA UK and IMBA US websites, there’s a variety of information on there, some free and some manuals for not a huge ££. Lee McCormack’s book about pump tracks (Pump Track Nation) is a $10 pdf download from http://www.leelikebikes.com and contains some really useful stuff about building (that can be applied in many locations, not just PTs).

Good luck and feel free to post on the forum at http://www.SingletrAction.org.uk or email if you have any questions that you think we might be able to help with.

Built this for the girls Christmas in 2003, they have grown a bit since then.

http://kevinlawton6103.fotopic.net/c95697.html

It might be worth you casting you eye over Jedi’s blog;

http://ukbikeskills.blogspot.com/

There are loads of photos of the technical features that are part of his new skills trail.

Just to clarify catflees46’s post, Swinnertons do not organise the Chase Trails Build Days. Take a look here, lots of pics >

http://chasetrails.blogspot.com/

this is only my opinion of course so im sure that there will be those that disagree but i would say dont build it out of wood unless there is a reason to do so (bridging a gap etc) unless you plan to treat it regularly and repaint whatever grippy stuff you use on then it soon deteriorates with wear. this is of course true with all trail materials but dirt tends to be less lethal in the wet.

if you are thinking of building technical features, by which i assume you mean wheels on the ground rocky type stuff then dont be put off if it looks impossible/ near impossible to begin with. lots of stuff i built locally really foxed riders for a bti but once someone cracks the technique then people all progress pretty quick, to the point where you have to go back and make it harder to keep peoples interest.

again, just a personal opinion but try to make technical stuff feel natural. look at places like snowdon or whatever and see how the rocks lie. i tend to find that this has two advantages; it drains better and it makes the lines less obvious.

These are in the woods where i work,mainly low level shore, some mini rock gardens, a see-saw,some trials obstacles and a new pumptrack for ME! It’s a resedential centre for “needy” kids. Kids love it and it really does improve there skills.
[/url]DSC00035[/url] by

" class="bbcode-link">[/url]DSC00037[/url] by

" class="bbcode-link">[/url]DSC00022[/url] by

" class="bbcode-link">[/url]Untitled[/url] by paul winterbottom[/url], on Flickr

Good luck with your project. 😀