Mountain biking has seen some major changes in the last 15 years. As people have got more leisure time and money it’s meant more people with bikes, and more riders looking for trails to challenge themselves and enjoy. There’s been the advent of “trail centres”, dedicated MTB playgrounds with challenges and facilities for all abilities, there’s also been technological advances too numerous to mention.
Pioneers like Dafydd Davies started something special in Wales with some of the first dedicated trail centres and since then lots of others have picked up the baton and run with it. [table3]
That's where we come in, SingletrAction, Yorkshire’s Volunteer Trail Group. We started nearly 10 years ago at Dalby forest, our original remit was liaising with the Forestry Commission while wielding shovels on a weekend to create new trails. Pretty quickly we got involved with a number of other FC sites, helping the land manager by providing advice on trail design, routes and construction whilst all the time “doing it for ourselves” and putting our money where our mouth was with physical efforts, digging and building, plus fund raising, publicity and advocacy.
There has always been and surprisingly still seems to be a big gap in the understanding of what riders would like out of a trail. There’s also still a lack of
authoritative representation of the “sport” or “MTB community”. Hopefully, in our little way, we help to improve that and make the areas where we get involved better for riders in general.
Since then like all things in this brave new world it’s all got a bit more complicated. Health and Safety and the claim culture seems to have gone mad, if you believe the press! We firmly believe in informed consent, if you’re going to ride a mountain bike down a rocky hill there's a chance you'll hurt yourself, and if you do it’s more than likely your fault, rather than anyone else’s!
 |
Plus the country has woken up and realised that it’s skint.
SingletrAction and other voluntary groups are going to be even more important over the next decade. As a purely volunteer group we specialise in using limited resources to the best of our abilities, in often difficult and demanding situations, to get more bang for your buck. Whereas many trails developed over the last decade have cost ten’s or hundred’s of thousands of pounds we passionately believe that with a just slightly greater individual effort from riders and volunteers a disproportionate additional achievement could be made. |
Building trails and negotiating access issues isn’t rocket science. You just have to be prepared to get involved, talk to people, see many points of view and accept some compromises. It’s not quick, but then anything worth doing usually isn't 😉
Why the apparent apathy? We don’t know, if we did we’d probably be rich (in trail terms if not money!).
If you want to see what it’s all about have a look at this short promotional film about our volunteer work: http://vimeo.com/10283271
Thanks to Chris Maloney aka Pook for doing this for us 😎
However, for the immediate future we think it’s as simple as this; we need more members, active or not.
More members = a louder, more representative voice.
More trail builders = more trail in less time.
More funds = money for materials, tools and to hire machines.
(NB: SingletrAction pledges to put the overwhelming majority of funds it creates back into trail development).
Perhaps most importantly, the better the representation we have as a group of users / riders the more clout we are likely to have. We expect over the next few years it's people that will help persuade land managers and owners to allow projects as well as potentially opening up more rights of way for riders.
We talk to anybody and everybody about trail building, design and advocacy. We get numerous approaches (most unsolicited) to help in some way. We give this freely wherever we can subject to the limitations of being volunteers, most with full time jobs, families or (heaven forbid 😉 the urge to go riding once in a while.
A summary of developments from the major locations where we’ve been working:
|
• Buck Woods (Thackley) Skills Spot (West Yorkshire, near Bradford)
A new project for us in 2009 and a great example of what can happen if enough people get together to make a project happen. This started with a coming together of Crosstrax, Friends of Buck Woods Society, BCEP, Bradford MBC and CTC. |
 |
• Dalby Forest MTB Trails (North Yorkshire, near Pickering)
This place has taken on a life of its own, hosting a World Cup event in 2010 and 2011. From little acorns oak tree's grow and all that… We have designed and are built a pump track at the Pace Bike Park in Dixon’s Hollow. Who knows what next?
• Guisborough Forest (North Yorkshire, nr Guisborough)
We have great hopes for this location where FC are actively supporting the development of trails. Volunteer trail building days have started and are being coordinated by the locals (many from MTBGuisborough) to upgrade the old route and moving on to bigger and better stuff.
Guisborough, as well as Dalby, are the main focuses of FC’s trail development efforts in the region for the foreseeable future.
• Stainburn (West Yorkshire, near Otley)
The Descent Line has been extended and a maintenance and upgrade programme is nearly complete. We hope to extend the Pump Track after agreeing an additional area for this purpose with FC. The whole of Norwood to be brashed (that's how it feels!) to create an “informal” route following more negotiations with FC.
• Wharncliffe Woods (South Yorkshire, near Sheffield)
This is a great example of the frustration involved in trying to keep all parties happy, i.e., FE, riders & other forest users. Simon has done his level best but his time (and patience) and energy is going into his new family and who can blame him! Who knows maybe one day with enough people pressure maybe
Wharncliffe will get the XC trail it deserves… In the meantime it has some wicked DH/Freeride trails.
In the mean time there have been discussions regarding the purchase and development of Grenoside Woods (see RideSheffield for more information).
• Silton Forest DH Trails (North Yorkshire, near Northallerton)
An area of the forest was felled this year. However the trail has been completely reclaimed. Although it’s a little exposed in bad weather, the trail seems to have benefited as it now dries out nice and quick. Ed has also made some alterations to the trail which seem to make it flow much better.
Over the last year SingletrAction members benefited from various competitions and freebies….
Free samples of Fenwick's FS1 Bike Cleaner (courtesy of Zyro http://www.zyro.co.uk/home.aspx) and Squirt lube (courtesy of http://www.squirtlube.com/) for those attending volunteer trail building events.
Brant at Ragley Bikes has kindly donated a Blue Pig frame for our “Dig For A Pig” contest. Attend a volunteer trail building day and your name goes a draw for the frame. Get an entry for every event you attend!
Ed Oxley (Great Rock MTB Skills Training) has obviously seen my riding so has thrown in a £60.00 voucher for skills coaching which is to be drawn from all members fully paid up by the end of the year.
So you know what membership means for us and riding, but what can it mean for
you? (yes, this does include lots of free stuff 😉
Joining couldn't be simpler, just click the “on line membership” link (http://www.singletraction.co.uk/page.php?page=Sign_Up_For_Membership) and
use Paypal to join for a 12 month period for £15.00. You want more benefits than that lovely warm feeling you get from doing something for the greater good?
• How about as well as the prizes on offer we get you discount (typically 15%) at a growing number of bike shops, retailers and tour guides. Check out our
sponsors page.
• And to reward regular volunteers attending trail building days:
o Free annual Dalby Pass (after attending two events)
o Massive discounts on Hope & Pace products (after attending five events).
As you can see it’s not hard to get your £15.00 back! It’s not even the price of a pair of decent grips!!