News – June 2011
Read on to catch up with the monthly Ride Sheffield update for June 2011…
Greno Woods
After last months meeting in the woods with SWT, we mapped the woods and have written our proposal for the development of the woods. The plan is for an XC style loop which would be of a red grade in difficulty, with possible black level opt in’s. It would use largely existing trails that would have a little work to improve drainage in places that need them in order to make it more sustainable and all weather. There would also be a new DH section that would be constructed from scratch.
If you would like to see a copy of the proposal, I will try and get it up on the website shortly. But for now you can email info@ridesheffield.com
This is all looking very promising, but it is part of a consultation period, so none of it is fully confirmed. If you have any ideas or thoughts on this or have suggestions for potential sponsorship please get in touch
Thanks to This Is Sheffield, Steel City Series, Steve Peat and Roy Moseley for their help with this.
Lady Canning Plantation
We met with parks and countryside in the woods a couple of weeks ago and have had a further meeting to plan a proposed route for the trail.
There will be further felling in the woods over this winter; after which the central trail from the car park to the style below the Ox Stones will become a permissive Bridleway. We would aim to have a lot of work done on a trail to coincide with the opening up of this route. The climbing trail would run to the left of the proposed provisional bridleway (going up the hill) starting about 100m in from the car park and meandering up ending about 50m from the edge of the woods. The downhill trial would run from this point and down to the start of the climb running on the opposite side of the proposed permissive bridleway. It will be a flowing blue level trail that can be ridden as a loop or use as a connecting link out to/from Houndkirk and beyond.
We are hoping to start construction this winter and will be looking for help with digging after the initial work has been done with some machinery. It is early days on this and the project would have to go through a consultation period with locals etc, but the general feeling on this is fairly positive. If you would like to be involved more or would like to sponsor the work please get in touch at info@ridesheffield.com Thanks to Jon Dallow and www.biketracks.org for help with this
Fox Hagg
We submitted our objection to the downgrading of bridleways on Fox Hagg to the Rights of Way team; this is a combined objection with the CTC and CPRE. This is going to public enquiry. We will keep you posted with news when we hear it
Parkwood Springs
The work to build a circuit at Parkwood springs is still moving forward, the paperwork is being tied up and they are awaiting bids from constructors so machinery can be on the ground at the start of August and should be ride able by the end of the year. This is a project run by the city councils Parks and woodland team and in particular Jon Dallow along with the experienced vision of Steve Peat
Ski Village
After last months uplift trial, thing have progressed significantly with the plans to bring uplifted mountain biking to Sheffield. Improvements have been (and continue to be) made to the uplift track and is now considerably easier to get up the hill. A downhill run has also been constructed down the hill too!
This is a trial project and demos are being carried out by a small group of riders, it is hugely exciting but it is by no means completed or open to the public yet. Please do not jeopardize the plans by trying to come and ride any of this. Watch this space and www.thisisheffield.co.uk
Credit it for this project must be given to Jon Dallow, Steve Peat, Sheffield Ski Village (Particularly Vicki and Ben) Dan Cook and This Is Sheffield who are driving this project forward.
Blacka Moor
We are going to be organizing some maintenance days with Sheffield Wildlife Trust in the next couple of months. We will be sending more information out about this nearer the time. If you have any suggestions for work to be done, please get in touch on info@ridesheffield.com
Eastern Moors Partnership
We are working with Eastern Moors as one of their stakeholder groups and are contributing to the work on there. Looking at the information form the last meeting there could be a reasonable amount of land that will be opened up for mountain biking
Black Harry Trails
Black Harry Trail out in the Peak have had some work done to them More information will be available about it at www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/blackharry in the next few days. Thornbridge Brewery are launching a beer to commemorate it too!
Website – www.ridesheffield.com
Our website is pretty much finished now so you should expect to see more things going up there. Unlike other sites we are not generating masses of content, so we will update it when things arise. If you have anything you would like to submit or discuss, send it over. We also have a rides section, so if you organize rides or know of other organized rides, we will stick the information in the rides section so if you are looking for a ride this will be the place to go. There is also a trails section, so if there are any trails which you feel should be avoided temporarily (too muddy, too beaten up etc) please let us know
Constitution
To give us a bit more clout we are going to become constitutionalised. This is a reasonably simple process that will legitimize what we do more. We will need a constitution (what we do) and will have a president, secretary and treasurer and will have an AGM. Other than that it will be business as usual
Meetings – Social
We will be having a social ride on the Thursday the 7th of July. It will be a similar format to last year, meeting at Hunters Bar, then at Ringinglow, going for a ride around the peak and then back to the Norfolk Arms for a drink. We will also have a short update on what is going on and to run through the constitution and formalize that (should only be about 20 mins worth of meeting) Exact details to follow nearer the time)
General
We try our best to improve the situation for mountain bikers in and around Sheffield, but we are not perfect and any guidance is really useful and greatly appreciated. If you want to spread the word, stick posters up etc let us know and we will send some over your way. If you have anything you think people need to know about or have content for our website, or is something that can be sent to other sites please send it over.
But that is about it for now, enjoy the light nights, the dry trails and ride whenever you get a chance.
Thanks for reading
Ride Sheffield