Ride Sheffield

Tag: Greno

  • Making Greno Great Again

    Making Greno Great Again

    This is the project we’ve been working on for a while and we are stoked to finally be able to share it with you all. This is the biggest Ride Sheffield news for a long time.

    Back in early 2021 we launched a crowd funder to find the remaining funds we needed to top up the £20k from the Radmires project corporate donors to give Greno the major work it needed. Covid delayed the fundraising, the planning and everything else but the money kept slowly rolling in from riders and the pot slowly grew. Late last year we finally had the full £30k that we needed together.

    We’ve been talking to contractors, liaising with the Wildlife Trust, discussing plans on site and getting everything sorted and 100% sorted so we could share the news.

    Starting on Monday 11th April, Greno will be finally by getting the work it desperately needs. All 3 trails will be getting major work over the course of 6 weeks by a 4 man team using plant to repair, refurbish and refresh the trails. Some of the classic features will be retained, some will be updated and there will be a bunch of new stuff as well!

    In addition to the great news on the work happening is the folks who are going to do it. We’ve put together a crack team of diggers to make Greno better than it’s ever been. Led by Farmer John and James Petit working with Ollie Hindley and Alex Bourekas, the crew will bring a new feel to the trails and show us what they can do. They’ve worked together before in Europe building bike parks in Austria and beyond, this will be their first work together in the UK.

    Those who’ve been to Farmer Johns will know the flow and jumps of the top section and some of the techy sections lower down in the woods. JP sculpt is best known in these parts for his trails in Wharncliffe just over the road. Who’s excited to see what they can do?

    During the works there will be trail closures while the magic happens. Trails will have signs up, barriers across the trail etc and if you see any of this please do not ride the trails, if you see anyone else doing please ask them not to. Riding while work is happening and before the trails are settled will lead to lots of rework, delay the proper opening longer and reduce the good work the guys can do. The Ride Sheffield social pages will be kept up to date with the latest via a pinned post on Fb and a #grenotrails posts on Instagram. We’ll do our best to keep something open to ride at all times but weather and other factors will determine when we can open the trails. Whatever anyone thinks or says if there are signs up and blockers across the tracks they are not ready to ride regardless of how good they may look so please please be patient. Anyone caught riding tracks while they are closed will receive a lifetime Steel City DH ban.

    This work wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Vulcan Engineering, Avanti Conveyors, Cotic and the riding community of Sheffield and beyond. Huge thanks to everyone that donated. To make sure as much awesome as possible gets created Ride Sheffield and Steel City Series will put in another £5k between them to invest a total of £35k in to the work.

    As always massive thanks go the Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust who own and manage the woodland and are very supportive of mountain biking in general around the city. We wouldn’t have trails in Greno without their help!

    If you’re a regular user of any of our trails and don’t already please consider signing up Radtax for a few quid a month to help support the work we do and the trails you enjoy riding. It all goes to good use to help Ride Sheffield do more and make more great things happen for bikes around the city.

    FAQ’s
    1. Is it open yet? Not unless we say so and we’ll make a load of noise when trails are ready for folks to ride!

    2. Will there be any new/more trails? Unfortunately no, Greno is a victim of it’s own success and is already so popular with with bikes, walkers, horses and wildlife etc that there is no more capacity for further trails.

    3. Can I help with the build? The trail works will be carried out by professionals with plant and machinery to ensure they can stand up to the huge levels of traffic Greno sees. We will be doing some dig days prior to the race to get all the other bits ready for race day. Help at these would be much appreciated.

    4. How can I help? Sign up to rad tax and come along to dig days if you can. If you’re keen to be more involved with all Ride Sheffield does and have time to commit to helping mountain biking then drop us an email to info@ridesheffield.org.uk and lets talk.

    5. Why’s it taken so long? Fund raising is never quick and during uncertain Covid times it didn’t feel right to be pushing folks to donate. After that contractor availability, fitting in best with the seasons in the woods and other things have all meant that now is the time. We’ve been working hard in the background to get it over the line as soon as possible.

    6. I need to practice for the race? It’s not practice until race day, anything until then is just riding your bike. Steel City track will be done first and will be open as soon as we possibly can but please be patient and don’t ride until we say it’s ready!

  • Trash Free Trails Halloween Trail Clean Tour: Greno Woods

    As if one opportunity to give a little back to your trails in a weekend was not enough, how about two? We are really lucky to have trash Free trails feature us as part of the their Halloween Trail Clean Tour on Sunday the 24th of October. Here is a bit more detail on the day and how you can get involved.

    From the 22nd – 31st October, the Trash Free Trails Team (aka the TrashBusters) are visting 7 locations in the UK that nominated their trails in partnership with Trak Bikes, Bosch eBike Systems, The North Face, Red Bull and Cotswold Outdoor. Trails, and the communities that represent them that needed help, and on the 24th October, the Trash Free Trails #TrashBusters responded to the Greno’s local community call. 

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  • Greno Trails Need You!

    Back at the start of March when the world was still a slightly different place we launched a crowd funding campaign to allow us to do a lot of needed refurb work in Greno (original story here https://ridesheffield.org.uk/greno-woods-crowdfunder/ ), with all that happened around that time we didn’t feel it was right to be asking for funds when a lot of people were uncertain about what the future might hold.

    While things are still long way from normal (whatever that is) we are heading in that direction and the lockdown period has got lots of new folks involved in the sport and meant that many trails have been busier than ever so it feels like a good time to give the crowd funding campaign a bit of a relaunch.

    If you ride at Greno you’ll know that some spots need some love and we hope you can help us to make that happen.

    We are hoping to raise a total of £20k to allow work to happen on all 3 tracks and also update signage and other bits. So far we have raised around £2.5k of this.

    The trails are all free to use, free parking etc so please consider donating a few quid if you ride up there, possibly even a few quid per trip in place of paying to park as you would at many other places.

    We know that right now may not be the best time for everyone to donate so if you can’t afford to donate any money, help us spread the word, tell your friends about what we’re doing, talk to other folks when you’re riding up there etc and let them know that we need everyone to help us out!

    Thanks everyone and happy trails!

    How to Donate

    Bank transfer

    Direct transfers can be made to the Ride Sheffield account, details as follows;

    Account name – Ride Sheffield
    Sort Code – 403102
    Account number – 91574205
    This account is with HSBC.

    Paypal

    Click the button to donate via Paypal.

    Alternatively, send Paypal donations to ridesheffield@gmail.com using “Friends and Family” if possible please!  Pop a note in the comments box “Greno 2020” and we’ll be sure to match your donation up.

  • Greno Woods Trail Damage Update

    It’s never good news to start the day with news that someone has been out to try and trash your trails. When you dig fun little trails hidden from view (or permission) this is often part of the game. Gutting, but part of the game. But it is pretty unusual to have sanctioned trails damaged. But that’s what happened up in Greno Woods the Sunday before last.

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  • Greno Woods Crowdfunder!

    Greno Woods Crowdfunder!

    Greno Woods has been providing mountain biking good times for the past 30 years in different guises, from hand cut tracks with wild sketchy jumps, through some quite gnarly north shore and loamy natural runs, to the trails that we have now. 

    10 years ago, Sheffield and Rotherham, Wildlife Trust bought the woods and in part of the efforts to raise the money (and the profile of the plans) that was needed to buy the woods, we thought a (big) little race would be a good way of contributing to this. 

    The birth of Peaty’s Steel City DH on a damp cold day in March was the catalyst for further development the woods. Money from the first race went into building the Steel City DH track, funds from the next race went into formalising Pub Run and DH3. 

    Since the very beginning SCDH has been funding the trails in Greno woods from inception to new lines, refurbs and revamps, with Ride Sheffield managing and maintaining them. 

    The bikes and the way we ride has changed a lot over the past ten years and we have worked hard to keep the tracks as well running and relevant as possible.

    Greno’s trails are some of the most ridden (and loved) across Yorkshire and while they have been built to a great standard by Bike Track, things wear out eventually.

     We want the trails to remain a great experience for everyone, we want them to be progressive and to play an important role in the development of riders in the city. But that’s not something that is possible on just the money raised by the race.

    Greno Woods Crowdfunder

    So, here is where we need your help…. We are going to be crowdfunding for the next phase of planned work in Greno, we have some major repairs and redevelopments on Steel City and DH3, but we need your support to get them done! 

    Want the best berms this side of Whistler Bike Park? Want trail featured that can help progress your riding? 

    Want trails that run as well in the winter as they do in the summer……? 

    Well now is the time to contribute. As well as your money raised, SCDH will also be contributing with funds from the race, but the more you can donate the further we can make that money go

    Below is a Brief description of the work we plan to do and how much we need to raise to complete each section…. We will have 2 months to raise the funds, with a deadline of the beginning of May and will keep you updated with a weekly totaliser.

    Plans and costing

    Steel City DH – £8,000

    Red trail

    The Red trail from the split down will be brought up to the same spec as the rest of the trail.  

    Build up and reshape all the turns on this section up to the pro jump. 

    Lift all low-lying areas to above ground level to improve drainage and reduce on maintenance.

    A new corner will be built at the end of this section before the pro jump to separate the Red and Black trails better. The Red trail will now run to the right-hand side of the existing trail where a new tabletop jump will be created parallel to the pro jump. 

    The new jump will be a rollable tabletop that is similar in shape but shorter than the pro jump to help the progression up to the pro jump. 

    This jump will land and a new section created to keep riders separated from the pro jump right up until entering the existing corner. This will give riders plenty of time to be able to land and control speed before joining together just before the corner. 

    Black split 

    The existing Rollable double will be extended slightly on the landing and angled to suit the new line into the pro jump.

    The corner after this will also be changed and built up to improve the line into the pro jump. 

    A new set up rollable jump will be created out of the turn to gain speed and reduce the need for pedalling into the pro jump. 

    The existing pro take off will be moved to the left so that it runs in a straight line, this will also open up a safe run off space in between that and the Red trail and will also help for races. 

    The existing pro landing will stay the same, we will also repair existing black trail to the left of pro jump as a chicken run in normal riding situations. 


    DH3 – £8,000

    New rollable features on the top section as better trail qualifiers and to make the first bit more interesting. 

    The first jump will stay the same but the berm after will be built up and extended to stop riders cutting straight down the open. 

    The first rock garden will be removed, and a big berm will be made with a feature after it. A new corner will be made before the big rollable double this will help control speed into this feature,

    The jump will be resurfaced and all the way into the next berm. The berm after the double will be built up and extended to stop riders needing to brake so much after the jump and also to stop riders going over it and cutting the track. 

    The first section on the second rock garden will stay but from where it drops, we will take the rest away and a new berm will be made to help maintain riders speed. So, you will have a berm then a straight rock garden then a berm so riders can hop from the rock garden into the berm.

    The existing berm before the tabletops will be built up to help maintain speed and to the tabletops. Tabletops will stay same they will just be resurfaced and the landing right into the berm after them. After this point the track will all stay the same just general improvement works and surfacing in areas. 

    The last big left-hand corner will be redone to repair braking bumps and generally make it better at speed.

    Additional Costs – £4000

    As well as the direct trail work, there are additional costs in maintaining a safe and fun set of trails, so a little contingency and planning at the start goes a long way

    We’d like to include new signage for new trail features and replacing missing/damaged ones.  

    While we’re getting material, it makes sense to stockpile extra to be used for future volunteer dig days, as borrow pits and material transport are more efficient while done at the same time. 

    How to Donate

    Bank transfer



    Direct transfers can be made to the Ride Sheffield account, details as follows;

    Account name – Ride Sheffield
    Sort Code – 403102
    Account number – 91574205
    This account is with HSBC.



    Paypal

    Click the button to donate via Paypal.



    Alternatively, send Paypal donations to ridesheffield@gmail.com using “Friends and Family” if possible please!  Pop a note in the comments box “Greno 2020” and we’ll be sure to match your donation up.



    Commercial donations



    We welcome donations from businesses, along with offers for help other than just funding.  Perhaps you can provide food or tooling for a dig day or can offer prizes for us to run a prize draw for people who’ve donated.
    Please contact ridesheffield@gmail.com to discuss any idea you or your company might have.

    Looking After Greno

    Beyond the Crowdfunder one of the best ways to keep the trails running sweetly well into the future is to get involved in the upkeep of the trails as part of a Ride Sheffield Trail Crew. We would like a dedicated trail crew for Greno and will be make sure that you are fully trained to carry out the work, so if that interests you, please get in touch.

    But for now, donate, spread the word and make Greno great again!

  • Peaty’s Steel City DH: A Spectators Guide

    Peaty’s Steel City DH is a perfectly formed rough diamond is Sheffield’s sporting crown and has been running every spring since 2011. Organised by Peaty (and friends), it takes all the best bits of MTB races that Steve has experienced around the world and puts them into a small woods in Grenoside.

    It has become know as ‘the biggest little race in the world’ and for good reason; It is massively popular with racers, selling out in a matter of minute. It allows rippers (aged 11-12) to race the same course as world champions such as Steve Peat and Tracy Moseley, it also boasts one of the biggest fields of female competitors nationally too.

    Beyond the racers, there is one aspect that has cemented the races reputation as a must do event nationally and that is the atmosphere. With crowds of over 3000 attending the event, the buzz is second to none.

    So if you have not been up to the event before here is all you need to know about planning a trip to the race…. (more…)

  • May Trail Days: Greno

    This month we will be heading up to Greno for our trail days. While the trails are pretty hardwearing and a little rougher than some, they still benefit from a little tic here and there. We will be starting in the Bombhole to make sure it is all looking good for Peaty’s Steel City DH and them working on the Steel City Track before doing a few jobs on the other trails (time permitting) (more…)

  • Peaty’s Steel City DH 2016

    steelcityDH2016_003Its back, bigger better and quite possibly more baltic than ever before!

    “This year’s Steel City Downhill will be awesome. It’s such a great atmosphere for spectators and riders combined – get up there and give the guys a cheer, sample the great food and sink an ale” – Steve Peat

    This amazing event sees 300 racers and over 3000 spectators gather in Grenoside woods each year, attracting mountain bike enthusiasts from across the country. The sixth Steel City Downhill, will be bigger and better than ever before. It’s also extra special as it’s Peaty’s last season before his retirement from competing in World Cups. (more…)

  • April Trail Days – Greno

    DSC_0173For this months trail days we will be doing things a little differently. Now that everywhere is drying out nicely, we can turn our attention to fine tuning! To make sure that the trails in Greno are running sweetly for Peaty’s Steel City DH, we will be holding a couple of evening trail sessions.

    We will be up on the trail on April the 4th and 11th and will aim to start at 5.30pm and work for a couple of hours or until the light fades. We will meet in the car park, but will be easy to find on the trail for those who cannot get up there until later. We will work predominantly on the Steel City track, but may do a little on the other ones if time allows. (more…)

  • February Trail Day – Greno Woods

    Greno3This months trail day will be in Greno Woods on Saturday the 6th. While most of the trails are running pretty well at the moment, there are a few areas that could do with a little tlc to improve drainage etc. We are still waiting on the contractors who did the felling to tidy up the last bit of their work, but as it is too wet for machinery to go in there currently we are just going to have to wait. So there may well be another Greno Trail Day soon. As well as a couple of evening in the run up to the soon to be announced Peaty’s Steel City DH. (more…)