Mountain Bike Skills

Mountain biking trails in Rivington - latest development

A MEETING was held at the Tatton Community Centre in Chorley to discuss the trail development at Healy Nab.

Plans have been drawn up and a decision made to work with Terra Firma and Rowan Sorrell.

And there is a possibility that more negotiations could be undertaken with United Utilities for more down hill trails.

The discussions took place on November 24 between 2pm - 4pm. Representatives of Friends of Healey Nab, Countryside Services, and bikers turned out including two representatives from local mountain biking group Groovy Tribe.

Ian Hart, Lancashire Countryside Service West Pennine Moors, is overseeing work to build new trails around Healy Nab on the West Penine Moors. from the council first reported how he was getting on trying to get Rowan Sorrell, and Terra Firma to speak in order to ensure a chain of approvals from designer to finished trail.

 Plans and mapping for the proposed trails were tabled.

Tracy Moseley talks career and Lycra

THE 2007 UCI World Cup Champion Tracy Moseley revealed plenty of tails from the trails last night in Kendal.

The straight talking mountain biker talked to a packed audience at Kendal's Town Hall as part of the Mountain Bike Festival Night.

The home-grown star chatted about how she got into mountain biking by following her brothers and his mates onto the trails.

And revealed what life is like as professional female biker.

She also talked openly about her opinions on trail development, her winter training - which includes swimming, weights and off-road running - the strains of life on the circuit which runs from April to September and the controversial decision to ban Lycra from future competitions.

A recording of Tracy Moseley's Q&aA Session is available here!

Car parking in Rivington

An excellent round-up about car parking proposals in Rivington. With sincere thanks...

Protest to Go Ape in Rivington

FRIENDS of Lever Park will be holding a demonstration in opposition of Go Ape this month.

 

The active group, which cares passionately about the development of Rivington, near Manchester, will be gathering on November 16 at the Lower Barn from 12.30pm.

 The issue of a development on a site which is already beleagured with parking problems and environmental damage has caused feelings to run high.

There are at least two petitions in operation - regarding Go Ape and Ride Rivi. Ride Rivi was set up by Mountain Bike Skills to encourage the authorities in the area to focus on facilities for mountain bikers.

It appeals for a bike wash and attention to more bridelways as well as concerns over parking. A Facebook group has also been created.

Mountain biking in Rivington

WHERE and how mountain bikers should be allowed to enjoy their sport is the subject of much debate in forums and local blogs.

And now nearly 100 people have joined a Facebook group called Save Mountain Biking in Rivington.

The Friends of Lever Park have an animated post and comment on the subject this week. One writer, James Hillman, posted:

Whilst I understand that some of the illegal routes taken by mountain bikes are causing damage and are potentially dangerous I believe that a programme of dedicated bike trail building in some lesser used areas of wood and moorland (e.g. wilderswood, moses cocker plantation, the plantation between the school and wilderswood or healy nab) would benefit all by providing challenging terrain for the bikers and spreading the impact on the moor sensitive and over-used area of the park.

Another said:

I’m sure that cycling around the park and other areas of Rivington Estate have been enjoyed since the early part of the last century, and mountain biking is a progression of that activity. It is an area that naturaly lends itself to mountain biking, however, what we have to consider here is ‘revenue’. I don’t think it too strong a statement to say that United Utilities currently fail in there attempts at effective park management. I agree that they could and should carry out work to create an effective mountain biking course as you suggest. But they won’t, because there is no mileage in it, more importantly, there is no revenue in it. Shudder the thought that UU should do anything that wouldn’t in some way feed the ever hungry shareholders. They continue to profess that they need to commercialise to fund park management. They are a multi-national company of unbelievable financial proportions, if they can’t afford it, God help us all.

Grizedale closed to mountain bikers

MOUNTAIN bikers might want to plan ahead - bridleways around Grizedale will be out of action on November 29.

Much of Grizedale Forest will be out of bounds to bikers as more than 100 rally cars thunder round the Cumbrian tracks which will be shut off to the public for safety reasons.

5,000 spectators are also expected, so if it’s peace and quiet you’re after, avoid Grizedale at the end of November.

The Grizedale Stages event takes place on Saturday 29 November.

All footpaths, bridleways and trails between Coniston Water and the Hawkshead to Satterthwaite road will be out of bounds, along with two on Broughton Moor.

Forestry Commission open access land and permissive paths in the area will also be closed.

Trail wardens will be working to make sure signs will be in place to warn of the closures and authorities say the routes will be reopened as soon as possible.

The Lake District national park’s access and rights of way officer, Nick Thorne apologised for any inconvenience.

He said: “We really have no option but to put public safety first. “It would present a serious risk if people were to carry on using the rights of way when the rally is in progress.”

Katie Jarvis, recreation ranger for the Forestry Commission added: “The rally is a great event to watch, but for those who would rather walk or mountain bike there are alternative routes on the east side of the Hawkshead to Satterthwaite road.”

The 2008 rally will be the 21st time the event has run. It is expected to attract 135 competing crews and will be staffed by 400 marshals and other officials.

Mountain bike accident at Rivington

THE injured mountain biker who fell at Rivington was a member of Clitheroe Bike Club.

Mum-of-two Sarah Nock, 33, suffered a broken collar bone and cuts and bruises to her arms and legs when she cam off her mountain bike negotiating the steep descent from the pike.

Emergency crews, including Bolton Mountain Rescue Team, attended the scene of the accident, on Sunday October 12, and

Sarah, a former pupil of St Augustine's RC High School, Billington, was air-lifted to the Royal Blackburn Hospital for treatment.

Sarah, a deputy headteacher at Great Harwood Primary School, is recovering at home in Pimlico Road.

The keen indoor climber, who completed four triathlons earlier year, said: "I feel very lucky to have escaped serious injury.

I am an experienced mountain biker so couldn't quite understand what happened."

It happens to everyone, Sarah. We hope you are back in the saddle soon.

Read more in the Clitheroe Advertiser

Injured cyclists at Rivington

TWO accidents in a week at Rivington are a stark reminder that people must ride within their means.

One woman was dramatically rescued from the pike after trying to negotiate the descent from the top, down the slabs.

The section is relatively technical and requires a degree of commitment as the majority is off cambar.

The 33-year-old woman was cycling with two friends when she fell off her mountain bike at the 1,000ft Rivington Pike, near Bolton.

One of the party used a mobile phone to raise the alarm shortly after noon on October 12.

Police and Bolton Mountain Rescue Team rushed to the scene and the North West Air Ambulance was scrambled from Blackpool.

Greater Manchester Police also dispatched the force helicopter. The woman was winched up into the helicopter and taken to hospital in Blackburn with a broken collarbone.

The descent has become rutted at the bottom, too.

On October 19 another mountain biker was taken to hospital after an accident in Rivington.

Bolton Mountain Rescue Team, which was taking part in an exercise in the area, was alerted to the incident.

The 30-year-old biker sustained injuries to his left hip in the accident near Lever Park, on lower terrain.

He was taken by mountain rescuers to a waiting ambulance at Rivington Hall Barn, which took him to the Royal Preston Hospital. Image courtesy of Manchester Evening News.