The snow has gone at last and I’ve put plenty of new dates up for ‘Stop Crashing’ my fundamental mountain biking skills course. There are also new dates up for the ‘Flow’ and the ‘Black Magic’ courses which are the next, more advanced level. All courses are run at both Lee Quarry and Gisburn Forest

Great news from Tony Lund, the Lancashire County Council Countryside Officer, about new trail building.

“First some news about trail building, tenders came back in just before Christmas and Back On Track (Rowan Sorrell’s crew) have won both the tender for new trails in Lee Quarry and for the new trails in Cragg Quarry. The plan is for them to get started on the trail construction just as soon as the snow and ice have gone. So all being well we should have some spangley new trails ready for use April/May this year.”

As well as running my skills courses and private days I’m going to be working as part of Rowan’s team on the trail building project. This is a great opportunity for me and I’m really going to know these trails inside out. The new skills area at Lee Quarry will be one of my main training locations.

As well as five new skills lines featuring drop offs, tabletops and berms there are also plans to build a Pump Track at Lee Quarry. Work should be complete by April this year. Cragg Quarry will also be developed with red and black graded trails and Rowan thinks that this area will be the jewel in the crown of the whole project so far. Think rollers, berms, jumps and tons of flow all with the biggest views you can imagine. There are also plans to form a volunteer trail building group for the area to help shape the trails that we will be riding in the future. More details will emerge over the next few weeks.

Don’t forget as well that the Singletrack Classic Weekender is approaching. Tickets are already on sale and I will of course be helping and will have a role in the lead up, as well as at the event itself.

I think it’s going to be a busy year!