BKB - possible temporary trail closure this Sunday

Over at the Hurtwood Ranger's blog, Mark is reporting that BKB may be closed temporarily this Sunday, November 1st, while Mei Black joins the new trail to the old one. I've not been out that way so far this week, and I'm dying to see what Mei and Ian Warby have been working on. Fingers crossed (and based on what Ian and Mei have done in the past, that won't be necessary) the new section will be the goods.

Work on BKB begins

Midway through sorting the berm, originally uploaded by bent udder.

Just a quick note, really. There have already been threads on Singletrack and Bikemagic about the long-awaited changes to the end of BKB, but on Monday, Mei Black finally got the first bucketload out of what will become a new and very shiny ending to BKB, completely replacing the fall line at the end of the trail. More from Hurtwood Ranger Mark Beaumont here.

Mei is doing the building (he's very handy with a tilt bucket excavator) and Ian Warby is managing the overall plan and design. There is likely to be a fair amount of finishing required to the trail afterward, which will need volunteer effort. To register interest for that bit, please send an email to mtbAThurtwoodcontrol.co.uk

Cycleworks break-in - keep an eye out

Muddymoles has the details of a big break-in at Cycleworks this week that saw a bunch of Specialized demo bikes, a pair of Maxle Revs and an Orange Five frame stolen.

There's a PDF on the 'moles site with details of the half-inched bikes and bits - the Specializeds in particular are very distinctive, so please look out for them.

Parklife at the end of summer

Parklife tandem, originally uploaded by bent udder.

Parklife's been getting a lot of traffic this summer, and I was particularly chuffed when Mark and Jon rode down it on a rigid tandem last Saturday. A bit blurry, but hopefully the grins say it all.

Lots of activity

Just a quick update on what's been going on in the area lately.












James May's Lego house build at Denbies' vineyard is slowly getting there.

You may have (heck everyone seems to have) ridden Parklife / Yoghurt Pots recently and noticed a few changes and gradual improvements over the summer. A dedicated summer's worth of Monday night building by Hurtwood Volunteers, including the All Biked Up guys, has left a lovely trail that's riding pretty sweet to say the least. A few tweaks remain, and then it'll be into the winter to see how it all hold up - I for one am expecting great things from the changes over the summer.























Don't forget to go shopping at Peaslake - there's some interesting second hand stuff advertised in the bus shelter.

I can't say much more than this, but the next couple of months will see some changes to the end of BKB, very much for the better. Think more of the same as the rest of the trail, and a much longer trail as an end result. More on this later.

There's also a new mini-shop over at Peaslake in the old Pet Food Shop opposite the Hurtwood Inn. I've had a brief chat with the owner, and it's definitely worth popping in to see what's cooking. The shop is selling quite a wide variety of kit, and there's a workshop service too, with 10 mile radius pickup. It'll be interesting to see how things are going long term.

Speaking of which, Summer Lightning and the rest of the purpose built trails on Leith Hill are holding up well, aside from a tiny bit of jump building. Nothing too hefty, though, which is good to see.

Talking to some of the landowners of bits of Leith over the summer has been really educational too - some pretty hard thinking has gone on, and lots of talking, all with the intention of improving things for cyclists while making sure other users don't lose out in the process. One thing I've noticed of late is that landowners and managers seem to have reached a consensus on how to handle mountain biking on their land - and it's a really positive consensus. The Surrey Hills area is unique in the way land is managed and in the way that owners and managers interact, one of the reasons why we have a great deal more freedom to ride on stuff that is not necessarily a Right of Way. Looking at historical precedents, mountain bikers as a user group have reached acceptance far quicker than ramblers - partly thanks to the way the Ramblers Association went about gaining acceptance itself in the 1920s.

If you're out on the hills and bump into a ranger, forester or landowner, then find out for yourself first hand.

I think that's it for now - I'm off out to make use of the last of the summer. The trails should be nice and tacky at the moment - little bit of rain over the past few days. Have fun!

Straight outta Portland

I got some words for ya hipsters, go out and get some brakes and some shifters...

Look ma, we're famous!

OK, nothing new *really*, but The Grauniad has just published one of its lovely web-based maps, this time of top places to ride in the UK (linky pinched from the Muddy Moles).

A there-and-back route from Dorking / Westcott is included, taking in Summer Lightning (true to historical Guardian tradition, this is spelled Summer Lightening - we feel blessed!) and BKB, and mentioning the Peaslake Deli's magnificent cheese straws and tea.

While the cuppas come in for praise, the cheese straws are merely mentioned, which is a shame bearing in mind their addictive qualities. As someone once said, the heroin's in the last bite.

Local shops Nirvana Cycles and Head For The Hills get a mention, too.

Well worth having a rummage 'round the Google Maps - based page, although there don't appear to be actual route maps, so this is really a bit more of a list of great places to ride. That said, there's some truly inspiring stuff in there.