The ‘complete closure’ of Macclesfield Forest following Storm Emma has raised a few eyebrows, so I called United Utilities to find out more

Talking to United Utilities I’m assured that the whole forest is not closed – just a number of sections of footpaths and bridleways. These sections are where there has been a significant fall of trees – at times in the hundreds on single sections alone – and United Utilities’ harvesting team need to do a considerable amount of work to tracks or make safe sections where there are still branches and trees overhead at risk of falling.

I’m told that the biggest problem they are facing at the moment is people removing tape or signage explaining what’s going on and there is a legitimate safety concern about users on those paths. It’s not in their interest to simply blanket close paths and that’s not what’s going on.

I’m  also assured me that these closures are not a stepping stone to removing access to any user group in the forest. It’s purely so they can manage the removal, making safe and tidying of the hundreds of trees that have fallen throughout the forest. It will be restored to absolutely how it was before, I understand.

It sounds like the biggest challenge is that there are simply so many trees down that the closures and diversions seem like a blanket. It might take a while to sort it all out so the best advice is follow the signs on the paths and anticipate your planned Macc Forest ride might be affected.

I’ll stay in touch with UU plc to keep you updated.

Featured image: The copyright on this image is owned by Mike Shields and is licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 license.

KoftheP

 

 

 

 

• Mend Our Mountains campaign
• Sheffield Adventure Film Festival (SHAFF)

The Mend Our Mountains Cut Gate appeal has got off to a flying start. With donations coming in from all corners it’s great to see the mountain bike community embrace it and play their part in protecting this iconic trail.

But there’s still a long way to go – which is why it’s great to see support from Nottingham Bike shop Adrenaline Cycles.

Kevin has offered £5 off a basic service for anyone contributing to the #cutgate pot . So if you’re down that way and need a bike servicing, do your bit for Cut Gate and get clean bill of health for your bike!

Details here

Adrenaline Cycles on Facebook

Cheers Adrenalin Cycles!

 

• What do you mean you haven’t heard of the Cut Gate thing? Get on this! http://mendmountains.thebmc.co.uk/portfolio-item/cut-gate/

As you know, KoftheP is a simple idea; you ride your bike and then tweet what the conditions were like on the ground. On the back of that riders can choose where to ride so that it’s not just a slog through mud. Also, the muddy bits get chance to recover.

Pretty simple.

But the Twitter feed only hits certain people, and rarely non-bikers. So it’s important to be able to take what we all do to those other groups.

The Cut Gate thing has been ace in showing that we are a responsible bunch and has led to some great conversations with other users. I’m looking forward to seeing that collaboration grow.

But it’s brilliant too to get the message into the mainstream media and maybe into the minds of those who perhaps have a different, less positive view of the mountain biking community.

You might have seen this week’s Sheffield Telegraph where I’m posing badly and freezing my tweets off. It was in The Star too.

It’s a small thing but hopefully it’ll get into non-riders’ minds that we’re a decent bunch really and we can all get on on the trails and more importantly; work together to improve them.

So that’s why I’m in the paper.

You know all the stuff going on locally that shows what mountain bikers do for the area – you just need to look at Peak District MTB’s and Ride Sheffield’s pages for examples on the ground.

If you want science, you can look at the work of Marion & Wimpey, Pickering et al or Thurston and Reader to know that the impact we all have on the landscape is comparable.

But ultimately it’s better just to have a chat, do our bit for the Peak District and to put it simply: Be Nice, Say Hi and always wear your pants on the outside.

*thanks David Bocking for the piece and Sheffield Telegraph and The Star for running the story.

Apologies Shed Seven and Adam West.

 

It’s fair to say that in the last few years, the relationship between the local mountain biking community and Derbyshire County Council has not been where anybody would like it to be. We all know the history and ongoing tussles, but we keep on keeping on, hoping that as we continue to demonstrate how well a relationship can work that things may just improve.

With the local elections this summer came a change of leadership at Derbyshire County Council. With new people at the top, could we do something to reset the relationship and change the way we work together. Worth a try eh?

 

Following the election I* contacted the leader of the council – via Twitter – to see if we could look at how we work together and try to improve things. He responded positively and, following a few weeks of trying to line up diaries, yesterday I headed off to the council offices for a chat with the acting cabinet member for Highways at Derbyshire County Council.

And it was a good meeting.

I can’t go into too much detail about what we discussed – nor would I want to over promise anything – but rest assured that I’m confident that we’ll begin seeing some positive changes in how DCC works with us.

No cards were left off the table, nothing was glossed over. I had an incredibly frank and open discussion about how we’ve found ourselves in this situation, how we think things can be better, how we’d like to see things improve and what we as a community can do to help.

And yes, we did talk about Chapel-en-le-Frith BOAT 144 aka Rushup.

So, watch this space. I came out of the meeting feeling very positive about what we can do and in the coming weeks I should be able to share more. I’ll also be at the Peak District MTB AGM next week, so if you’d like to talk to me about it, join up and come along.

Oh, and it’s the third anniversary of the Rushup debacle on Monday – what a birthday present eh?

 

*To clear up any confusion – KoftheP (me) got in touch with DCC, but I happen to be on the PDMTB committee too so could draw on the strength of both groups in the conversation. It’s all pulling in the same direction! 

 

There are some very exciting things happening in the advocacy world at the minute. 

Firstly, the Cycling UK campaign to open up the trails across Wales. It feels like we’re on the cusp of another huge step forward that’s right up there with the Land Reform Act which opened Scotland up and – dare I say it – the Kinder Mass Trespass of 1932, which gave us the access to moors we cherish today. 

If it turns out as we hope, the trails of Wales  will open to riders, bar a few exemptions. 

What a coup that would be. 

Secondly, Open MTB. They are a uniting force for the various MTB groups out there and provide a single, coordinated voice for our efforts.

And finally, those efforts themselves. Up and down the country more and more riders are getting involved in stuff that puts mountain biking in a really positive light – from big projects like the Wales campaign down to even the simplest thing like picking up litter on a trail. Join your local advocacy group to get involved. 

I don’t know about you, but it feels like it’s working. I’ve had far fewer difficult conversations with other users out on the trails; the conversations with authorities are much easier and they’re open to us leading thinking on things; the support we’re getting is increasing in formally opposed places. Am I being overly optimistic? Naive? Maybe, but as the popularity of mountain biking increases and the Be Nice Say Hi/Don’t be a d***/rider responsibility ethos gets out there more and more, it really feels to me that things are looking good for the years ahead. 

What do you think? 

Today I had the brilliant news that I was nominated for a Singletrack Magazine Reader Award for Best Online Service. Though I knew a couple of people were intending on nominating me (thank you!), I never thought I’d be shortlisted as a finalist. And to be nominated alongside such brilliant services as the Ordnance Survey and SixthElement is astounding. Thank you.

But it’s not really a vote for me. It’s a vote for you. KoftheP is you – every single one of you who takes that few moments to drop me an update on your ride. That little update you send in has a massive impact, not only for the places you ride or your fellow riders who use your update to decide where to go for a pedal; but also for mountain bikers as a whole.

Your tweet shows that we care about where we ride, that we’re responsible, and that we will play a part in looking after it. That has helped to unlock a huge load of positive responses from formerly challenging groups.

There’s more to do of course, but that’s all part of the fun. And what can you do to help? Just keep on tweeting to KoftheP.

Thank you all – it really means a lot.

Oh, and vote!!!!! Go and vote for Keeper of the Peak in the Singletrack Reader Awards.

 

Thanks as always to Peak District MTB, Ride Sheffield and the Peak District National Park Authority for your support.

I’ve noticed something with my riding in recent years; with the pressures of work, family, jobs….life, the much needed therapy of a ride gets squeezed in when possible. Or squeezed out entirely.

My rides are no longer lazy explorations of the peak, instead they’re highlights packages – a frantic blast to the best descent, bish bash bosh, back to it.

So it’s a refreshing change to take the foot off the accelerator, pick up a map and go out and explore some trails which I’ve not ridden for many years, if at all. And that was tonight.

A few fun descents, some steady climbs, grassy meadows, sheep, deer, cows, tonnes of flies and not another person in sight. It was bliss.

A quick run along the old railway (dodging the army cadets) and I was soon on perfect meadow singletrack. Ignoring the clouds of flies buzzing round my head, the ride couldn’t have been more picturesque. No rush to the descent – just a bimble along in a field, up the farm track and over towards Haddon Hall.

You notice things when you ride like that, like the single-prop plane sitting in one of the meadows ready for take off. I think the guy who saw me taking a photo thought I was going to nick it. Little sights make for a memorable ride.

More bimbling and Chatsworth soon came into view, the stately home and the tea rooms of Edensor a welcome change from the spin out over Houndkirk. Jumps and dodging sheep on the drop to the road a very different experience to the gritstone rock of the Dark Peak.

Of course, it’s still nice to have a little bit of a blast in a ride and the golf course descent at Bakewell fits the bill nicely, and pops you out just by the railway again for a spin back to the car; satisfied, relaxed, bimbled.

So give it a go. Pick up a map and string some bridleways together. Embrace the bimble.

This post in honour of @grumpytechnoph1 – get well soon old chap. It’s quieter on the twitter without you riding!