Bikers Urged To Join Final Push To Complete Trails

The deluge of rain over the past two months has done nothing to dampen the spirits of Kielder's pioneering mountain bike trail builders. Later this month, 15 kilometres of new bike trails will be opened on schedule, stretching from Kielder Castle to the 2,000 foot summit of Deadwater Fell. They include a cross country route and a technically demanding "black" rated detour. The mammoth project has been undertaken by the Kielder Trail Reavers working with the Forestry Commission and Kielder Partnership. Now the call has gone out for bikers to lend a hand with the final trail building weekend on 21 and 22 July, when the finishing touches will be put to the most ambitious project of its kind ever undertaken locally. Alex MacLennan, Recreation and Tourism Manager with the Forestry Commission, said: "The trails have been 18 months in the making and I'm delighted to say that they have survived everything the weather has thrown at them. There’s been very little wash-out of the surfaces, which bodes well for our pledge to create an all weather, year-round attraction. But there’s lots of tweaking still to be done before the grand opening and the more bikers that can help the easier it will be." The official launch of the new route is on Monday, 23 July. Bikers joining the final trail building sessions, which meet at the Forestry Commission depot in Kielder at 10am, will be able to enjoy a sneak preview and ride some of the sections. The project has been backed by Defra, One NorthEast and the Northumberland Strategic Partnership (NSP). For more information contact Alex MacLennan on 01434 220242, or visit www.kieldertrailreavers.com