Introducing the new ridge ride trail at Haldon Forest Park

The eagerly awaited and brand new technical Ridge Ride bike trail will officially open on the Forestry Commission estate at Haldon Forest Park near Exeter on Thursday 29 October. In celebration there will be a day of fun activities on offer for the whole family to enjoy. At 12 noon people are invited to join world class Kona rider Grant Fielder on the first ride of the new trail. Grant has been riding bikes professionally for over ten years and has been competing in extreme mountain bike events around the world with the Kona Bicycles team for the last three years. Anyone who wants to ride the trail with Grant should meet at the Rangers Office by 11.55am. After the ride Grant will be demonstrating his amazing bike skills in the main hub area and will be signing autographs. Grant's attendance was arranged by Exeter bike shop Sidwell Cycles who will also have a presence on the day, along with some other local bike shops. Please note that only riders with appropriate bikes and the proper protective equipment will be able to ride the trail. For those unable to bring their bikes, Forest Cycle Hire, based at Haldon Forest Park are now able to hire bikes suitable for the Ridge Ride Trail. In addition they will be offering a 'bike doctor' service, inspecting people's bikes for free and advising on any work that needs doing. There will also be the opportunity to watch footage of Downhill Mountain Biker Tracy Moseley, who races for the Trek World Racing Team riding the trail. For children the Forestry Commission rangers have organised a bike themed treasure hunt on the play trail. Children need to look for the clues to fill in their clue sheet, which will be available from the rangers' office, to claim a prize. As well as serving a range of food and drink inside, The Ridge Café will also be cooking up a storm on an outside barbecue. In addition, The Centre for Contemporary Art & The Natural World (CCANW) are holding a family big draw event with a climate change theme between 10.30am and 3.30pm. The development of bike trail has been made possible thanks to funding from Devon County Council and Devon Renaissance. Money from both also went towards the development of The Ridge Café, which has been open since April this year. Haldon Forest Park Manager, Louise Bell says: "The new bike trail is going to be a huge asset to Haldon Forest Park. It will complement the existing network of trails that we have. The trail is very technical and will appeal to experienced riders whilst the other trails are more for families. “Haldon offers a fantastic value for money day out. There is a range of things for people to do including walking, cycling and orienteering and as entry is completely free, with only a small car parking charge applying - £1.50 for the whole day. In addition we have excellent site partners including the Centre for Contemporary Art & The Natural World, Forest Cycle Hire and Go Ape." Fiona Edwards from Devon Renaissance said: "Devon Renaissance is pleased to be involved with this valuable and exciting project. This world-class off-road cycling trail will stimulate growth of this new and increasingly popular tourism market here in the south west region." Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation, said: "I'm delighted that Devon County Council has been able to help this project. We have been investing in cycling across the county and I'm certain this new cycle trail will have a healthy impact on Devon's economy." Photo by: Mattias Fredriksson Kona Bicycles