New Mountain Bike Trails For Bristol

13 January 2011  |  
New Mountain Bike Trails For Bristol
Two new mountain bike trails are to be built in Bristol, paving the way for the area to become a "celebrated destination" for cyclists of all abilities. The £400,000 trails, which are being built in Ashton Court and Leigh Woods, should be open in the summer of 2011. Bristol's Cycling City project has teamed up with the Forestry Commission, National Trust and the 1 South West cycling initiative to secure the £200,000 in funding needed at each site. The project aims to provide 11km of new or reconstructed cycle trails, most of which will be on or close to existing routes. Project leaders said that the "utmost care" had been taken to ensure that "no detriment happens to the historic, wildlife and other recreational interests of the area". Ecologists from Natural England and North Somerset Council have also had a say in the design. Bristol resident and keen mountain biker, Phil Saxena of Architrail, built the trails - he has also worked on designs including the Beijing Olympics course. "Having ridden my bike here it's great to be such an integral part in raising Bristol's offering in the sport that has given me so much pleasure," he said. "Designing the tracks has been a challenge due to the constraints on the sites but we're planning trails that will get a wide range of riders coming back for more whilst the trails remain robust and sensitive to the landscape and other users." Part of the project will also see a new £500,000 trail centre at Ashton Court, including a cafe and toilets. Facilities will also include golf and cycle hire, with construction work finished by July 2011.

Trails in Article

Ashton Court Mountain Bike Trails

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