Got this a few days ago... it has been in the pipe line for some time now... i have walked the planned course and it looks good (if a little short), lets just hope it will turn out as good as some of the other trail centers Dafydd has built... For all who want to have their say then Tuesday 5th August, 7.30pm-9.00pm, at Exeter Racecourse is the place to do it...

I didnt think this was going to get off the ground... but they are going public now... sweet.

Neil.

Dear cyclist,

Over the past 12 months international mountain bike trail builder Dafydd Davis has been assessing and planning the future of the cycle trail network at Haldon Forest Park, for the benefit of all ages and abilities.

All cyclists with an interest in the trails are invited to a meeting to hear about the results, where Dafydd and Forestry Commission staff will be on hand to explain and answer any questions.

Help us to achieve a fun, sustainable, world-class trail network, and come along to this evening meeting:

Tuesday 5th August, 7.30pm-9.00pm, at Exeter Racecourse. Signs will direct you to the Best Mate Room from the car park.

Attached are directions to the racecourse, and a poster for the event. Please feel free to circulate this e-mail among your members, customers, and contacts - all cyclists welcome.

It is not necessary to book, but if you are able to indicate whether you will be attending, and how many from your group will be with you, it will help us with our arrangements. Simply reply to this e-mail.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Regards,

All the staff at Haldon Forest Park

Yea saw they had closed that way off.  bloody buggers

A new trail.  THat will be cool.  Or could be anyway.  WIll try get along to it to see what they have planned.

Hopefully it will be either a dh track or somehting full of jumps and rally flowy

Went to the meeting...

Was interesting. Dafydd has done an assessment of the hill. Came to the conclusion it is too small, not the right geology and has too many conflicts for the number of people that use the hill.

He went on to say the trail riders and free riders make up a small % of the people using the hill, with the largest demographic being dog walkers and family cyclists.

he is going bridge the gap between the easy trails and the red run with a network of green and blue graded runs.

The red run will be scrapped, the rat run will be landscaped and put out of action, in its place will be an 8km red grade trail. Natural looking, to the north of the carpark, about 5-8% and will make use of the topo with a long downhill to the free ride area (which is getting its own carpark).

There is also going to be a short black where the helter-skelter was.

Now sounds good on paper. Points of note were the trails on the south side wont get touched, the berm’s are staying but all "unofficial trails" on the north side will be re-landscaped. There is a lot of land up there... but the bits they can use (eg not leasehold / sssi / other use's) limits the scope.

Going to cost 500K ... and they are sourcing funding at the moment. Should be complete by March next year.

When construction is underway, dont ride the new trails until they are finished... apparently it buggers them right up... (due to the way they are made)

There is prob some stuff i forgot... but it made sense... there were a few questions put to Di that made me think. "were you listening for the last 1hr"

shame they haven’t got access to the rest of the land to the west and over the cafe. From a personal perspective it is a bit of disappointment, as I want afan on my doorstep, but that cant happen and I understant why, from the community viewpoint it is the best thing that could have happened up there…

hope that clears it up.

Unfortunately I think haldon will just be a wast of time for anyone into dh or even free ride.

Glad to hear they are going to bridge the gap between the family/adventure runs and the red run.  Something I always thought it lacks.

The thing that really bugs me is that they wont allow us (the forrestry commision, not the builders) to build decent dh, freeride trails legally.

The one we do build they then decide to destroy.  What the hell do they expect us to ride.  The freeride area can be fun for a few hours but nothing to keep interested for longer than that.

Something needs to be sorted locally as the closest decent legal place is both lots of tavi

couldnt agree more
yer, however, the area has a load of people using it - but all of the people cant be pleased all of the time.

I hope it continues to grow. As Gav said, intrest will take off again and things will get built.

Gav if ya want ... come over the cafe... the other gav and my mate Jay have been hard at work over there... a small but fun set of trails.

Heard that to. But hey thats all conjectural. Jay met the land owner there while he was walking his dog, and he was all cool with the building... so long as the place didnt get trashed / litter and no shore. Thats what annoyed him last time. Hope it doesnt get destroyed. Dont know what the FC make of it all.