Black Canon Collective

Category: The Allotment

  • Small steps…

    One of our targets has been to get a permanent XC trail implemented in the area . The benefits of this, if done right, are huge and so it’s been no secret that we’ve been pushing hard (behind the scenes) to make it happen. We’re not there yet, in fact we’re barely at the start of this project but I can now say that we’ve passed a couple of key mile stones: 

     

    1. We now have a verbal agreement (from Longleat) to route a trail through the surrounding woodland, pending a detailed review of our plans.
    2. We are in talks with an expert trail builder who is wiling to be involved in the design and construction of such a trail.

     

    These may seem to be small steps, especially seeing as neither is more than a promise to consider our plans. But I can’t emphasise enough how many pitfalls there are to realising such a project  – so any hint of good news is good news in my book.

    By securing the input of someone who really knows what makes a good trail we can be sure that no matter how big the area, or small the hill we can build something to be proud of.  So a few months back we contacted Russell Burton who agreed to meet up for a walk around the allotment and a chat. Russell, who lives local to the area, seemed excited by what we were attempting and happy to help out. At this stage we had nothing but a pipe dream, no commitment from Longleat just an idea. But now that Longleat have agreed with our plans in principle, now we’re cooking!

    So, since speaking with Longleat we’ve sourced a detailed map of the woodland, marked up the area we intend to use and sent Russell an e-mail outlining a basic brief (click here: Dear Russell… to see the e-mail) to get the ball rolling. Nothing is confirmed nor is any one’s involvement guaranteed but we’re making progress and must attempt to maintain this momentum.

    We’ll be detailing the progress of this, and all our other projects, here on the website so check back to see how we’re getting on.  If you have any questions, suggestions or would like to help then please contact me via phone or e-mail.

  • Licence fee

    Longleat have now sent the invoice for our licence fee. Due to an extended period of felling and general disruption to our activities they have very generously discounted the fee to £250 for this first year!

    The licence will be renewed from June the 1st this year but crucially will be a 3 year licence, this commitment from Longleat is a really good sign of how well we’ve worked together and their confidence in us. Well done everyone involved!

  • Every Cloud…

    Friday nights rainfall caused problems for a lot of people.

    The allotment got its fair share resulting in some pretty impressive ruts, mini lakes and silty swamps.

    But if it wasn’t for the water leaving a trail on its way down the hill we’d never have known where to dig drainage, every cloud……

    We worked all day to weather proof 143; we dug drainage, built a water bar, rebuilt ‘flip flop’ from scratch, re-routed the very bottom section and gave everything else a good rake and shape.

    We all stopped for lunch, ate sausages and drank tea. 

    By the end of the day it looked like new, better even, it was just begging to be ridden.

    Chris, Jack and co worked hard to make the most of the soft conditions and dug all day at the jump spot. It’s gonna be ace by spring time.

    Sunday saw some new faces, some old and some who looked like they should have drunk less the night before.

    We rode all day, crashed a bit but made the most of our new old trail.

    I must admit to wanting it to rain, in the same way that you do when you have a new coat, I wanted to test out our newly weather proof trail. 

    It didn’t though, it stayed dry and fast and we kept on going until we couldn’t see where the hell we were going.

    This is what the weekend is for.

    P.S. Kudos to Rob for doing the mini step!

  • Magic

    Last weekend’s dig and ride days were a great success…

    We got loads done thanks to a really good turnout and some ace sausages (thank you Mark)! 

    By mid day on Sat we’d significantly improved the drainage on both BBMS and Spoons then raked and remarked both.

    The afternoon was spent renovating 143; an old favourite with lots of flow, some nice undulating corners and floaty jumps.

    The jump spot was also the subject of some hard graft thanks to Chris, Garry, Jack and the other usual suspects. 

    Over the course of the weekend we met 10 new people, 1 even helped dig all day Sat despite having hoped to ride (thanks Adam!) and has since joined along with two of the others.

    It’s great to see that we’re still growing despite the time of year.

    To see so many people getting stuck in is also fantastic, it’s what we need if we’re going to succeed.

    Sunday was spent riding the trails, unsurprisingly 143 saw the most action leading to a relaxed day of sessioning and the freelap staying in my bag.

    There’s something magical about riding homegrown trails with friends, and what a large group of friends this is becoming….

  • If you go down to the…

     

    … woods today (well tomorrow),

    You’re sure of a big surprise (hopefully not that big especially as we do this every month).

    If you go down to the woods today (again it’s actually tomorrow),

    You’d better go in disguise (although funny some warm clothes would probably be better).

    For every member that ever there was (we hope)

    Will gather there for certain because

    Today’s the day (see comments above) the BCC members work on their allot-ment.

     

    (You can make up your own second verse)

     

    Sausage time for me-mbers;

    The BCC members are having a lovely time today (I can’t emphasise enough that it’s not actually today).

    Help them build some super lush trails,

    And see them work hard on this Saturday.

    See them gaily gad about (unlikely…).

    They love to eat and dig,

    They’ll be wearing lots of layers.

    At four o’clock they’ll pack up and leave

    They’ll go off home to bed (they’ll probably eat dinner and watch some TV first)

    Because they’re tired BCC me-mbers.

  • Leeks, cabbage and brussel sprouts


    In the short time that we’ve been working on our little allotment it’s been very fruitful; 

    We’ve had days of digging, riding and banter

    We’ve jumped, drifted, crashed and tried again

    We’ve sawn, raked, dug then raked some more

    We’ve eaten sausages, cakes, pasties and drunk tea

    We’ve had a blast!

    But Winter is now here, a time to prepare for the spring and summer ahead; when the real harvest can be had

    Our existing trails aren’t yet robust enough to be reaped all year round so we must step back to see how we can improve them

    We must improve drainage, collect wood and make markings

    It’s the time to build shelters,  dig more drainage and gather rocks

    Most importantly; it’s the time to plan ahead

    Over the next two months we will be forming and then committing to a plan for the entire allotment, an exciting prospect, but one of such importance

    We have a growing membership base, pledged support from a renowned trail builder and importantly; we’ve just negotiated a 3 year licence

    We also have a blank canvas on which to work, and heaps of enthusiasm

    Please help us to make the right decisions by telling us what you think we should create, how and where (just leave a comment below)

  • Great potential…

    Today Neil, Ian and I were lucky enough to walk around the allotment with a renowned trail builder.

    We had our eyes opened to just how big an asset our little area of woodland is, what great potential it holds and how lucky we are to have it.

    We were mesmerised by how much there is to learn about building truly sustainable trails, and how simple changes can make the difference between a great trail and one doomed to erode.

    We came away from our walk with a new found enthusiasm but twice as many questions as we’d had answered. 

    Our plan now is simple; identify what everybody wants from our little allotment then work hard to make it happen.

    What’s great is that this particular trail builder wants to be a part of what we’re doing, something we could only dream of not so long ago.

    Today was a very good day.

  • Many hands make light work…

    Since the formation of the BCC and in particular since we took control of the allotment we have come across a fantastic amount of support and encouragement from our fellow mountain bikers. As a result we have grown and continue to grow as people join us all with the aspiration to develop our little allotment and meet some other like minded people.

    However we have also come across a very small number of people who have found it hard to grasp the concept of what we are doing.

    This could be for a number of reasons; perhaps we are not communicating our motives well enough or perhaps our motives simply do not fall in line with as many people as we had imagined. Either way I feel it’s important to make a few points clear:

    1. We are not charging for any reason other than to cover our costs.
    2. We are not trying to sell the use of two short DH courses for £35, this is the cost of a full membership based upon our projected membership numbers and first year costs.
    3. We have not placed a value on this opportunity to build a local, purpose built MTB venue, as stated above the membership fee is purely based on our costs, these will change each year based on the club’s expenses and membership numbers – the more members we have the more likely it is the cost will come down, as the big expenses would be divided between us all.

    You will notice the fact that these three points are all very similar – if not the same – however they do seem to be queried (in that order) by a few people. I hope that the above answers clear up any misunderstanding.

    Something else that has been said is “I would join but there’s not much there yet, so what’s the point?” Well the point is simple; it’s an opportunity to be a part of creating a local, purpose built MTB venue. Now I know that course building isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but surely the end goal is sufficiently attractive that people will be enthused to work at achieving it. The alternative is to let others (the BCC) do all the hard work and then later reap the rewards. Rather than complain that only two trails currently exist why not join up and help out? That way the rate of progress will increase and we will reach our shared goal far quicker.

    For those who wish that they had a place to ride, or get tired of having their illegal work destroyed by a land owner but haven’t joined up yet because there’s not much on offer –  this is your opportunity to contribute to a solution.

    Remember that our motive is simple; to create a place to legally ride our mountain bikes –  something we are moving towards nicely with the help and dedication of our current members.

  • Great Weekend…

    Thanks to everyone for all their hard work, I’m really pleased that everyone enjoyed themselves so much – makes it all worthwhile. 

    Both days had a great relaxed atmosphere with banter and conversation being just as cool as actually riding. Spoons and BBMS are like new – each riding fast and maturing nicely. Rudolph got the go ahead and will be a great addition, with work already under way on its build, and the jump spot is progressing fantastically. 

    Wills riding effort was v impressive, as was his eagerness to do his fair share.
    Bens commitment to ‘pinning it’ was a cut above, as always, his shear passion for the BCC, and good sportsmanship.
    Staceys effort whilst carrying his son on his back and Darrens with his injured shoulder.
    Garry with his kind generosity (gotta love sausages!) and tree hugging screams.
    Tom for always taking pics that capture the day.
    Chris for sorting out our freelap.
    All the dirt jumpers for creating a monster.
    Neil, Rob and Ian for their high standards and always giving their all – raking till their forearms are ready to pop.
    And of course everyone else for getting involved.

    Our new timing system was fantastic, allowed everyone to set personal goals and wind eachother up. Expect some club races in the near future…

    Ben and Will were chosen as the joint winners of the prize draw due to their unrivaled passion and commitment. Ben won the coin toss but gave Will the tyres feeling that he deserved them more, a very kind gesture that captured the mood of the weekend; everyone pulling in the same direction, egging eachother on and giving their all.

    Great weather, great people and great sausages!

    Bring on the next club weekend…

  • Diggity

    It’s that time again…

    As you are all aware this months dig day is Saturday 11th and we have quite a bit to do!

    The day will start at 09:00 at the ‘Allotment’ and will run until 16:00 ish (as it’ll be getting dark and some will want to tart themselves up for the NWD9 premier in Bath).

    The agenda is as follows:

    1. Registration
    2. Safety Talk
    3. Walk and roll through the proposed ‘Rudolph’ line (vote on it’s creation)

    Then we’ll all spilt up into groups to work on the following:

    • Tidy existing tracks (raking, course marking etc)
    • Erect the last two signs
    • Collect all fallen wood and cut into usable lengths then pile near the Jump spot
    • More digging at the Jump spot
    • And depending on the outcome of the ‘Rudolph’ vote we’ll have a team working its creation.

    Please bring your own tools, though remember – no power tools (Fin!). Park sensibly as per the club rules and try to car share wherever possible. Importantly you’ll need to bring your own food and drink as the club won’t be providing either this time. Sorry.

    We look forward to meeting the new members and really hope you can all make it. If you aren’t a member yet then please also come along we’ll be pleased to meet you and show you what we’re doing.

    Cheers!