Grantham mountain bikers get a boost after Belvoir Bikepark plans are revealed

Mountain bikers in the Grantham area could be in seventh heaven if a project for an off-road cycling facility goes ahead.

Plans are afoot to create Belvoir Bikepark which will be situated in the Vale of Belvoir.

The ambitious project is the brainchild of Radcliffe on Trent bike shop Creation Cycles.

The shop has been promoting their plans heavily on Facebook and, unsurprisingly, has gained much support from the mountain biking community throughout the East Midlands.

Currently, mountain bikers wanting to ride off-road on purpose built trails have to travel to Sherwood Pines, near Mansfield, so for Grantham bikers the Belvoir Bikepark would be an absolute boon.

The main stumbling block for the organisers is the £500,000 they are hoping to raise via the Crowdfunder website which, so far, has only amassed just short of £6,500. So, they need your help if you are interested.

Liam Dudley, of Creation Cycles, said they have been working on the idea of the bikepark for the last eight months.

He said: "The aim of this project is to deliver a bikepark that caters to everyone – young kids, families, pro riders – and to help us deliver this we've enlisted JP Sculpt who has built the recent trails up in Sheffield, such as Steel City Downhill, and also worked all over the world on other trail-building projects.

"Along with him and a few brands that we're looking to work with, we want to deliver a premium bikepark in the middle of England – something which doesn't exist in our eyes."

Trail-builder JP Sculpt was impressed with the terrain on which Belvoir Bikepark will be situated.

He said: “Walking around the woodland, I was in awe at how beautiful the woods are and how perfect it is for a bikepark. The available terrain is absolutely incredible.

"I’m super excited to play a part in creating what could be amongst the best mountain bike destinations in the UK, and will do everything I can to realise this goal.

"Given there are no bikeparks anywhere close and the project is so close to home, I'm stoked to see this come to life.”

The bike park will consist of 10 downhill trails, with more planned to be added in future years, varying in length from 2-3km per run, and will be uplift assisted and have a shop with café. The trails will range from Green (beginner trails) through to Purple (Pro Lines).

After consultation with the land owners, it has been agreed plans can now start to deliver this project. The aim is to open in the summer of 2024 and be fully operational at that point.

Alongside this, the bike park will offer coaching sessions, chaparones for juniors, summer camps, races and more.

Liam said: "No matter what age or ability, we aim to deliver a exciting environment for people just getting into the sport to those who are seasoned professionals."

To learn more about the project and to help support it happening through Crowdfunder, visit tinyurl.com/BelvoirBikepark