Many car owners are finding it increasingly difficult to afford the cost of filling up their vehicles on a regular basis and are instead turning to alternative modes of transport such as mountain bikes and ride bikes to save money.

The new facility, which is set to be the largest in North Wales, will consist of four mountain bike trails, an uplift road and 300 parking spaces. A visitor centre is also being built at Llechwedd including a café, conference facilities, bike workshop and areas for cyclists to shower and wash their bikes.

Several prominent members of Team GB were present to see the unveiling of the course which will host two days of mountain biking on 11th and 12th August. Work began on the site in July 2010 and has been completed in time for a test event on 31^st July this year.

Lord Coe, London 2012 Chairman is delighted with the results and predicts that it will be one of the must-see events at next year’s games:

“I am very grateful to Essex County Council and to the Salvation Army for their hard work in making this venue happen.

“The course is challenging with multiple climbs and descents for the riders to tackle and I believe that the mountain bike competition will be one of the most exciting events at the London 2012 Olympic Games.”

There is a six-week window in which interested buyers have the opportunity to buy tickets for all road, track, BMX and cross-country mountain bike events. The ticket buying process ends on 26^th April.

Anyone wanting to purchase a ticket is advised to sign up to the London 2012 ticketing database now at http://www.tickets.london2012.com/

She decided to show the national cyclist’s organisation, the CTC, her support in order to encourage more people to take to their bikes.

“I’m getting involved because anything that showcases pothole repairs and encourages councils to improve their roads has to be a good thing for both cyclists and motorists. We have to make our roads safer and more accessible for cyclists who often lack confidence to ride their bikes in and around urban areas because of poor road surfaces.”

Councils across the country will be judged on their willingness to repair potholes and will be awarded according to their performance. This action comes as a result of research which has shown that every mile of local authority-owned road in England and Wales has an average of 10 potholes.

Armstrong, who is currently competing in the Tour Down Under, his last competitive ride outside of the US, also donated £31,000 of his money towards the cause and was overwhelmed by the response to his appeal.

“We’re here to let the people of Queensland know that you are not going to be forgotten. We are all thinking about you, we’re all riding for you and we’re raising money for you. As an American it’s amazing to see the solidarity that goes on in Australia.”

The American, who has since alleged that Lance Armstrong was also involved in doping while a fellow member of the US Postal team, a claim that Armstrong denies, says he decided to leave the sport for good after losing his appetite for racing.

“I’ve spent five years trying to get to a place that I can never go back to and that’s causing more stress than it is worth. There must be more to life than this. I’ll never start on a line on a road and try to get to another line on a road faster than another guy. That’s over.”

Contador, the reigning Tour de France champion, tested positive for the banned substance ‘clenbuterol’ during this year’s race which he claims could only have been present in his system after eating contaminated meat.

Juan Carlos Castano has speculated that whatever the outcome there is likely to be an appeal lodged by either side:

“The case is likely to end up before the Court of Arbitration for Sport because none of the parties involved will be satisfied [with the outcome]. It is not a straightforward case and it calls for comprehensive investigation.”

Their Active People Survey has shown that in the past two years a further 100,000 people have taken up cycling when compared to previous figures. The survey was commissioned as the government is hoping to get one million people playing more sport by 2012/13, something they committed to when London were awarded the 2012 Olympics back in 2005.

Although there are concerns that the target will not be met because of a drop in participation in other sports such as golf and tennis, British Cycling’s Chief Executive, Ian Drake, is hopeful that cycling figures can increase even further:

“We’re committed to getting more people on their bikes and importantly, keeping them cycling. What is particularly exciting for us is that we’re confident there’s plenty more to come and throughout 2011 we will be launching more new initiatives to help get more people cycling more regularly.”

Sort it out.

KENNYS POST>>>

While scanning though the tweets from those I follow on Twitter I picked up on a sad story in the Scotland on Sunday. It seems that Emma Guy & Tracey Brunger, who have been responsible for the development of Glentress over the last 10 years, will soon be outed for new management.

After taking this little known forest & Scottish Borders town of Peebles and placing it on the world stage for mountain biking, the two queens of The Hub In The Forest have lost their bid in the tender process to remain the custodians of the mountain biking paradise they have lovingly nurchered from its birth.

When I originally found out that the Forestry Commission had received £5 million of lottery funding to develop the site I feared that it spelled the end of Glentress as we know it. The corporate world has invaded our much loved sanctuary that nearly 1/5 million riders use every year.

Our world of the rough and rugged outdoors is now likely to be slowly sanitised and wrapped in cotton wool as the bureaucrats run riot in the name of Health & Safety and Profit, ultimately unweaving the very fabric of why such a place exists.

I have been an obsessive mountain biker for over 10 years, riding at Glentress since it first existed. I’ve competing in  various Ultra Endurance MTB events and the Scottish Cross Country  Series (SXC) as well as becoming a Mountain Bike Leader (MBL) with the SMBLA. I truly love this sport. Glentress has been fundamental to my development as a rider and a coach, like many of you reading this it is also my escapism from the corporate world.

I dont fear change, in fact I thrive on it. But, my experience over the last 20 years or so has taught me that when projects like this become corporate they simply run aground. All that was once great and good about them is crushed as process and paper trails become more than the means to an end and customer care goes down the drain, becoming impersonal, commercialised and over-priced. The antithisis of Glentress in its current guise.

I love the rustic portacabins, the Hub Pre-Ride All Day Breakfast , the Homemade Soup, Macca & Cheese followed by home made Carrot Cake and Banoffee Pie (not all in one sitting I have to say). All made by bikers for bikers. All consumed while sitting around in pre-ride excitement or the muddy aftermath and autopsy of a day on the trails. No-one worrying about the mud and dirt. Its the ultimate back garden sandbox and play pit for the entire family.

I believe in my heart of hearts that to take Glentress out of the hands of the two people who started it all will remove its very soul and destroy the incredible sense of community among riders and staff. By bikers for bikers. Who better to take Glentress forward for the next 10 years.

Emma. Tracey. If you need the help of your devoted customers base, all you need to do is let us know what we can do to help.

Heres the link to the details: http://www.wellbeing-solutions.co.uk/mountain-biking/glentress-emma-tracey-vs-forestry-commission