Sunday 22 September 2013

Some Tayside Inspiration


Today I did my first marshalling duty as a 1st Aider for the Tayside & Fife Regional Youth MTB Series. This was the first round and took place in Kirkcaldy. As a venue, it was perfect. Middleden Woods is directly opposite Kirkcaldy High School and contains a labyrinth of red and blue graded trails. The course was clearly marked and suited the 8 - 16 age range perfectly.

There were many MTB teams taking part and in all there were about 70 riders of different ages and abilities. Aaron Muckmedden and family were there, as was some familiar faces from his races. Series sponsors, Big Tree Campervans took down a lovely, shiny van from which the registrations took place. The series is run through Scottish Cycling and so it was great to meet Morven and Graham from SC and chat to them about the future of Aberdeenshire.

So, as the cogs were spinning on competitor's bikes, so were the ones in my head. After chatting to various people, it seems like the idea of a Stonehaven MTB Club is not so far fetched after all and could be a really viable idea.

In short, the following wee steps of progress have been taken to make Aberdeenshire a far more cycle-promoting part of the world:

1. The Fishermoss Primary School Off-road Cycling Club has begun.
2. There may be scope for a Stoney MTB Club.
3. The major Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) is to be completed in 2018 and, as long as the right pressure is asserted, should see the development of a cycle infrastructure south of Aberdeen. (No more cycling on the Stonehaven verge!!)
4. Scottish Cycling and Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland (DMBinS) will hopefully turn their attention on Aberdeenshire in the next couple of years.

So, it's all looking rosy for cycling in the N.E.

If you would like to be involved in the development of a Stonehaven club or have any experience and advice to offer, please leave a comment.


The dates for the Tayside & Fife Regional Youth MTB Series are:


22nd September – Dirt Crit at Middleden, Kirkcaldy
29th September – Dirt Crit at Dundee, Templeton Woods
19th October – Endurance Round at Hairy Coo, Comrie Croft (Enter this round at www.droverstryst.com)
10th November – Mini-DH at Highland Perthshire
17th November – Dirt Crit at Outdoor Education Fife
Event registration will be at 10am and the event will finish at 1pm.
Final details of event timings and course will be emailed in advance of the event.


You can enter online here