Regional bike trails inspire Olympics

NORTH Yorkshire’s Dalby Forest, which is home to some of the best mountain bike routes in the world, has proved to be the inspiration for the London Olympic trails.
By The Newsroom
Published 18th May 2011, 07:00 BST

The circuits through the 8,600 acre forest, near Pickering, are hosting the UCI Cross Country Mountain Bike World Cup this weekend, with riders from all over the world coming to test out their twists and turns.

And it has emerged Martin O’Vaster, a 49-year-old Forestry Commission civil engineer and mountain bike trail support officer who is the brains behind Dalby Forest’s routes, has been approached by the London Olympics team for advice on how to best develop their routes.

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“I showed the Olympic course designer around the forest and gave him some advice on materials and design”, said Mr O’Vaster, who has been designing mountain bike routes for more than 15 years.

“Designing a good mountain bike route is a bit different to other racing courses.

“You are looking for it to flow well with good uphill and downhill bits which are achievable for people. We are lucky to have some great ones over here.”

Riders hoping to take part in the 2012 Olympics will be competing at Dalby Forest this weekend to boost their chances of qualification.

Up to 5,000 visitors are expected to attend the weekend-long event.

Related topics:Dalby ForestNorth YorkshirePickering