When we started the Trail Advocacy project, we wanted to keep things as transparent as possible and we were keen to find ways to make sure all user groups were satisfied by the changes made to the trails. A consultation group felt like an obvious way forward. After asking people to apply, through social media and our various mail outs, we found ourselves with a good spread. We’d like to introduce to you, The Ashton Court Trail Consultation Group.

Sam, Ollie and I will remain very involved in all work done on the trails within Ashton Court. Backing us will be:

Rich Wherlock:

“Ridden more laps of Ashton Court and Leigh Woods than I’m able to count and now I’m trying to get the next generation of riders hooked on mountain biking.  Have a really bad habit of not being able to say no when someone asks me if I’m up for a stupid challenge…luckily they more often than not turn out to be wise decisions in the end.”

Chris Leeks:

“I moved to Bristol in 1990 and have been mountain biking in Ashton Court and more so Leigh Woods, pretty consistently since then. People value these places for a wide variety of reasons, and I try and keep this in mind when I ride. It is good to have the opportunity to put something back into the trails.”

Chris Blenkinsopp

“I’m a lecturer in coastal science at the University of Bath and I spend much of my time at the beach for both work and play. Having moved to Bristol from Sydney in 2013, I took up mountain biking around Bristol and South Wales and have become hooked.”

Jonathan Bowcott:

“I’m a photographer who likes to get out on his bike as much as possible. I love riding with my son, pretending I’m better mountain biker than I am and hoping that the ‘air’ I got was more than just a centimetre off the ground. I live in Bristol I also like coffee, craft beer, street art and coffee. Did I mention coffee already? I love a decent cup of coffee.”

Heidi Blunden:

“Hi I’m Heidi. I work for British Cycling as a Regional Go-Ride Coach. I work across the region to deliver Rider Development Sessions, competitions and support other coaches. I work with schools, clubs and event organisers to grow cycling participation at all levels. I’m really passionate about increasing the number of women in our sport and run a number of Women and Girls Development Sessions at different regional facilities. In addition to my work with British Cycling I am also a Brand Ambassador for Specialized and lead women’s rides in Bristol. I’m a keen cyclist myself and ride road, mountain bike and cyclo-cross.”

Tim Knowles:

“I’m an artist with a studio in Easton – my work explores movement and flow which might be why I’m loving mountain biking so much!  Returning to Bristol 2 years ago, I got into mountain biking after years on the roads and am addicted to being out in the woods on my bike. I signed up for the Fundamentals course with Pedal Progression and more recently their Jumps and drops course, which have both really improved my riding. I helped out on the last trail work session and love riding the renewed sections, so was keen to get involved in revitalising as much of the trails as possible.”

Ken Wilkinson:

“I am a retired activity freak (ex science teacher and oil engineer). One of my many interests is riding the local trails with several mates. I have seen them develop in 15 years from muddy bogs to the user friendly tracks they are now. I will happily help where I can to ensure they continue to develop, and will put in what I can.”

Paul Holder:

“I live locally and have been Mountain Biking for about three years. I absolutely love having these trails on my door step. I’m really excited about coming up with ideas and putting in the work to make them as much fun as possible for riders of all abilities.”

Jon Woodhouse:

“I’ve been living in Bristol for the past five years, working for various cycling publications. Whether it’s for work, fun or something in between, I can often be found at Ashton Court and Leigh Woods, making the most of the local riding.”

Nolan Price:

“Originally from the Forest of Dean I have been living and riding in Bristol since the mid-nineties. In that time I have seen the trails develop from the winter mud fest (and draining huge puddles with Bristol Trails Group) to the fast flowing all weather trails of today. Over that time my kids have grown up and cut their MTB teeth to the stage that I’m having to push hard to keep up!  Being lucky enough to live a 10 minute ride from Ashton Court the trails are a great resource for the city which I’m keen to see develop and expand.”

James Cleeton:

“I’ve been living in Bristol since 2002 and after being introduced to mountain biking by a friend I’ve spent the majority of the last 10 of those years hitting the trails. That introduction opened my eyes to the health and wellbeing impact of MTB and since then I’ve become a strong advocate for the wider benefits of cycling. I love what we all have access to just over the bridge and I can’t wait to be more involved and help where I can to secure the future of our trails.” James is a Director at Sustrans.

Matt Jones:

“Hi I’m Matt. I moved to Bristol partly for the trails (and the Nova Scotia mixed grill) as we are blessed with loads so close to the city. I race endurance mtb events with 24 hour riding being my party piece. I’ve had some trail building experience up in Northumberland, helping to run a group up there before moving down and was involved with Bristol Trails Group to help build momentum around new trail development and looking after what we’ve already got. I’d love to help encourage more people to ride through a great trail network that can help to facilitate more events for everyone at all levels.”

Jamie Edwards:

I’ve been riding in Bristol for a good few years now and I still absolutely love it. I love the mix of riding in Bristol and how lucky we are to have so many great trails so close to to the city that you can reach by bike rather than in the car. I spent 10 years working at Sustrans and I now run Wideopenmountainbike.com and help a few local brands with their marketing – I’m hoping I can help make some noise about the trails and all the good work that’s being done for cycling in Bristol. I’d really like to help grow Bristol’s riding scene, help the trails continue to improve and show people that we’re the best city in the UK to ride bikes.

Alice Fowweather: 

Hi, I’m Alice and with Matty, Tim, and Anthony I run the Bristol Trails Group!
I’ve been riding mountain bikes for about 4 years. I cut my teeth and my shins riding the trails in Ashton Court and I’m excited to be part of the steering committee to help shape its future.