ROTHERVALLEY SOUTH YORKSHIRE’S ON THE TOOLS

Something we should celebrate about this sport we’re all involved in is the passionate and selfless individuals who pour their blood, sweat and tears into helping build and grow local trail scenes. Without the graft of these guys and girls, we wouldn’t have half the spots we ride. One such group are South Yorkshire’s Rother Valley Riders, who for over 10 years have worked tirelessly to develop and maintain a fully-legal trail network in their local Rother Valley Country Park. Funded exclusively by club membership, events and merchandise until last year, a spike in the park’s popularity, combined with restrictions on dig days due to COVID-19, meant the trails wound up needing some serious repairs.

Commendably, Rotherham Borough Council stepped into the breach, stumping up the cash to employ trail building firm Bike Track to overhaul and upgrade the Diggers Downhill run. Now sitting at 650m long and boasting 27 perfectly sculpted berms, this red-graded descent adds to the 8km of volunteer-dug trails already in existence. The Rother Valley Riders aren’t content to leave it at that, though. They’re already looking ahead to phase two of the project, with hopes to build a fully-enclosed MTB loop complete with technical climbs and red/black graded options.

The new developments have already tempted out Steve Peat and other big-name locals, so if you’re in the area you should definitely check it out. While you’re at it, be sure to donate to the trail fund or join the club (www.rothervalleyriders.co.uk)

– it all goes into helping make this local facility even better.