Some days start great others not so great. Yesterday, flipping open the laptop to check morning emails, looked like it wasn't gonna be a great day ...



'Morning Richard,



I have some bad news for you I’m afraid.



This morning one of your sections of the bike track has been set on fire.'



Thinking it bit odd that someone would build a fire on a section of track, I scrolled down to attached pictures. That's where I discovered the level of understatement the sender's opening gambit displayed and the true level of senseless destruction that we faced.



It's hard to describe the sinking feeling I felt seeing the pictures forwarded... Our iconic Start Cabin, the start point of hundreds of thousands of minutes of fun for riders from around the world and a cosy rest point between runs was gone.



Hundreds of hours from the team and volunteers & Tens of thousands of pounds was gone. Awash with a range of emotions, rage, upset, sorrow, I sat numbed and not ashamed to say some tears flowed.



B1KE has been and continues to be a roller coaster, Highs and lows, excitement and fear, successes and setbacks, we've made friends with many and it would seem, enemies of a few. I guess it's like riding a trail for the first time, a trail that will test you, scare you a little, make you smile and occasional dish out a few hard knocks. There are moments you allow yourself to feel proud of your achievements but at the speed we roll there is not very often much time for that and its back to focussing on the next challenge. Like a trail, life can be full of rock gardens to navigate, seemingly insurmountable climbs to grind out, scary leaps of faith, but also sweeping sections that make you grin from ear to ear. It may be tough at times but giving up is never an option. And just like going for a ride its even better when you get to share it with friends or those that will become friends. To all of our friends out there we'd like to thank you for support, understanding, honest feedback that keeps us on track, encouragement and the happiness you bring to the parks.



The Cabin is gone and the hard work of many may seem to be lost, they'll be no more warming up round a log burner and banter beneath the beams, but a start point of some kind will rise from the ashes and the show will still go on. Bear with us while we deal with the aftermath and get plans in place for how to future proof the park, set your wheels in motion, and how going forward we can offer the shelter you sometimes need and where more good memories will be formed.



No start ramp but still plenty of good riding. Please come and ride and keep smiling and whooping your way down the trails. Fill the woods with the positive energy that the hard working staff feed off and makes all the parks so special.



Thanks the emergency services for their swift response and the wet weather for limiting the damage that a week earlier would have been far worse. 9 trees need to be felled but it could have been so much worse. Police investigations are of course underway and forensics doing their thing. Karma will prevail as ever.



Please keep away from the remnants of the ramp while the clean up is in progress and start your ride from the points indicated by the staff. The'll be no coffee/tea or snacks for a while and you'll need to report in to a van at the top of 'Blutopia' where 'Ark at E' splits off until a more permanent solution is found.



Peace & Love — Windhill Bike Park