Tucked away in the countryside is a Crowborough venue that we only realised existed when we were taking part in this year’s boundary walk. But it turns out this place is rightly popular with young people – in fact people of all ages – and is also well know outside of the town. Praised in various reviews as “awesome” one visitor even described it as “a true gem of a venue”. But have you ever heard of the Bull Track?
Essentially, it’s a mountain biker’s dream.
The Bull Track is a freeride and downhill MTB bike park. Situated in Palesgate Lane it’s popular for races and was built by local riders as a progressive bike park for all abilities. It has an active and welcoming community who are always creating new lines and jumps.
Visiting riders are told by the iBikeRide website to “expect, freeride, dirt jumps, wooden drops, big jumps, step up mulch, pump track and more. There are several lines with berms, jumps, doubles, and shore. Most of it is rollable so progression for all abilities built it. There are also a set of dirt jumps.”
We sent reporter Jake Heasman to find out more…
When people hear about Crowborough Mountain Bike Club and The Bull Track, they might think of terrifying jumps and riders tearing round courses trying to beat their personal best. Although these are important parts of the club and track’s DNA, Alvar, the manager of the track, wants it to be a place where people can “just be themselves and not have any rules stopping them having fun”.
And with a name like The Bull Track, you might have a picture in your head that the members of Crowborough Mountain Bike Club might be scary. This could not be any further away from the truth as Alvar described the group as ‘friendly, welcoming and fun’.
So why a mountain bike club in a town where, although it is pretty hilly, does not have any mountains surrounding it?
Alvar said: “I would have loved to have had this as a kid and I have had a few people who tell me that it has changed their son’s life because of getting into mountain biking.
“They now have good friends and riding is good for the soul.”
Being active is incredibly important and for a sport to have such a huge impact on the lives of some of the young people of Crowborough, the future is looking bright for the young people of the town.
The Bull Track has had its fair share of high profile riders since it opened 18 years ago including Downhill World Cup winner, Rob Warner. For Alvar though, it is not all about having the best of the best racing round the courses.
He said: “The sense of community and the people are what makes the club and track special and excel.”
The club runs various events to encourage more people to get involved in the sport and create that ‘community feeling’ with Jams being important family events which include a BBQ, competitions and stalls.
Alvar said: “Mountain biking is a good hobby which helps keep people fit and like a lot of these things, it is not just about the sport side of it, it is the social side as well as we all share similar interests.”
Due to the sheer number of people who use the track, Alvar added that the riders themselves are more than willing to put in the hard yards to ensure the courses are in the best condition possible.
Despite The Bull Track closing for winter to ensure riders safety, Alvar said that he has lots of people who ask to use the track still due to how much they love the sport and having a space locally to ride their bike and challenge themselves.
For those of you who are braver than me and want to dip your toe into mountain biking, Alvar gave some advice as he said: “Come up to the track and just try it and see how welcoming it is.
“Do not be shy that you are a novice as everyone starts somewhere but make sure you are comfortable on a bike first.”
But don’t just listen to Alvar – the wider biking community obviously loves this place. With more than 3,000 followers on Facebook the Bull Track has 100 per cent positive reviews from people who have visited.
Here’s a selection of just some of the comments and reviews people have made:
Sam Bryan-Merrett.
“Beautiful setting and awesome track, people, scene and vibes. I will definitely be back soon.”
Dominic Moon.
“Awesome place with plenty of lines for novice and experienced riders alike. Easy to park and stress free you’ll need a few minutes to get orientated, and all day to really get to grips with the place. Food onsite is also a plus but pure heaven for those looking for a good days riding and to be challenged at every turn!”
Jim Philpott-Saunders.
“Awesome, full stop.”
Harry Molloy
“Go see for yourself… A true gem of a venue in the south east! This is where the fun begins and never ends at any level of mountain biking… run by super friendly riders!”
Scott David Macfarlane
“Fantastic place to ride, so much to do with so many lines and varying jumps, with friendly people. Top day out.”
The Bull Track and the club are open on a Wednesday as well as a Saturday and Sunday.