Name the trails at Ashton Court and Leigh Woods

The search is underway for a name for the new mountain bike trails at Ashton Court and Leigh Woods. 

The prize for choosing the best name is the chance to ride with Olympic 2012 hopeful and professional mountain biker, Oli Beckingsale, at Ashton Court later this year.

Cleverly designed by Phil Saxena - who was instrumental in the design of the mountain bike course for the Beijing Olympics - and his team at Architrail, the trails will be suitable for families and novice mountain bikers, as well as enticing enough for talented mountain bikers looking for a challenge.

Construction work on the 6.5km of trails at Ashton Court is due to finish later this month, whilst work on the 5.5km of trails at Leigh Woods started in early July and is expected to finish by November.

The work is only possible thanks to investment by the European Rural Development Fund through the 1 South West Cycling Project (www.1sw.org.uk) and a partnership between Bristol’s Cycling City, the Forestry Commission and the National Trust.  

Councillor Tim Kent, Bristol’s Executive Member for Transport, said: “The world class design means users of the trails will get an exhilarating experience.  Bristol is showing that being a Cycling City does not just mean getting your bike out to commute to work or school.  I’m sure the trails will prove a fantastic place for people to get out to and enjoy the great outdoors, and will also make Bristol one of the best mountain biking cities in the UK, drawing visitors from across the country.”

Trail Designer and local resident Phil Saxena added: “We’re putting in lots of features that will make everyone smile, whether new riders, families or accomplished mountain bikers.  Rocky drops, boulders, banked corners and more will make it fun for everyone - the faster you ride, the more challenging the trails become.”

With that in mind, the competition to find new names for the trails and for sections of the trails is open to help make Bristol’s mountain biking facilities the envy of all other cities.

Competition entries may name the whole, or part, of one of the trails.

Inspiration may come in the form of a local Bristolian, the flowing feel of the course, something Bristol is famous for or just the sheer joy of riding!  Perhaps you would want to consider the flora and fauna helping to be protected because of the project: Ashton Court’s orchid population or the Bristol Whitebeam a tree that only exists in Bristol and grows in Leigh Woods.

Route maps of the new mountain bike trails can be found at www.betterbybike.info/ashton-court-mountain-bike-trails

The deadline for competition entries is 30 September, 2011.

What we're looking for:

We'd like you to come up with a name for the trails at Ashton Court and Leigh Woods. Competition entries may name the whole, or part of one of the trails.

Inspiration may come in the form of a local Bristolian, part of the course where you took a tumble – or the injury you received as a result!

Perhaps you would want to consider the flora and fauna being protected because of the project: orchids on the Ashton Court estate were at risk of damage had the old trails not been improved upon, and routes that would have had an impact on the Bristol Whitebeam (a tree that only exists in Bristol) that grows in Leigh Woods have been avoided.

How to enter:

Entrants can either suggest a name for a complete trail, or a particular feature on a trail, such as a downhill section or a corner.

Route maps of the new mountain bike trails can be found at www.betterbybike.info/ashton-court-mountain-bike-trails

Naming a trail
If suggesting a name for either the Ashton Court Estate trail or the Leigh Woods trail, simply email your name suggestion to betterbybike@bristol.gov.uk along with your full name, contact telephone number and if you like, an explanation of your chosen name.

Naming part of a trail
If you're suggesting a name for a particular part of either course, you'll need to find some way of telling us exactly where that is.

• Description: You'll need to provide a very accurate description, taking us from a well-known and clearly marked trail entrance point, using distance in miles or kilometres to mark out how far along the trail your chosen spot is. Photographs will also help.
• Marking your location on a map: You can either use a satellite image or an OS map image taken from Google Maps, Multimap or another mapping website. You can send us a link via email or you can send us a copy of the map in the post. Please send all correspondence to: Bristol Mountain Bike Trails Competition, Cycling City team, Brunel House, St George's Road, Bristol City Council, BS1 5UY
• Video cameras: You could use a movie camera to virtually take us to your location. If you want to send us the footage you could either host it on the Better By Bike website or another 3rd party site such as Youtube or Vimeo.

Closing date: All name suggestions must be received by 5pm on Friday, 30th September 2011. Judges will make their decision by Friday, 7th October.

Winners will receive their prize once both trails are complete and ready to ride, which is expected to be October 2011.

A PDF entry form can be downloaded below, along with biographical information about Oli Beckingsale and competition terms and conditions.

Downloads: 

Name The Trails competition entry form (1.89mb)