 I’ve renamed the Bissoe Trail, The Happy Trail and I’ll explain why. As a family we cycle a lot together and we invest in our outdoor lifestyle we choose to live. We don’t eat out much, we mostly holiday in the UK, which has become the norm for everyone over the past couple of years for some reason, we surf a lot, and our bikes are our freedom to explore at a slower pace. We’d recently invested in what seems to be the latest cycling trend and bought ourselves a gaggle of ‘Gravel Bikes’ for some future family adventures here and abroad and more suited to the terrain we want to ride and opted for a more comfortable ride. Living in the West of Cornwall, we often venture out on the rough back lanes that are not gravel but often with grass or gravel up the middle, the coast paths that are accessible, the bridleways and the occasional footpath. The lanes can be torn up in places by tractors and covered in slurry so we gave into the marketing and influencers and decided that a decent gravel ride was warranted. In saying all this we’d not yet conquered the Bissoe, actually conquer is a big word, lets just say 'ride' the Bissoe Trail. The initial test ride for our new vehicles would give us the opportunity to set some seat heights, tune some shoe cleats, test out the tyres and let the gears settle in, whilst meandering through Mining landscapes, the Bissoe Valley Nature Reserve partly, historic mines like Gwenapp, Wheal Jane, and Unity. Being an old tramway that closed in 1825, the trail is mostly flat or with very little incline which is another reason to feel happy en route, in fact it must be the flattest part of Cornwall as I heard that for every ten miles of riding in Cornwall there is a thousand foot of climbing, and I can verify that when I ride to work over 'the ride by the numbers' read like this (to coin a Dustin Klein phrase). 2 hours riding time (there and back), 26 miles (1950 ft of elevation). This is a not the easiest commute. Everyone we met on the trail that day, the whole ride, there and back, was happy. It was a friendly, smiling and polite social ride which in return made me really appreciate how nice some people are, in fact most people are. Greetings were exchanged, dog walkers held their dogs as cyclists rode past and likewise, riders slowed as to not spook the dogs, and this was gratefully acknowledged by all with a smile and a thank you. Cyclists waved as we crossed in opposite directions and not knowing if they were coming or going from the two start points made it interesting, if we’d see them on the way back too. Riding through the heart of Cornwall on the old Tramway used to transport minerals from the surrounding areas to the Port of Devoran, the Bissoe Trail is about 22 miles long. Stretching coast to coast, beginning at either Portreath or Devoran, we’d promised ourselves for years that we must do it and now we had no excuse. Apart from my sons bruttally hard saddle (part of the test and now replaced), the whole ride made us smile, and that is why this should be called 'The Happy Trail'. We began at Bissoe Trail Centre and were stoked to find that it was free parking and after we unloaded the van, got our bearings we set out. The trail is a combination of different terrain from real gravel, mining trails, pavement and a little tarmac, but the whole journey is a joy when you're used to those numbers of elevation in the Wild West. We also decided to take a picnic and flasks of tea, which in times of penny pinching where needed, we kept our costs down on the ride and saved some cash for coffee and cake when we got back to the Trail Centre at Bissoe. If picnics aren't for you then there are plenty of places to stop on the way like the little cafe just before you enter the area of Poldice, the Fox and Hounds at Scorrier, the World Champion Pasty makers, Prima, located just opposite Roddas Dairy on the other side of the a30 at Scorrier too, and then there’s all the cafes, bakeries, and Chip shops in Portreath when you arrive. This really is a fun ride, and at around 22 miles overall, you can do as much or as little of the trail as you like, and on any bike you like but would recommend something with a little grip on the tyres for some parts. In fact we didn’t go all the way to Devoran so our ride was about 19 miles in total. I’m also stoked we did this as a family as rarely do you get a chance, or feel like riding a quiet lane, safely side by side, and chatting all the way. There are a couple of road crossings but these are by no means dangerous and with crossing places too, don’t worry. I hope you enjoy this little recap of our ride. All of these rides are well documented and written about by far better guides than me, because I’m not a guide or a travel writer, I just love being outdoors. We’re doing the Camel Trail soon, the West Kernow Way, and I have the odd MTB Enduro coming up. I may even enter my first Longboard Competition in over ten years, maybe. I hope you enjoyed my little write up on The Track at Portreath, and if you haven't, it's the post before this one. I also plan on visiting a couple of Pump Tracks and maybe a coaching session up in Devon soon, so please keep dropping by. 
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 It’s a Forty Five minute drive from our house, ten pounds for three hours on the weekend with morning or afternoon slots, or on Wednesday nights during the summer you get at least four and half for the same amount. It’s a place where all ages and abilities can have an absolute ball, progression is guaranteed and the odd scary moment or crash is always on the cards, depending if you’re pushing the boundaries. This is the ‘Field of Dreams’, it’s dirt jump heaven, an arena with multiple lines of all shapes and sizes and it’s been there for years, and year after year it gets better. It’s worth every penny and every bit of my time getting there. The Track at Portreath can allow you to feel like a champ when you achieve your goals, humbled if you get things a little sideways, and if it’s a little too windy, can be pretty sketchy when you're in the air, which is what this place is all about 'Air Time'. Watching the really good guys do a full run, top to bottom on the big line can be pretty special, or a rider do the biggest transfer from one line to another, shifting effortlessly sideways through the air, with the greatest of steez (style) never gets old. Watching the young an fearless kids developing their skills from total beginner to those just getting rad on the big line. For a rider like me who lacks a bit of jumping confidence and consistency, I walk away with a massive smile and always full of stoke. Since I was young, (Me and Bikes Part 1 & 2) jumping has been part of riding bikes, and I bet everyone who likes to jump will always find a little ramp up a lane, or an embankment to pop a little air. I’ve always loved to watch people riding trails and in my mind, simplicity on the trails is the best action, just watch riders like Brian Foster, Kris Fox, or Olly Wilkins. Modern day slopestyle competitions are amazing but so far beyond the average rider with multiple spins and flips are way beyond being relatable for many. When watching a rider who can jump with style and grace, floating above the jump and dropping the nose into the landing, this is my absolute favourite thing to watch, and this can be an achievable goal for so many the Track is full of riders trying just that. In the middle of the arena you have aspiring riders, setting out on their little BMX bikes, sometimes parents in tow, conquering the small line of table tops, moving up to the small gaps, and so on until they have matured to hitting the Big Line; a big set of gaps and it's inspiring to watch. The Track is by definition a Cornish Theme Park for adrenaline fuelled kids, and when I say kids, I also mean kids who don’t want to, nor should have to grow up, and that’ll be me and all the other parents you see riding with their kids each week. There’s coaching available for all abilities, and it doesn’t matter how old you are, how good you are, what bike you're riding; it’s just about the riding. If you’re travelling here on holiday, or it’s the first time visiting, please don't feel intimidated, this isn’t surfing and there are no egos. The owners, Steve Tonkin and his wife Fiona are super welcoming and work so hard to make this place the best, working all winter, maintaining the site, and grooming the jumps ready for opening in the Spring. Fiona also runs and coaches at the on-site Hydro Pool. Steve is a great rider too; always on hand for advice, and on a chance break from the check-in or cafe, you’ll see him grab his bike and do a few runs down the main line. There is space for everyone and if you are trying to get your wheels off the ground for the first time, or hitting a bigger line and get through clean, you’ll likely get a shout out from someone. There’s also an area for parents with picnics, or a cafe if you need a cold drink or a bowl of chips, and the coffee is pretty bloody nice too. You can probably guess by now I can’t praise this place enough. But just one thing to finish on. If you've heard that it’s expensive, it’s not. You can ride solidly for three hours, or more on a summer Wednesday evening, have as many runs as you physically can, laugh with mates, boost your confidence and self belief whe you and get back in your car, you'll have a massive smile on your face, and say “that was ten quid well spent”. What is expensive is going to the pub and spending the same on two pints, and you can do that after, you'll need it. https://the-track.co.uk/      
In 1979 an episode of CHiPs hit our screens. The California Highway Patrol, with Officers Jon and Ponch. This was Saturday night essential viewing for any kid, except this particular episode featured BMX Racing. It was really the first real glance at what BMX really was, and for us kids riding our tracker bikes, with one wheel bigger than the other, or two both the same if you were lucky; owning a BMX was a dream. It must have been 1981 when I got my first one. My pester power was inspirational back then! My persistent nagging paid off and on Christmas Day I came downstairs to find my 20” Puch Murray. Not the greatest of brands but it was mine, and it was a BMX. It was the time of the Raleigh Burner, The Piranha, or if like my mate Dan, lucky enough to have a Mongoose ‘Supergoose’.
In fact it was Dan who I’d ride with the most, his family owned the Motocross Track, I mentioned in Part One called Golding Barn. When Dan wasn’t away racing Motocross, the track and the Industrial Estate was our playground. We built all sorts of jumps, out of scaffold planks and pallets, and we would shred round the farm for hours. In fact Golding Barn MX Track would finally see the end of the Puch Murray after one fatal attempt at the biggest table top, and cracked the frame beyond repair. I’d also joined Adur Aces BMX Club at Shoreham by Sea, and this place was so good. I was pretty crap at racing back then, in fact it was not until 30+ years later that I actually found my way in BMX Racing. I reckon back then I was pretty intimidated by the whole race scene, I think I thought everyone had better bikes, better kit, they raced other events and I didn’t. I suppose I just loved riding my bike, I loved the magazines and collected them religiously but never really fell in love with racing myself, I didn’t really commit or maybe I couldn’t. My Dad worked most weekends on shifts at Brighton Marina and my Mum did what she could, when she could and took me to racing and club meetings. When I look back I think I was quite a solitary BMX racer for the most part and probably still am. My closest friends didn’t want to race, although when Dan wasn't racing MX we were always riding, and I also remember being properly shy back then in those club situations. Club nights at the Adur Recreation Centre were never my favourite thing to go to, I was mostly really happy just riding around the track, and hitting a few jumps. My heroes back then were Harry Leary and Eddie King, both American Icons of BMX Racing, so when my frame snapped riding with Da up at the motocross track, trying to clear a pretty big table top, I finally got my dream frame, a DiamondBack Silver Streak, and I felt like Harry Leary. The Black and Silver race kits of those two riders were just so rad, and alongside Stu Thomson (Redline), Clint Miller (Kuwahara), and the Patterson Brothers (Robinson) these were just the raddest guys in my eyes. When pictures appeared in the magazines of them racing, tucked over the bars, elbows out, open face helmets, goggles on and a JT mouthguard, well I just loved that image. WE also had the great British riders to look up to as well, like Tim March and Andy Ruffell, duelling it out in the Kellogs series on TV. Sadly my skill level was seriously lacking but I was so hooked, I had every copy of every magazine, Christmas and Birthdays were all about BMX parts, paper round money went on accessories like Number Plates, stickers or new padsets. Bob Haro, did and still does the most amazing illustrative characters of BMX riders and these are now legendary and will be remembered fondly by anyone who rode in that era. Then along came the movie E.T. with the famous bike chase, with E.T in the shopping basket. That chase was led by a stunt double who just also happened to be Bob Haro. These times were amazing, BMX was Rad and it was fuelled by a love of motocross too, as I mentioned before in part one. We’d watch the motocross at Golding Barn and then go and ride our engineless machines, feet out around berms, leaning the bikes over and turning the bars like MX riders. If you could do a 360 you were king, I never could! Back then in the early 80’s freestyle was also getting bigger, riders like Eddie Fiola who rode for GT BIKes came to the level at Brighton so we went and watched his display, and when I began to hangout with another local lad Andy Brooks, we’d head off to Southsea Skatepark near Portsmouth. I remember being in absolute awe of one rider there who was sponsored by Redline. He had the coolest bike, all white, with white iconic parts like Skyway Tuff 2 wheels and polished Redline Flight Cranks, Hutch Beartrap Pedals, he was such a cool sight for a young rider like me and I would just watch him ride. I remember Andy just had that no fear, where as I was and still am a little more reserved on the big stuff, in fact scared. Probably a confidence thing plus the fear of consequence and again, a little like that today. Andy would be getting four feet of air out of the bowl, and I'd be getting one, and this was why Andy went on to represent Peugeot on their BMX freestyle team at the height of the BMX popularity. He eventually moved away from our village, but it was always fun riding with him while it lasted and thanks to Facebook, we're back in contact. BMX was and will always be part of my life, and although I moved away from riding bikes as a entered my late teens, it found it’s way back in 1995, but I’ll save that for part three of myself and bikes. Footnote: I wish I could find some photos of myself in this time. I have one somewhere but when I want to find somethng typically I never can and guranteed as soon as this is published I'll discover it again. So for now Here's some Bob Haro Artwork and the episode of CHiPs that started it all... |
AuthorHi, I'm Russ Pierre, a Cyclist, Surfer and outdoor enthusiast. Please join me as I have some fun on my adventures and write about all the stuff that makes me tick. Archives
December 2024
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