West Wales Trails Bike Park is located in Carmarthenshire, Wales in the heart of green, agricultural land. It was designed and created following an opportunity that arose thanks to the Rural Development Fund, on the site of West Wales Trails' business office.

Carmarthenshire County Council offered the grant funding as a last minute opportunity, so the project from design through planning to construction carried with it a time frame of completion within four months. The project occurred over the typically wet Welsh winter but was completed on time and within budget.   

As well as being open all year round for individuals, the park is a venue for the local off-road bike club, kids bike skills sessions during school holidays, one-to-one tuition and specific groups.

The park features a set of four inter-connected pump tracks and a dual series of rhythm jumps with a north shore (raised wooden boardwalk) section. Riders can range in ability from balance bikers to pro riders looking to improve skills and fitness.

The two rhythm sets of jumps (images above and below) work progressively, the rider having to clear each successive jump in order to clear the next. One set is aimed at intermediate riders and the other for more advanced. 

The jump lines were dug into the ground to save on imported materials and to test the theory that even in west Wales this could be achieved with decent drainage. It worked, even after the heaviest rain the puddles drain away within minutes. The jumps were roughed out with a 15 tonne excavator, shaped and surfaced with a 6 tonne excavator and finished by hand.

The bike park here is dynamic and we use it as a 3D sketchbook to try out new ideas using different materials and machinery to ensure our designs and builds for clients are ahead of the game.

The north shore sections (images above) round-off the rider experience following the buzz of the jumps before riding up the short up-hill to do it all over again. Built from local larch timber and cladding bolted to piled and creosoted upright posts, it is ridden in all but the wettest of winter days. 

The 'pump-track' (images above and below) is made up of 4 omni-directional pump tracks with transfer lines between each. It was sculpted out of high clay content sub soil and surfaced with a granite quarry dust (6mm down). The tracks were levelled with a 15 tonne excavator, roughed out with a 6 tonne excavator and sculpted with a 2.5 tonne excavator before being finished by hand.