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For the money you can get to the peak and ride the 99.99999999999999999999999999999999999999999% of the rocks and boulders they didnt transport down here to put on the course.

Wasnt moaning at the price of coaching, just the fact that you cant ride for free without a guide or coaching.

Thought the rocks they bought on course were from Gloucester? Sand based rocks for added grip.

Again you can ride it for free without a guide and coaching in a years time when the site is safe for people to access and ride without the needs of the current situation. The council are putting a lot of money into the site to hopefully give cycling a boost in the area. As everyone knows developments made by councils take some time but they will provide you with an awesome facility once finished.

Does that include the tolls and £8 parking at bedgbury

Fair enough.
I do understand that an "olympic grade" course isn't for everyone, and coaching+insurance is well appreciated.
But 45 quids sounds a bit high... have to consider that to build "chicken-runs" isn't a big deal, some of the dirt trail riders build their own.
Don't get me wrong, I do appreciate that the track can be ridden by mere mortals, but c'mon £45 will be way too much even for riding into the Olympic velodrome (which, is far more expensive to maintain). In fact, I never heard of a velodrome in Europe that would charge 50€ for a day

Just to put into perspective according to the cycling development officer at the council he told me its was £50 for just a few goes down the olympic kayaking course etc at lee valley. Again for riding the olympic velodrome its to certain standards and regulations that can't really be applied to dirt trails and again it would be without coaching. To receive coaching and ride the a velodrome would cost a lot more.

As said in previous posts the course will be open to the public and completely free within a year.

[quote="Tomdowie"]Hi Everyone.

Just thought I'd provide you with some info into why the costs are as they are and some background info.

Currently it is obviously closed to the public and will until everything has been graded, easier routes built around current features and the site facilities have been built. It is on private land owned by the salvation army and this is why you can't just go ride it. The idea is they will build the facility to accept public access.

These courses have been provided to give people the opportunity to ride the course on exclusive sessions before alterations take place and the site is mobbed, as we all know what its going to be like once publicly accessed.

You need the guide/coach because it is currently closed to the public and is barriered off. The guide is there to provide first aid assistance, take the barriers out, insurance, sort out the paperwork and offer help with skills or riding the course where needed.

The course is more challenging that people think. Pretty much all of the riders who have currently ridden it on the rides have felt it has been challenging and have needed little bits of help. It's Olympic standard at the end of the day, not the kind of stuff you'll find at your average trail centre.

Easy way to receive some cheap coaching too.





Remember if you guys don't want to pay for the coaching etc it will be able to be ridden for free once the site is open the en

THIS.

Although from recent reports it does appear it wont be finished within a year, with various Essex CC peeps saying, we didnt say it would be finished in 2013 and 2014 being mentioned, this is very surprising as i watched a lot of it get built and it was finished very quickly (within a few months), and then did nothing for about a year untill the test event, the 'changes' after that event were then built very quickly so Im surprsied its going to take so long to make the supposed minor changes and of course no-one is really clear what will happen, hard stuff removed completely or chicken runs added, as for for the skill level needed,well,..its quite different to most of the other local stuff, Aston Hill, Danbury, etc as its not real steep and with no real jumps/drops to speak off but it is very unforgiving should you come off !.

I noticed that the two bits of the track that are in the public bit of Hadleigh Park are getting a bit overgrown and mossy, it seems like such a waste to leave them unused for another year or two, as for the £45 cost it may be affordable once or twice but its not gonna be visited every weekend at that cost.

As we know some of the other legacy Olympic projects are getting controversial/long waits so lets hope that doesnt happen here, Essex Cc are the same people who let Lord Hanningfield get away with spending £250,000 on a credit card as well as his other frauds.

Still good to see Tom commenting on the situation.

Andy

Sorry that was my bit it got lumped in with toms quote by mistake!

you know i think if you want the coaching and you want to ride the course then pay your money or wait !
when you think of all the hoo haah on every thread on here and other sites about this place its no wonder its going to take so long to get it all sorted!
whether you think its right or wrong it is what it is , its a simple choice pay your money get the great coaching or not and forget about the place til next year then go enjoy it for nish!
either way have fun!

You could sill do a lot worse than signing up to the legacy page on Facebook and posting your ideas, suggestions there add the the council probably don't come on here but they do monitor and respond on the Facebook page, perhaps if we all start singing the same tune we can influence the out come of the redesign. No point in shooting the messenger.

Sent using the force...

This is Essex CC we're talking about. They take a year just to fill in a pot hole! Building to the Olympic deadline was different and the budget was much bigger.
Appreciate Tom coming on here to try an give a clearer picture regarding the costs. It's out of his hands unless he give the coaching for free!
I'm certainly not going to pay for something my tax contributions have already helped pay to build so I'll wait (although I'll probably have to pay for parking when t opens!).

dont worry i'll undercut them on the parking

Thanks for the support guys. Again there hasn't been a clear plan etc released from the council so I'm just trying to supply you all with what I know.

Bang on with the coaching, due to the H&S and the courses being ungraded this is why a coach is needed. Pretty much everyone has improved throughout the days of coaching we have been running on the course. You're paying for the coach/guides time, none goes to ECC but without paying the coach/guide there is no riding there until the official opening.

cheers

Ironic seeing as they ask if you can ride black

if i couldn't ride black then i would need a coach, if i can ride black then surely the coaching is negated ?


just messin'