Ever since I was a little boy I've been absolutely daft about sport. Any sport, for that matter: skateboarding around the few smooth bits of concrete the village offered, sending it off ramps my grandpa made me in his garage, kicking footballs off the bus stop wall or jumping in the loch all summer long. When I discovered mountain biking, though, everything else went in the shed.
My journey started on a hand-me-down rigid Gary Fisher. No seat, a rear V-brake held on by a thread and no front brake. We took it up the woods beyond the David Marshall Lodge and found a very steep, winding trail, overgrown in the trees. I didn't even know if it was possible, but I sent it straight down. Most of it on my bum.
I came back covered head to toe in mud, a scenario my mum was used to. From there on out I was hooked. I saved my pocket money for MBUK and watched the mountain biking DVDs that came with it every few months with my mouth on the floor.
Building jumps in the woods
That opened up the idea of dirt jumping, something I knew very little about but was very, very interested in. The next day half the kids in the village grabbed spades from their parents' sheds and headed to the woods. We had no idea what we were doing, but we had the willpower and the energy to do it.
We built many a jump, and suffered many a broken bone flying off them on very rickety bikes. Every time, we'd pour our wee hearts into it, spending our entire summer holidays building what felt massive at the time. Then we'd come back one day and the ground would be as flat as the day we'd taken that first shovel of earth.
Pallets were bumped and old stone dykes were dismantled, all to be used as foundations. So you can understand why some folk had a bee in their bonnet about it. In my mind, it's kids being kids.
It's some wee village, but Aberfoyle has never really had somewhere for kids of all ages to come together and socialise. A safe space for them to progress and fall in love with bikes.
The original bike park came along and was great for its time. Dedicated jumps in our village that nobody could knock down. Yaldy!
The new Aberfoyle bike park at Rabbit Hill
Opening day at Rabbit Hill. That's Craigmore behind the jump line.
The recent work at the Aberfoyle bike park on Rabbit Hill is something else, though. The opening day was mad. I tried to count how many people were on it at one time and gave up at 40. Even the adults were absolutely buzzing, and you could see them unlocking that inner child as everyone had a go.
Cammy, one of my best friends, who was by my side every time we built those jumps, had a crash, ended up in A&E, and still went to bed with a big smile on his face.
It's absolutely massive for the village. Every day since, I see kids finish school and fly past the shop on their bikes straight to it.
The pump track itself is amazing: quick and wide, with big berms. I love flying round it on my skateboard. But the most exciting bit is the jump line. Three massive tabletops in a row that sit proud with Craigmore as the backdrop.
Shimano's Trail Born film on Rabbit Hill, featuring Beth and Kerry from Bike Trossachs, who worked with Shimano to get Trail Born Fund support for the park.
I've been watching the back side of the park take shape while I walk our wee puppy, Gigha, on our lunch break from fixing bikes or making coffees. It honestly looks even more exciting. What the boys at Bikescape have done with the space is nothing short of incredible.
Worth a stop
If you're up visiting the village, it's well worth a stop. Even if you don't want to ride it, just watching what the kids can do on it is worth the trip. If you've not brought a bike, we hire mountain bikes from the shop, and our routes page has the rest of the riding round here.
Big shout out to Bike Trossachs. If it wasn't for them, this would never have happened. Beth and Kerry's hard work and persistence for all things good for this area is beyond admirable. They're behind the waymarked gravel trails round the village too.
It's an exciting step forward for Aberfoyle, and I can't wait to see what comes next as the village grows into a capital for all things bike.
Visiting the Aberfoyle bike park
Rabbit Hill is at the east end of Main Street, beside the River Forth, a short walk from the main village car park at the Scottish Wool Centre. Here it is on Google Maps. It's free and open to everyone, and Bike Trossachs volunteers look after it.
As well as the pump track and jump line there's a skills area and blue, orange and black graded trails round the back. Wee ones on their first pedal bikes are fine on the pump track; the tabletops are for the confident lot. Bring a helmet.
