To promote Cyclopark British Cycling's full time coach Luke Anderson organised a coaching session for all of the Go-Ride Clubs in Kent.

As this was a special treat to use the facility before the grand opening in Spring 2012, places were limited to ten from each club, and each club helped out with coaching on the day. Clubs who attended the sessions were, Fowlemead CC, Woolwich CC, San Fairy Ann CC, Thanet Go ride, Wigmore CC, Club Cyclopark, Go Ride Bexley, Sutton CC and Kent Velo Kids. A few children from local schools where Luke had been coaching also attended.

The first hour of the session was to try out the fantastic new 2.9km tarmac road circuit where Luke used three different circuits and three different activities led by Rob Kennison (Medway Velo and Sittingbourne BC), Jared Pace (Club Cyclopark), and Colin Robinson (Thanet RC Go-Ride). The group of 47 riders were split into ability groups and then each group spent  20 mins on each coaching area before moving on. Skills covered group riding, bottle passing, cornering master class and attacking from a group to take a lap.

After a quick break riders switched onto their mountain bikes and headed out onto test the 8km of graded trails to test out their mountain bike and learn from some top quality MTB coaches. Jared Pace (Club Cyclopark ) Martin Bullock (Fowlemead CC), Billy Joe Whenman(PMR Racing and Club Cyclopark) and our friend Rob Kennison again.

Thanks to all who helped on coach, organise and manage the day. We had a lot of great feedback from the riders and coaches.

For your nearest Go-Ride Club check out www.britishcycling.org.uk/go-ride

We have added some new pictures of our first test events to our flicker pages. Including  the first test ride of the MTB trails, 7 Oaks Tri Club,The Southern Area BMX Championships and our first British Cycling Go Ride Holiday Programme. www.flickr.com/photos/cyclopark/

The first test event for the BMX track was welcomed with glorious weather for the Southern Area BMX Championships. Check out the video footage taken by spectators or to read our full article click here

Watch and learn, Scott Waterhouse gives the new track a few tries!

263 new images of the park provided by Richard Hall image South East.
Please visit imagesoutheast.smugmug.com/

 Thanks again Richard!

Check out these amazing new photos from Image South East imagesoutheast.smugmug.com/

Richard is due to re visit the site in the next month or so and we will keep you updated. Let us know your comments on our facebook pages.

389 Pictures of the site as it developes are available from imagesoutheast.smugmug.com/ with kind thanks to Richard Hall for geotagging the site. Richard will do some more for us when the tarmac goes down in a few weeks.

Cyclopark recently sent of these pictures to our partners and generated lots of excitement. You can clearly see the development of the circuits.The tarmac is due to be laid on the 23^rd May so start getting fit!

What do you get when you mix a bicycle wheel with a zoetrope? (a device that produces an illusion of action from a rapid succession of static pictures). 

This Creation by Tim Wheatley, wowed us when we saw it! The cyclotrope is a cycle of 18 images that is spun at a certan speed so that the frame rate of the camera filming it gives the illusion of animation.

Tim Wheatley intends to produce more experiments with the cyclotrope which we're keen to follow. You can keep up with his work and see some of his making-of photos here.

Laurence and Paul our Project Manager and Community Officer, had the opportunity to visit the Manchester Velodrome this week to have a look around and meet some of the British Cycling team. We couldn't have timed it any better as we had the opportunity to see Victoria Pendleton in action on the track. Laurence was stunned at the angle of the track and after some banter only just wriggled out of the opportunity to have a go in an evening session. Big thanks to all the BC staff for a great day.