Forestry Commission - News - expert bikers to wow city crowds at new year

Expert mountain bikers are to show off their dare-devil skills at the Parklife 05 event in Holyrood Park, Edinburgh, on New Year's day.

A small team of three bikers are travelling up from Peebles to wow the big city crowds on a raised mountain bike trail made of timber. The bikers will be balancing on wooden beams, dropping of 12 ft ramps and riding over wooden see-saws in front of big crowds.

The display is being promoted by Forestry Commission Scotland and the 7stanes biking initiative, which is a joint project with partners to build seven mountain bike centres across the south of Scotland.

Alex Maclennan, recreation Manager for Forestry Commission Scotland in the Borders said:

"We are delighted to have been asked to come up to Edinburgh for New Year's day and put on a top biking display at Parklife 05. We aim to get the crowds going with some amazing displays of bike handling skills.

"It will be a great spectacle and another attraction for a fun event that attracts thousands of revellers. The event also gives us a great opportunity to spread the word that mountain biking is great fun for everyone."

The team consists of Ben Arnot, Dave Mackison and Alan Hunter, all local lads from Peebles. With backing from the Commission, the bikers have been taking their jaw dropping display to a number of high profile events, including the Royal Highland Show back in the summer. The team have a busy year cut out for them as they have been asked to perform at events in Glasgow and at the Mountain Bike World Cup at Fort William in September.

Parklife 05 is a free event held at Holyrood Park and is part of the New Year celebrations held in the city. Other attractions include sled dog racing, mountain boarding, triathlon, a one o'clock run and a flying fox and much more.

For more information on the 7stanes mountain bike centres log on to www.7stanes.gov.uk or for more detail on the Parklife event log on to http://www.edinburghshogmanay.org/events/programme.html.

Media enquiries to Alex Maclennan, Scottish Borders Forest District 0791 726 7183 Steve Williams, Forestry Commission Scotland, 0131 314 6508.