Suburban RetroBike Investigation - Ten Woods, Two Commons And A Slow Puncture

Introduction

Today was an excuse for a proper bit of "Old Skool" exploration, just as it was done back in the day, without any fancy GPS smart phone wizardry. Taking a rough idea for a circular off road route around the Southern limits of the London boroughs of Bromley and Croydon, checking with the map as we went. Alasdair was my riding companion, it started as a suggestion of his and two is definitely company for this type of ride. He must be at least 10 years younger and considerably fitter than me, so there wasn't going to be too much slacking today.

Alasdair - 10 years younger and considerably fitter

Stud Farms, Parks and Woods

The starting point was Bromley South railway station, quiet on a Sunday but still very much a metropolitan area. Yet after less than a mile of suburban semi detached houses on the road you are already on Bromley Common. Skirting around the grounds of Bromley FC you are soon in an area that I remember used to be allotments, but which have now become stud farms, not the sort of thing you expect to find minutes from a suburban town centre. Just the other side of Norman Park, at the end of Rookery Lane and overlooked by Bromley College the woodlands begin.
By this point you already feel that you are miles from anywhere, with plentiful single track paths and the occasional bridleway snaking their way through Mazzards Wood, Barnet Wood, Colyers Wood and Padmall Wood, but hardly a soul in sight. We were roughly following the course of the River Ravensbourne as it slowly ascends from Bromley Common onto Hayes Common towards its source at picturesque Keston Ponds.
At Keston Common we briefly joined the Westerham Road, if you followed the road a little further you would be at the historic war time airfield at Biggin Hill, but we were soon heading back into the woodland before then.

Furze Bottom Downhill

By Keston Court Farm we joined the excellent fast bridleway descent down to Furze Bottom. For me this was the highlight of the day, it is straight and open in places, firm and with great visibility ahead, my first chance of the day to be a Gonzo and get up some speed, my eyes were watering by the bottom. Payback came with a slow slog up Higham's Hill, rewarded with a brief rest at the top to admire the open view South towards Chelsham.
A brief sprint through Jewels Wood put us on a section of the National Cycle Network Route 21 for the short ride to The White Bear pub at Fickleshole and a chance to grab a drink and consult the map for the next leg.

The White Bear pub at Fickleshole

Ging gang goolie goolie goolie goolie watcha

Suitably refreshed it was time for a nippy descent down Featherbed Lane to The Bungalow for a ride through Fryland's Wood Scout Camp and on to Crab Wood above it. Some of the trails were reminiscent of Swinley Forest that we had both ridden a few weeks earlier, but with no other traffic. This lead us onto Chelsham Common and thanks to a couple of wrong turns to the big Sainsbury store at the edge of Warlingham.
Realising our mistake, we turned around and headed back into Great Park Wood towards Farleigh. Farleigh appears to be quite a horsey area, there are plenty of bridleways, but some were quite churned up. With the dry weather they were just very bumpy, but I imagine in Autumn they could well become a bit of a quagmire. It also seemed that some of the paths had branches and logs deliberately laid across them, could there be a bit of a horse vs bike conflict going on at the moment?

Nature Reserve

We were now on the home leg heading North towards Selsdon. There was a very rapid and slippery chalk descent through Frith Wood onto the edge of Addington Golf course. I enjoyed this so much that I missed a turning and we had to back track uphill. The correct turning took us through Bears Wood and onto Selsdon Wood Nature Reserve. You would never guess how close you are to a town here, it is so peaceful and quiet, the trails are wide and undulating with a firm base. Alasdair particularly liked the riding and we put in few laps trying all the different combinations of routes.
I was feeling quite tired after the exertion and mooted that it was time for a bun at Forestdale before the ascent of Gravel Hill.

Outstanding Vista

Climbing up Gravel Hill, with a busy road nearby and cris-crossing the tram tracks you feel very much back in an urban environment. But once at the top there is some good, but ultra slippery riding in the Shirley Hills. Gravel Hill is aptly named, the stones are so small that it is like riding on ball bearings, braking is a challenge and climbing impossible, even on foot it took careful effort. A short flight of steps took us to the unexpected pleasure of the stupendous vista from The Lookout. Local landmarks such as Crystal Palace FC were easily visible, along with buildings in the City, such as The Shard, buildings around Canary Wharf and even as far as Wembley Stadium with The Chilterns as a back drop.

Windy Miller

Our final descent of the day was down Shirley Hills Road to Postmill Close, to visit Shirley Windmill, one of London's last surviving windmills. We finished with a gentle ride through the suburban streets of West Wickham back to our starting point at Bromley.
With the excitement over, I noticed my front tyre was looking about as deflated as I now felt, just making it back to Bromley South before I was on the rims. I bade farewell to Alasdair, popped on a spare tube and took a leisurely ride back home.

Shirley Windmill - one of London's last remaining

Conclusion

To keep future rides along this route snappy, we might miss a few of the more tortuous off road sections and use a bit more road to link it all together. Likewise some of the potentially boggier sections might have to be bypassed in Winter. But this is a great circular route, with so much isolated woodland, all within easy distance of major transport hubs it is holds great potential for future rides.
Almost the entire route can be found on Transport for London Cycling Guide 13, if you want to receive a free copy please look here.

RetroBike Investigation - Swinley Forest

Sir Thomas Beecham is often cited as the originator of the quote, "Try everything once except incest and folk dancing." So with this in mind, I made my first ever visit to a proper mountain bike trail centre today. I was following an invitation to do a tour around Swinley Forest.

Should you have never heard of it, Ride Swinley have the following to say about the area:

Situated to the South-West of Windsor Great Park, Swinley Forest stretches from Bracknell in the north to Bagshot in the south.  It is owned and managed by the Crown Estate and comprises over 2600 acres of woodland and gently undulating hills.

The woods provide some of the best mountain biking in south-east England, with many off-road single track as well as extensive fire road.

The trails through Swinley Forest were originally created and maintained by a group of local enthusiasts known as the Swinley Action Group. In September 2012, the Crown Estates began to close the trails and implement their own designs, this has caused a lot of sour grapes, especially as the new trails were designed without any input from Swinley Action Group. This type of heavy handed behaviour goes against my libertarian outlook and smacked of overly sanitising a natural resource too. However, as some fellow RetroBikers wanted to give the new layout a go, I decided to join them and decide for myself.

Swinley Forest is in easy reach of London, probably little more than an hour by car from my home. But I really wanted a break from being in a car and decided to take the train. It's not an especially long distance to cover, but the branch line service from Clapham Junction to Martins Heron stops at every station which gets a bit tedious. From Martins Heron station it is just 5 or so minutes ride to The Lookout Discovery Centre where all the trails begin and end. 

It was a joy of being able to ride with experienced locals and just play "follow the leader", without any consideration of the route or need to refer to maps.
We started on the intermediate "blue" section, which seemed quite tricky at first, until you got into the flow of all those berms (another first for me). After an hour or so we had covered everything and it was mooted to move on to the expert level "red" sections. I was the only rider on a totally rigid bike, but not wanting to be a party pooper, immediately elected to give it a try. Some of these red sections were quite a technical challenge, narrow, steep, bumpy and twisty too. I took it all at a snail's pace and imagine I must have looked somewhat geriatric, but made it through without any involuntary dismounts.

RetroBikers at Swinley Forest

When we progressed back onto blue graded sections to return to the start it seemed so much easier than just an hour earlier and started to become fun rather than challenging. I can see how with practice and familiarity, the speed of both riding and crashing would begin to climb.

In conclusion, I was pleased to find that there are an excellent mix of trails at Swinley Forest, perfectly maintained and very professionally organised.  It is also unusual, in this day and age, to find a leisure venue that is effectively free too. Or perhaps the Crown Estates have already put up "Wanted" posters for the geriatric RetroBiker who failed to buy a ticket.

Urban RetroBike Investigation - The Thames Path

Introduction

So the recent spell of swelteringly hot weather continues and today I had scheduled to do a rather long and exhausting ride, my plan was to investigate a new route for one of my "Urban RetroBike" rides following the River Thames.

I had an idea that it would be possible to find a suitable route from Greenwich, crossing to the North side of the River Thames, then heading East and following the river bank all the way out to Thurrock in Essex. I would then cross the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, using the free "bike taxi" service and returning to Greenwich along the Thames Path.

Phew what a scorcher

Due to the hot and sunny weather, I chose to leave after lunch, with the anticipation of riding long int the cool of evening. It was certainly a hot day, no doubt The Sun newspaper would choose the headline "Phew what a scorcher!" but a light breeze stopped me from feeling the force of the heat.

The route from my home in Purley to Greenwich is by now a familiar one and follows parts of the National Cycle Network Route 21 also marked up as "The WaterLink Way" at various points. This gets me from Croydon to Greenwich in just over an hour, following a variety of quiet roads suburban and gravel paths as they wend their way through the parks and recreation grounds of South London.

Here come the Germans
 

From the Cutty Sark at Greenwich, I followed the foot tunnel to get to Island Gardens on the North bank, annoyingly one of the lifts was out of order, so I had to descend the 100 or so steps with my bike on my shoulder, taking great care not to wipe out any of the multitudinous German tourists coming the other way, "alles sehr gut mein lieblings?"

Island Gardens, ExCel and the Emirates Air Line

Island Gardens is a lovely spot to pass an idle moment, but today there was no time to admire the view, from here you can follow the Northern section of the Thames Path towards Leamouth, it yields a few good vistas of Greenwich and the 02 Dome, but it is quite dismembered as it passes through various housing developments.

The O2 Dome - funky design

A quick 5 minute burst alongside the A1020 gets you to the ExCel Exhibition Centre. It is noteworthy as one terminus of the Emirates Air Line, London's only cable car system. Oh how I love cable cars, that hyperspace shortcut from the bottom to the top of the mountains, but sadly there are no mountains here, it simply crosses the River Thames to North Greenwich. It is worth noting that bikes are permitted to travel on a regular ticket, costing £4.30 for an adult.

The Emirates Air Line - London's only cable car

City Airport and the Thames Barrier

The ExCel Exhibition Centre is next door to the tiny London City Airport, a single strip of runway set between the Royal Albert and King George V docks. It even has a bike rack outside the main entrance, yes I have used it for a flight and yes my bike was even still there (and complete) upon my return 2 days later.
Next on my agenda was Thames Barrier Park in Silvertown, it is a pretty piece of landscaping in what is otherwise an utterly derelict area. There is a great view of the Thames Path itself, a flood defense system used in extreme surge tide conditions to save the low lying areas of London from inundation.

Thames Barrier Park - Silvertown

Beckton and the Dagenham Dustbins

From this point on the next section became a tale of unrelenting bleakness. I had to skirt around the Docklands Light Railway Depot, Beckton Gas and Sewerage Works following a dismal route alongside busy roads. I was hoping to see some interesting industrial archeology at the Ford Factory in Dagenham, now standing as a silent monument to a bygone age of British industry. But there is not much to see, just endless empty factory units and the odd scrap yard. Dagenham Dock must now rank as the UK's recycling centre, with giant facilities in all directions.

Sadly there is no respite from the monotony in the adjacent residential areas, only street after street of identikit social housing, originally built to serve the domestic needs of Henry Ford's serfs.

The Worst Pub in the World

I know how fellow RetroBikers like a rest stop or three, so I was keeping an eagle eye out for a suitable venue, but the venue I spotted would have rank as the worst pub in the World. Let me paint you a picture, imagine this... a 1970's concrete block house with a flat roof, a beer garden comprised of nothing more than tarmac with 2 tressel picnic tables and a pair of derelict caravans to the side. The clientele, sat soaking up the sun, comprised 3 middle aged obese skinheads, resplendent in "wife beater" string vests and baggy shorts. I am not making this up!
I was so very parched and a lovely cool beer would have been a welcome respite, but somehow I found the strength to keep going. I really wanted to take a picture, but I sincerely thought that the inmates, sorry, customers of the establishment might have "shooters" on them.

Rainham and Wenington

And then suddenly the urban sprawl ended and you find yourself in the charming village of Rainham, which would be quite a nice place to stop and have a beer. According to the maps, National Cycle Route 13 heads out onto Rainham Marshes Nature Reserve, but after checking the time I was shocked to find that it was nearly 6pm. I needed to keep rolling, I didn't want to be out in the wilds of Kent after sun down. So I made for the Wennington Road and followed the signs to the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge.

Queen Elizabeth II Bridge

Queen Elizabeth II Bridge Southbound

Before setting off, I had phoned the bridge operations room to confirm arrangements for crossing the bridge by bike. Their instructions were simple and proved to be correct. You follow London Road underneath the bridge and by the Ibis Hotel, you see Gates blocking an access road up to the bridge, there is a gap for cycles and you ride up the incline to the blue control room. Once there a phone is provided to contact bridge control, you explain the direction you're heading in and they send a van to pick you up. I hardly had time to snap a picture before the van turned up and we were off. It made a pleasant change to be making the journey in the passenger seat and be able to enjoy the views for once. 

Bike Taxi Service - completely free

Trapped in "The Village" and Dartford Salt Marshes

Back on the South side of the river I had the chance to consult the maps and take some more snaps, but with the sun ever heading lower towards the horizon it was soon time to get a move on once more. I wanted to find the path that runs alongside the river by Littlebrook Power Station, but after 10 minutes of futile effort I gave up and found myself in a new development called "The Bridge". Annoyingly it is planned with no through roads and once inside it is actually quite difficult to get out again. I began to feel more than a little like Paddy McGoohan in "The Prisoner", if a giant white inflatable ball had started to chase me I wouldn't have been at all surprised.
Eventually I found the way out and was able to pick up the Thames Path onto Dartford Salt Marshes, finally this was the sort of hard pack off road cycling I had been waiting for all day. The area is a delight and is worthy of further exploration.

Dartford Salt Marshes - the riding I had been waiting for all day

First pint of the day

The riverside Running Horses pub in Erith High Street provided me with the hard earned pint that I had been denied on the Essex side, it hardly touched the sides on the way down. I would have liked to lingered longer, but the sun was low on the horizon and to my surprise the Thames Path marker showed I had another 12 miles to go before Greenwich.

Erith Yatch Club - the sun was low on the horizon

Beer Skates

Thanks to my isotonic energy drink aka Fosters lager I had quite a boost and decided to make the most of it before my reserves were depleted. The Thames Path is a refined pavement surface running through Belvedere, Thamesmead and onto Woolwich. Around the Thames Barrier and Woolwich Ferry the route becomes broken up by a number of recent infrastructure improvements, so I cheated a little and skipped the section around the Greenwich peninsular, following the main road back to Greenwich. After this I just had the "easy" 12 mile run back to Purley to contend with.

Sunset over Essex

In Conclusion

I don't think that I would follow this route again, especially in the company of other bikers. Trying to follow the river Thames along the northern side is pretty much an impossible task.

Firstly, there are a number of minor tributaries that you have to cross, each one involves an energy sapping deviation to find a crossing point further "inland".
Secondly, there are too many industrial areas closed off behind giant fences dogs and angry guards.
And lastly, a new cross rail route is under construction, which, in addition to the current railway lines,  high speed rail links and trunk roads all serve to carve the area up into one giant soulless transport corridor.
As a result of the above factors you are forced to ride alongside busy roads for the best part of the route, with no respite till Rainham.

I had a few stops along the way, but the loop starting from Greenwich took the best part of 7 hours.

But, I will definitely run an Urban Retro Bike ride along the Thames Path from Greenwich to Dartford and back in the near future. Perhaps with a trip over/under the river to the North side for a quick excursion into Rainham Marshes Nature Reserve.

Telford Ski Centre - SkiBikes On Test

Having spent the night at The Shakespeare Inn, Coalport, I arrived at Telford Ski Centre just after opening and set up my skibikes. Both resident instructors Richard and Duncan were quite excited and keen to have a go on them as soon as possible. After a single test run on the nursery slope, they both headed up the main slope to give the bike a go.

Telford Ski Centre

For Richard this was his first experience and bravely made a number of runs in a pair of shorts, you don't want to fall on Dendix at speed as you can get quite a bit of a rash, as I was to find out later.
Duncan had used a SnowScoot previously and took to the skibike like a duck to water, immediately preferring to ride standing on the pegs, Enduro style. Duncan commented that the balance skills needed reminded him of his instructor training where he had to ski on just one ski.

Richard skibiking in shorts - risky

Before long the first customers of the day arrived for an over 50s group session and the boys had to get back to work. Whilst this was taking place I was able to put in a few runs and get used to the feel of riding a skibike on Dendix. The system at Telford Ski Centre has water misting to keep the slope running smoothly and not melt the bases of skis. It is not as slippery as real snow, but the tipping point between grip and slip is progressive and in my humble opinion a whole league above the "modern" carpet systems being installed elsewhere. I even managed to get a few runs in on a pair of SnowBlades and soon began to "dial in" to the new medium.

Duncan - Enduro style

The over 50s group were due a coffee break, but one of the group wanted to have a go. With minimal instruction he made 3 runs from halfway down the slope to get used to controlling the skibike and then made an excellent run from the top.

A completely empty slope

There was somewhat of a lull afterwards which gave me the chance to put in a few runs on a completely empty slope. I put myself in the position of a complete numpty and went for a run from the top of the extension slope above the top of the drag, straight down the fall line, I picked up a lot more speed than I was expecting and almost ran off the end of the slope into the underbrush, but crashed as a result. Due to the heat, I was wearing a short sleeved top, the result, one bloodied forearm, ouch.
Still you have to find the limits.

Numpty skibiker - finding the limits

Well overdue to return to London, I bade farewell to Telford and made the return home. But I will be back to Telford Ski Centre, mainly because they now have my 2 skibikes on evaluation for the next month.

A Trip To IronBridge

It has been hotter than a Jalapeno pepper for the last week and whilst sane folk head for the beach to cool off with a refreshing dip in the English Channel I am heading due North towards the historic town of IronBridge.
It is often quoted as the "Birthplace of the Industrial Revolution" mainly based on the idea that Abraham Darby perfected the technique of smelting iron with coke, in nearby Coalbrookdale, was the first place in the UK smelting cast iron.
The area became quite an industrial hotspot and nearby Madeley Wood (also know as Bedlam) rang to the sound of heavy engineering and the night sky was lit by the forges. It must have been a terrifying sight in 1801 when Philip James de Loutherbourg, painted Coalbrookdale by Night.

Coalbrookdale by Night - a terrifying sight in 1801

I wonder what those engineers would have made of the skibikes sitting in the boot of the car? With their TIG welded aluminium frames from Taiwan, ski mounts from the USA and skis from Canada and the USA. Perhaps they might scoff that so much technological endeavor has gone into creating such toys.

Tomorrow, my playthings are getting an outing at Telford Ski Centre, one of the many dry ski slopes that are dotted about England, Wales and Scotland.
But the Telford Ski Centre is unusual for two reasons; firstly it is still using Dendix matting, one of the original dry slope surfaces, but most importantly it is the first ski centre in recent years that has been asking to try out skibikes and see how they fit in to the mix of sliding activities.

Summer SkiBike Short Breaks - Starting From £228

Maybe you follow The SkiBiker SkiBike Blog and now want to have a go yourself, or perhaps you already skibike but want to brush up your skills before next season recommences. Either way, join me for a mid week break and enjoy a full day's skibiking on the longest indoor ski slope in the World.
I intend to be making a few visits to the AlpinCenter in Bottrop during the summer and autumn, so why not ride shotgun with me and enjoy a short break too?
Don't forget we will be passing through France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. This is an ideal opportunity to stock up on wine, beer and tobacco at continental prices.

Here's an example itinerary, to give you an idea of how your time will be spent, nothing is set in stone and adjustments can be made to suit your needs. Please use the comments form below or the contact page to feedback your views and suggestions.

Proposed Itinerary

Day 1 - Tuesday

10.30 am - Depart South London
12:00 am - Arrive Dover
1:00 pm - Depart Dover, lunch on board
3.30 pm - Arrive Calais (+1 hour time difference)
7.45 pm - Arrive Essen, check in to hotel, freshen up, evening meal and drinks, etc.

Day 2 - Wednesday

8.30 am - Breakfast
9.15 am - Depart Hotel
9.30 am - Arrive Alpin Centre, sort passes, kit up
9.45 am - First session
11.15 am - Coffee break
11.30 am - Second Session
13:30 pm - Lunch break
14:00 pm - Third Session
17:00 pm - Afternoon Tea break
17.30 pm - Open practcie/cross training
20:00 pm - Dinner break
21:00 pm - Open practice/cross training
22:00 pm - Pack up, drinks at the bar
22:30 pm - Return to the hotel

Thursday - Day 3

8.30 am - Breakfast and check out
9.30 am - Depart Essen
2.00 pm - Arrive Calais region for shopping expedition and lunch
4.30 pm - Depart Calais
5.00 pm - Depart Dover (-1 hour time difference)
7.00 pm - Arrive London


What's included

Ferry Crossing
Transport from London to Alpin Center return
2 nights overnight accomodation in Essen
Lift Pass (09:30-23:00) which includes unlimited buffet, soft refreshments and 3 alcoholic drinks
Use of SkiBike
One on one mentoring for the duration as and when required
Use of Ski or Snowboard equipment if you want to cross train


What's not included (pack these)

Evening meals and incidental costs
Ski clothing including gloves
Sturdy warm and waterproof footwear
Helmet (optional)
Goggles (optional)
Knee/Wrist/Back protection
Accident insurance cover


Breakdown of costs

Ferry - from £45
Fuel - £55
Hotel -£90 (2 night option)
Lift Pass - £38

Total cost per person - £228


Restrictions

Monday - Friday only (skibikes are not permitted to use the facilities at weekends).


Options

For those on a tighter budget we can drive straight from AlpinCenter back to Calais in around 4 hours, but bear in mind with the time difference, that you might well not be back in London till 5am the following morning (which though "Rock'n'Roll", is somewhat brutal). Ferry prices are available on a sliding scale according to demand, peak periods are substantially more expensive, mid week outside school holidays will deliver best value.

 

AlpinCenter Bottrop - The Longest Indoor Ski Dome In The World

Introduction

If you have closely followed The SkiBiker SkiBike Blog you will know that in the ski off season I like to maintain what paltry balance skills I have by fitting in a few crafty trips to indoor ski domes and even the occasional session on a dry ski slope.
The AlpinCenter Bottrop is the World's longest indoor ski slope, yet few seem to have heard of it. The feature that got my attention though was that uplift is by conveyor belt or "magic carpet" as those smooth marketing types would prefer to call it. If you know me well, you will know that I don't interface well with a skibike and a drag lift. So you would appreciate that this is a massive selling point for me.

For these reasons, I had been planning an off season visit since I first discovered the AlpinCenter Bottrop last Autumn. So when a few days work in Amsterdam at the RAI exhibition centre came along, it seemed too good an opportunity to miss as Bottrop is just under 2 hours from Amsterdam. Furthermore the company I was working for very equitably offered to pay my fuel costs up to the equivalent cost of an air fare.

Where to Stay 

Once my work in Amsterdam was complete it was time to jump in the car and head South post haste.

I needed a room overnight that was close to AlpinCenter Bottrop and I managed to find the Hotel Böll through Late Rooms. I was running late and expected to arrive slightly later than the stated 10pm "latest check in", however I managed to call through on route and the helpful staff waited for me to arrive at around 10.30, "Ich danke ihnen vielmals Fräulein" - thanks Doris much appreciated.

Hotel Böll - simple, clean and basic

The accommodation at the Hotel Böll was simple, clean and basic, exactly what I needed. The free parking was an added bonus, I had a lot of stuff with me in the car and fortunately it was well sheltered from view.
There are plenty of late night eateries just around the corner in the centre of town, which appears to have quite a large Turkish community, Kebab lovers are well catered for here. In spite of the suburban location, the room was quiet and peaceful, giving me a much needed good night's rest.

Industrial Heartland

The following morning it was time to locate the AlpinCenter Bottrop which is just 15 minutes from the Hotel Böll. Bottrop is a suburb of Essen, an industrial town in Germany's inustrial heart land known to English speakers as The Ruhr. The AlpinCenter Bottrop itself overlooks an industrial valley, which looks hauntingly similar to the outskirts of  Birmingham, oh except that here they still make stuff! The hill that the AlpinCenter Bottrop stands on is the result of centuries of coke making (the fuel not the drink!) and continues to this day at the ArcelorMittal plant. The hill itself is formed from an accumulation of stony bi-products, I would call it a slag heap, but that is probably not the term the marketing department would prefer.
However, in spite of all the chimney stacks, storage yards and fuel tanks that abound, the area is lush, verdant and sylvan, making it a pleasant spot in mid summer with a unique vista.

Bottrop - chimney stacks, storage yards and fuel tanks abound

First Run on German Snow

I wanted to limber up and recce the layout using SnowBlades first and had hardly got the boot open before a chatty ski instructor parked alongside me spotted my vintage Raichle ski boots, passed comment and was curious to know whether I was with the military, I imagine this area would have been full of military personnel in the days before the fall of the Berlin Wall. As we chatted he was able to confirm that there would be no problem using my "skibob", I didn't mention the lack of footskis, but waited to see what would happen later.

Immediately behind the Alpine style chalet entrance there is a reception area where you are provided with a paper bracelet type ticket and a card for 3 alcoholic beverages. Further inside the building is a bar and buffet to one side and the locker/changing/equipment rooms to the other. Skis, poles, snowboards, boots and helmets are all available in the price of admission should you need them. It appeared to be the typical mid range stock you would expect in this sort of facility.

AlpinCenter Bottrop - Alpine style chalet entrance

Once past these areas you go through an air lock to find yourself almost at the top of the slope. This is quite an unusual arrangement that not once have I encountered anywhere else. Immediately in front of you are the nursery slopes, to your right and slightly higher is the end of the travellator and to your left the "dangerous" slope with a gradient of 25% reserved for intermediate skiers/riders and above. A warning sign alerts you of the start of this section. In reality the grade would be considered an easy blue by any standard, towards the end there is a dog leg to the left. Irritatingly, no matter how fast you go, the last 80 metres, alongside the snow park, require an uphill climb.

The conveyor belt uplift

This brings you to the start of the conveyor belt back to return you to the top. There are two belts running in parallel, for the duration of my visit only one of which was working, I imagine the other is fired up during busier periods. Traffic lights guide you to enter at periodic intervals in order to keep "traffic" seperated. There are no lift operators present, but the area is monitored by CCTV, the management don't like people shuffling closer to chat and will tell you over the P.A.!
Unless you are the World's slowest snow user, the sad fact is that the travellator is where you will spend most of your time at the AlpinCenter Bottrop heading back uphill. It is somewhat gloomy and industrial and would benefit from a bit of a makeover. Music is piped through, offering an ecclectic selection of bouncy tunes ranging from Trad Jazz through Euro Dance/Pop to Bavarian Oompa. Whether this brings delight or torture will be a matter of taste, but it was nice to hear the jaunty 80's pop hit "Take on Me" by a-ha which I haven't heard in a long while.

At the end of the travellator, snowboarders hop off to the side whilst skiers or skibikers! are tipped straight onto an icy incline with a testing right angle bend that leads back to the top of the nursery slopes.

Having played on my blades for a couple of hours, I stopped for some late breakfast at the buffet bar.
On offer was a typical selection of Germanic food, with many combinations of pork and potatoes, plus a well stocked salad bar, no shortage of fresh rolls, cold meats and cheeses, fresh coffee, soft drinks and even ice creams for desert.
Refreshed, I headed back to the car to switch boots and prep the skibike. Once assembled I headed back inside expecting to be accosted by the management, but no-one so much as batted an eyelid over the use of a skibike. Some younger Germans pointed and commented "keine fuß skis" - no foot skis, I can but assume that freestyle skibikes aren't all that common around here and they have only seen the ubiquitous Brenter SnowBike before.

AlpinCenter Bottrop - Start of the main slope

The snow was good, if a little icy in places, the worst section was at the top of the conveyor belt, at the end of the day it was a block of ice surrounded by a pool of melt water. Oddly some sections of snow felt slower than others, if you got some speed up, you could really feel the deceleration when you hit them. Predictably I found the best snow was to be found at the edge of the piste where there had been the least traffic. Upon inspection I found that my skis had acquired some odd black sticky contamination trapped in the wax layer, perhaps I needed special artificial snow wax?

AlpinCenter Bottrop - The nursery slope

I have read comments that some find the lighting at gloomy, it lacks the clinical level of floodlighting that some other indoor ski centres employ, but you certainly don't need a headlight!

I lost all track of time and just enjoyed putting in run after run, there was virtually no-one else there and I could head straight down the fall line or practice moves as the whim took me. I managed a neat 180° spin, but still haven't got the hang of riding backwards yet! Stopping for a coffee at what I thought was tea time actually turned out to be nearer 8 pm. I put in a few final runs and a "swift half" at the bar before loading up for the drive back to Calais, some 4 hours plus away.

In Conclusion

AlpinCenter Bottrop offers unbeatable value, you can spend all day and evening on the snow, eat and drink heartily for a price that equates to a single hour on one of London's indoor ski centres. The conveyor belt uplift works superbly with a skibike, even the most inexperienced rider would get it within a couple of rides.

It is worth noting that the run may be 640m long, but the total length it is a little bit missleading. The first half is on a very shallow gradient to suit novices, an intermedite rider will head as directly as possible through it. I had to scoot a fair bit of the way to keep above walking pace and really only found the next section useful. With the final section running uphill you can iether hit it at full tilt or face a fair old uphill walk, this is even worse if you are on skis or a snowboard. This means that the total length you can use to practice your turns, stopping, etc. is only about 200m long. But this is still about twice the length of anything similar here in the UK.

For non skiers, there is a summer "Cresta run" and a "Via Ferrata" high level walkway too.

Scores at a Glance:

• Value: 10/10
• Efficiency: 10/10
• Snow Quality: 8/10
• Slope Design: 7/10
• SkiBike Firendliness: 10/10

Would I go back?

In an instant, not only is the AlpinCenter Bottrop a fun place to visit, but I am certain that it is the best venue in Europe for a novice to experience skibiking for the first time and build confidence before going on holiday.

I will cost out a package price from the UK shortly - Watch this space!