It’s a wonderful thing when you can combine your passion and your career; this very thing has happened to Johny Groves from Shape and Scape. Building his company on a solid foundation of hands-on riding experience and hard work, Shape and Scape is now an internationally acclaimed Motocross and BXM track-building business.
Always up for a challenge, Johny was called upon by Phoenix Cycles of Newmarket to create a ‘mountain’ in this famously flat part of the UK.
‘This is the second part of the Bike Park’ says Johny. ‘Earlier in the year we redeveloped the Southern half of Phoenix Bike Park, working alongside Kye Forte at Forte Trails. As this is a Mountain Bike Track, we work in partnership. Forte Trails provide their world-class expertise in sculpting jump set-ups, trails and slips and we do the earthworks.’
‘It’s great to be able to report that the park has been able to open in a COVID safe way, and has been greatly enjoyed by all riders so far.’
‘We’ve now moved onto the Northern section of the park. It aims to be truly epic and will throw some fantastic challenges to the riders.’
‘Same as with the Southern section, we complete the earthworks design and delivery with Forte Trails producing the jumps, trails and slips. It’s a great partnership’.
‘As part of the earthworks, we are required to create an 8m elevation in the quarry, plus 9m of freeway falls. A key aim will be to ensure proper drainage and stability to maximise riding time and minimise any maintenance needed.’
‘In order to do this, we have added to our machinery capabilities with two high-quality machines from ASHBROOK. The CAT320 excavator and the CAT730 dumper. Both are high spec machines and make the job as comfortable as possible’, notes Johny.
Paul Pitney, ASHBROOK General Manager comments, ‘we were delighted to supply the machines to Johny and his team. They’re true experts in their field. It’s always exciting to be involved in a project that’s a bit different to standard construction works’.
‘I recommended the CAT320, because it’s a next generation model, it comes with a really high standard of factory fit supportive technology. Applications such as CAT Payload, CAT Lift ASSIST, CAT E-Fence and CAT LINK.
‘Potentially, one of the most useful pieces of technology for this job would be the CAT GRADE 2D system. It allows you to reach grade quickly; you set your desired target depth and target slope and you’re away. The system will then give you real-time guidance on depth, slope, and horizontal distance to grade. It’s a great tool in jobs where you have exacting elevation needs, such as this.’
‘It also comes with GRADE with ASSIST that will stop overcuts. This piece of kit automates boom and stick movements, giving more accurate cuts with less effort. Again, great for precise works.’
Johny concludes by saying ‘this is a truly exciting development for the bikers of the UK. It will be really interesting to see how the site develops over time, including whether they enjoy the first ‘mountain’ in East Anglia!’
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