IT'S the Southampton trail made of mud, sweat, and tears. 

Southampton Bike Park has officially reopened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Bikers gathered at the trails in Southampton Sports Centre yesterday to take part in the official opening and show off their skills.

The major revamp comes as part of a multi-million pound project to improve the Sports Centre. 

The improvements include a new start hill, three all-weathered trails with a dedicated push-up and a new advanced jump trail.

A fence has also been installed around the park to ensure the safety of riders and members of the public.

Luis Arnold, founder of Southampton Bike Park, said: "Just over a decade ago me and a couple of volunteers began working on this bit of hillside building by hand.

Daily Echo: Luis Arnold (left) and Jake Wild (right) holding the cut ribbon at Southampton Bike Park.Luis Arnold (left) and Jake Wild (right) holding the cut ribbon at Southampton Bike Park. (Image: Daily Echo, Emily Liddell)

"Last year we were lucky enough to have a load of money invested in the park.

"We were able to improve three of the trails, add a fence, and improve it in places that really needed it.

"We're happy with how it's turned out, the biggest thing for us is being able to have people riding all year round.

"We now have an all-weather surface which means we don't have to get really muddy.

"It's a great place for people to come after school, after work, or ride at the weekend with your family and friends."

Louis Hopkins has been visiting Southampton Bike Park for nine years.

He said: "It means a lot to me seeing [the park] grow from the little tiny park that it used to be to what it is now.

"I originally came from BMX racing but when I moved to Southampton this was my nearest track and it got me more into the mountain biking side of things.

"Anyone can ride up here, it's free to ride.

"Just turn up, as long as you have a helmet and some sense of how to ride a bike you'll be okay.

"You can ride over most of the jumps here so there's no big commitment, you can go at your own pace and just have fun."

A message from the Editor

Thank you for reading this article on the Daily Echo. Your support means we can bring you the latest breaking news, exclusive Saints features and coverage - and much more.

Digital subscribers get unrestricted access to all of our stories, our dedicated app including e-version of the newspaper, and an advertising-light website.

If you want all the latest articles delivered straight to your inbox you can join the thousands of subscribers who are signed up to our newsletters.

They include our popular daily morning news briefing, breaking news, crime and court, and Southampton FC bulletins - plus business, heritage and our what's on newsletters.