BIKE CENTRE READY TO ROLL.

A QUARTER-of-a-million pounds bike centre will be officially opened tomorrow. The state-of-the-art facility, aimed at making Kielder Water & Forest Park one of Europe's top outdoor destinations, will open in the heart of the 155,000-acre Northumberland wilderness.

Built by the Kielder Partnership, it will be operated by Purple Mountain, one of the north's leading off-road cycling businesses.

Besides offering a huge range of bikes for hire, the centre will also stage an exciting array of events, from night rides using powerful cycle lamps to family sessions and outings aimed at women, schoolchildren and corporate clients.

It is part of a multi-million-pound investment in off-road trails in the upper North Tyne. Earlier this year, a 17km red trail was unveiled together with the 26-mile Lakeside Way, allowing bikers, walkers and horse riders to circumnavigate northern Europe's biggest man-made lake for the first time.

Elisabeth Rowark, director of the Kielder Partnership, said: "We are forging ahead with brilliant new trails, but we need to match them with world-class facilities and the bike centre fills this role. It will be a magnet for bike fans of all abilities - from novice to expert - helping exploit the immense interest in off-roading in Kielder Water & Forest Park."

Purple Mountain is owned by Vicky Griffin, 34, who started her own bike hire firm as a 17-year-old in the North York Moors.

She said: "This is a massive move for us, but we are absolutely thrilled by the challenge. The new trails are top notch."

CAPTION(S):

THRILLED: Vicky Griffin's new biking centre venture opens tomorrow at Kielder