Mountain Biking for beginners

[DavidC]

We are going to run a series of Autumn Saturday Spins for beginners or anyone who hasn’t mountain biked for a while.
We plan to run 6 sessions initially and see where we go from there depending on numbers, interest etc


Who is it for?
Anyone with an interest in cycling offroad in scenic locations, away from the rush and noise of traffic. You don't have to be fit, or have a brilliant bike, the focus will be on getting outdoors on beginner-friendly trails, learning a few skills and having a bit of fun. If you manage to get fit as a result, then that’s a bonus.


When and where?
Saturday afternoons, 4pm, starting 16th September, Kilbrannish area
Exact details closer to the time


What you will need:
A mountain bike in good working order
A helmet
Clothing appropriate to the weather. Cycle clothing is best if you have it, but running top, shorts, tracksuit etc are fine to get started
A pair of gloves, cycling gloves if you have them, or any light gloves with reasonable grip.
Something to drink


[The following would be nice to have but not essential:
Spare tube
Small pump
Tyre levers
Basic multitool with allen keys
Backpack to carry your stuff e.g. a light jacket, spare tube, drink, snack etc]


Rough Agenda Day 1
Quick bike safety check (tyres brakes etc)
Short warm up – note any bike issues
Bike tweaks and adjustments
Balancing and braking skills.
Spin, applying your new skills along the way (route tbc, depending on who we have, weather etc)

If you, or someone you know might be interested please post below, or contact David Conway on O87648O922

[BrianM]

Make sure Jim is on hand to water those roots! great idea David

[DavidC]

He's on call Brian
Great group heading out Saturday. Looking forward to it.

[DavidC]

I recently met a non-mountainbiking club mate who remarked "The mountain biking seems to be gone very quiet." I was a bit taken aback, but when I thought about it I realised that members who don't mountain bike actually have no way of knowing what we are at unless someone tells them!

So here goes, a quick update from the Dark Side.

Racing-wise, it actually has been very quiet this year, with most people opting for regular leisure spins. The exception was Brian McElwee who was our flag bearer at several NPS races around the country and at the National Marathon Champs.

The Sunday Spin is still the flagship spin of the week, but there are regular spins on Saturday mornings, and smaller groups go out at night during the week. Most of us try to get out at least twice a week. Details are communicated via a Viber group which has taken over as the main means of organising spins.

In September we started a series of six Beginner spins that were targeted at complete beginners. At the same time, we began running Junior spins for kids in the 11-14 age bracket. These spins were very successful and well atended with a total of 20 beginners and juniors taking part over the series, ably coached and supported by a number of our experienced bikers. I'm delighted to say we have ended up with 8 talented Juniors, and about the same number of adults who have properly caught the bug and will continue mountain biking with us into the future. Racing795 already had a well established core group of about a dozen MTBers, so if all the new guys and girls stick around we'll have almost 30 regular MTBers, give or take a few.

We are blessed with an abundance of fine quality trails for all skill levels. A lot of work goes on quietly in the background creating and maintaining them. It is important that this continue and the more people that help out the better, as many hands make light work. Members of neighbouring club, the MLS, also build and maintain trails. Best of all, the young lads are now chomping at the bit to design and build their own trails. Who knows what they'll achieve!

So that's it. All in all, mountain biking in Racing795 has never been healthier! As always, anyone thinking of giving it a go, give myself or any of the mountain bikers a shout and we'll look after you. Don't let the lack of a bike stop you. The club has a number of good quality entry level mountain bikes that are available for members or new people who want to try MTBing befor committing their hard-earned cash.

[NMcCord]

Hear Hear David . Super Write up .