Calendar

Nov
15
Tue
Urban Moonlight Ride @ Coate Water Cafe
Nov 15 @ 9:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Urban Moonlight Ride @ Coate Water Cafe | England | United Kingdom

For the next Tuesday evening ride, we are going Urban 😉
Starting from Coate water cafe (next to the diving board), we will head to lydiard park via the cycle route 45 and do a lap once there. After that we will head to shaw forest and again do a lap around there! Then move onto moulden hill country park, do a lap and then head back to the Sun inn pub next to coate water for a nice refreshing beverage 🙂

Approx 20miles.
Please bring a helmet, NO HELMET, NO RIDE! Please also bring some lights and wrap up nice and warm.

Look forward to seeing you there folks 🙂

Nov
16
Wed
A Tail of Two Trails @ Croft Cycle Trail
Nov 16 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
A Tail of Two Trails @ Croft Cycle Trail | Swindon | England | United Kingdom

Something a little bit different this week – a lap of Croft followed by a ride out to Shaw Forest on route 45 for a lap of there, before heading back to Croft.

This is a perfect ride for beginners, with a well surfaced, largely flat route, with optional fun bits! It’s 10 miles to Shaw and back, so that’s the minimum, plus how every many laps of Croft / Shaw Forest you want to do.

It will be dark obviously, but the route to Shaw is well surfaced and lit in places – lights are essential though, as it’s very dark in other places.

Meet in the Croft car park for a 6pm set off.

Nov
17
Thu
Thursday Evening Bimble @ Tawny Owl
Nov 17 @ 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Thursday Evening Bimble @ Tawny Owl | Swindon | England | United Kingdom

This weeks Thursday ride will be lead by me and going from the Tawny Owl.

Will be heading out towards Coate Water before looping back via Lydiard Park. Route will be about 20 miles and will be riding at leisurely pace.

Lights and helmet required.

Mar
19
Sun
Breeze SMTBE – Ladies Leisure Rides ‘BE BOLD FOR CHANGE’ @ Three Trees Cafe
Mar 19 @ 10:00 am – 12:30 pm
Breeze SMTBE - Ladies Leisure Rides 'BE BOLD FOR CHANGE' @ Three Trees Cafe | United Kingdom

As well as leading SMTBE rides, I am also a Breeze champion, and I am leading a combined Breeze ride, with a RideSocial bit in the middle.

I have put together a few of my favourite routes with an adventurous twist in the middle! We will start the route at the Three Trees Cafe , then take the cycle path through Chiseldon and then head to Coate Water via the ‘twirly whirly bridge’. We will ride round the back of Coate Water and head out onto the roads by the Broome Manor estate. After a short section of quiet road we will pick up the cycle path again down the side of the golf course and head onto Pipers Way and to Croft. This is where we will stop for a short break from the Breeze ride and if you want to join the ‘Ride Social’ at this point, then that will be the adventurous twist – a lap of Croft!

We will then continue the Breeze ride, head back to Coate Water via Broome Manor and stop for coffee or toilets if required. After Coate, we will take the Badbury Wick route back to the Three Trees Cafe, which is all quiet country roads. Once back at the Three Trees Cafe we will stop for a much needed hot drink and a cake!

Meet in the Three Trees Cafe car park for a 10am start.

Jul
19
Wed
Wednesday at Croft @ Croft Cycle Trail
Jul 19 @ 6:15 pm – 8:00 pm
Wednesday at Croft @ Croft Cycle Trail | England | United Kingdom

We will be at Croft on Wednesday, but starting at the slightly later time of 6.15pm.

We will be doing a few laps of the trail, stopping to practice anything people want to along the way.

Meet in the car park at 6.15pm

You will need a helmet, but not lights.

Sep
19
Wed
Wednesday After Work at Croft @ Croft Cycle Trail
Sep 19 @ 5:45 pm – 7:30 pm
Wednesday After Work at Croft @ Croft Cycle Trail | England | United Kingdom
This a very relaxed ride, at an easy pace, with lots of opportunities to develop and practice skills. Everyone is welcome and this is a great introductory ride if you’re just starting or coming back to mountain biking.
 
This week we’re going to do some skills demonstrations and practice, using the features of the trail. We’ll cover the basics you’ll need for tackling technical terrain – front wheel lifts, unweighting the back well, climbing and descending safely.
 
You must bring a helmet, but you don’t need lights, yet.
Also thoroughly recommend insect repellent!
 
Meet in the Croft car park at 5.30pm for a 5.45pm start.
Oct
3
Wed
Wednesdays After Work at Croft @ Croft Cycle Trail
Oct 3 @ 5:45 pm – 7:00 pm
Wednesdays After Work at Croft @ Croft Cycle Trail | England | United Kingdom
This a very relaxed ride, at an easy pace, with lots of opportunities to develop and practice skills. Everyone is welcome and this is a great introductory ride if you’re just starting or coming back to mountain biking.
 
This week we’re going to do some skills demonstrations and practice, using the features of the trail. We’ll cover the basics you’ll need for tackling technical terrain – front wheel lifts, unweighting the back wheel, climbing and descending safely.
We may also venture up Ladder Lane for a bit of root and faster descending practice.
 
You must bring a helmet, but you don’t need lights, just yet.
 
Meet in the Croft car park at 5.30pm for a 5.45pm start
Sep
4
Wed
Wednesday GetintoMTB @ Croft Cycle Trail
Sep 4 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Wednesday GetintoMTB @ Croft Cycle Trail

Wednesdays are one of our #getintoMTB events, designed to help people get started, get back into MTB or anyone wanting a shorter, flatter ride. But there’s plenty of fun for all abilities.

The evening will be split into two parts:

6-7pm will be a Croft trail ride, laps of the trail (sessioning some of the features along the way)

7pm-8pm will be a local, fairly flat route, less than 10km in total.
PLEASE LET US KNOW BY POSTING BELOW IF YOU INTEND ONLY ATTENDING THE 7PM RIDE, so that we know to wait for you, as we leave promptly.

Under 18’s are allowed on this ride unaccompanied, as long as you have been out with us before. If you haven’t and wish to come, please drop an email to welfare@swindonmtbenthusiasts.co.uk so we can let you know the process for signing up to these rides.

As with all our rides, Helmets are compulsory.

Meet in the Croft Trail car park for both rides

Feb
2
Sun
MTB Wellness Ladies Ride @ Mouldon Hill Country Park
Feb 2 @ 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
MTB Wellness Ladies Ride @ Mouldon Hill Country Park

This is a Ladies Only ride, led by Davinia.

We meet at Mouldon Hill in the car park and then follow route 45 South past Shaw Forest and pick up the West Swindon Round to Lydiard Park. We will stop at Lydiard for a drink and maybe a cake! Then back continuing on the West Swindon round and back up the old railway line to Mouldon Hill.

This is a very gentle ride, and is no more than 9 miles.
It is aimed at beginners and upwards and is for every ability.
It’s a chance to get back on the bike, have a chat and feel happy!

You will need a helmet, bike and yourself!

This ride is suitable for all mountain bikes or hybrid bikes with off road tyres.

May
23
Sat
May Weekender 2020 – Exmoor @ Porlock
May 23 @ 10:00 am – May 25 @ 2:00 pm
May Weekender 2020 - Exmoor @ Porlock
Our annual May Bank holiday trip will be to the fabulous Exmoor in 2020.
We have 3 days riding planned and you can do all or just some of them.
 
Day 1 – the big day out. Starting from Porlock we will do a 28km loop of some of the best hills and scenery Exmoor has to offer, including Wootton Courtenay, Ranscombe and Horner. There will be amazing views of the hills, sea and Wales, epic descents and glorious woodland. There will be options on the route as well, including a cut off near the end to remove 300m of climbing, to enable more people to have a go at the route. For the “adventurous” there will also be a chance to take in one of the tracks from the Southern Enduro champs along the way (that is optional and the alternative is still a great descent, just firewood instead).
 
Day 2 – lazy Sunday. Well sort of! We will start with a considerably shorter ride (9km) to the top of Bossington Hill, for the epic view, on our way to Horner. After a lunch at the excellent tea rooms we will then do 3 uplifted descents. First we will take in a long run from the top of Dunkery Beacon, followed by an epic singletrack run from the top of Porlock Hill. Finally we will return to Porlock Hill and take a super fast fireroad route down to Porlock Weir for a pint by the sea. Up to you if you do all 3 descents or 2 or 1, but the final one is suitable for all and takes us home, so if you’re only going to do 1, it should be that 1!
 
Day 3 – Big trees. To finish off on Monday we will decamp to the outskirts of Minehead (about 15 minute drive) to Dunster Castle. Here we will ride a nice woodland route out to England’s tallest tree and back.
 
Accommodation is DIY, but I would strongly recommend Sparkhayes campsite (which I will be at). It has excellent facilities, and lovely relaxed atmosphere and great views of the hills and sea. It’s also on a few minutes walk from the pubs and shops.
There are many B&Bs in the town if you would prefer a solid roof though.
 
Outside of your accommodation and food, the only cost will be the uplift, which will be around £10 per person in total. Exact price will be confirmed nearer the time.
 
All routes will be led by qualified ride leaders, who are also first aid trained.