Calendar

Jul
13
Wed
Beginners Railway Loop @ Waitrose Swindon
Jul 13 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Beginners Railway Loop @ Waitrose Swindon | England | United Kingdom

Something a bit different this week, we will be doing a short (6 mile), gentle loop using the excellent cyclepath along the old railway line round Old Town, back to Waitrose via Croft.
The ride is aimed at all, but beginners in particular. We will be able to help people check over their bikes before we begin and we will go at the pace of the whole group (so no-one gets left behind or feels uncomfortable)

Meet out the front of Waitrose at 6.30pm

Please remember to bring your helmet

Sep
7
Wed
Wednesdays After Work at Croft and beyond! @ Croft Cycle Trail
Sep 7 @ 5:45 pm – 7:30 pm
Wednesdays After Work at Croft and beyond! @ Croft Cycle Trail | Swindon | England | United Kingdom

Weather looks good this week, so come along to Croft and have a cycle with us.

As well as doing a few laps, there is a nice beginners loop we can do from Croft, with only gentle uphill and 3.5 and 7 mile options which we’re happy to do if there’s demand for it.

Davinia will also be there if anyone wants to do Ladies only groups.

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.

Nov
20
Sun
Road Trip to Afan @ Afan Bike Park
Nov 20 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Road Trip to Afan @ Afan Bike Park | Port Talbot | Wales | United Kingdom

Its been 3 years since i was last there and now its time to visit again. This is an awesome place to visit with some serious trails worth riding. Some tough hill climbs, but with rewarding descents.

Current weather forecast is for showers, but this is Wales, so make sure you bring waterproofs! A helmet is also essential.

Jun
22
Thu
Ladies Intermediate Coaching with Katy Curd @ Pedalabikeaway, FoD
Jun 22 @ 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Ladies Intermediate Coaching with Katy Curd @ Pedalabikeaway, FoD | England | United Kingdom

We have arranged an Intermediate Level ladies only course with the fabulous Katy Curd on Thursday 22nd June.

There are 5 places on the course, which consists of 3 hours of tuition with World Champion & world class coach, Katy Curd.

The cost is £60 per person, which can be paid in cash on the day or by bank transfer in advance.

Jun
9
Sat
Exmoor Explore – Lets go to the sea @ Porlock Weir
Jun 9 @ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Exmoor Explore - Lets go to the sea @ Porlock Weir | Porlock Weir | England | United Kingdom
This is a warm up for those coming for the weekend, and will have a choice of gentle or mental!
 
We will be starting from our base at the Sparkhayes Campsite in the centre of Porlock and making our way to Porlock Weir, the port to the west, where there is an excellent pub, refreshments and the sea!
 
The choice will be:
A gentle pootle out, relatively flat, just taking in the scenery to the pub essentially.
Or the mental option – making our way part way up Porlock Hill (which has the steepest A road in the country!) and making our way down through the technical bridleways in the woods to the weir.
 
The choice is yours 🙂
Oct
12
Sat
GetintoMTB Goes to Wales @ Afan Lodge
Oct 12 @ 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
GetintoMTB Goes to Wales @ Afan Lodge

Following on from the success of the previous Get Into Mountain Biking events we’re heading to Afan in Wales!

This will still be aimed at improvers/intermediate riders but will be a progression from the previous trail centres we’ve visited.

Meeting at Afan Lodge at 11am we will take a short ride to the start of the trails and begin our day on the blue-graded Blue Scar. At the top of the Blue Scar climb we can then decide whether to climb a bit more and do the first part of the red-graded trail Penhydd or continue straight to the Blue Scar descent. There is a fair amount of climbing at Afan but most of it is on fire roads and there will be plenty of opportunity to stop and admire the stunning views.

After lunch those with the energy can climb back up and do more of Penhydd or Blue Scar again, and there is also a small skills area and lovely scenic route with short section of blue-graded trail along the valley.

Those that are really feeling energetic and brave may be tempted to give the red-graded trail Y-Wal a go, but be warned, Wales trail gradings are harder than English ones.

Afan is roughly two hours drive away from Swindon so we will meet at Afan Lodge at 11am. Afan Lodge is further up the road past Afan trail centre, you’ll see the trail centre on your right and Afan Lodge is on the left. There is plenty of free parking here and a lovely cafe, and an old railway line cycle path links the two.

Since we’ll be in Wales it would seem rude not to stay a bit longer and go to Bike Park Wales on the Sunday! This won’t be an official club trip as such but there is a bike-friendly Premier Inn 5 minutes away from BPW which I may well find myself in that night 😀

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.