Frequently Asked Questions
Before contacting us please have a look at the following commonly asked questions and answers:
I have / we have seen your website – can I come along and try before I join?
I am / we are new to the area; can I come along with you?
I ride a (name of bike) and live (place) can I join your Club?
I am / we are new to mountain biking – what would the arrangements be?
I am / we are new to mountain biking – will I be able to keep up?
I am interested in what sort of rides do you do?
How long is the ride, when do you finish?
What are the abilities of the other riders?
How many female riders do you have?
Is the ride on (date) / at (venue) still happening?
What should I bring – do I need lunch?
Do you have a map of the ride?
Can you tell me more about the night rides?
What about races and other events?
I have / we have seen your website – can I come along and try before I join?
Yes please do come along – the best way to see what we are about is to give it a go. The ride venues and dates are available on the Club website, or within the Newsletter that we publish for Members every quarter year. You will be welcome as a guest, but we ask a rider to join once they have participated two or three times as a guest – this allows the individual to assess that he / she likes the Club activities we are offeringI am / we are new to the area; can I come along with you?
Yes – as aboveI ride a (name of bike) and live (place) can I join your Club?
Yes – as aboveI am / we are new to mountain biking – what would the arrangements be?
We try to organise our rides into manageable groups of about 10 people of similar abilities but we do not teach and you will need to be reasonably confident on a mountain bike as well as fit enough to cycle for at least three hours – more for an all day ride.I am / we are new to mountain biking – will I be able to keep up?
Our rides are reasonably demanding. We don't go manic - and we are certainly considerate of others, but we can and do push the pace sometimes. From time to time we go up and down big hills. A total beginner might find it hard the first few times. Newcomers are more than welcome to come along and give a ride or two a try – as above, or look out for our New Riders events. The main thing is to have a decent bike, good bike handling skills and some fitness (which soon picks up if you keep riding).I am interested in what sort of rides do you do?
Our focus is riding in a group of friendly people to enjoy great company and to have a good time. We ride, as far as possible, away from public highways and feel that we come in the category often referred to as cross country mountain biking (xc). The group consists of a really wide variety of people from all walks of life: male and female. What we all have in common is a passion for mountain bike riding. Since inception of the Club we have not restricted ourselves to the New Forest and we ride generally within about 1 hours car travel from Southampton and Winchester, i.e. around Sussex, Dorset, Wiltshire, The Isle of Wight and Hampshire. This includes venues such as the North and the South Downs, The Purbecks at Swanage / Corfe Castle, Salisbury Plain, Marlborough Downs and The Isle of Wight which we visit frequently for one of our all day events.How long is the ride, when do you finish?
The fortnightly Sunday rides are aimed at three hours, from 10am prompt to about 1pm Rides will be announced as All Day with normally a pub lunch stop, via the rides list on the Club website and Newsletter. Timings will vary but normally start 10am prompt with return about 5pm The distance is dependant on terrain, weather and the individuals within a group but we will be aiming at six to eight miles per hour We ride, as far as possible, away from public highways. This is of course the opposite of the traditional cycling pastime of touring, or road riding: and travel distances and speed can appear to be low in comparison – but not the energy expended! Clearly we do not have mountains to ride locally in Dorset, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, but even though the New Forest is considered by many to be quite tame (compared to tougher areas like the Peak District, or Wales) we do have ample supply of Public Bridleways around Hampshire and locally that can be very challenging singletrack, or slippery, steep and rutted routes. If you are new to the mtb language a singletrack is exactly what it says it is – a single narrow track that is not wide enough for two bikes to pass each other. These can be very difficult to ride well since the pedals can get caught on low shrubs, or ruts in the ground. The handlebars may similarly get caught on branches, or brambles and the singletracks invariably twist and undulate in a manner often difficult to predict as you pass around obstacles such as streams or trees! In recent years we have also seen Club organised trips to more technically demanding areas such as Exmoor/ Dartmoor, Quantocks and Wales and there are numerous ad-hoc trips by groups from the Club to race events, randonnee, or day rides.What are the abilities of the other riders?
The participation on rides varies due to many aspects. Frequently we have 20+ Members turn out for a ride and we split into groups to suit the requirements that individual riders want from the trip.
We aim our rides at three adult categories:
- Hot - We always have enthusiastic Members ready to attend for a fast-ish tour. characteristic- strenuous & technical riding
- Medium - To suit a medium ride we have regular Members in attendance to offer a less demanding pace characteristic- moderately strenuous & some technical riding
- Cool - To suit a steadier pace we attempt to have Members available for this third group characteristic- smooth & non technical riding – potentially suitable for novices
Don’t get us wrong though, we are not lycra clad brutes who knock over horses and walkers! We do follow the mtb code and respect others keeping to sensible group sizes and appropriate speeds
How many female riders do you have?
Typically we will have females about a third of the riders within the Middle group and a couple within the Hot group Membership numbers are around 100 households with individuals (male and female) of a broad age and fitness level, with several family groups and children cyclists also consideredIs the ride on (date) / at (venue) still happening?
Sunday is our regular ride day, fortnightly all through the year - regardless of the weather, and has never been cancelled in at least the last 10 yearsWhat should I bring – do I need lunch?
We require cycle helmets to be worn on all Club rides: be prepared for weather changes and carry- A drink
- Puncture repair kit / spare tubes
- Emergency contact details in the event of an accident
Do you have a map of the ride?
Of benefit to our Club riders is not only being able to meet with like minded people, but we obviously have Members that are prepared to suggest routes and trails that they already know. Map reading and the uncertainties of hills, private land, mud, overgrown tracks etc. can be avoided, or at least minimised. Normally the person suggesting a route will be following a map, or a memory from previous rides and in recent years we have seen an increase in use of gps, which means routes can be shared by Members, in agreement by the individuals involvedCan you tell me more about the night rides?
If you're already an experienced mountain bike rider and you're looking for challenging or very technical riding – this is it. We have three Thursday groups at present all through the year. You will find a “Middle” group and two “Hot” groups who go out on fast, fun and challenging rides. They are definitely for more skilled riders and unless you're fit and fearless you won't keep up. You can be a bit less fit and fearless in the ‘Middle’ group but night riding is not for novices so you should be confident about the prospect of riding off road at night; if in doubt come along to one of our Sunday rides to find out more.
Night rides extend well into the dark hours, and you will need lights suitable for off-road use which will last for the duration of the ride (plus a bit for mechanicals / getting lost). A good guide is to see if you can see detail on the ground about 15ft (3m) in front of your bike. Typical commuting lights won’t get you past the car park!
What about races and other events?
Members regularly take part in mountain bike races and attend festivals, from short course xc (cross country) races typically taking 1½ to 2 hours, 3 to 4 hour enduro’s, to 12 and 24 hour team and solo events. These are often well attended (with four teams of 4 attending the Mountain Mayhem 24hr race in recent years), with teams and travel arrangements organised through the bulletin board.
See the Events list (under Rides tab) or the bulletin board for what’s occurring, and post on the board to make arrangements or meet up.
Please use the “Contacts” page to send us an email