Sussex-MTB

For those who haven’t visited Sussex-MTB before here’s a little run down of what we get up to and the various rides you can join us on.

First of all let me introduce myself, I am Jimbo and Sussex-MTB is my baby, or troublesome teenager as it seems at times! I’ve been running guided rides on a Tuesday night in Worthing since 1993 when I worked in Worthing at a long departed bike shop called Extreme Sports. I left Extreme, but I continued to run the rides for them and when they shut up shop I carried on organising rides for the group of friends I had built up in my time there.

Fast forward to when I got my first internet connection and created Sussex-MTB one evening because there was nothing on tv! Eventually the site got a forum and we started using that to organise rides and it has carried on that way since 2000.

In 2010 I have qualified with the CTC as a technical Trail Leader and a MTB skills instructor.

After a few recent discussions with Mike and Ronnie from Brighton MTB we’ve decided that it is time to link up a bit in an attempt to offer a lot more rides for people to go on. As such you’ll start to see some of our rides posted on the Brighton MTB forum and I’d encourage you to sign up on Sussex-mtb and see what else we’re up to.

Although the main aim is indeed to have fun on our bikes rides come in several different styles and formats, here is a quick breakdown of the sort of stuff we get up to:

Sussex-MTB:

Tuesday Night Rides.
These are the mainstay of Sussex-MTB and are as set in stone as we get. These happen every week, mostly from the corner shop at the top of Salvington Hill in Worthing. However they can be in different locations so it’s always wise to check the forum for details. Rides typically last around three hours, though can be a bit longer if everyone is having fun, so lights are essential even in the summer! We’ll typically cover anything between 15 and 25 miles and there will be big climbs as well as nice singletrack. Averages can vary, but are usually around 8 – 10 mph.

Weekend Rides.
These are organised on an ad hoc basis via the forum, speeds and distances will vary, but the organiser will usually state the type of riding planned.

Quest Adventure rides.
These rides take part once a month on a Saturday morning from Quest Adventure bike shop in Broadwater, Worthing. They are aimed at anyone who wants to turn up, especially beginners. As such they can vary in distance and pace, but usually last around three hours and end up with coffee and cake at Parklife in Worthing. The aim is to be inclusive, especially for beginners and just to go out and have a fun ride, oh and maybe eat some cake too. Check the Quest Adventure web site for dates and details. A separate women’s ride is also available once a month.

Private guided rides and MTB skills training.
CTC qualified skills instruction to help you get more out of your mountainbiking is also available, for more information on that you can visit: http://www.southdownsmtbskills.com We can provide tailored skills sessions for individuals or small groups, as well as guided rides. You can get in touch through the site if you require any further info.

Brighton MTB:
Evening rides take place on Tuesdays & Thursdays from the car park of Sussex Universities Sports Centre, rolling at 7pm. If you’ve never ridden with any of us before and are thinking of coming along please contact us at the usual address and title your note Tuesday or Thursday evening ride – just so we know to expect you.

The rides start at 7pm and normally last approximately 2 hours so we aim to be back at the carpark for 9pm-ish. Decent lights are required in everything but the height of summer.

Tuesday Evenings – that bit quicker.

A Mile Muncher at a quicker pace and with fewer stops than Thursday evenings. The objective is fun without ripping each others legs off but getting a reasonable shift-on to get through the singletrack and up to the Downs – Ride leader Brian.

Thursday Evenings – that bit slower.

Thursdays are a singletrack blast with a few obstacles. The pace is relaxed and the objective is fun rather than miles covered so bring a sense of humour. It’s a good place to start if you’re new to night-riding. Turn up – you’ll be very welcome – Ride leader Mike.

Weekend rides.
Weekend rides can take place anywhere within approximately 1 hour’s drive from Brighton. Dates are posted up to 2 months in advance. Ride locations and details are circulated by e-mail 3-4 days before the date and posted . Rides normally meet at 10am to roll at 10-30 but the rides page and the email notifier.

If you intend coming or want to be added to our mail list for advanced details of rides use the contact form on the Brighton MTB web site who/what page.

That’s an awful lot of information to digest, but hopefully it’ll help!
Cheers,

Jimbo