2010 ... The year to ride all the stuff you've meant to?

I've spent the last 4 and a bit years looking at the mountains which make up the sides of the valley here. There's a good chance that I know them better than anyone. Within a couple of weeks of living here I'd walked all over them and discovered some of their secrets but I've never ridden down them.

Each has its own character; on one side there is Esgair Geulan, a big hump backed lump covered in ferns apart from the track which runs the length of its spine. A steep, swoopy trail with corners that you could drift forever. On the other side is Creigiau Pennant, stupidly steep in places and stupidly narrow in others with very big consequences if it goes wrong.

So I've decided that 2010 will be the year to ride them. I don't know why I never have, it's just one of those things. I'll be riding with a helmet camera and post the results up once I get them. So if you've got something local that for whatever reason you've never ridden this could be the year to get out and put the balance right.

How do we do it?

Since the outset we've had a policy of not charging any extra for one to one tuition. One day skills courses are £75 and two day £125 regardless, so if you're on your own you'll pay the same as if you were in a group of six. It's not uncommon to see a price increase of 300% for a one to one course. We understand that everyone has to make a living and we're just the same BUT we won't penalize you if for whatever reason you'd like to be here alone ... afterall, some people have no choice.

Summer Holiday?

One of my many tasks as head of the international (Wales and England) mountain bike company that is Forest Freeride is to come up with new ideas to get people out on their bikes more. This summer we're going to give you the opportunity to ride your bike for 5 days in a row ... a sort of MTB summer camp.

We're going to try and get as much riding and skills training in as possible. We'll include at least 1 day at a trail centre, various ride outs into the Cambrian mountains plus plenty of skills sessions to help you get the most out of it all. The bunkhouse will be available for those wanting to stay here or for the high flyers who want to live it up we can point you in the direction of the pub or B+B. I'm still just working out dates but it will be a weekday thing, Mon through to Fri. If there's a group of you and you fancy the idea then get in touch as we can run one for you to suit. If you'd be interested either email me stuart@forestfreeride.co.uk or keep an eye on the web site.

Forest Freeride on tour?

Forest Freeride is based in one of the most spectacular areas in the UK and boasts some of the best riding to be had anywhere. Combine that with our own facilities like, bunkhouse, purpose built training runs, special skills areas and a 1000 acre forest to play in and it becomes a pretty good package.

However, we do realise that for some people wanting to attend a 1 day skills course we might be a little too far away to travel. We'd hate to deprive anyone of our expert tuition so are looking into the prospect of running some 1 day training courses in a well known English National Park (the clues in the picture). No details have been confirmed yet but it's likely to be during the summer months and quite possibly weekdays. If you think you might want to come along, either keep an eye on the website or email me and I'll keep you posted.

T Shirts and course notes

We've just had the new T shirts delivered and everyone training with us on selected courses throughout 2010 will get one ... how good is that?

Everyone attending a skills course has always been given a set of course notes or 'memory jogger' at the end. This year they've had a bit of a face lift and now contain quite a bit more detail than previous years, Everything you need to remember is in there, body position, braking, cornering technique and line choice are just a few of the areas covered ... perhaps we should consider writing a book?

Welsh Ride Thing 2010

The Welsh Ride Thing will once again take place at the end of May over the Bank Holiday weekend. For those who don't know the WRT is a 3 day mountainbike ride through some of the most unspoilt and wild areas in the UK. Besides 3 days of riding there are also 2 nights out under the stars to be enjoyed/endured depending on your point of view.

Riders are given a series of grid references a month before the start. They then have 4 weeks to devise a route that will pass through all of these points, there's no right or wrong way to go ... just hard or a little easier.

This year we've decided to give out 2 sets of grid references. This should give less experienced riders the chance to try the WRT without it being too daunting. I'd estimate distances to be in the region of 150km for the shorter route and possibly 250km for the longer one. If the idea of an epic ride combined with 2 nights in the mountains and forests appeals then email me at stuart@forestfreeride.co.uk and I'll send you full details.