North Bristol Mountain Bike Club & Downhill Syndicate Bristol Mountain biking in and around Ashton Court, Leigh Woods, Bristol, XC,Trail All Mountain and Downhill, GPS Maps and Routes, Videos and photos

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North Bristol Mountain Bike Club

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A bristol mountain bike club for riders from all over Bristol and the South West of any age no matter where you live come along and have a fun ride. The club is completely free with no joining fee or membership, we just love riding mountain bikes with like minded people.We ride XC,trail and DH all over the UK and abroad. Local rides are generally at Ashton Court and Leigh Woods on a Sunday morning meeting at around 09:00am in North Road as we all have families so we can still be back around lunch time and earn some much needed brownie points? We also try and get at least 2 evening rides a week if and when we can. Have a look around the site and ig you like what you see then join the forum and post if you fancy a ride.

No Fees - no contract, just funLots of fun Learn the local trails Weekend and evening ride Get advice on bikes, biking gear and bike maintenance(we have been around MTB for such a long time we have already fallen in all the pit falls)

We also organize rides over the bridge to sunny South Wales to some of the trail centres, weekends away and also in Europe. It’s not all riding, we will be organising social events as well, and we have our website so we can chat, plan and share our photos.

No Drop means no rider gets left behind. Ride leaders endeavour to accompany the slowest rider(s) in your group, so the slower riders do not feel abandoned. No one gets abandoned. No Pressure means that all rides are fun, relaxed trail rides. If you feel the need to walk a section of trail because you're not ready for it, no one will force you or make you feel inadequate for not riding above your level.

No Ego! means every rider is treated as an equal, no matter what their level.

All riders, new and active members, newbies and experts, represent Mere Mortals on that ride. This enables other members to ride in a non-threatening way

Rules

No Helmet NO RIDE!

No unaccompanied rider under the age of 16yrs

An abusive nature to other riders or public will not be tolerate

Our main ride time is a Sunday. Depending on what we did the weekend before, we decide where to go some time the following week and advertise this on the web site. The new club will set out to include one major ride every 4 to 5 weeks, or more if the demand is there. These rides can be anywhere from South Wales to Ashton court or the Quantocks.

 

The weekends between major rides are normally spent on local rides, Ashton court, Leigh woods or even Cheddar. The longer rides start around 8.00am to 9.00am and usually finish plan to arrive home around 3.00pm. This year our midweek ride is normally on a Wednesday or Friday night around 6.00pm - 7:00pm to give everyone a chance to get home from work and climb into bike gear. These rides, because of the obvious time restrictions, are usually concentrated around the Ashton court and Leigh woods area. We don't set targets for ride times but do try to get back home for about 9.00pm in the lighter summer nights. We cover anything from 5 to 20 miles, depending on the mood of the group. The slowest man always dictates the pace and we never leave anyone behind. Occasionally we interrupt these rides with practice or fun "test" sessions over a particularly difficult or unique obstacle for a short period.

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Yer Tiz Trail in neighbouring Leigh Woods was completed in late December 2011 and is a ‘moderate’ Blue grade narrow and engaging trail weaving it’s way through the woodland. The trail features berms (banked corners), rollers (bumps) and drops and climbs, requiring a mountain bike but suitable for relative novices to off-road cycling. Expect to meet other people enjoying the woods, including walkers, dog walkers and children. In places the trail splits for a short distance, giving an option of a more difficult challenge in the form of the ‘difficult’ Red grade Gert Lush Trail. Narrow and technical, it is only suitable for experienced off-road cyclists. A great ‘taster’ of a Red grade trail. The Keener Skills Loop is graded ‘moderate’ Blue along its main route and includes features such as small drops, rock gardens and rollers to progress your riding ability. Along the loop you can divert onto more difficult features once you are confident. Develop your riding by building up to riding new features once you are ready.  Leigh Woods Bristol

Route notes

The new £400,000 trails at Ashton Court and Leigh Woods (bit.ly/IcEBvP) are a rare wonder: varied, well-maintained mountain bike trails on the edge of a big city. Ashton Court's blue (moderate) Nova trail loops four miles through woods around the golf course of Ashton Court Estate, giving a rewarding experience to relative novices. It has small rock steps, rollers (bumps) and berms (banked corners), and splits in places to offer red (difficult) challenges. The half-mile red Super Nova trail has step-ups, rock gardens and berm after berm. The Yer Tiz trail in neighbouring Leigh Woods is a narrow blue with berms, rollers, drops and climbs, but is suitable for novices. The short, red Gert Lush trail is narrow and technical, but a good introduction to more challenging riding. The Keener Skills Loop, off the Yer Tiz, has small drops, rock gardens and rollers to practise on.

Terrain and gradients

Ashton Court's newly redesigned trails are probably the best-constructed mountain bike trails in the UK, using a stone-based all‑weather surface designed to shed mud. They occasionally cross walkers' paths, so give a friendly warning as you approach.

How to get there/away

The nearest station is Bristol Temple Meads four miles from Leigh Woods. Or hop on an 8 or 8A a bus from the station and hire a bike at the centre (bike hire from May – phone ahead to confirm). From the bus station, First Bus numbers 357, 358 and 359 to Portishead stop along the A369 at Clifton Lodge entrance (opposite the Clifton suspension bridge). The car park at Leigh Woods has been upgraded and is accessible via a driveway off Abbots Leigh Road.

What to see

Ashton Court Estate extends over 850 acres and in the grounds you'll find its Grade I‑listed mansion, which dates back to the 15th century; a 14th-century deer park and a miniature railway. Stokeleigh Camp is the site of an iron age hill fort in Leigh Woods. Brunel's Clifton suspension bridge is a breathtaking landmark, its Egyptian-inspired towers and 214m of span straddling the stunning Avon Gorge, with the river 75m below.

Watering holes

Ashton Court has a cafe, as will its new £500,000 golf and cycling centre, which is due to open soon. Over the bridge, Clifton has many pubs, cafes and restaurants. Try a pint of local cider at The Coronation Tap just the other side of the bridge. Or for a wide range of local draught ales, The Portcullis on Wellington

Terrace is the place.

 

The trail grading system used for off-road cycling uses colours to represent the technical challenge of the trail.  Be aware the grading does not cover the level of fitness you will need to ride a trail.

When visiting a Trail Hub the lower grade trails will be shorter and require less fitness to ride than the higher grade trails.  However when looking at graded trails outside of a Trail Hub site be aware that they may be quite long to ride even if their technical difficulty is low.

Is this for you? Find the right single track grade for your abilities

Single Track Trails

Grade Suitable for Trail
Green Easy Beginners in good health with basic bike skills. Most types of bike. Relatively flat & wide.
Blue Moderate Riders in good health with basic off-road riding skills. Basic mountain bikes. Some “single-track” sections & small obstacles of root & rock.
Red Difficult Proficient mountain bikers with good off-road riding skills & fitness. Good mountain bikes. Challenging. Climbs, tricky descents & technical features such as drop-offs & large rocks.
Black 
Severe		 Expert mountain bikers with high level of fitness. Quality off-road mountain bikes. Greater challenge & difficulty. Expect large & unavoidable features.

Is this for you? Find the right non single track for you

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