What does it take to be an MTB ride leader?
Answer: not much more than a moderately good sense of direction (but no one minds too much if you get slightly lost from time to time!), enthusiasm and a modicum of common sense. I can’t say I absolutely love being the ride leader but, over the last few years that I’ve been doing it, I think I have gained a lot from the experience:
Firstly, I have got to know this fabulous area and the routes around it far better than I would have otherwise. When I first started leading, I was terrified of getting lost as I had only ever been out with people who knew the tracks far better than I did and who rarely used maps, or I had always religiously followed an O/S map, stopping every few minutes to get my bearings. Once you have a large group of experienced mtb’ers following you, however, you learn to navigate pretty quickly – sometimes more successfully than others. I usually ride pretty much the same tried and tested loops to keep the flow going if possible but, by taking notice of local landmarks, as well as studying the fantastic Surrey Cycle Guides for off-roaders, I feel more confident and adventurous - the wonders of Garmin and its ilk are unknown to me as I prefer to use my own observations rather than rely on yet another gadget. Unfortunately, however, the countryside has a habit of changing its appearance every few weeks, which helps keep you on your toes!
Secondly, and more importantly, being ride leader means you have a definite commitment in your diary which means you MUST get up out of bed for the ride, whether it’s a glorious spring morning or damp, dark day in December. If, like me, you have quite a lot of family commitments which limit the number of days you can ride, putting your name down to lead once or twice every few months means you do actually get out on a regular basis; even if you don’t have other commitments, it’s all too easy to find excuses NOT to make the effort to set the alarm on a Sunday morning. However, once you are up and out the door, you will be so glad you didn’t just roll over and go back to sleep (except for one extremely cold, wet and muddy ride to Newlands Corner, which nearly left me in tears…) – and, by the time you come back roughly 3 or 4 hours later, you will still have most of the day left to laze around or catch up with the chores (or maybe even do a spot of bike fettling?)..
Finally – and this is probably the best bit – YOU get to choose the route, the pace and the duration of the ride, the coffee stop, and the degree of difficulty. So, if you are a singletrack stormer, you may decide to head for the hills but if, on the other hand, you just fancy a gentle potter after a night on the tiles, you can opt for the easier tracks across Elstead Common – the choice is yours. Of course, nobody’s going to thank you for leading them across a bog after heavy rain or through the sand traps on Frensham Common in a drought but, should they dare to complain, gently hint that, if they think they could do better, why don’t they give leading a go themselves?
Which brings me to the reason I became a leader in the first place – to give something back to the club I have had so many fantastic rides with and met so many great people through. For more information on exactly what a ride leader's responsibilities are, take a look at the Guidelines on CTC’s website or ring 01483 238300 and ask for a paper copy.
What does it take to be an MTB ride leader?
Answer: not much more than a moderately good sense of direction (but no one minds too much if you get slightly lost from time to time!), enthusiasm and a modicum of common sense. I can’t say I absolutely love being the ride leader but, over the last few years that I’ve been doing it, I think I have gained a lot from the experience:
Firstly, I have got to know this fabulous area and the routes around it far better than I would have otherwise. When I first started leading, I was terrified of getting lost as I had only ever been out with people who knew the tracks far better than I did and who rarely used maps, or I had always religiously followed an O/S map, stopping every few minutes to get my bearings. Once you have a large group of experienced mtb’ers following you, however, you learn to navigate pretty quickly – sometimes more successfully than others. I usually ride pretty much the same tried and tested loops to keep the flow going if possible but, by taking notice of local landmarks, as well as studying the fantastic Surrey Cycle Guides for off-roaders, I feel more confident and adventurous - the wonders of Garmin and its ilk are unknown to me as I prefer to use my own observations rather than rely on yet another gadget. Unfortunately, however, the countryside has a habit of changing its appearance every few weeks, which helps keep you on your toes!
Secondly, and more importantly, being ride leader means you have a definite commitment in your diary which means you MUST get up out of bed for the ride, whether it’s a glorious spring morning or damp, dark day in December. If, like me, you have quite a lot of family commitments which limit the number of days you can ride, putting your name down to lead once or twice every few months means you do actually get out on a regular basis; even if you don’t have other commitments, it’s all too easy to find excuses NOT to make the effort to set the alarm on a Sunday morning. However, once you are up and out the door, you will be so glad you didn’t just roll over and go back to sleep (except for one extremely cold, wet and muddy ride to Newlands Corner, which nearly left me in tears…) – and, by the time you come back roughly 3 or 4 hours later, you will still have most of the day left to laze around or catch up with the chores (or maybe even do a spot of bike fettling?)..
Finally – and this is probably the best bit – YOU get to choose the route, the pace and the duration of the ride, the coffee stop, and the degree of difficulty. So, if you are a singletrack stormer, you may decide to head for the hills but if, on the other hand, you just fancy a gentle potter after a night on the tiles, you can opt for the easier tracks across Elstead Common – the choice is yours. Of course, nobody’s going to thank you for leading them across a bog after heavy rain or through the sand traps on Frensham Common in a drought but, should they dare to complain, gently hint that, if they think they could do better, why don’t they give leading a go themselves?
Which brings me to the reason I became a leader in the first place – to give something back to the club I have had so many fantastic rides with and met so many great people through. For more information on exactly what a ride leader's responsibilities are, take a look at the Guidelines on CTC’s website or ring 01483 238300 and ask for a paper copy.