We’re organised on Spond, an app used by many sports clubs.
Membership in Spond is free, and you can enjoy your first two rides for free. If you’re happy to continue your membership you can have an annual membership for £20. This will be collected through Spond and we will reach out to you automatically to arrange payment.
Is OUT MTB is for you? Check out frequently asked questions from prospective members →
How we spend your membership fee
We try to keep our costs to a minimum, but your membership fee is vital so the club can break even. This is what your membership is spent on:
- We have insurance coverage for mountain biking with Cycling UK
- As part of this coverage, all ride captains are trained in Outdoor First Aid every 3 years
- Costs for this website and transaction fees for payments collected through Spond
What we expect of members
Members should follow our code of conduct, in person and on our digital platforms.
Members should be:
- Aware of their own abiblities and only sign on to rides that are suitable for their experience;
- Inclusive and respectful at all times;
- Self sufficient, including being able to navigate the route themselves, and having the right tools to maintain their bike;
- Supportive of our volunteers, including Ride Captains and Steering Committee. If questioning their decision making, they should do so with respect and in an appropriate way;
- Supportive of our relationships with other groups and organisations, whilst upholding the reputation of the club at all times;
- Not seek to profit from the group, or engage in for profit self promotion
For all intents and purposes, we consider anyone on our Spond of WhatsApp groups to be a member, even if you aren’t paying a fee. Potential breaches should be reported to us via our contact form, and will be handled in line with our Constitution.
What we expect from riders
Our rides are aimed at recreational mountain bikers, that are used to riding red and black mountain bike trails.
Our rides are designed as social adventures and are often in remote areas, so, based on years of experience, we use a “no drop, but split” system. If we have a group with significant differences in pace, or a large group of over 8 riders, the Ride Captain will suggest a split into a faster and slower group, and to regroup at the cafe stop/s.
All Ride captains have undergone training to keep you and the group safe.
To assist, we expect all members carry with them the below equipment. Some of this may depend on the forecast, which we further expect members to check in advance.
Mountain Biking & Gravel rides
These are rides classed as being Levels 0-2. Learn about ride levels →
Apart from your bike remember the following:
- Puncture repair kit (or better still a spare inner tube) and tyre levers. Also any special tools that your bike needs.
- Food – bring small snacks such as chocolate bars and energy foods.
- A cycling bottle attached to your bike and plenty of water (minimum 2lts)
- Eye protection – impact from a bee, grit or even a fly at speed is extremely unpleasant, sunglasses may do if not made of glass and not too shaded
- Clothing: choose suitable clothes and footwear for the weather forecast and time of year. You will be exercising so lightweight layered clothing is best. Shorts are best even in rain, as they allow free movement of your legs. Jeans are useless if it rains but tracksuit bottoms need to be not too baggy or they may snag in the chain and cause an accident. You’ll need trainers or similar with grippy soles for standard pedals.
- Helmet – Our policy asks you to wear a helmet to events. For Mountain Biking (L1+2) we recommend a Full Face helmet, as well as knee pads.
- Bag you will need a small day-sack to carry essential clothing, lunch, snacks and drinks
✅ We carry out equipment checks before rides. Please make sure your bike and kit is in good working order to avoid disappointment on the day.
Extreme Technical Mountain Biking
These are rides on Level 3. Events in this category are only visible to members that have been invited to a special subgroup on Spond. Learn about ride levels →
Due to the extreme nature of this event, there are stricter requirements for riders to meet:
- Good-quality full face mountain bike helmet is mandatory. Good-quality meaning in good working condition, is designed for mountain biking/downhill, hasn’t been damaged or recently in an accident, fits correctly, and is within the manufacturers recommended life.
- A good quality full suspension mountain bike with wide knobbly tyres, capable of riding red/ black mountain bike trails is required for this event
- Knee pads are required however we strongly recommend elbow pads.
- Riders need to demonstrate high technical Mtb skills or that they are very familiar with the location