Selkirk Weekend & Marathon/Raid Events

The Selkirk mountain bike marathons have been running, in various forms, for many years now and this year saw the organisers make some changes, dropping the 25km XC loop and adding a 50km raid/enduro event.  This year it managed to entice a fair few GMBC types to enter, namely Elizabeth, Gav, singlespeed Simon, Ian Godber (75km XC);  John B, Keiran, Myriam (50km XC) and Will, myself & Jamie (5okm Raid).  It turned out to be another memorable weekend…. Continue reading

Path Maintenance – Update

Once we’ve agreed a date with the Mugdock Park Rangers for the final session I’ll get it advertised and post up for some volunteers.  The final session will be up at Khyber car park and we’ll be installing a new gate (easier for bikes, buggies, horses to get through than the existing gate) and possible some new paths to join it to the car park & existing paths.

In the meantime you can enjoy reading a positive write up of the path maintenance work in the local Bearsden & Milngavie community magazine (April edition, page 30).  Yes, that’s Angus testing out one of the repaired sections on Riverside!

Community Magazine Article (April 2016, pg 30)

Community Magazine Article (April 2016, pg 30)

Warning: Dry Trails!

I’m not sure how it’s happened but most of the local trails seem to have lost the slippery, boggy, muddy surface we’re used to.  And there’s this strange sort of powdery dust type stuff.  It gets in your eyes.  I’m not sure how to ride trails in these conditions.  The bike seems to go faster when it’s not weighed down with a few extra pounds of mud.  I’d suggest you get out riding while it lasts!

Anyway, last night’s ride took us out to the new(ish) circuit around Burncrooks reservoir via golden sunset trails in Carbeth.  What a great night to be out on the bike…

Sunset In Carbeth

Sunset In Carbeth

Best local downhill

To continue the ‘Summer’ season wednesday away rides, Dave Ashton and I were thinking of descent off Slackdhu down to Cantywheery on the pipe track. Last week we did Helensburgh to Duntocher on the John Muir Way.

So it is, out towards Killearn then up the back of Dumgoyne, then across the top to Slackdhu

Leaving at the Blanefield War Memorial at 7.30 sharp. I will be riding out from Bearsden

Post up if you are coming along

A Perk For Path Maintenance Volunteers

We’ve been contacted by a Glasgow-based company drone company who want to promote their business and they’re wanting to film some mountain bikers as part of their promo video.  GMBC will also be given a copy of any footage for our own use.  So, I’m looking for 2 volunteers to be filmed by the drone and by a videographer for the video.

As a thank you for taking part in the path maintenance I’d like to offer the 2 spots to anyone who has taken part in any of the path maintenance sessions during this spring.  You don’t need to a riding god like Rich Hebb 😉 to take part but the riders will need to be riding as a group and it will involve some easier downhill trails – like Rosies or the Westie towards Dumgoyne.

The provisional date for this will be Friday 29th April, about 6pm.  It’ll be taking part somewhere around Mugdock/Carbeth.  If the weather forecast looks bad we may look at Thursday 28th as an alternative.  Given the Selkirk weekend camping doesn’t open until Saturday at 4pm this shouldn’t clash too much for anyone also going to the Selkirk weekend away.

If you want to put your name forward for this then please email me.  If there are more than 2 volunteers then it’ll be names out of a hat.  If there aren’t enough volunteers then I’ll open it up to the rest of the paid up club members.

Prost-8 Grampians – some club members fundraising for Prostate Cancer

Some of you may know that I, along with a group of friends, including our own Pete Morgan, Chris Johnstone and Sanny, are doing a bike ride challenge next month, and are raising money for Prostate Cancer UK along the way.

Please have a look at the attached JustGiving link; any contributions will be hugely gratefully received for this very important cause, which is personally very close to me.

Please feel free to pass onto others.

https://www.justgiving.com/Prost8-Grampians

Many Thanks