ADULT COACHING

Overview

BFCC remains committed to providing sport education and skill development for all our members. The Committee continues to invest and review our coaches development in order to support the demands of our membership. The Club is rightly proud that we are recognised as an all-inclusive Club and welcome all riders of all abilities.

The Clubs overall Vision Statement is:

To inspire and nurture all riders of all abilities and ages to participate in off-road cycling at Bedgebury Forest.

and our Mission Statement is:

To be an inclusive MTB Club invested in supporting, encouraging and promoting social rides, grass-root racing, trail building and coaching for all.

These visions aim to make the off-road cycling exciting and to encourage you to develop your newly learnt skills through regular riding. Our qualified and highly experience coaches are committed to passing on the techniques that look so easy & yet can prove so difficult to execute. The dedicated coaching area continually evolves and provides a safe & friendly environment in which all riders can achieve new skills and confidence.

There will be a mix of skill developing opportunities with BFCC throughout the year that will support riding improvements and skill development. This year our aim is to achieve this through more informal social gathering sessions but can also be enhanced through more dedicated 1:1 personal coaching.

Skills Camp coaching and rides – 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month (10am-12pm)

These sessions will be free to all, with the aim to engage more riders/members into joining fellow MTB enthusiasts in enjoying the sport, develop your skills and just having a friendly social ride and meeting new people. If you already have a small riding group, then why not all come along and join in with similar groups.

The first half of the session will commence with an hour’s social ride on the red route, with the group (rather than individuals) setting a relaxed pace for all. This becomes an informal/friendly warm-up session, before we head to our training area and the skill camp coaching session.
The skill coaching session will cover various topics throughout the season from advance core techniques to more challenging skills of drop-offs, step-ups and jumps. There will be two British Cycling qualified coaches on hand and the session will improve everyone’s skill level, whether at a basic beginner to more advanced experienced riders. The key is to enjoy learning and to leave with the knowledge to continue improving when out riding with friends. For more information, see the social club schedule of events here.

NOTE: The skills sessions are designed to be progressive and linked i.e. front wheel lifts are key to effective drop-offs and bunny hops. If possible, we recommend regular attendance to maximise the benefits of our coaching advice.

Adult MTB – 1:1 coaching (Aged 18 or above)

An alternative offer to our Skills Camp sessions would be to consider booking personal bespoke 1:1 coaching. These sessions run for approx. 2.5 hours and are subject to availability of an appropriately qualified coach. Please email the Head Coach to express an interest in booking a 1:1 coaching session. Charges and contract for service delivery will be agreed between rider and the individual coach.

Social Club rides, including Outrides – 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month

BFCC will continue to focus on developing the members Club rides, where people can just turn-up and ride with fellow members on a friendly relax ride on the red route. These social rides, including some outrides (see details below) will run on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month. Please download the schedule of dates here for more details. Social rides at Bedgebury meet at the bike wash meeting point for 9.45am and a prompt 10am start. Social rides will last approx. 2 hours, followed by an opportunity to join-in post-ride chats with friends, with coffee & cake at the Café.
These rides will be led and accompanied by two BFCC coaches, who can offer friendly advice and first aid support, so every rider can participate, learn and enjoy. The pace is set by the group and allows for all abilities. This may, on occasions, mean dividing the group on the day into two groups – relaxed and not-so-relaxed! However, we all aim to gather at the café at the end.

Club Outrides

During the year, the Club will be offering opportunities to members to explore other riding locations by running a number of outrides to other MTB riding centres, forests and general local cross-country ventures. These will be Saturday mornings and open to all members, including our Advance Juniors. Riders will need to be competent MTB riders, self-sufficient and have a reasonable level of fitness, as these rides will be between 3 – 4 hours, including lunch stops. Two BFCC coaches with qualified first aid support will always be on hand, with friendly advice that supports your confidence in exploring new cycling locations and challenges.

Themed Rides – 5th Saturday of a month and/or seasonal dates

Throughout the year we plan to just have a fun themed ride, including events such as Christmas fancy dress with prizes for best dressed bike and rider!
Dates and locations are linked below and also will be posted on our Facebook Group, so do visit regularly to avoid disappointment or confirm any material changes (weather cancellations etc).

• Club Training Area Location (Google Maps)
• Rides, Events and Adult Group Coaching Dates