Many people find that although they may have been riding for a while, even years in some cases, their riding has never got to a level that they're entirley happy with or has reached a plateau. Others often experience a drop in confidence following an accident or a lay off from riding. If this sounds familiar then our intermediate course has been designed for you.

Obviously, we start with the basics and build up over the two days, as we do we'll try to take a detailed look at why and how certain riding techniques work and the best way to use them to further your riding.

The course is run in a simlar way to the beginners course ...just bigger, faster and more technical. You'll learn to handle:

• Rocky chutes
• Off-camber sections
• Steep descents
• Technical cornering
• Choosing the right line
• Drops and steps
• Bike maintenance if required

At the beginning and end of the course you'll have the opportunity to be timed over a short technical course, using the latest Freelap timing equipment. This will enable you to use your newly acquired skills to hopefully improve your time and see your improvements.

COST £98.00 per person

You can choose any two days of the year to suit you. Contact us with your chosen dates... forestfreeride@aol.com

Need accommodation? click here

This is what Mary Carr had to say after a two day course:

Thank you very, very much for the brilliant lessons and riding. I really enjoyed it and had a great time (but I was rather tired on Thursday night!). I have been practising wheelies and everything else you taught us and definitely improving!

You also saved me from disaster last weekend! I totally misjudged this section, turning right before I should have done, smacking my face into a tree and heading way too fast at a vertical drop. All I was thinking was "get your weight over the back", which I did and rode it very stylishly!!! I rode away with a massive grin on my face, so thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!

Girls Only Weekends are just that - a girls mountain bike skills course ...without any of the testosterone fuelled banter you might find on a more male dominated course. Over the weekend we'll cover the skills and techniques required to ride safely and above all confidently on any kind of trail.

Women's mountain bike training is geared towards those already riding but who perhaps feel they lack the confidence to push their riding further. The comment we hear most often is, "I wouldn't have ridden that before I'd been on this course".

Over the two days of the women's mountain bike course, you'll get plenty of time to practice riding the various trail obstacles that go towards making up your average trail. But we won't just expect you to get on your bike and get on with it, instead we'll break down each technique into component parts and explain why and how things work. We believe that women learn new skills far better when they fully understand the details behind them.

Areas covered with women's mountain bike training:

• Body positioning
• High speed braking
• Increasing confidence at speed
• Dealing with drops and steps
• Tips for roots and ruts
• Low speed bike handling
• Cornering
• Reading the trail and line choice
• Bike maintenance if required

We'll also throw in some timed runs at the beginning and end of the course, so you can see the improvements made over the weekend.

COST £98.00 per person

2008 DATES:
12/13 July
9/10 August
27/28 September
18/19 October
8/9 November
6/7 December
Or if you want any other date including midweek just let us know forestfreeride@aol.com

Need accommodation? click here

Here's what Jo Gordon had to say after attending a Girls Only weekend:

Hi Stuart,
thanks for some excellent tuition & a fun weekend. The course is well structured with clear tuition on many key skills to improve mountain biking technique. The teaching provides a solid foundation for mountain bikers at any level who have not previously had any formal lessons. Good explanations of why certain techniques work & practical demonstrations & tips help you improve allround. I had been riding for 2 years prior to this course & felt I had plateaued in both what I could do & what I would be happy to try. Stuart showed us key techniques which made me more confident in all areas of mountain biking & by going back to basics, has allowed me to progress and enjoy tackling new things and improving my riding again. Most importantly, he & Dee create a v. friendly, no pressure environment & all obstacles start small to build your confidence.
Thanks again,
Jo

Just getting out there riding amongst the hills and mountains is the very essence of mountain biking but sometimes wrong turns, never ending climbs and getting lost seems to be the order of the day. By taking advantage of our guiding service, this fantastic terrain will be yours for the riding. Our local knowledge allows us to put together routes to suit your fitness, skill level and the type of riding you enjoy. We also know what's rideable and what's not at different times of year ...that beautiful little stream that looks so inviting in July might just be a raging river you can't cross in January.

So if you want to put the mountain back into your biking and experience somewhere new without the potential grief of getting lost or never finding that elusive track that looked so good on the map, book our guiding service and just enjoy the ride.

You can choose any day of the year to suit you. Contact us with your chosen date... forestfreeride@aol.com

Need accommodation? click here

COST per day: £45.00 for one person, £80.00 for group of 2 - 4 (additional riders over 4 @ £20.00)

Kelvin Maxwell sent us this email after a guided ride:

Hey there Stuart just a quick email to tell you how pleased we (Neroli, Kirstin and Kelvin) all were with the riding on the weekend...
...The guided ride on Sunday was a real highlight for. It was an enjoyable pace, length and good mix of challenge. The scenery was great too!
Thank you and your partner for the warm hospitailty. It was also nice to meet the dog. Let me know when the downhill track gets up and running as I'd enjoy spending some time doing that.
Please feel free to use this as a testimonial and we would happily discuss our experience with prospective clients.
Thanks once again and keep up the excellent work!

We'll set off Saturday mid morning and guide you through the Cambrians, an area pretty much undiscovered by mountain bikers. Early evening we'll drop down from the mountain plateau for a well earned meal at the pub and a chance to stock up on supplies before continuing onto our destination and home for the night. The next morning we'll start the return leg, obviously stopping en route for a hearty breakfast, before returning back to base and a buffet lunch.

Before the start of the adventure you will be issued with a high quality bivvy bag which will be yours to keep after the trip, so if we inspire you onto more overnight riding, there'll be nothing stopping you. We're only running one bivvy trip this year and places are limited to six, so if you fancy adding something extra to your mountain biking we suggest you book asap.

The cost includes bivvy bag and lunch on Sunday. A kit list will be sent out well in advance of the trip so you'll know what else to bring.

COST £98.00 per person

There are lots of reasons why people are out braving the elements, riding in all weathers - for their health, as transport, to compete in competitive events being just a few. However, we believe the main reason people ride is because it's fun. We also think that every now and again it doesn't do any harm to have your mountain bike fun quota topped up, so we'd like to introduce you to Fun 48:

Two days of riding and hopefully...having a laugh. How do you fancy racing your mates in a dual slalom knockout, winning beer on a treasure hunt and being timed on a short downhill course to see who really is the fastest?

We'll kick off around 9.30 Saturday morning with timed downhill runs. Get in as many practice runs as you can before the Freelap timers come out, accurate to 2/100th of a second, they don't lie...we will find out who's the quickest on the hill and award points accordingly!

After a buffet lunch, we'll head out into the hills to ride some of the best trails available in the area. This won't be a mammouth ride but a pick 'n' mix of some of the most enjoyable natural trails in Mid-Wales. As we ride back through the forest, you'll be given a map, clues and directions to follow, to find your treasure...BEER. Once you've located all the booty, it's back to base for a shower and a two course meal (you can drink your treasure now if you like) before the evening's last event...Downhill Domination on the Playstation. Once again points will be awarded before retiring to your well earned bunk for a restful night's sleep.

All that was day one, so what happens on day two? Well after breakfast it's dual slalom time. You'll get plenty of opportunity to practice before the knockout stage, where you'll get the chance to race head to head. Obviously points will be awarded and added to your tally from the previous day.
After a breather and lunch it's time for the weekend's last event, the mountainbike assault course. You'll need balance, bike control and concentration to do well here. Your points from the assault course will be added to the score board and then we'll know who the overall winner from the weekend is. All that's left now is the prize giving whilst we have tea and cake. We'll aim for a 3.30 finish so you'll have plenty of time for your journey home.

Fun 48 weekends include:
Lunch and evening meal on day one
Breakfast and lunch on day two
Tea/coffee and cake/biscuits throughout the two days
Treasure hunt beer
Activities on both days
Competition prizes
Use of free bunkhouse if required

All you'll need to bring:
Sleeping bag/bedding, towels and toiletries if you are sleeping in the bunkhouse.

COST £145 per person
(min 3 people - max 6 people)

2008 DATES:
21/22 June
26/27 July
16/17 August
6/7 September

For many riders the terrain at trail centres can be quite alien. Rock armouring, bermed corners and switch backs aren't usually encountered out in the hills. Getting the best out of this environment without coming to grief, requires a set of skills not everyone yet possesses. That's where the Forest Freeride Trail Centre days come in.

The one day course is from 10.00am - 5.00pm and is conducted at Coed Y Brenin trail centre. Throughout the day we'll tackle numerous sections on the famous trails, working on the specific skills required to ride them confidently and safely ...it's no secret that the trails at centres are responsible for more than their fair share of accidents. If you want to get more out of your weekends when riding at the mountain bike play grounds, then this could be just what you need.

Places are limited so book early!

COST £45.00 per person

2008 DATES:
Sunday 20th July
Friday 15th August