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About Us

Guided rides in the Lake District.
Racing Gravity Enduro in Dyfi Forest. Welsh Enduro Series

My 
Story

Hi, I'm James of MTB Trail Guides.  You can find out all my relevant qualifications a bit further down on this page but I think there's more to a good coach and guide than qualifications.  Here's the back story.  

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I first rode mountain bikes back in the early 90s as an 11/12 year old, razzing around Grizedale Forest with my Dad but I really got the bug just before my 13th birthday when I went to the Cannock Chase Classic and watched people racing.  I got my first real mountain bike, a Ridgeback 704rs, for my 13th birthday and lined up on the start line of my first race in the December of that year.  It snowed and I cried because my hands were so cold.  Undeterred, I spent the next few years dragging my parents to mountain bike races up and down the country, racing cross-country and downhill.  

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University saw an end to racing for me as climbing and mountaineering took over but map reading and mountain sense were honed and I continued to ride my bike around west Wales.  Roll forward a few years and I found myself on a Trail Cycle Leader course and then getting involved with coaching through Newport (Shrops) Cycling Club's GoRide coaching.  I've worked with British Cycling on MTB club clusters, Team West Mids at Inter-regional championships as well as countless coaching sessions for Newport Cycling Club but the dream has always been to be a mountain bike coach and guide.  

Qualifications

  • MBLA Trail Cycle Leader

  • British Cycling Level 2 Coach

  • British Cycling Level 2 Mountain Bike Coach

  • REC 16hr outdoor first aid Inc. EFAW

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Enhanced DBS cleared and safeguarding trained.  

Qualified teacher with 13 years experience.

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