• L1 Total off-road beginners

  For complete novices & experience seekers

  • Discover Mountain Biking

• L2 Rookies, roadies & returners

  For riders looking to learn the essentials

  • Singletrack Fundamentals
  • Fast-track Singletrack Skills

• L3 Intermediate & improvers

  For regular weekly mountain bikers

  • Singletrack Improver

Discover Mountain Biking Experience Day

Experience a thrilling taste mountain biking in the Surrey Hills

So you'd like to experience the exciting sport of mountain biking for the first time, but are unsure where to start, look no further than our Discover Mountain Biking experience day.

We'll get you moving in the right direction; from selecting the right gear to knowing how to brake safely, we'll give you the skills to get riding off-road for the first time in safety and with confidence.

Then, in the afternoon, we'll take you and your new skills down some easy technical trails to give you a taste of the buzz you can get from this thrilling and rewarding sport.

Our coaches will also be on hand to guide you through the problems and pitfalls of purchasing your own bike should you decide to take up the sport on a regular basis

When & where

This course is usually scheduled to run on the 3rd Friday of each month.

The venue for this course is:  Hurtwood Car Park 14, Radnor Lane, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NW.

How to book

To view dates and book your place on this and other Singletrack School skills courses, please click on the button below. to open our bookings system.

You may also download the course's pre-course pack from the bookings page which details the schedule for your course, venue details, travel information and a full equipment list including some mandatory items. 

Course outline

The core skills taught and practiced on this experience day include:

• The safe mountain bike
• Getting to know your mountain bike
• Balance, movement and 'The Ready position'
• Correct gear selection
• Effective braking
• Negotiating trail obstacles such as small rocks, roots and steps
• Purchasing your first mountain bike

Typical programme

Although the course is flexible it will usually keep to the following programme:

• 09:15-09:30 Arrival at course venue
• 09:30-10:00 Introductions, equipment check and bike set-up session
• 10:00-10.15 Warm-up ride into the forest
• 10:15-13:00 Singletrack skills coaching and practice
• 13:00-14:00 Lunch break back at start point (bring a packed lunch)
• 14:00-15:30 Coached singletrack ride
• 15:30-15:45 Review and next steps

Is this course right for me?

Please read the following description. If this sounds like you, then you're perfect for this course:

• You're new to mountain biking, may have never tried riding off-road or have tried just once or twice
• You can already confidentally ride a bike, but may not know how to use your gears or brakes correctly
• You can already ride comfortably on the road or smooth off-road trails such as tow paths, forest roads or easy bridleways
• You participate in formal exercise at least once per week, though not necessarily on a bike
• You can ride on flat or moderately steep terrain at a steady pace
• You can ride for at least an hour comfortably
• You are aged 18 and over unless accompanied by an adult also participating on the course

If this sounds sounds a little too basic, please choose our Singletrack Fundamentals course instead or have a look at our choosing the right course FAQ page.

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