Why you don't have to be an adrenaline junkie to enjoy mountain biking
When mountain biking is mentioned in the media, it's normally accompanied by a picture of someone (usually a man) going down a near vertical slope or jumping off an impossible cliff. Rather like the picture above in fact. There will be full face helmets and knee and elbow pads. Everything shrieks danger.
But it doesn't have to be like that. Bike Guide Devon is here for people who want to go for a bike ride but would rather not be bothered by cars. If you can ride a bike for a couple of hours in the road, you'll be able to ride off road too. It's for people who enjoy riding at trail centres, but haven't yet ventured off the marked trails (and out of the woods). It can be as gentle as you want or - if that's your thing - we can help you rack up the vertical metres climbed and find the swoopy singletrack.
While mountain biking can provide all the adrenaline you want (I find it's very similar to skiing in that way), it can be just as enjoyable taken at the more gentle pace illustrated above. It's sociable. It's an opportunity to see more of the countryside (which is particularly beautiful in Sidmouth and East Devon). Unlike walking, you see the horizon and reach it on a bike. If you like your food, what better way to earn your lunch than to ride to the restaurant? And Devon is a great producer of delicious food, with plenty of chefs who know how to make the most of it
Finding the best places to ride your mountain bike isn't always easy. You can look at the bridlepaths on a map and get an impression of what's going to be good - but you never know if it's rideable until you try. I can still remember a time in the 90s when, having carried my bike to the top of a mountain in the Lake District, we found that the path down the other side wasn't rideable either and we had to carry them down for some of the way too!
That's why having a guide really makes a difference. With years of local knowledge and exploring we know which are the best tracks for mountain biking whatever your level of experience, and whatever the weather. So don't be put off by the adrenaline junkie image. Why not let us guide you round the best trails that East Devon has to offer.
