You may look at that headline and wonder if you’re still reading Dirt but stick with us on this one. You may not realise but every time you take to your mountain bike you’re probably relying on some form of charity or volunteering to enjoy your ride.
Don’t believe us? Well:
- In the first instance, trail advocacy groups, such as Ride Sheffield, liaise with landowners to open up more land for UK riders.
- The trails themselves are then funded thanks to public grants.
- Local volunteers give up their time and labour to keep the trails in tip-top shape.
- At each race you go to the track will be lined with marshals who are only paid in bacon butties and cups of tea.
- And, should it all go wrong, you could well be relying on charities such as the Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association to get you out of trouble.
In return we get to enjoy the woodlands of this green and pleasant land for next to nothing and that’s something we should all be more grateful of. So, it’s probably a good idea for us all to give something back too. Don’t worry though, we’re not asking you to do a bake sale or sponsored sky dive, instead you can do the thing you like the most – shredding some trails – and still do some good.
Want to know how? Well, one of the best (and easiest) ways is to just sign up for one of the British Heart Foundation off-road rides coming up later this year. Charity rides may not be usual Dirt fodder but we’re not averse to a bit of pedalling every now and again, especially if it involves a bunch of mates, quality routes and a few bevvies to top it all off at the finish line.
