About Us
Formed in 2001 out of a wish to cater for the needs of the mountain biker in the South West, Exeter Mountain Bike Club became a tour de force on the Downhill Race circuit winning many podium places at local and national level.
After a change in direction in 2005, the emphasis shifted to fulfilling the needs of regular cross country riders and of those new to mountain biking.
Confidence Builder rides for adults, and the Go-Ride skills sessions for 6 to 11 year olds ensure that basic riding safety skills are learned at an early stage, to form sound building blocks for further skill development and an introduction to regular member rides. We have regular member rides, weekly evening women’s rides and weekly club rides for mixed ability. These continue all through the winter. We have weekend rides, both locally and further afield, together with the occasional weekends away.
Our mission is to encourage those people to make that leap and come and enjoy what mountain biking has to offer in the South West whatever their riding abilities.
We can motivate you and ensure that, for you, “the sky’s the limit!”
We are a British Cycling Accredited club and have at least two British Cycling Coaches. With a full children’s diary for the year, we have Go-Ride sessions, summer holiday rides, family rides and are working with other organisations to enable all abilities to cycle.
We have rides for more experienced adults at HALDON FOREST PARK, WOODBURY COMMON and on DARTMOOR, EXMOOR, QUANTOCKS and in WALES. So.... have a look at our calendar to see what we can offer!
And if all this sounds like childs play check out some of the photos in our gallery. Happy Cycling!
EMBC Organisers
Gemma Ingall
Club Officer. Gemma is a Ranger with the Forestry Commission at Haldon and so is an important club member. She helps Sam to run the Ladies rides and the Children’s rides
Sam Cann
Chairperson, British Cycling Coach, Mountain Bike Leader, an endless source of inspiration spending most of her life in the saddle training cycle skills to children in schools, coaching Children's Go-Ride Skills sessions, leading the ladies' rides or supporting her children in their pursuit of Downhill racing fame and fortune. Sam and her family have ridden Lands' End to John O'Groats, with one being the youngest to ride it. The family have also featured in the popular Channel 4 "Wife Swap" series as the "fitness family".
Chris Spriggs
Club Secretary has now been with us for nearly ten years, a man who knows the trails of the South West and Wales like his own back garden, perhaps even better - the lawn still needs mowing! Chris is our map-man and has the direction instinct of a homing pigeon.
Vicky Chamberlain
Club Officer, a member since 2005, there is now no stopping Vicky since first jumping on her full suspension bike. A terrific organiser, Vicky quietly gets on with organising events such as our Epic Welsh Weekends, all without a fuss. Along with Chris, Vicky has been instrumental in our development of the weekend rides.
Hazel Townsend
Members secretary
Hazel has been riding mountain bikes for years but since joining the club three years ago has entered into a few races doing a couple of 24hr enduro events with Gemma, Sam and Clamity. She helps out with both the kids and the ladies rides and has just recently joined the committee as members secetary.