The Nevis Range Mountain Experience, Fort William, host venue for the UK round of The UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, has launched a new mountain bike school, the first owner operated trail centre bike school in Scotland.
Running annually from 01 May to 30 September, The Nevis Range Bike School will offer fun-filled skills coaching and guided rides to kids, families, individuals and groups of all ages and abilities.
The two-hour sessions will fully utilise the 60km of mixed graded cross-country trails of the Leanachan Forest and the world-renowned orange graded downhill track and the black graded Top Chief track, both accessed using the UK’s only mountain gondola. The Nevis Range Bike School will also offer a mountain bike hire service in association with Trek Bikes as part of the coaching and guiding service.
Dave Parfitt, the Nevis Range Ski School Manager and a Fort William local with over 20 years of service with the organisation, is heading up the Nevis Range Bike School.
Dave Parfitt said: “We are really excited to be adding mountain bike coaching and guiding to our summer operation here at Nevis Range.
We have such a huge variety of top-quality way-marked trails for all skill levels coupled with the most amazing views. We want our mountain bike visitors of all abilities to fully immerse themselves in some of the best riding in the UK, whilst having the best possible day out on a bike.
“Our qualified and experienced guides know the trails inside out. For each session they will tailor the routes to the technical abilities of the individual or group, whilst helping to rectify bad habits, improve technique and build riding confidence in a friendly, fun and relaxed environment.
“Our coaching and guiding sessions will be a great introduction to the trails and tracks of Nevis Range, an internationally recognised bike destination, guaranteed to be of benefit to any rider at any level.”
The team of four locally based mountain bike guides, all level two and three British Mountain Bike Leadership Award qualified coaches, will offer guiding and coaching options to suit all abilities from beginner to expert. They will operate in a guide to client ratio of one to eight, enabling them to cater effectively to the specific requirements of every rider.
The Nevis Range Bike School will offer six different mountain bike guiding and coaching options to suit all skill levels; from the entry level cross country course, an introduction to cross country mountain biking on the more gentle trails within the Leanachan Forest, to Downhill 101 where the highest level riders can experience the technical demands of the multi-award winning and internationally renowned World Cup downhill track under expert supervision.
Over the last 12 months Nevis Range has formed integral partnerships with Trek, one of the world’s leading bike brand, and Endura, a global market leader in cycle apparel, both of whom are passionate about the development of mountain biking at all levels at the venue.
They are keen to encourage more people to get involved with the sport regardless of ability or age, whilst further cementing the venue’s reputation as a world leading mountain bike downhill and cross-country trail centre and international event hub.
Both brands are fully behind the new bike school, providing Trek bikes and Endura clothing and protective gear to the guiding team, whilst also investing in the design and development of new exciting track and trail features, trail signage and advertising at the venue.
Nikki Stafford, Commercial Manager of Nevis Range Mountain Experience, said: “We are incredibly excited about the opening of our bike school this Summer! It is vital to us to bring on the next generation of world class mountain bikers and the introduction of our own bike school will allow us to do this! We have a strong MTB community in Fort William and this will allow it to grow further.”
For further information on the Nevis Range Bike School go to – https://www.nevisrange.co.uk/activities/bike/nevis-range-bike-school/
