Joining and FAQs

How do I become a member?

All club membership and activities are managed through Spond App. If you would like your child to join the club please complete our registration form:

https://club.spond.com/landing/signup/bristolshredders/form/100E58294D2A4C6EABF24A04107B71DE

 If you do not have it already, you will then be prompted to download the app. It is essential that you complete all questions on sign up.  Once your membership has been accepted you will receive notification and be able to book activities.

What is Bristol Shredders?

Bristol Shredders is a British Cycling affiliated Go Ride club for children up to the age of 16 that provides opportunities for safe, social, fun off road cycling. We are a mountain biking club focused on social riding. We are open to all children, and ensure we offer an inclusive, supportive, social environment on all our rides. We are volunteer run.

What different rides do you organise and how do they work?

We offer four types of ride. 

 • HUB rides are free social rides for families, and parents ride with their children and remain responsible for them at all times. These are not led rides, but experienced parents will help groups stay together and make sure no one gets lost. We split into smallish groups for the rides, so kids can get to know each other (and parents too!) These rides can be in Ashton Court, Leigh Woods or sometimes the Forest of Dean. The details will be on SPOND, when the bookings go live. They are free but a voluntary donation of £2 per child will be requested. Hub rides are open to mini shredders and trail shredders and a great way for teens to meet each other as they develop towards independent riding.

 • SPOKE rides are led rides, in small groups. These take place in Ashton Court. There are three groups – Level 1 Level 2 and Level 3. SPOKE rides costs £12, bookable on SPOND. The dates are all on the website. 

 • Mini Shredders coaching sessions. These are fun coaching sessions held in Ashton Court once a month. Parents don’t join but can watch. They’re an hour long

Trail Shredders Club. These are weekly sessions for 11-15yr olds bookable in 6 week blocks. They are led by coaches and are not static - we ride around Ashton Court/Leigh Woods doing various activities and games as we go.

Once a year in the summer we also put on ‘Shredfest’, a fun mountain bike festival focused on children. It includes loads of fun riding activities like obstacle courses, treasure hunts and a ‘hot lap’. Follow our social media to find out more. It’s an important fundraising event for the club.

How much do the rides cost?

Hub rides are free, with a £2 voluntary donation. SPOKE rides cost £12 for 90 minutes. Mini Shredders Coaching is £10 for an hour. Trail Shredders club is £15 a week with a 10% discount for re-enrolment. Plus a tiny bit extra for SPOND fees.

Is there free bike hire?

We offer a 20% discount code on Pedal Progression bike hire for all shredders and their grown ups on hub rides – use the code SHREDDERS20 to book one. You need to organise this yourself. If you need the whole cost covered, please just ask and we can do that for you. We never want the cost of equipment to get in the way of having fun on bikes on the trails.

What trails do you ride?

On Trail Shredders and SPOKE rides we stay in Ashton Court or Leigh Woods [make sure you check which!]. The rides are traffic free and the trails are maintained by Ride Bristol (if you want to help them out on a dig day or with a donation please visit https://ridebristol.org/). We might go to Leigh Woods or the Forest of Dean for the Hub rides. It’ll say where we meet on SPOND. For the coaching, it will most likely be in Ashton Court but might be in Leigh Woods occasionally.

Who leads the SPOKE and coaching rides?

Our instructors are British Cycling trained, have outdoor first aid, safeguarding training, and are British Cycling members (for insurance). All ride leaders and parent volunteers are DBS checked. Coaches have a British Cycling coaching qualification, first aid training, safeguarding training and are DBS checked. If you’re interested in joining the team, please get in touch! bristolshredders@gmail.com. 

What happens on the SPOKE rides?

On SPOKE rides we split into three groups, with 7 kids in each group (max). There’s a parent volunteer and a qualified ride leader. We ride in Ashton Court (no road crossings) for 90 mins. There will be stops, playing and games. We’d prefer no snacks because it is quite disruptive (unless absolutely necessary). We always do a bike check, helmet check, introduction games and a warm up. Parents take the ride leader and volunteer parent’s phone numbers and stay local for the duration of the ride. We have a ‘shredder of the day’ award at the end for the child who has best lived up to the club values during the ride’.

What are these club values then?

 • We ride for fun: our own and other people’s

 • We challenge ourselves and celebrate our own and other people’s successes

 • We ride together and learn from each other

 • We listen to the instructors and take responsibility for our own behaviour

 • We respect the environment and enjoy being in nature.

What happens on the mini shredders coaching sessions?

Our coaching sessions for mini shredders introduce kids to the basics of mountain biking – body position, braking, gear selection, cornering, drops, wheel lifts. We teach these skills through games (drills to you and me, games to them kids). They are static coaching sessions so we stay in one place. We use equipment like ramps, poles and cones in these sessions.

What happens on the Trail Shredders weekly club?

We ride as a group and do 'drills' and games as we go, focusing on improving skills like jumping, cornering, navigating technical and steep terrain. These are for confident riders not beginners.

Does the Shredders team get paid?

Bristol Shredders is a not for profit organisation (community interest company). We remunerate our instructors a small amount to secure the sustainability of the club. We also pay an administrator to help the club each month. Any profit gets spent on covering new ride leaders and coaches to get trained, and to cover the free bike and helmet hire we offer for any kids or adults taking part in club activities who can’t cover that themselves, don’t have a bike, or can’t get their bikes to the trails. 

Can I get involved as a volunteer?

Absolutely. We have a team of volunteers who help out on the SPOKE rides, and on the HUB rides as group wranglers. Just email us and we’ll get your DBS sorted and invite you to the volunteers Whatsapp group. Volunteers do not have to pay for their children to ride in SPOKE rides.

Is there Shredders team kit?

There will be a ride jersey soon. In the mean time, there is a rad t-shirt. They can be ordered through SPOND or by email – just drop us a message. They’re £10 for kids and £12 for adults.

Do we need fancy mountain bikes to take part?

Not a fancy bike, no. It’s more important for kids to have a robust bike with working brakes and gears than an expensive mountain bike. That said, off road tyres will help. If you’re in any doubt, you can ask at Pedal Progression to check the bike over, or hire one from Pedal Progression. We offer a 20% discount code for all shredders – use the code SHREDDERS20 or if you need the whole cost covered, please just ask and we can do that for you. We never want the cost of equipment to get in the way of having fun on the trails.

How old does my child have to be to join in?

There’s no official lower age. For HUB rides you are responsible for your own child so if they come on a teeny tiny bike or a balance bike that’s fine – you stay with them. On SPOKE rides we say a minimum of 20 inch wheels .Sometimes we have 18 inch wheels – just ask if you’re unsure. Generally the top age limit is around 11/12. and rail Shredders starts at about 11 but again if you're confident your 10 year old would love it, get in touch. We're flexible! Our focus is fun and safety, and we don't adhere to strict cut offs.

How do I know when rides are?

The dates are all published on the website in August ready for the new year.

All rides will be launched on SPOND. The code to join SPOND is WJZWK.

How can I see photos of the club?

We have an Instagram account so do follow us on that… @Bristolshreddersmtb

How do I get in touch?

Either use the contact form on this website or email us on bristolshredders@gmail.com

What if I have a welfare/safeguarding issue to raise?

Please don't hesitate to get in touch with our welfare lead (Oli Cain): oliver.cain79@gmail.com

How good does my child need to be?

We’re a social club not a racing club. All your child needs is the enthusiasm to be there. For HUB rides, there is zero expectation – just come along. Same for coaching. They are there to allow any child who’s interested to dip a toe into mountain biking and develop their skills and enjoyment.

For our SPOKE rides the ‘level’ of riding is a little bit higher. We generally split into three groups: 

- Level 1: These are for "newer riders" and are suitable for anyone who can ride a bike on a flat path/road. You don't need any experience of mountain biking to join us. We will teach the basics required to ride safely off road. Ideally, 20 inch wheels or above.

- Level 2: Our rides for "more experienced" riders are suitable for people with a bit more riding experience that ride with confidence on off road terrain. 24 inch wheel or above.

- Level 3. These are the speedier ones. They are up for a good ride around the trails and have decent stamina. 24 inch wheel or above.

Trail Shredders is a club for more confident mountain bikers. They don't need to be hitting the blacks at Bike Park Wales but should be confident in all the basic skills of mountain biking and be able to ride for 90 minutes without expiring.

Is everyone friendly?

We think so, but you'll have to come along to see for yourself!  We are all just so excited to be able to share our love of mountain biking with people new to the sport. All the ride leaders and coaches are regular mountain bikers. 

What should my child bring?

They will need a fully working bike suitable for off road riding.  That means it is safe, with working brakes and inflated tyres. Your child will also need a helmet that is in good condition and fits properly. We check this and have a supply of spares if there’s a problem. Please also bring clothing suitable for the weather (this often means a water proof and something warm), and a water bottle (not a metal one as they don’t fit in bottle cages very well). Gloves are essential. Some kids ride in knee pads but it’s personal choice.

What if the weather isn't good?

We make every effort to ride whatever the weather and wear warm and waterproof kit.  However, there may be some times that it would be necessary to cancel the ride.  If we do have to cancel a ride we will let you know as soon as we can. 

Where do you meet?

We will tell you on SPOND. When we’re in Ashton Court, we meet by the miniature railway. Look out for the feather flags.
In Leigh Woods we meet opposite the 'jumps' below the main carpark.

What if I'm late?

Our rides will start and finish on time.


How can I support the club?

If you work for a company that has volunteering days and funding opportunities please let us know! We are always looking for funding to support our activities and train more ride leaders and coaches.

What if I don't want photos taken of my child?

That's no problem! Please just let us know in your child's SPOND profile if you would prefer to not have photos taken of your child. It's a good idea to tell the instructor at the start of the session too.

Club policies

We follow British Cycling guidance for safeguarding and data privacy. Please email bristolshredders@gmail.com if you would like to be a sent a copy of any of our policies.

Who is on your committee?

Our directors: Fi Wilson, Ollie Cain, Carla Tonks

Ollie Cain – safeguarding lead 

Committee:

If you would like to be part of the club as a committee member, ride leader or volunteer parent, please get in touch!