About four years ago and after many years of a regular group rides, three passionate mountain bike riders headed up by Mark Gardener set up the Red Hill Riders Mountain Bike Club. Today it’s a large community of riders from all ages and disciplines, made up of people from ‘the Pen’ who love mountain biking. The original group predominantly rode cross-country style trails, however since it’s official formation, has now joined forces with local downhill and 4cross riders. The RHR actively work and encourage young riders with school programs and encourage anyone who enjoys riding to mix with other people who share the same passion.

There are now over 200 local members and the group has helped establish mountain cycling into the Pen in a big way and in the last four years tens of thousands of volunteer hours have been provided by RedHill Riders Mountain Bike Club – to maintain trails, campaign for safety and help with school programs. Red Hill Riders are affiliated with Mountain Bike Australia (MTBA) and are an incorporated club with a constantly growing member base – the age range of club members currently ranges from six years old to sixty-six years old.

In the last four years tens of thousands of volunteer hours have been provided by RedHill Riders Mountain Bike Club – to maintain trails, campaign for safety and help with school programs.

As mentioned above, RHR have members who are keen trail builders and have extensive knowledge on effective, environmentally sustainable trail building techniques, as recommended by the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) trail rules. The RHR support volunteer trail work and assist land managers with trail maintenance to enhance the existing trails, they create more fun sustainable trails in the area, with a long-term plan of a comprehensive trail network that will become a major draw card for the community, tourism, and of course the club.

The Red Hill Riders perform a number of tasks relating to mountain bike riding but on Sunday mornings the club heads out in force for a ride and with other smaller groups riding together throughout the week. The regular cross-country ride varies its course each week and incorporates many different trails throughout the Southern Peninsula.

The RHR have a set of guidelines in place for riders to follow which helps nurture younger and less experienced riders and enable them to enjoy their rides and continue to come back.

We appreciate the work the RHR do and encourage anyone interested in the sport and the great Pen outdoors to support them by joining and riding with the club. What could be better than a ride through a forest, surrounded by the beauty of nature, the thrill of the race and the company of friends, away from the hustle and bustle of roads and traffic. There are many ways you can enjoy life on ‘the Pen’ and joining the Red Hill Riders is one of them.

The Red Hill Riders meet every Sunday morning at 8.00am sharp in the Red Hill Consolidated School car park. Group size and abilities vary so you will find a group within the group to bunch up with.

The RHR also enable more of their members to participate in races which enables more people to experience the thrills and friendships associated with racing.

Everyone is welcome. Rides normally last between 1 to 2 hours and it makes sense to have club membership because it gives you third party insurance, you get to mix with other mountain bike enthusiasts and you will discover new places to ride.

For more information or to join one of ‘the Pen’s’ great clubs visit the Red Hill Riders Website by clicking here http://bit.ly/1jA2W0P