I am a big fan of Mountain bike clubs, they are a great opportunity for new riders to be introduced to the world of Mountain biking and meet like minded people to ride with (On wild Rides its best to go, in at least pairs)Clubs helped me meet some great friends, but they can be ruined by poor leadership. I am looking at starting a small informal club, can any one give me some advice.

Don’t get hung up on it being a ‘club’, just start off with, say, a nightride one night a week, and a weekend ride. Make sure it starts/ends at a cafe/pub etc, so folks can chat off the bikes as well, and it’ll grow organically from there.

Good luck.

^ what he said. Plus a secret handshake and a badge.

I think they key it’s knowing your local area and being able to confidently navigate routes. It might be worth considering some leadership training if that sort of thing floats your boat. It would probably work best to have at least one other regular who can do the same.

From experience there are people who are happy to repeatedly lead routes, and others who will happily tag along without ever putting their hand up.