If you’ve ever asked yourself if mountain biking could be ‘better’ – whether that’s more sustainable, more welcoming, more fun for more people, or more available on your doorstep, then Reframing MTB could be the weekend for you. Details of the speakers and workshops have now been revealed – plus some rides and trail work days. If you’re part of a trail association or non-profit, tickets are available at just £20. Or perhaps you work for an outdoor business who might send you along as part of some personal development or training package?
Here’s the latest info on what’s planned for the weekend. Full details for travel and accommodation are here on the Reframing website.
Reframing MTB 2025, Bristol, Fri 7th – Sun 9th Mar
This year’s edition of Reframing MTB is happening in Bristol from Fri 7th to Sun 9th Mar. Co-hosted by Ride Bristol, Reframing MTB aims to make mountain biking a better, more inclusive and sustainable, fun experience for all. It’s an important, inspiring and exciting event, now in its third year, bringing together MTB brands, media, researchers, landowners and community champions, as well as trail associations – everyone is welcome!
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On top of all the other great sessions on offer, the UK MTB Trail Alliance has worked with Ride Bristol and DTV (Dean Trail Volunteers) to put together a series of workshops, conversations and rides over the weekend aimed squarely at helping trail associations, informal trail groups and bike parks.
Friday 7th: Bristol Harbourside
On Fri the Reframing MTB conference will gather the mountain bike community at the M Shed, on Bristol’s historic harbourside, to hear from inspirational speakers and dive into workshop sessions to share expertise and explore ideas across three themes – 1) ‘Creating mountain bike environments that appeal to more people’, 2) ‘Towards a stronger mountain bike sector’ and 3) ‘Promoting a responsible mountain biking industry’.
There should be something for everyone in these workshops, whether you’re a brand manager, journalist, trail association or a rider interested in the future of the sport.
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1 – Creating mountain biking environments that appeal to more people
Speakers: Aneela McKenna from Mór Diversity and Henry Norman from Ride Sheffield; Bex Barona and Chloe Taylor from Gowaan Racing; and Lyndsey Hollands from the British Cycling Limitless Program developing adaptive mountain biking.
Expect insights and discussion about how to engage with new audiences and design places and experiences that make everyone get the most out of mountain biking.
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2 – Towards a stronger mountain bike sector
Speakers: Andy Davies from Dean Trail Volunteers; Kate Thoday from Forestry England (Forest of Dean); and Dom Ferris from Trash Free Trails.
Expect insights about collaboration – with big business, voluntary groups, researchers and landowners, and discussion about how to strengthen our trail networks and look after the people that build them.
3 – Promoting sustainable mountain biking
Speakers: Benjamin Billet, Chair of the European Network of Outdoor Sports; Reframing MTB co-founder Manon Carpenter; and Patagonia UK’s Harry Brook.
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Expect insights about the benefits of outdoor sports for society and nature, and brands and riders collaborating to promote responsible mountain biking to protect the beautiful places we ride and the trails we love.
On Fri evening, there’ll be the chance to mingle and get to know each other better over a few drinks at a Bristol hostelry.
Saturday 8th: Ashton Court
Saturday is open to all, and will take everyone out onto Bristol’s trails. There’s everything from a litter pick ride, a workshop ride looking further at inclusivity and the chance to experience a Ride Bristol dig day.
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In the morning alongside the dig day, the UK MTB Trail Alliance and Campbell Coaching will be running a trailside session to explore the trail maintenance training needs of trail associations, informal trail groups and bike parks.
And in the afternoon, Ride Bristol will be leading a short workshop ride, looking at how to build a community around your trails, based on learnings from their monthly social rides.
Saturday’s fun will be based around Ashton Court, Bristol’s volunteer-maintained MTB trails. Head to the top Ashton Court carpark area – ask Google maps for ‘Pedal Progression’.
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Simply pick and choose the elements you’d like to attend based on your interest. Don’t miss our Bristol trails showcase social ride!
There’ll then be a social ride, with Ride Bristol showing everyone around Bristol’s best trails. It’ll end in a country pub, a short ride downhill from the day’s parking and Bristol itself, which will be a chance for trail associations, informal trail groups and bike parks to talk shop and discuss what we’ve learned during the day over a beer. For anyone who’s staying over, there will also be an option to meet up in Bristol later that evening.
| 9.30 – 10.30 | Difficult questions about inclusivity in mountain biking Ride, chat and workshop, co-hosted by Project FIAS (Fi Spotswood) and Perform Unbound (Scott Cornish, neurodiversity expert) |
| 10 – 12.30 | Ride Bristol dig All welcome to join in! |
| 11 – 12.30 | Trail training workshop, with The UK MTB Trail Alliance and Campbell Coaching A trailside session to explore and workshop the trail maintenance training needs of trail associations, informal trail groups and bike parks, with Bob Campbell and Ian Warby |
| 12.30 – 13.30 | Nachos with all the trimmings – lunch at Ashton Court Free for diggers, £10 for everyone else (there’s also a café if you prefer a toastie) |
| 13.30 – 14.30 | Building your trail association community Ride, chat and workshop, co-hosted by Ride Bristol and the UK MTB Trail Alliance |
| 13.45 – 15.30 | Bristol Shredders Trash Cat ride Litter pick family ride with Bristol Shredders kids’ mtb club, Komoot and the Trash Free Trails team |
| 15.00 – 17.00 | Bristol Showcase Ride Come and let us show you our absolute best trails, ending in a drink at The George pub in Abbots Leigh |
Sunday 9th: Forest of Dean
For those wanting to make the most of their trip (or who couldn’t make it for the Fri and/or Sat), Sun will see evey moving an hour up the road to the Forest of Dean Cycle Centre.
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To start the day, the UK MTB Trail Alliance, DTV and Adaptiv Sports will be running a short adaptive trails workshop ride, visiting a variety of Cycle Centre trails that have been modified or specially built to be adaptive bike friendly. We’ll look at different examples of trails, trail features and pinch points and discuss approaches and techniques that you can take away and apply to your own trails to make them accessible to adaptive riders.
Mid-morning, DTV’s Andy Davies and FE’s Kate Thoday will give us a ride-and-talk tour of the Cycle Centre’s trails, bringing to life some of the things they covered in Fri’s conference, showing how collaboration between DTV and FE has produced one of the best and most inclusive MTB destinations in the UK.
After an early lunch, there’ll be the opportunity to join a social ride that will take in some of the highlights of the Forest of Dean’s many trails, finishing up mid-afternoon.
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Ready For Reframing?
Tickets are on sale but closing soon.
Full information on accommodation, venues and travel are here.
All are welcome, but especially those with an interested in developing mountain biking. That includes members of the bike-industry, trail associations, event organisers, sponsored riders… and anyone that would like to be involved.
