Mountain biking: Dust off your bike for weekend fun in the forest

The cost is $3 for members, $5 for non-members, and the event starts at 10am. Photo / Chris Rudsdale

Are you up for a challenge this Sunday? If so, drag your bike out of the garage and get ready for some off-road fun.

The Whangarei Mountain Bike Club is holding a cross-country challenge this weekend for anyone who enjoys riding, staging an event in the Glenbervie Forest, which has been out of action until recently.

Vice-president Steve Gwilliam said the club had not held any events for a while because forestry work in Glenbervie had led to the deterioration of some tracks.

"Now that the tracks are operational again, we hope it will attract mountain bikers from around Whangarei that are not members. Maybe some from the Auckland club, sometimes we get [riders] from out of town."

There will be two challenge distances: a longer ride for more experienced riders will be about 10-12km and take up to two hours to complete, while the shorter ride for beginners or less experienced riders will be up to 7km and could take up to one hour.

"We'll hopefully get about 20-30 riders but if the weather is bad we'll get a smaller amount, from about four riders," Gwilliam said.

Pearls, Beware of the Troll, Waitangi, Firewood and Douglas Drop are some of the club's iconic tracks that will feature in Sunday's event.

Club member Matt Andrews, who won the 2013 24 hour World Endurance MTB Champs 23-29 age group in Australia, will be one of the notable riders taking to the tracks.

He continues to represent the club in nationwide events, proving a successful member and role model.

Gwilliam said Andrews did a lot of his training at the Glenbervie tracks and was an outstanding rider. "He's a machine.

"A real credit to him that he knuckled down and did it. He did exceptionally well."

Gwilliam said anyone who wished to participate in the event should meet at Glenbervie Forest MTB carpark at 9.30am to register, and support all the hard work the club had put into making the tracks.

The cost is $3 for members, $5 for non-members, and the event starts at 10am.