From tiny acorns, mighty oaks do grow - by Rich Beadnall

First there was void – then Rory said “Let There Be Ning” and there was Ning. MTBG was created from nothing in 2009 as nothing more than a place where like-minded folks could share banter, rides, photos, videos and blogs with other MTB loons without falling into some of the cliquey crap that had blighted other local websites prior to MTBG’s creation.

Members came on board quickly and the core of the MTBG Team (Rory, Ghostrider/Nice Hat/And & Mark) formed to help create a friendly local site for friendly local riders. Social rides abounded and all was well with the world. Friendships were forged amongst the suffering of the Cook’s Nemesis Climb, the exhilaration of a night-time ride down The Abyss and countless crashes on The Chute.

As time went by, the site grew to such an extent that two new members were recruited for the MTBG Team – Rich B and Nick. With their input and the hard work of the existing three members, the Ning site went from strength to strength and this got us all thinking …. we wanted to put something back ….. but how?

The foggy memories of my old age prevent me from fully remembering how it all started, but talk turned to an off-shoot of the Ning site; a ‘proper’ MTBG Club that would have a constitution, a committee and *gasp* responsibility. Initially set up to help to promote MTBing in and around the Guisborough area, the Club also wanted to develop trailbuilding at Guisborough in conjunction with the Forestry Commission and SingletrAction so as to help put something back into the official trails at Guisborough.

The Club is now into its second year and, similarly to the Ning site, has flourished under the careful eyes of the Committee members. As an official British Cycling-affiliated club, it was necessary to have an AGM for election of Committee members, discuss the successes of the past year and quaff ale in a local hostelry. So it was written; so it was done.

The function room of the Ship Inn, Guisborough played host to the first annual MTBG Club AGM on 11th November 2012 – due respects paid earlier in the morning to all those who fell defending our liberties and freedoms that we all so often take for granted, erstwhile members of the Club gathered to listen to great tales of trailbuilding exploits, race team successes and other such MTB-related shenanigans. New Committee members were elected, other posts filled and future plans outlined to the euphoric acclaim of all present (well, sort of …).

All of which is a rather long-winded way of saying that some poor sod got roped into taking the minutes of the meeting (only because he’s the only one of the MTBG Team that can write without crayons) and those minutes are available for Club member perusal somewhere below this blather.

Read and enjoy. Join up. Get involved. It’s only the involvement of people like you (yes you!) that will keep the Club fresh and on the cutting edge of all things MTB in Guisborough. 2013 promises to be a very exciting year for the Club with a whole host of developments in the pipeline that could make a significant change to the MTB landscape in the local area. We can’t do it without you. Be part of it.

mtbg_agm_2012_minutes.pdf
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