Mountain Bike Ashburton (formerly Mid Canterbury Mountain Bike Club) is a volunteer-driven club that maintains and develops an 11.5km cross-country riverside loop alongside the Ashburton River, along with a skills park beside ACL on Dobson Street West. It's a family friendly riding area with some optional harder lines for more experienced riders.
Beyond maintaining the trails, the club promotes a positive culture of mountain biking in the community and runs an annual 4 and 6 hour race, as well as seasonal Chocolate Fish Rides and skills sessions. The club is also environmentally and sustainability conscious, having increased the native plant population in the riverside area by almost 7,000 plants.
Over the last ten years, the club has built productive, forward-thinking relationships with the local council, ECAN and landowners, resulting in a community asset that sees over 1,000 users weekly. The club welcomes new members, holds its AGM each August, and recognises long-serving members through a life membership programme.
Mountain Bike Ashburton, formerly known as the Mid Canterbury Mountain Bike Club, is a volunteer-driven club responsible for maintaining and developing one of Ashburton's key outdoor recreation assets: an 11.5km cross-country riverside loop alongside the Ashburton River, and a skills park beside ACL on Dobson Street West.
The riding area is designed to be family friendly, with the skills park offering optional harder lines for riders wanting more of a challenge. Whether it's a relaxed loop along the river or a session working on technical skills, the club has built a space that caters to a broad range of riders and experience levels.
Beyond the trails themselves, the club runs an annual 4 and 6 hour endurance race, a popular fixture on the local mountain biking calendar. It also organises seasonal Chocolate Fish Rides and skills sessions, giving members regular reasons to get out on the trails and connect with other riders in the area.
Mountain Bike Ashburton takes its environmental responsibilities seriously. The club has been directly responsible for increasing the native plant population in the riverside area by almost 7,000 plants, reflecting a broader commitment to sustainability alongside its trail-building work.
Over the past decade, the club has built productive, forward-thinking relationships with the local council, ECAN and surrounding landowners. These partnerships have helped turn the loop and skills park into a genuine community asset, now seeing more than 1,000 users every week.
The club is run entirely by volunteers and welcomes new members who want to be part of the voice for mountain biking in Ashburton. Annual general meetings are held each August, and the club also recognises long-serving, high-contribution members through a life membership programme, awarded to those who have been members for at least five years and made an outstanding contribution to the club.
From its founding committee through to today's life members, Mountain Bike Ashburton has grown through the efforts of dedicated locals who wanted a better riding experience for their community - and that volunteer spirit remains at the heart of how the club operates today.