Borderland Mountain Bike Challenge

The 22-mile Challenge takes the riders over green lanes and farm tracks, over private land, up and down the beautiful foothills of the Berwyn Mountains and is available to riders of all competence however, it’s not for the faint hearted as there is only about 300 metres of tarmac and probably no more than that on level ground. It’s a challenge but also a wonderful social event for riders of all ages and competence to enjoy.

“Why not put a team together, talk to your colleagues at work, talk to your boss, and if you are the boss, talk to the staff and get pedalling – it’s for a good cause, and it’ll be great fun. All you need is a bike, a 

helmet, and the heart of a lion!”

Please go to 

www.borderland-mtb-challenge.org and sign up.

Electric Bikes are included.

The purpose of the Challenge is the Challenge itself, to have fun, and raise sponsorship donations.  Every competitor is expected to bring in at least £40 in donations.

The Air Ambulance is the main Charity to benefit from the funds raised.

Principal Sponsors for the event are : -

The Borderland Mountain Bike Challenge is on Saturday 11th May and starts from Rhiwlas Village Hall in Shropshire, on the border of England and Wales and should not be confused with the Borderland Mountain Bike Association, a laudable endeavour, but based in El Paso, Texas where the border in question is the one between the United States of America and Mexico. The members of this Association ride the peaks and canyons of the Ferguson mountains and it looks like exciting, desert terrain, which couldn’t be more different to the lush green slopes of the hills and valleys or the foothills of the Berwyn Mountains, near Oswestry, Shropshire. 

This all came to light when a keen mountain biker, Ian Stewart was working in Oswestry and saw a flyer about the Borderland event and decided to Google it to find out more details and was presented with an arid Texan vista, he said, “With the amount of rain we’ve endured this year, I expected the countryside to be a little greener, but then I realised I was looking at the wrong country – in fact, the wrong continent! I soon got the right website though and have now signed up a team and am busy sorting out sponsorship – the Air Ambulance is such a great cause to raise money for, and we must do all we can to keep them in the air. Now, can’t wait till May, we’ll be there in those green hills - near Oswestry, Shropshire not El Paso, Texas”.

It's great that people travel so far – from Yorkshire – possibly not from El Paso, to enter this great challenge, and it would be nice if it is a sunny day.