What we’re about
Welcome to West Coast Mountain Bikers!
Our group’s purpose is simple. We want to get people out riding whenever and wherever possible. As the Organizer of WCMB, I’m dedicated to helping people get out on the bike more often. I don’t care if you ride every day of the week or just a few times a month. I don’t care if you only ride with us or if you ride with lots of different groups. Mountain Biking for me is a passion that I want to share with everyone I meet. We don't care whether you're a hardened veteran that has seen the sport grow from fully rigid 21-speed bikes to the super machines they are today or someone who just bought their first mountain bike. We don't care if you if this is your first time riding in a group or if you're a member of every mountain biking social group there is.
My team of organizers and I have one simple goal: Try our best to provide you all with the absolute best rides. My team is made up of people from all walks of life from all over the Bay Area. We have Organizers representing nearly every part of the Bay including… the South Bay, East Bay, Peninsula, Santa Cruz and even the Central Valley and we all love to ride and share the ride with others.
Our rides will range from After-work social meetups and workouts to full on epic rides. We ride everywhere, including places that are off the radar of other groups. We ride all the local favorites, i.e. Fremont Older, Arastradero, Santa Teresa, Alum Rock, etc. as well as all the popular spots further outside our immediate area. Some of our favorites include Demo Forest, El Corte de Madera, Fort Ord, and the Many State parks nearby. We’ve also ventured to Tahoe, Downieville, Boggs and many more. As the years progress we will undoubtedly be adding even more exciting and fun places to our ride portfolio.
All of our rides will follow a no-drop policy. If you show up for a ride we’ll make sure you get out with us. Don’t worry about coming out and slowing people down. That sort of fence sitting will never get you out with a group. Come on out with us and we’ll look out for you. No one will be left behind on our rides.
If you ever have questions about how we rate rides or anything else please feel free to email me. I’m always willing to help a fellow rider, especially ones just getting started. We may not be the biggest group in the Bay but we are the best. I will always go out of my way to make my members feel welcome and appreciated. I also promise to never kick you out for not making it to a ride, I understand things happen. If you have idea for a ride or want to help out with hosting events, let me know. I'm always looking for passionate riders that love to share their passion with others on the trails.
Above everything else I just want people to get out and ride.
-David Butler
Founder
West Coast Mountain Bikers
Upcoming events (3)
See all- Gravel - Half Moon Bay/PurisimaCowell Ranch Beach Trailhead, Half Moon Bay, CA
25-30 miles / 2000-3000 feet climb, approx. B-pace
(distance/climb depending on how much of Purisima MTB we decide to climb, based on the gearing everyone has)Great gravel ride with a bit of everything - dirt, gravel, road, mountain. Starts w/dirt along the coast, road climb to bottom of Purisima, Purisima MTB climb/descent (XC), road back to the coast. Good fitness required. Weather expected to be in the 50's, max 60.
Where
Meet at Cowell Ranch Beach Trailhead just off Hwy 1. Park at the dirt lot or along Hwy 1 just before the lot.
Google Maps
Apple MapsBring
Gravel bike
Two water bottles
Riding sunglasses, med. lenses
Energy bars/food
Tools, spare tube
Extra layer/jacketOptional
Dropper post
Bike computer
Garmin Varia radar
HeadlightTips
For steeper or bumpy descents, strong recommendation to use your handlebar drops with one finger covering each brake at all times. Dropper post (if you have one) in the down position for trail/mountain descents, and optionally for road as well. While using the handlebar drops with seatpost/dropper post up, flipping the bike forward / OTB can happen more easily - control your speed on trail descents. Riding on the hoods on descents is not secure, bumps can knock your hands off the handlebar, and strong consistent braking is difficult.Control your speed on the road descents, especially on the tight steep turns. On steep right turns in particular it's easy to accidentally cross into the opposing lane - assume there's a car around every corner, even on roads with "no traffic".
Do most of your braking while moving in a straight line, before you get to each turn, and avoid locking up your brakes. Especially important on trail/gravel/dirt, where braking into turns can easily lose traction. These are not mountain bikes with mountain bike tires and suspension, these are road bikes with slightly knobby tires.
Don't move your weight too far back over your bike on trail descents. Being too much in the "back seat" takes weight off the front wheel, making front braking worse and making it more likely to lose front wheel traction.
Group policy & liability release
The group has a NO DROP policy. We'll decide together about any changes to the ride.
West Coast Mountain Bikers is a group riding community. We don't encourage individuals to come out to our rides that want to do their own ride five minutes after starting with us. We start together and stick together. If new to our group, please take the time to read our Ride Rating Guide, found at the link below.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eml9bs3b9aPik-XF9EuazGouBVefExveQXBc58Nkl9o/edit?usp=sharingAll of our rides require a helmet and properly maintained bike.
Riders should be sure to read the description of the ride fully prior to their RSVP. Rides will vary by location and organizer, so be sure to sign up for rides that are appropriate for your skill and fitness level. If unsure if an event is appropriate, contact the event host prior to the event. If you have an existing medical condition please consult your doctor prior to joining an event.Meetup.com and West Coast Mountain Bikers do not allow minors to attend events. We will occasionally make exceptions, so long as the parent is also in attendance.
The event host and organizers ultimately have the last call on who can and cannot attend a particular event. When a member's safety is concerned we will always err on the side of caution.
Release of Liability: By joining this event, you hereby RELEASE and DISCHARGE it's owners, principals, affiliates, presenters, organizer, assistant organizer, hosts and participants from any and all liability, claims, demands or causes of action that you now have, or may have in the future, for injuries, damages, death and/or economic loss of any kind or nature, arising in whole or in part out of the activities, advice or information contained herein. You further agree that if you or someone under your supervision uses the information on this website you assume all risks of injury, damage, and economic loss, without limitation, and release providers from all liability.
