About MTB east CIC

MTB east started in 2014 as the Travers MTB Series: a handful of grassroots races in the Essex woods, organised by Michael Travers. Over the years we've raced at Potash, Gallows Green, the Hadleigh Park London 2012 Olympic course, Twisted Oaks and Betteshanger. Twelve seasons later it's one of the biggest regional mountain bike race series in the country. In 2026, 287 different riders raced across seven rounds, from Under 7s to Elite. Every result since that first race is still on this site.

It grew one round at a time, thanks to the riders who kept coming back and the volunteers who kept turning up to make it happen.

What a Sunday at MTB east is like

Families arrive early to claim their spot beside the track. Kids make banners, spectators bring horns and clackers, and every finisher gets cheered home, whether they came first or last.

Our youngest racers (U7, U9 and U12) get a finisher's medal, 3D-printed by us, at their first race of the season. At every round after that they collect a finisher's tag that slots into the medal. By the end of the season they have a record of every race they've done. The medals are handed out by Gary in his jester's hat. That tradition tells you most of what you need to know about us: we take the racing seriously, but not ourselves.

Built by hand, run by volunteers

Our courses are cleared, built and maintained by hand. That means days of preparation before every round and a new feature built each season. On race day, the same core team handles sign-on, timing and logistics, race after race. Marshals come from Southend Wheelers, Rayleigh MTB Club and Hadleigh MTB Club, and medical cover comes from Essex Community First Aid volunteers.

Plenty of our riders don't belong to a club. We want MTB east to be their home in the region, and a way into local clubs rather than competition for them.

Getting more people on the start line

Our Women's Rookie Race Squad gives new riders free coaching from a qualified coach before race day, and every rider in the squad finishes by racing a real round. Many of them go on to race the whole league. Next comes Sofa to Singletrack, so that more people have a route from their first ride to their first race. We're also building a rider hardship fund, so that cost is never the reason a family can't race.

Working with British Cycling

The League runs under our own rules, but we still work closely with British Cycling to grow mountain biking in the region and to keep our dates clear of national events.

Why we became a CIC

In July 2026 the series became MTB east CIC, a Community Interest Company (company number 17349989). That made official something that had been true for years: the series exists for the community that races it, not for private profit. Any surplus is locked into the sport and goes back into better racing, wider access and the next generation of riders.

Becoming a CIC also brought:

• a board of four directors, two of them independent
• a formal Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy and an Equal Opportunities Policy
• greener race days: reusable number boards, silicone number ties instead of single-use cable ties, timing and PA run on batteries rather than generators, and more recycling

What's next

Cycling is changing, and we're changing with it. 2027 is a big year for us:

• The MTB east Festival: our first ever festival, a whole weekend at Gallows Green with camping, kids' games, a jump airbag and a Saturday grass crit, finishing with a League round on the Sunday. It's an exciting new direction for the series.
• E-bike racing: UK-legal e-bikes join the calendar from age 16, as one class with Open and Female results.