The most used features on our forum are:
This page is for all our members, and in particular to help newcomers get quickly acclimatized to our activities: Please take the time to read it, and come back every once in a while and check what is new.
The below text is placed in one big file, with bookmarks for each title. This is to facilitate your printing it, and bringing it with you to your bedside, for enthousiastic reading.
Contents
Most likely, you discovered BigM through our web site, www.bigM.be (new address since March 2003). Don't forget to use it!
What can you find here?
This site is for members and non-members seeking general information on mountain biking in Belgium. Information includes:
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How can you contribute to this site?
If you have mountain biking information that is of general interest to members and non-members, please share it with the site administrator, who will update the site accordingly.
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The Yahoo Forum
The Yahoo forum is bigM's main tool for us mountain biking enthusiasts getting together for rides. Anything from casual 15k routes to up to 100k a ride is posted through this forum.
This forum is open to members only. Please treat the information provided through it with appropriate respect.
As the number of members grows, please keep in mind two things:
That being said, please use the forum as efficiently as possible by following the guidelines set out below. This will ensure that information regarding rides and other events can be found as easily by people who choose not to take part in the message board. In order to access all of the resources available on the forum, you will have to register with a Yahoo ID and password.
Once your membership fee and the duly filled-in application form have been well received with the bigM administration, they will send you an invitation to the Yahoo forum. Please choose Reply and Send only to the e-mail, and it will set you up.
The Yahoo forum is not a tool we pay for. The support and helpline facilities are therefore limited. Depending on network security your work computer might be blocked from connection. Whatever the reason, bigM cannot be held liable for this, nor for unexpected disconnection during your membership period (i.e. it is up to you to let us know if you don't receive any messages).
We offer no alternative to this forum. If, within the first month of your membership (starting the date your fee is confirmed at our ING bank account), we can still not see any successful connection all we can do is offer you your fee back.
Saying this, we are happy to note that so far we have had no insolvable technicalities with the forum. If nothing else, people have been able to browse the forum as a common web site ... an option that we highly recommend as the forum contains important tools such as the Calendar, Files and Links.
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Receiving messages - Choose your forum setting
Choosing the right setting for you is important to avoid irritation when the forum gets very active, which it does at times.
Individual e-mails
Nevertheless, if you still prefer this setting to the alternative ones below, you might want to create a separate folder parallel to your inbox, and set your e-mail program to automatically redirect all incoming messages from the forum into that specific folder. How this is done on your individual computer varies depending on what kind of software you are using.
NB1 You cannot use your msn login.
NB2 You can have the individual e-mails or daily digest alternative activated along with having signed up with a username.
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Messaging in general
The most entertaining part of the Yahoo site can also be the most frustrating for some because of the volume of messages. In order to keep irrelevant e-mail traffic to a minimum, stick with these rules:
How to register a Yahoo username
Registering a username with yahoo is highly recommended as you will then have full access to all our tools; our calendar, our databases, our maps etc.
The forum tools: Home/Messages/Post/Files/Photos/Links/Database/Calendar
The most used features on our forum are:
All details regarding events should be accessible via the Calendar.
bigM dynamics - Initiate your ride
This is how we work: YOU make bigM. If you feel that the rides already posted on the forum by other individuals are not fully to your liking, initiate your own ride. Send a message to the forum, specify what kind of riding you are looking for, what distance, what pace, what time, what day and where, and see if anybody's interested in joining you (somebody usually is!).
Since we are all very busy people, either jetsetting (right!) between countries due to our work or just busy with family and kids, this is the best way of keeping bigM going, and also giving each one of us the maximum opportunity to ride to our fullest.
Being a ride leader is thus not designated to any particular member of bigM. bigM is really just a database filled with riders of all levels and ages, find the ones that ride the way you do!
If you don't want to initiate rides because you don't know any trails, don't let that stop you! Ask Het Stuur to help you out to find a good loop or two, and we'll even arrange for someone to come out the first couple of times until you find your own way.
Timeliness - Ride departure times - Going or not going
When you initiate a ride, to be uniform, we recommend that the time you announce is the departure time, the ready-to-roll time.
So, for anybody participating in a ride, plan ahead ... be on time and *IN* time to be ready to head off at the specified time. Don't let your fellow riders wait too long to hit those trails!
And, hey, if you once showed interest in a ride but then decide to give it a miss, be courteous to those who might be waiting for you ... give 'em a quick call/sms and let them know that you won't be coming!
Riding in a group (specific bigM rides only)
No one gets dropped on specific bigM rides. Instead, learn to discuss fitness levels *beforehand* and take the habit of indicating your riding pace when you post messages about rides. With new members it can be difficult to know what level you are in relation to the others. The best way to find out is to first head out with us on a local ride, and we'll tell you what we think.
The most common way of riding in a bigM group, if you really feel the urge of wanting to dash down that hill you see in front of you, is to do so, but wait at the next turn or the next crossing for those catching up. If they don't in a reasonable amount of time, turn back and make sure they are alright. Whoever is the one catching up, do not feel stressed if a person dashes ahead, do not feel you have to ride faster or harder, because that's when you are the most at risk of having an accident. Ride your own pace, it's all supposed to be FUN!
Our most common meeting point during the week is the Trois Fontaines trailhead in the Hermann Debroux/Rouge Cloître area (map to be found under Files). Sometimes we meet up at the entrance of Bois de la Cambre, by the Cool Island shops off the roundabout at the end of Avenue Louise. We often ride in Forêt de Soignes. There are not many true off-road sections in this area, the most ideal paths are unfortunately only open to pedestrians (remember our ride policy, do not ride verboden trails), but we have managed to locate a few dirt paths.
If you don't have a car, don't despair! It is still possible for you to join us on our trips outside Brussels, as those of us that do have a car might be able to squeeze you in. Just state your interest to the organizer, and we'll go from there.
On the other hand, if you are one of those lucky ones with a car, and you don't mind giving someone a lift, let the organizer know this, along with the information on how many bikes and/or people you can help bring to the start.
If you are using your car to transport yourself and others to the destination, please raise the issue of car reimbursement before leaving Brussels.
At odd intervals bigM members get into their cars and drive to interesting trails outside of Brussels. For these rides you need to be especially self-sufficient, so please take an extra look at our ride checklist on the web site when preparing your bike and backpack.
If you are using your car to transport yourself and others to the destination, please raise the issue of car reimbursement before leaving Brussels.
Quote from web site:"Organized rides are the initiative of Belgium's many bike clubs, and they give you a chance to meet up with other mountain bikers, ride a marked route (different choices of 15k and up), enjoy one or two rest stops with snacks and drinks, and at the end you usually have the possibility to wash your bike and take a shower, all at the price of 3-5 euros.
These events are often well worth going to since they sometimes allow you to ride areas that normally aren't accessible to the public. They are non-competitive but you find all levels of riders here, the longer the distance the more advanced the riders."
Because of the safe nature of rides organized by local clubs (security, emergency precautions, rest stops and generally good signage), bigM members tend to meet up at the start and do the initial warm-up k's together, after which we usually break up in natural groups of varying paces and distances. Depending on the weather conditions we many times meet up at the end for a drink.
With this way of riding, you might end up riding on your own. If you want to avoid this, try to arrange in advance with one of the other bigM participants to ride together.
If you are carrying a GSM (which we recommend), please make sure before heading out that you have everyone's phone number. Always notify your club mates should anything happen.
Organized rides - reporting back
If you attend an organized ride Minna would be thrilled to have a couple of notes from you on what you thought of the ride. For example the amount of singletrack/tarmac/cobbles/other terrain, how well provided for the rest stops were, how many rest stops on the distance you did, friendly or rude people/organizers, shower facilities or anything else that comes to mind.For any organized rides bigM goes to you are free to bring along anyone of your friends or contacts, as ride norms are stipulated by the bike club organizing the event. Please note that although many organizers do not have a helmet requirement for their rides, it is still bigM policy to always wear a helmet, and as such many of us may refuse to ride with anyone without their helmet.
For specific bigM rides and excursions outside Brussels, only paying members or prospective members that have not been members of bigM at any time in the past are welcome. Please also always first check with the designated ride organizer (see Calendar section) AND also make sure the invited party is aware and ok with our club etiquette and rules, in particular the helmet requirement. No helmet, no ride!
Prospective members that have not been members of bigM at any time in the past are permitted to take part in two rides before deciding to join bigM. It is understood that these prospective members are not covered by bigM's third party liability insurance policy.
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BigM Hands-On
New bike shop discount is being finalised at this date. To be continued ...
Premier order of bigM clothes was placed in October 2003 with Bioracer. Big bigM thanks to all of you that ordered and an even bigger thanks to those who co-ordinated it all! If you missed out, don't worry, we hope to place new orders every six or twelve months.
Het Stuur, the bigM Steering Committee
Minna asked Andy and James to help her out brainstorming and settling new ideas and club policies. If you have questions, comments or ideas please talk to any of us so that we can address them. Do NOT start any lengthy discussions on the Yahoo forum, as we want to keep it as clean as possible, and mainly to communicate information about rides.
For our members: Andy and James in particular are willing to share what they know about bikes and riding. Curious about bike technics and/or riding techniques? Looking into upgrading your existing bike, or buying a completely new one but don't know what to prioritise if you can't afford tip-top? Address the two DrBikes! Remember though, DrBike takes no responsibility for damaged limbs or failed relationships as a result of his advice.