Disclaimer

The Obvious

You know this anyhow, 'cos you bought a bike and it had stickers all over it that said the same. The manufacturers do this so when bad things happen you don't blame them. We are obliged to say the same so you don't blame 'us' when bad things happen:

Mountain bike riding is dangerous! You ride at your own risk, either alone, or in a group.

Riding can lead to serious injury, permanent disablement or even DEATH!

You may also have a really good time - if you are a sourpuss or don't like to grin - beware!

General Stuff

This site is not run by any individual, organisation, company, club, religion, hive, flock or other collective noun I can think of. For 'us' or 'we' below read 'anyone who's name you find on this site'.

The information herein is community authored, meaning that anyone with internet access can create an account here and post stuff that will hopefully be related to mountain cycling in Sydney and of use or of interest to the cycling community. However, if other info appears don't blame us.

If any particular author makes a mistake, or intentionally misleads with their content we will try to correct it if brought to our attention. If any mistakes or other tosh aren't noticed though, that's not our fault and you cannot blame us!

Given the above it would be silly for anyone to take anything on this site as 100% valid or authoritative. It is up to the reader to confirm local information through more reliable sources before they consider doing anything. Yes - before even looking away from your monitor, let alone leaving the house/office/cave and getting on your mountain bike.

Stuff Pertaining to Ride Meetings

From time to time, members on the BMORC website will post about a ride meeting that will appear in our calendar.

What a ride meeting is: Just a sociable person saying where they will be, and that they'd like some company if anyone would like to show up. They will be doing said ride either way, but if someone shows and wants to accompany them of their own volition then all good.

What a ride meeting is not: A tour, any kind of demonstration of training session, a guided ride, a paid excursion, etc, etc.

There are those people that would claim that a ride meeting is 'organised'. Well, if you'd been to one you'd know that isn't the case of course! But that said, if a meeting is viewed as 'organised' then you probably think there is an 'organiser', right? If one must take this view then clearly this organiser isn't the BMORC website (what - you think a computer can post these and ride a bike?) or the hosting company, or the little hamsters that run round in the server making it all work, or their human handlers. No - if one must (and we stress, this really isn't the case) think of meetings as 'organised' then it is the member that posted said meeting doing the 'organising'. Again, although there is nothing planned about it at all!

Everything general that has been said above of course relates to ride meetings. If you can't find the inference yourself, that means:

If you don't know where you are going, you cannot expect to be lead or guided. You must have your own maps and plans and be able to get home safely no matter what. You might ride for some time with a buddy, but then become separated or they might just take a dislike to you for no reason whatsoever and ride off. You must assume you will find yourself alone, in the bush, in a thunderstorm, at night, with a broken bike, and be able to get home safely.

If you can't ride where the planned route is for some reason (it's too hard for you, you are becoming physically exhausted, time is running short and you need to get home to a friend's bar mitzvah) then do not attempt anything foolish. Know your limits and it's up to you to stay well within them.

You cannot blame anyone but yourself if you try and follow someone else down a trail that you cannot safely ride. If you didn't look first, that's your own fault. All trails are dangerous, even flat fire trails, even paved paths and roads.

Basically:

If you go looking for a trail that is described here and can't find it, don't blame us.

If you wonder onto private property, a military test site or off a cliff while following directions you find here, don't blame us.

If you go down a trail that is waaaay past your ability and you end up falling and breaking yourself or your bike or someone else or their bike or dog or sheep or something, don't blame us.

If you arrange to meet someone from the site for a ride on Friday the 13th at Elm Street and they show up wearing a red/black stripped vest and rather pointy looking gloves then it's perhaps best to make your excuses and run on home. Remember to always meet people of the 'net at very public locations and preferably with other friends present.

If you happen to get hit by lightning while cycling in the rain holding an umbrella, don't blame us.

You are responsible for your own actions at all times, don't blame us!