I am not going to cover non-licence holders in too much detail as the only real options for you is either taking part in an off-road school on private land or by joining an Enduro or MX club. This guide is intended to give full motorcycle licence holders and idea of how they can get in to this awesome pastime!

We will start with those of you who are simply 'thinking about it' and do not have a road legal off-road motorcycle. There is quite a lot of expense involved when getting in to off-road riding such as the bike itself, helmet, body armour, boots, gloves, goggles, jerseys, jeans etc. The minimum budget would be somewhere around the £2500 mark, which is quite a sum of money if you are not sure that you will actually enjoy it!

For these people, taking part in either an off-road experience day or an organised guided off-road motorcycle adventure tour is a very good idea. Companies like TrailWorld and Andalucian Trail Tours come highly recommended and you can start from as little as £150 for a days riding with all the gear included! This is also an excellent option for people who simply don't have enough time to ride week in week out and perhaps only want to ride once every 6 weeks or so - it is obviously more cost effective than buying all of your own gear, and you don't have to clean the clothes or maintain the bikes!

For those of you who want to go out and get yourself all kitted up for off-road and have some cash burning a hole in your pocket then read on. Depending on how much you have budgeted for your bike you need to ask yourself a few questions first.

1) What do I want to use my bike for - enduro racing, MX, trail riding etc

If you are looking to ride only in competition then most people plumb for a 250/300cc 2 stroke, but now that the 4T class is getting faster and lighter many people are going over to bikes such as the Sherco 2.5i or the KTM250EXC. Some people prefer a 400/450cc 4T, bigger than this just becomes a liability as the extra centrafugal rotation of the engine makes them harder to turn in tight sections. It really is personal choice on what type of bike to go for so I would advise trying a few out if possible before you buy.

If you are looking at trail riding and green laning then a 200cc upwards 4 stroke is what you will need. Some people prefer 2 strokes but I would not go for it as they don't have very much 'engine braking' and the powerband can become a liability just at the moment you don't want it! If you have relatively little off road experience then it is totally pointless going out and buying the latest 500cc or above monster - that is why you see so many on ebay - too much for a lot of people!

2) What am I looking for in a trail bike?

If you are short in the leg then a trall bike would not be a bad choice. There are a few decent starter bikes out there with a low seat height such as the Honda CRF230F or even a TTR250, both of these bikes will just about cope with everything that you can throw at them, an added bonus is that they are both low-maintenance air-cooled bikes. The average price for something like this is around £1800 for something half decent.

If you are average height or above you have a much wider choice. The Yamaha WR250 is a great starting point (as are most 250cc 4 strokes) and have plenty of power for most people and can be picked up for around £2000 in good condition.

If you won't settle for anything but the biggest and the best then there a a few bikes out there that are superb but please be aware that they are fairly high maintenance and, if you are inexperienced, they will probably be too much for you. The KTM530EXE is very popular amongst trail riders but there are others that are as good if not better such as the Sherco 4.5 and 5.1i, or the Beta 450 and 525 RR. Again, if you have the opportunity to have a ride before you buy then I would recommend it. Second hand prices for anything decent would be £2500 up to £5800.

Have a look at our GLC guide to who needs what bike in the features section

Ok, you have a bike, now you need the riding gear. I would like to say before I list everything that you will need, you only get what you pay for so don't skimp on safety! The first thing you will need is a good pair of boots - budget at least £150. Next is the body armour, an all-in-one type is the best as they include all of the upper body protection as well as spine and kidney belt. Don't spend less than £100 on this - if they are cheap, they are rubbish. Next you need a helmet. There is a huge choice and so long as they are ACU approved you should not go wrong. £50 is the cheapest I would pay, but ones around the £150-£200 mark are recommended. Next is some knee guards at around £30. If you have dodgy knees then buy knee braces, they are very expensive (£500+) but they may help prevent twist injuries. Goggles will set you back around £40+ and gloves start at around £20 but again, the more expensive ones are better.

That is the protection taken care of, next up is some clothes! You will need a minimum of a pair of race jeans, a jersey and an enduro jacket - expect to pay around £200 for the set. You can also buy Cordura (or similar) pants and jacket which claim to be waterproof but in most cases, after a few washes, they are only really shower proof. Expect to pay around £150+. For winter riding I would also budget for a thick pair of socks, some Seal Skin socks (waterproof), some thermal underwear like long johns etc and some padded underpants! Another £150 should see you sorted!

As you can see, it is not the cheapest of sports to get in to!

With the GLC of course!

Seriously though, there are quite a few choices. For those who want to ride on closed circuits then there are many enduro and MX clubs that you can join - simply search the web. If you are brand new to Enduro racing and that is what you want to get in to then I would highly recommend WOR Events as they hold Race Experience Days (RED) where you can go and ride a circuit for around 3 hours to practice and then take part in a mini enduro of around an hour. I have done this myself and loved it!

For those who like an organised guided tour and have your own bike, simply search the web for guides in the area you are interested in. If you don't have a bike and all the riding gear but still want to have a go the you can with TrailWorld in both the UK and Spain

If you want to ride the Green Lanes (trail riding) and live too far away from the usual GLC ride outs then your first port of call should be the Trail Riders Fellowship, they have many groups all over the country, although there is a £40 joining fee and they can be seen as a bit 'old fashioned'.

Best of all is The Green Lane Crew! There is no joining fee, we arrange rides mainly around Herts/Beds/Buck/Essex and Cambs but also do organise trips to Wales, Peaks, Spain etc. Just join the forum and you will get the lowdown.

If you are determined to 'go it alone' then you will need to learn how to read OS maps and also do some research in your area to find out where you can ride legally. You can visit your local council office to view their Definitive Maps which should have all rights of ways marked and up to date.

The GLC in general is a bunch of 30/40 somethings riding around for a bit of a laugh and sociability.

We don't go tearing up farmers fields or anything like that, but we are also not complete saints! We ride the legal byways in numbers that would make the TRF choke on their real ale, but we do so in a pretty respectful manner. We turn our engines off for horse riders, give way to walkers and roost rambliars who take umbrage at us. We are great believers in 'the more the merrier' and this belief has really changed the attitude of other lane users. We no longer get moaned at for riding legal byways, we even get waved at now and then! Basically what has happened is that the general public around Herts, Beds and Bucks have simply got used to us and realise that not all dirt bike riders are tearaway tossers!

What we do not tolerate is idiots who think that they can use the lanes like an enduro circuit and people who act like twats and moan at slower riders. If you are up for a bit of a laugh, like good banter, good riding and the odd beer evening, then you will fit in very well with the GLC!