Trail riding is motorcycle touring on unmetalled roads. It is a non-competitive activity that involves use of unmetalled carriageways on road legal motorcycles..

The Trail Riders Fellowship is formed from those who enjoy motorcycling and wish to preserve and protect our heritage in ancient carriageways. In doing so we protect the rights of other right of way users and conserve valuable habitat by protecting our ancient lanes from the plough and other harmful farming practices.

The Trail Riders Fellowship originated in 1970 as a response to pressure to ban legitimate trail riding, using road legal motorcycles on unmetalled carriageways, and is now the governing body for trail riding in the UK. Trail riding is, in effect, motorcycle touring on unmetalled roads. It is not a competitive activity.

Today the Fellowship has forty-two groups operating throughout the UK, with around 3000 members. Most groups organise rides that will introduce the novice trail rider to the delights of exploring our old and largely forgotten highways. The TRF is not the preserve of ageing males but has a number of female members. If you think you would enjoy riding with the TRF please make contact via the link at the foot of this page.

It holds within its membership a vast reservoir of knowledge related to our heritage in public carriage roads. This knowledge is currently being utilised to counter the side effects of the new right of access to open land for walkers. Here land-owning interests brought about amendments to the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 that, if brought into force, will impact negatively upon trail riding as well as a variety of other recreations that involve horse riding, carriage driving, cycling and 4x4 use of green lanes. Centuries of law could be turned on its head with serious civil liberties implications for residents and visitors to the UK.

It is a widely held belief that the survival of our heritage of 'green lanes' is inextricably linked to the survival of the Trail Riders Fellowship.

Please visit the Fellowship's web site, where you can contact us.