What price an MTB guide?

[Kathy]

We live near the Surrey Hills - a beautiful area with great MTB potential. Unfortunately, lots of the trails are hard to find unless you know where they are, and we've spent many a fruitless hour with our bikes looking for some of the "good" stuff. A group about a dozen of us are looking into the potential of hiring a guide for a day so we can be shown all the trails for future reference, but the price I've been quoted for a guide is £35 per rider (not including bike hire)!

Now, at £420 for a day's work, I think I must be in the wrong line of employment! Before I email back and say "I say old bean, that seems somewhat steep, I hope a complementary massage and beer is included" is this the standard rate?

Ta

[Zoidburg]

I would try the local MTB forums and find some chaps who know the ground and fancy a pootle.

I ride Cannock Chase a fair bit and all the "touristy" routes are sign posted, hidden stuff I just rely on the guys from the workshop to find, much more quiet and not chocker with every man and his dog on a cheap halfords full susser.

Will the guide be showing you the good stuff or the usual route that he/she takes all the groups on? I am thinking the guide will be using the latter to keep things simple.