SingleTrackS - New England Mountain Bike Association

NEW ENGLAND MOUNTAIN BIKE ASSOCIATION

November 2014 #136www.nemba.org

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Save the Trails SingleTrackS No. 136 | 3

SingleTrackSNEMBA, the New England Mountain BikeAssociation, is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organi-zation dedicated to promoting trail access,maintaining trails open for mountain bicyclists,and educating mountain bicyclists to use thesetrails sensitively and responsibly.

SingleTracks is published six times a year by theNew England Mountain Bike Association forthe trail community.

©SingleTracks Editor & Publisher: Philip Keyes

Contributing Writer: Bill BolesCopy Editor: Nanyee Keyes

Executive Director: Philip [email protected]

NEMBAPO Box 2221

Acton MA 01720

Board of DirectorsAdam Glick, President

Matt Schulde, Vice-PresidentAnne Shepard, TreasurerHarry Meyer, Secretary

Rob Adair, White Mountains NEMBABrian Alexander, CeMeNEMBAJohn Anders, Midcoast Maine NEMBAEric Boudreau, Wachusett NEMBAMatt Bowser, Central NH NEMBAAaron Brasslett, Penobscot Region NEMBAPaula Burton, CT NEMBAEammon Carleton, BV NEMBAMatt Caron, Southern NH NEMBASteve Cobble, SE MA NEMBALeo Corrigan, RI NEMBAPeter DeSantis, Southern NH NEMBABrian Danz, Greater Portland NEMBAErik daSilva, Penobscot Region NEMBAJeff Doyle, Quiet Corner NEMBAAndrew Favreau, Greater Portland NEMBAHarold Green, Pioneer Valley NEMBADavid Hughes, Carrabassett Region NEMBAStacey Jimenez, Quiet Corner NEMBAChris Joosen, White Mountains NEMBAHank Kells, North Shore NEMBAChris Kezckemethy, Fairfield County NEMBAFrank Lane, North Shore NEMBAMarc Lombard, Pioneer Valley NEMBABill Markham, Berkshire NEMBAStuart McDonald, Merrimack Valley NEMBAHarry Meyers, Berkshire NEMBABarry Moore, Merrimack Valley NEMBAChris O’Toole, CeMeNEMBAKevin Orlowski, Central NH NEMBAPeter Poanessa, BK NEMBADavid Riding, SE MA NEMBAPete Schraeder, BK NEMBAJoshua Tauses, Carrabassett Valley NEMBAChris Thurrott, Greater Boston NEMBAAl Tinti, CT NEMBARyan Tucker, Fairfield County NEMBA

SingleTrackSOctober/November 2014, Number 136

Paper TrailTreadlines — 4Places to Ride — 12Basic Biking — 14Chapter News — 16NEMBA Rides — 36Support our Sponsors — 38

SingleTracks Hey, get creative! We wel-come submissions, photos and artwork. This isyour forum and your magazine. Be nice, andshare!

On the Cover: Liam O’Brien riding the D.A.R.in Goshen MA.

Do you have a photo that would make a goodcover shot? Email it to [email protected]

Want to Underwrite in ST?SingleTracks offers inexpensive and targetedunderwriting which helps us defray the cost ofproducing this cool ‘zine. Call 800-57-NEMBAor email [email protected] for our media kit.

Moving?Don’t miss an issue! Change your address onlineat nemba.org or mail it into SingleTracks, PO Box2221, Acton MA 01720

Pine Hill ParkYet another great place to ride in New

England. Head up to Rutland VT andcheck out some fresh new singletrack.

By Bill Boles

6

TrailFest withMaine Huts &

TrailsThe Carrabassett region is fast becom-ing a destination riding area thanks to

the partnership between Maine Huts &Trails, Carrabassett Region NEMBA and

the Town of Carrabassett Valley. 9

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4 |November 2014 Ride the Trails

NEMBA RacingT R E A D L I N E S

NEMBA Racing had a great 2014 season. We’re looking forward to the lastfew late season races and all that great bug free New England Fall riding.

We wrapped up the season with some great results. Joseph Re put the fin-ishing touches on clinching the EFTA NECS Single Speed title at the VT Ski& Snowboard Museum Epic. No one could quite match Joe’s consistency onthat rigid Redline with the Zebra saddle. Nice work!

Mike Shields put in a fantastic effort at the NH100 this year good for 16thin the 100mi Men’s Open. Pretty impressive considering much of the top 10is littered with solid national (and international) level talent. I have racedthe 100K there many times and I’m still not sure I could talk myself intogoing out for another 40mi. Excellent work Mike!

We have also officially dipped our toes into the Enduro scene this season aswell. We have a few racers working their way through the Eastern EnduroSeries Triple Crown and I am hoping to expand the Enduro team for next sea-son. Custom NEMBA Racing Enduro threads and everything. If Enduro isyour thing why not race for NEMBA in 2015? Recruitment / Sign-up will startup again end of this year, keep your eyes peeled!

Won’t be long now until the fat bikes are out again (if they were ever putaway…). Maybe this year we’ll see some more fat bike races popping up? Ifthere are I’m sure you’ll see some NEMBA black and green kits. At leastbriefly before the additional layers go over top. Have a great Fall/Winter sea-son everyone and we’ll see you in 2015!

—Kevin OrlowskiContratulation to Joseph Re for clinching the Single Speed Title

... oh, and for becoming a Dad too!Photo by PK

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About 70 "diehard NEMBA members andtrail builders" gathered in CarrabassettValley, Maine, Aug. 22-24 for the region'ssecond NEMBA TrailFest event in as manyyears, according to event organizer DaveHughes.

Biking and trail building enthusiasts fromMaine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts,Connecticut, Rhode Island and New York,and ranging in age from 6 to 70 made thetrek to the event hosted by theCarrabassett Region NEMBA Chapter andMaine Huts & Trails. Volunteers spent 10hours over two days building a portion ofthe Maine Huts & Trails' Oak Knoll Trailwhich was first cut during last year'sTrailFest.

The Oak Knoll Trail is a 2.8-mile intermedi-ate trail that will connect to the town'sNarrow Gauge Trail, a 6.6-mile route thatruns along the banks of the CarrabassettRiver, and to the Maine Huts & Trails'Stratton Brook Hut. Oak Knoll is slated forcompletion this fall and will be the firstMaine Huts trail built specifically for mountain bikes, joining several

miles of repurposed hiking and ski trails currently open to bikes.

TrailFest volunteers brought a variety of trail building skills to the

Carrabassett Region NEMBA Partners with Maine Huts & TrailsT R E A D L I N E S

Volunteers work on a berm during the Carrabassett Region Chapter NEMBA TrailFest held in CarrabassettValley, Maine, Aug. 22-24. Photoy by Maine Huts & Trails

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T R E A D L I N E S

project as teams of three to five people worked to remove rocks androots, build berms on switchbacks, lay rock armor on low areas, andcreate reverse grades on the trail. The singletrack trail will coverextremely technical terrain and is being built to the InternationalMountain Bicycling Association's highest standards for sustainabilityand rideability.

"The goal is to mitigate erosion and build a trail that is environmen-tally sustainable and fun to ride," said Hughes. "The grade reversalsthat builders worked on will give Oak Knoll a roller coaster feel fromthe rise and fall of the trail."

A crew made up of some of the top mountain bike trail designers inNew England has worked on Oak Knoll throughout the summer. Thetrail will be bi-directional and has a trail design that gives a sense ofback and forth flow and minimizes uphill climbing grades.

TrailFest weekend started with a ride into the 44-bed Stratton BrookHut, dinner prepared by the hut staff and socializing around a campfire. Trail volunteers started Saturday with a hearty breakfast at thehut, followed by six hours of trail work with a break for lunch servedon the trail. A trail ride was offered in the afternoon before dinner andlive music with local microbrews. Sunday wrapped up with an after-noon ride. Lodging, meals and all weekend activities are free forTrailFest volunteers.

More than $300,000 has been invested over four years on 45 miles oftrails in the Carrabassett Valley region. In 2013, the town ofCarrabassett Valley saw its number of mountain bikers double to4,000.

TrailFest is part of a larger effort by Carrabassett Region NEMBA andCarrabassett Valley to establish the region as a top outdoor recreationdestination with a focus on mountain biking during summer and fall.Trail expansion has created eight full-time seasonal jobs, and a newbike shop just opened in town, Hughes said.

"We're fortunate to have a lot of land to work with, and the supportfrom the community has been outstanding," said Hughes.

Charlie Woodworth, Director of Maine Huts & Trails, has been a great partnerfor both the Town of Carrabassett Valley and CR NEMBA to promote recre-

ation and tourism to the area. Photo by David Hughes

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Support NEMBA’s Trail Grantprogram and enter to win thisRocky Mountain BlizzardFatbike. Drawing will be mid-January, leaving plenty of timefor you to hit the snowpackedtrails.

Tickets are $10, five for $50 and15 for $100. Support NEMBA,support the trails and get in onwinning this awesome bike!

Get your tickets at www.nemba.org or call 800-576-3622


S U P P O R T !

NEMBA Raffle

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Season Finale of the Kona Bicycles

MTB Adventure Series

Presented by North Shore NEMBA

Harold Parker!October 26th

Boo!www.nemba.org

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P L A C E S T O R I D E

Pine Hill Parkby Bill Boles

A number of my friends have been telling me that I had tocheck out Pine Hill Park in Rutland VT. I live way down inSoutheastern Massachusetts, on Cape Cod. So taking afour and a half hour ride to Rutland Vermont is not some-thing that I undertake lightly.

Well, it was worth it! Pine Hill Park has one of the bestpurpose built trail systems that I've ever seen. To say thetrails are fun is totally inadequate. To say that they're wellmaintained doesn't even come close. To say that thewalled berms on the downhills flow into each other does-n't compare to actually experiencing them. You have to gothere yourself.

On the way into the park you're welcomed by a friendly"bicycle" sign pointing to the trails. A large signboard atthe trailhead has a map of the trails and current informa-tion. You'd do best to print out the map, or copy this one.Intersections come quick and fast and without a map, ora guide, you'll miss out on many of the best trails.

Pine Hill Park is 300 acres with 16 miles of trails. Ownedby the City of Rutland Vermont and managed by the RutlandRecreation Department and the Pine Hill Partnership it's a co-opera-tive effort by the community, citizens, schools and agencies to create

the best possible trail system for everyone to use.

Volunteers have contributed tens of thousands of man, woman andchild hours not to mention many thousands of dollars in materials

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and supplies to build one of the most unique trail networks in thecountry. Certainly one of, if not the, best trail system entirely withinmunicipal limits.

Spend a few minutes on the Pine Hill Park website and you'll see whatI mean. Be sure to check out the bridges. They are unlike anythingthat I, or you, have ever seen out in the woods.

Riding Pine Hill Park means parking at the Giorgetti Athletic Complexon the west side of town and climbing a hill. Actually, depending onthe route that you choose, maybe many hills. When exploring a newarea I like to, as much as possible circumnavigate it, and then fill inthe middle. This worked perfectly for me at Pine Hill Park. After someawesome singletrack and some pleasant uphill dirt roads I foundmyself on the upper portion of 'Pine Hill'. The singletrack trails heremeander around without too much elevation gain or loss for a verylong time. On my way back to the start I managed, with a few uphillrepeats, to ride all of those fast flowing bermed downhills.

A day well spent! And though I live half a day away, the first of manyvisits to come.

Take a close look at the map and plan your own route. You won't bedisappointed at Pine Hill Park and while you're out on the trails you'llmarvel at how well built they are. Pay close attention to what they

did and how they did it. Then bring that knowledge back home toyour trails.

My favorite cross country trails included 999 to Overlook toStegosaurus to Strong Angel, but really I enjoyed everything. Therewas not one trail here that I wouldn't gladly ride again.

My biggest grins came when I combined the downhills Halfpipe andExit Strategy. A combination I enjoyed so much I did it three times. (Iwould have done it again if rain hadn't driven me off the trails.)

I could rave on and on but you won't believe me until you experiencethis place yourself. Put Pine Hill Park on your personal bucket list!

Accommodations: Rutland is a thriving metropolis, there are almosttoo many motels to count and food and drink options are endless.

Nearby: Did I mention that Rutland is only 20 minutes away fromPittsfield Vermont, home of the great Green Mountain Trail systemfeatured in the last issue of SingleTracks?

Riding both Pine Hill Park and the Green Mountain Trails would makefor a pretty great weekend.

More Info: www.pinehilltrails org

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You've all heard the buzz about flow trails. If you'relucky you even have a few in your backyard. A flowtrail is one on which you can maintain a certain rate

of speed without sudden stops and starts. Many flowtrails go down hills, though not necessarily steep ones.In fact steep hills often detract from the experience. Thebest downhill flow trails are the ones where you're hard-ly aware that you're descending. Ones where, if you wereridding them in the opposite direction, you'd find themjust as enjoyable.

The article is not about flow trails though. This article isabout bringing the concept of "flow" to your everyday rid-ing. Picture yourself on a flow trail, as described aboveand let's begin there.

There are three reasons for bringing flow to your riding. One, it's morefun, two it's safer and three it saves a lot of energy.

Riding with flow is more fun because it almost seems effortless. Evenwhen you're going fast or climbing a moderate hill.

Flow makes riding safer because you seem to have a lot more time tomake course corrections and line choices and, by not focusing on howfast the person in front of you is going, you can instead focus on thetrail in front of you.

Riding with flow uses less energy because, whenever you can, youdon't expend any.

OK! So how do you ride with flow?

The key to riding with flow is to look farther in front of you. Don'tconcentrate on what's directly in front of you. Instead you want tolook ahead to where you want your bike to go. Have faith, your mindhas already processed what's directly in front of you and has alreadydirected your body to do whatever is needed to deal with it. Yourmind is now ready to process what's coming up next. You don't needto focus on the brief instant where you are now, because, in reality,you've already passed it.


Flowby Bill Boles

B A S I C B I K I N G

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The faster you go, the farther down the trail you should be looking.The slower you go the more you're looking directly ahead of you.That's normal.

A key to flow on singletrack is momentum. The more you can main-tain your speed, the easier the trail in front of you is to ride. The far-ther you can look down the trail, the better will be the lines that youchoose. Better lines make you faster. Thereby increasing your momen-tum. It's like one hand washing the other.

The second part of riding with flow is to relax. Whenever you canstop working and let your bike's momentum do the work for you.Coast whenever possible. Ideally stand up and coast because whenyou do your body will be absorbing less of the trail shocks that, evenon a full suspension bike, slam through your saddle.

If you ride through the woods concentrating on flow and coasting asoften as you can you'll notice that you both gain and loose a littleground when comparing yourself to the person in front of you. But,strangely, it all evens out. You'll also notice that the rider in front ofyou, who's not concentrating on flow, is working much harder thanyou. They're probably sitting down, pedaling almost all the time whilebraking and accelerating before and after every corner and trailobstruction. But, even with all that effort, overall, they're not reallygoing any faster than you are. In fact, if you follow them too closelyyou'll lose your flow every time they brake or turn. Follow too close-ly and if they bobble a bit, you may even have to brake to avoid run-ning into their rear wheel, especially on hills.

The third part of flow is cadence. By that I mean how much effortyou're putting into pedaling. Most people stay in a particular gear

combination way too long. Only shifting when they absolutely haveto. This means that they constantly go from pushing too hard on theirpedals, at a very slow cadence, to spinning much too fast and nottaking advantage of momentum.

To truly achieve flow you need to shift your gears. Everyone has acadence where they can pedal almost effortlessly for an extendedperiod of time. Neither pushing too hard on their pedals nor too eas-ily. On a rolling singletrack, for instance, you need to shift frequent-ly, maybe even every few seconds, to stay at that preferred cadence.

Ned Overend, the 1990 World mountain bike champion says, "Wearout your shifters not your legs." Ned is still winning races, recentlywinning the first World Fat Bike championship. But he wouldn't bedoing that if he'd been killing his legs.

There is only one exception to this. A minority of riders enjoy thechallenge of riding singlespeed bikes. For them, "flow" means main-taining momentum, as much as possible, everywhere. If you ride withsinglespeeders you'll notice that they are very good at not wastingenergy. To do that they go faster in places that you may slow down.You'll notice too that they don't follow the rider in front of them tooclosely. That way they don't have to brake every time that rider slowsdown.

Want to try flow for yourself? Well, I'd suggest trying it first on non-technical trails. Though as you get the hang of it you'll find that flowcan be applied to most of the trails that you ride. Just remember tolook further down the trail, coast whenever possible and shift, a lot.

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C H A P T E R N E W S

With summer windingdown, the humidity andinsect levels have droppedenough for some trail workdays to start up. Expect tosee more work days getposted throughout the fall.

Brattleboro has got a jumpon things with a new bridgeon "Hank's Loop", and somenew trails up aboveMemorial Park. Keene has been a little slower toget going. We've added a short trail at StonewallFarm that provides a single track reroute if the farmhas cows in the pasture behind the Learning

Center, and it will also be used for the kids' racewhen Route 66 holds the Bike for Bovines race atthe farm.

At Drummer Hill in Keene, the City has improvedthe parking at the Drummer Rd/Green Acres gate(and put in a new gate). We can now park 7 carsfully off the road. This should help traffic, andneighbor relations. The City also had a crew work-ing on the back side of Goose Pond this summerrerouting a perpetually bad section. The Chapter

hopes to get in there this fall and put some finish-ing touches on the trail.

The weekly rides have continued to be well attend-ed in both Brattleboro and Keene. Thanks toeveryone that has been coming out. I think we'veall had some great rides (people keep coming backanyway!). We'll continue the rides year round.Having lights has changed from being a "nice tohave" to a mandatory accessory. It won't be longbefore the studded tires and fat bikes come out.

In Keene we held 3 trial beginner/kids/family rides.Attendance was low, but everyone that came outhad fun, and the kids always voted to do "one morelap". We hope to hold more of these types of ridesnext year. The Chapter will also be hosting a "Takea Kid Mountain Biking" event at Stonewall Farm.The date is October 4th, so by the time you readthis you'll already know that it was a smashingsuccess and a good time was had by all.

Logging on Drummer Hill continues, and a newlogging operation is starting on Hyland Hill thatwill be impacting trails. There is another loggingoperation on Hyland Hill that doesn't impact trails,but there is logging traffic to contend with when

riding up towards the fire tower. As always, yieldto the heavy equipment, and give the loggers afriendly wave.

Chapter meeting will have resumed in September.Meetings are held every other month - so expect tosee posts for them in November, January, March,and May. It would be great to see more of you atthe meetings.

I'll leave you with this:

"Oh the places I could ride if my tires were a bitmore wide. Oh the places I could go if I owned aKona Wo. I know I'd ride terrain that's Knarly if Ihad one of Trek's new Farleys. I would ride beautythat others see ugly if I only had a Surly Pugsley Iwould ride volcanic soot if I had a Norco Big Foot,I'd bring a sleeping bag with no need for a Campahif I could have a Borealis Yampa. An ear to ear smilefull of pride, the pedals I'd push with an effortlessstride, oh the places I could ride if my tires were abit more wide." - Dan Oachs & Meshu Porque

—Mike Davern

Sean Coty, Ted Johnson, Andy McPhail, Aaron Walsh, John Parrot, and Roger Nadeau riding Saxons River,VT. Photo by Shawn Severance

New parking space at Drummer Hill in Keene. Photo by Mike Davern

New trail at Stonewall Farm in Keene.Photo by Mike Davern

Brattleboro-KeenePresident: Peter Poanessa,

[email protected] President: Bob Shalit

Josh ReynoldsSecretary: Mike DavernTreasurer: Peter SchraderEmail List:

[email protected] Email: [email protected]

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Cape Cod NEMBA wouldlike to extend our thanksto all the riders who havejoined us on our weeklyrides. We look forward toyour return to Cape Codnext summer. Now thatfall is near, we extend ourinvitation to all local anddistant riders to continueyour visits to our localtrails. We will continue toaccommodate all levels of riders and hope to meetyour timetable requirements for your trip to theCape. Just notify us via our Facebook page.

We are still involved in the planning of theenlargement of our Trail of Tears parking lot locat-ed on Farmersville Road. The town of Barnstable isin the process of getting bids for this project. Alarger lot has turned into a necessity due to theincrease in the number of trail users.

We currently have two locations that we will beproviding manpower to clean up and help establishwalking trails. These trails will also provide bikingfor two local neighborhoods. These areas are notlocated near popular riding destinations but pro-vide recreation for the neighborhood residents.

The Town of Barnstable is currently involved withthe re-opening of the shooting range located in theTrail of Tears conservation area. The re-opening ofthe range will greatly affect the trails nearest therange. There are many different opinions beingdebated as far as re-opening this range. All user

groups will be affected in this area. The loss ofadditional land is at stake here as well as the safe-ty of all who frequent this area. Local residents arequite involved in this ongoing battle to dissolvethe range.

Seasports owner Jeff Craddock has taken on thetask of offering instructions to some local moun-tain bikers who wish to add cross bike riding totheir resume . One never has enough bikes. Thiscertainly will add some enjoyment on anotherlevel.

With the days now becoming shorter , we bidfarewell to our monthly MTB/BBQ meetings. Theattendance was always great and the potluck wassomething we all looked forward to. We will onceagain be driven inside to the warmth and light.

We have started a "Beginner Mellow Ride" onSaturday mornings. It is very cool watching begin-ners maneuver around obstacles. The new ridersbecome more comfortable and then they start tospread their wings. The riders' smiles and energybring you back to your beginning. We encourageall riders to introduce new riders to our passion.Slow down and you will surely "smell the roses" !

Enjoy.

—Perry Ermi

The Saturday Morning Mellow Ride.

Kris, Kelly and Crystal.

Cyclocross Training at Seasports.

Jeff Craddock of Seaside Sports is now offeringcyclocross training.

Cape CodPresident: Michael Dube, dubati@com-

cast.netVice President: Perry ErmiTreasurer: Paul RichardsSecretary: Christine ErmiFacebook Group: “Cape Cod NEMBA

Group”Yahoogroup:

[email protected]

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Chapter MembershipOur membership is slowlyand steadily increasing. Asof the first of September2014, club membership is inthe low 80's up approxi-mately 10, or 14 percent,from late May of 2014. Theincrease in membershipsre-flects individuals and fami-lies who are discovering ourincredible mountain biketrail network, as well as a high percentage of mem-bership renewals. All members are riding an everexpanding network that offers trails for all abilitylevels.

Your Board is focused on continuing to expandmembership, with a focus on attracting those newto the sport and serving individuals and familieswith home and condo ownership in theCarrabassett area. The club will have a presence atHomecoming weekend at Sugarloaf that will begeared to telling our story and inviting new ridersand families to join the club. We also believe withour expanding trail network we will soon be able toattract riders to the area for an extended stay inthe area.

NEMBA TrailFestCRNEMBA hosted a TrailFest on August 20-22 inCarrabassett Valley. The 2014 TraiFest was againhosted by our partner, Maine Huts & Trails. Wesaw over 70 trail building gurus from New Englandcome to apply their talents to the continued con-struction of the Oak Knoll trail. The weather coop-erated with sunny skies that provided a wonderfulbackdrop to build and ride trails. Lots of fun andlaughter was heard both building trails and riding.I vividly recall one of our guests 'whooping it up'with laughter as we rode uphill on the TOAD trailat the Outdoor Center!

We sincerely appreciate the support, skill, andwork by all those who have attended the TrailFestin 2014 and 2013. Your work helped to create atruly incredible trail that we believe will providesome of the best riding in New England.

Trail ConstructionAs mentioned above, it is expected the Oak Knolltrail will be completed by the time you receive thisnewsletter. This trail provides 2.8 miles of contin-uous bi-directional single track trail which willaccess the Maine Huts & Trails Stratton Brook Hut

Creating a trail that will last forever takes a lot of rock to harden damp areas and build berms.Photos by David Hughts

CarrabassettRegion Maine

President: Peter Smith,[email protected]

VP: Ed GervaisSecretary: Kimberly TruskowskiTreasurer: Dana FriendFacebook: Carrabassett Region NEMBAWebsite: www.carrabassett.nemba.org

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and is a part of CRNEMBA's Campbell Field trailpod.

While significant 'news' has surrounded the OakKnoll trail, there has been much more trail con-struction going on during the 2014 season. Amongthe work includes substantial improvement andupgrades to the TOAD and Buckshot Trails at theOutdoor Center. Trail crews completed some hard-ening of these trails at several wet spots with out-standing rock work. In addition, trail upgrades andre-routes to single track off the Narrow GaugePathway provide more sweet trail riding. Be sure tocheck out Mike's mile 59!

Carrabassett Backcountry CycleChallenge (CBCC)The CBCC is a part of the New England EnduranceSeries and this year marked the fourth offering ofthe event. Over 160 riders competed in either the100K or 50K endurance races. This year 27 kidsjoined our kids 'fun' race as well! The event pro-vides an opportunity to attract competitors fromnear and far to challenge themselves in a true back-country environment and showcase our trail net-work.

Crocker Mountain UnitThe club has submitted a preliminary plan to theBureau of Parks and Lands for potential trail devel-opment within the Crocker Mountain Unit. It isthe intention of the Club to develop an additionalmountain bike pod of approximately 15 miles oftrail within the Crocker Mountain Unit. In additionto some incredible vistas in the Caribou Pond area,the development of a trail network in this areawould likely require permission from only 2-3landowners- one of which is the Crocker MountainUnit. If approved and funding becomes available,we would anticipate construction would begin in3-5 years.

The FutureContinued focus on 1) expanding our trail networkand 2) increasing ridership and membership will beat the forefront of our activity for the foreseeablefuture. The club is actively seeking funds for trailconstruction. In addition to our current fundingpartners which include First Wind, Sugarloaf,Maine Huts & Trails, and the Town of CarrabassettValley, the club is actively seeking additional fundsboth with its partners and on its own. The Town ofCarrabassett Valley is submitting a grant request inNovember 2014 to the State of Maine for a $35KRTP grant to continue trail construction. CRNEM-BA has partnered with Maine Huts & Trails to ini-tiate discussions with LL Bean as a potential fund-ing partner.

We are working to establish relationships withstate and federal sources to secure funding for con-tinued development of the mountain bike trail net-work with an emphasis on the real impact ofmountain biking as an economic developmentengine for the region and the state.

The future continues to look bright for our area.We truly appreciate the support of all past clubmembers and welcome those who are new to theclub support. Hope all of you were able to ride andenjoy the incredible trails and the beauty of thearea!

—Peter Smith


Club Pres Pete Smith Greets riders for the Kingfield POPS Guided Ride

Maine Huts & Trails director, Charlie Woodruff sculpting in the new trail.

Hand finishing the machine-cut trail

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2014 has been a transitionalyear for the CentralConnecticut Chapter asanother chapter has spun offfrom the fold taking with itour annual Mountain BikeAdventure Series location.Yet, we were able to partnerwith the South East CTChapter and put on anothergreat mountain biking eventat Bluff Point this year.

Trail approvals this year have been growing expo-nentially with projects finally taking hold atMoween State Park, Collis P Huntington State Park,George C Waldo State Park, Rockland Preserve, andRiver Highlands State Park

We have had some great rides this year. Al Tinti'sRide after Work series has had record attendance

Lisa Maloney's weekend rides are gaining more andmore popularity with each one and covering a lotof area, too. These intermediate mixed rides areback in full swing this fall and attracting both guysand gals. Some of the trails we've hit include WestRock, Nassahegon State Forest, Tyler Mill and aspecial favorite Rockland. Lisa continues to recruitnew guides to help with these super fun rides. Ournewest guides are Bob Bergen and John Puziss—who lead the group at Rockland recently. Theserides will continue through the first weekend ofDecember with a ride at West Rock and lunch atLisa's house. An unexpected bonus of these ridesincludes making new friends and connecting withold friends.

In the spring, we partnered with the FairfieldCounty Chapter to complete the second phase ofmy South Pond Trail that was approved by theState a couple of years ago that links NEMBA'sRock and Roll Trail to the new South Park Trail. TheSouth Park Trail makes the South Pond Singletracktrail a complete loop so with the connectionbetween Rock and Roll and South Park, mountainbikers can ride the entire west side of Huntingtoncompletely on single track.

Trail building at George C Waldo continues. Thesecond of the three new trails is still under con-struction and about halfway done. From what Ihave seen of it, it's going to be another outstand-ing trail created by NEMBA's own master trailbuilder Paula Burton.

Trail crews at Rocklandhave been focused onworking with land manage-ment to ensure long termsustainability of our pre-cious trails. This Summer,CCT NEMBA purchasedmap enclosures that arestrategically placed alongthe 11 mile loop to guideriders. We've been improv-ing features and removingtire hazards from the trail.Big thanks to Town ofMadison for continuedgreat relations with moun-tain bikers. New rte 79parking lot is under con-tract and will be completedin September/October.

The Chapter Board has anew face. John Joy joinedthe board over the summerand is in the process ofrevamping our IT infrastruc-ture for trail reports, reporting, and displaying.Speaking of the board, in the September Chaptermeeting we selected new officers that will be for-mally approved at the Fall Fiesta in October. I willbe stepping down as President and handing thereigns over to Glenn Vernes. I won't be going far,though, as I will take over the duties of ChapterSecretary. John Joy will be taking over as ChapterTreasurer, too.

This fall we have some great events planned: TheFall Fiesta at Gay City State Park is on October12th. It's a little later due to scheduling conflictsbut it's a perfect time to be in the woods duringthe fall and I suspect that Connecticut's fall foliagecolors will be in full swing.

On Sunday 10/26, we are partnering with Thule,Inc for a Trail Building day at the Quillinan

Reservoir. There will be a few projects centeredaround trail improvements for the 7 mile trail net-work that the guys from Thule have been buildingfor the past few years. Afterwards, of course, therewill be a ride at Quillinan.

Finally, don't miss our annual Turkey Burner Ridethis fall on the day after Thanksgiving.

It's been a pleasure serving the CentralConnecticut Chapter and CT Chapter for the past 7years as both President and Vice President and Ilook forward to my continual involvement for yearsto come.

See you on the trail!

-Mark Lurie

The weekend group rides have hit some great trails at West Rock, Nassahegon State Forest,Tyler Milland a special favorite RocklandGroup ride at Rockland. Photo by Lisa Mahoney

We thank Mark Lurie for his many years of service as Connecticut andCentral Connecticut’s chapter president. Mark will continue as a CCT

NEMBA board member, while Glenn Vernes will take on the role as presi-dent. Thanks from all of us, Mark!

Central CTPresident: Glenn Vernes,

[email protected]: Cory StiffSecretary: Mark LurieTreasurer: John JoyAt Large: Jason Englehardt & Art RotiBOD Reps: Al TintiCT Web: www.ctnemba.comFacebook: “CT NEMBA”

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Fall is fast approaching inCentral Maine and as theleaves begin their transfor-mation into vibrant, boldcolors, there's a lot of goodnews to share aroundmountain biking in thearea.

By the time you read this,we will have showcasedsome of the magnificentnew features of the Quarry Road trails inWaterville at the Let's Go! Family Fun Day onSaturday, September 20. CeMeNEMBA is a big partof the day and we are very happy to be showing offthe new pump track to kids, families and trailenthusiasts. The event will include guided trailrides, a bike rodeo and lots of other terrific oppor-tunities designed to promote the area. We hope tosee lots of families coming out and as I write thismissive, it appears that the weather is going to beon our side.

We are also gearing up for Treadfest 2014, one ofthe premier events held on October 19 at BondBrook. With last year's monumentally successfulturnout, we are hoping to see even more numbersthis year. Trails are in great shape, membership iscontinuing to grow and Treadfest is a fun race forboth mountain bikers and those who cheer themon.

We have started to roughly track volunteer hourson the trails this summer and have tallied animpressive 1,000 volunteer hours benching,whacking and bridging. Some of that work (about300 hours) was on trails outside Central Maine aspart of a labor exchange with groups like F.A.T.(Farmington Area Trailbuilders) who were men-tioned in the last SIngleTracks.

During a recent CeMeNEMBA board meeting,President Chris Riley reported that we have had avery successful year, so far. He noted that mem-bership has grown, but that we need to continuethe push to bring more members into our group.He suggested that there is a lot of work to be doneon signage and mapping and that this winter couldsee a lot of that work accomplished.

We are still trying to finalize connector sectionsbetween Pine Ridge and Quarry Road via Colby andSeton Trails. Brian Alexander reported he still isworking on getting permission from the new landowner to work the Seton trail but it has been diffi-cult to set a meeting. It was mentioned that the

Colby trails may warrant a work day so the callmay go out.

And CeMeNEMBA is very glad that some of ourtrails are getting attention through the state highschool mountain biking race series. State finalswill be held at Bond Brook on October 25.

Lastly, CeMeNEMBA has been able this past yearto put into place some very solid support tools (lit-erally) in our efforts to build and maintain ourtrails. A tool trailer, an industrial strength trailtrimmer and a collection of trail tools that cantravel from place to place - these have all con-tributed to the popularity of our TNTs (TuesdayNight Trailbuilding) and other trail efforts. Then,membership received this letter from club presi-dent Chris Riley:

Earlier this year I was approached by one of ourmembers about an opportunity that was possi-bly to come our way. Dave Greeley, avid riderand CeMeNEMBA member who works for

Brookfield Renewable Energy mentioned that hehad submitted a request on our behalf. Thanksto Dave, the letter he wrote, and our great rep-utation we took possession of an almost newATV earlier this summer. The machine comes tous in almost new condition and almost ready fortrail work!!!! The timing of this is absolutelyamazing!!! As we continue to ramp up ourefforts, build more trail and work to gain accessto more trail building opportunities we find our-selves wishing for labor saving tools. In the lastyear we have been able to purchase many ofthose "labor savers" already: brush cutters, tooltrailer, walk-behind string trimmer, etc... Thismachine however will enable us to haul dirt,lumber for bridges, and trail tools to the theremote places we work. It will allow a trailbuilder quick access to places like Bond Brook,Pine Ridge, Titcomb, and Turner Riverlands,with the necessary tools to make trail repairs,blow leaves, or take care of blow-downs.

The ATV came to us early this summer and wequickly realized that we needed to purchase atrailer to haul it from place to place. I wantedto announce the news of the donation once wewere ready to put the ATV into service. I drovemany miles to look at rusted out trailers, andcalled on dozens of Craiglist ad's; every timethere was some issue or the price was not nego-tiable. Fortunately a board member stepped inand donated the extra funds needed and we arenow in possession of a trailer that will suit ourneeds quite well.

We are ALMOST ready to roll with our new trailtool.

We are hopeful that between our membershipand our ridership we will be able to raise themoney to purchase a utility cart and put the ATVto use on upcoming projects in August andthroughout the fall. I hope you will considerdonating to help us fund this purchase.

Thank you for your time. See you on the trails.

Respectfully yours

Chris Riley

So CeMeNEMBA is rolling forward with lots ofgood news and shiny new toys. Its going to be agreat fall!

— Pete Phair


Central MEPresident: Chris RileyVP: Chris O’TooleSecretary: Garry HinkleyTreasurer: Carol Nunemaker Johnson Membership: Ellen WellsTrails: Brian AlexanderPR: Pete PhairFacebook: CeMeNEMBAWebsite: www.cemenemba.org

A new bridge at The Res. Photo by Brian Alexander

Much fun was had by all at the Family Fun Day atthe Quarry Road trails. Photo by Brian Alexander

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After what started as a wetspring and iffy riding sea-son, we had a summer ofgreat temps, lower thanusual humidity, and justgreat riding conditions. Oursummer rides at MianusRiver Park, Farrington,Bennett's, Wilton Woods,Trumbull, and Huntingtonwere well attended givensome of the challengesassociated with riding after work and NYC-metroarea traffic and work demands. Unless we hearotherwise we'll keep a similar schedule for nextyear and try to get a dedicated women's, kids, andbeginners series... but we need you to volunteer tolead these rides! So if you have interest in thembut don't know how to get started, let us know [email protected] and we can help you put ittogether.

Our trail crews took the summer off, well, most of

July & August anyways after an extremely produc-tive early season that saw nearly 3 miles of brandnew sustainable trail delivered to Trout BrookPreserve, Huntington State Park, and Farrington.Trail work restarted for the fall clearing deadfalltrees and trimming corridor at Mianus River Parkthe first Saturday in September and we'll see workdays at Huntington, Wilton Woods, Waldo,Farrington, and Pine Hill over the rest of the fall.We'll mainly be focusing on maintenance, somereroutes, and a couple berms with Farrington hav-ing new trail going in.

For an FC NEMBA first we'll be having a fall socialafter the November 15th Farrington build day.

Expect to come out and build in the morning, havelunch, ride the new trails, and then enjoy an after-noon of food, fun, and good company around theFarrington Pond.

The 2015 Winter Social & Movie are in planningstages and we're already thinking about how wecan make the Happening at Huntington for 2015an even better (and more demo friendly) event.

Stay tuned for our Chapter emails and to Facebookfor rides and build day event details.

Happy Trails!

—Ryan Tucker

Trail day with FC NEMBA and Friends of Mianus Park.

Swoosh! Photo by Kyaiera Tucker

FairfieldCounty (CT)

President: Ryan Tucker,[email protected], 203-919-9439

VP: Mike AhernSecretary: Mike BurkeTreasurer: David Francefort

At Large: Rich Coffey, ChrisKezckemethy, Kyaeira Tucker

BOD Reps: Ryan Tucker, ChrisKezckemethy

Website: www.fcnemba.org

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Today was one of the lastdays of summer. Sunny,clear with just a hint of abreeze. The trees are justbeginning to turn and thismorning was Fall crisp. Lastnight's rain filled the air withthe smells of the season'stransition.

It's the MBAS at GreatBrook Farm, hosted byMVNEMBA. An eclectic group of 10 GBNEMBAriders, some old friends and some new, bangaround the rocks, roots and fields of this lovelypark at a fast but friendly pace. At the end, wecatch our breath and catch up with each other.Days and rides like this are why we love this sport.And today's ride was but one in an incredible sea-son, a summer predominantly dry with temps thathave hung steady in the 80s.

Social RidesThe weather certainly was cooperative for ourevening ride series this year. Starting in May andwrapping up the week after Labor Day, GBNEMBAled well attended rides just about every weeknight,at Beaver Brook North, Middlesex Fells, LandlockedForest, and Russell Mills (together with theMVNEMBA crew). Even if traffic conspired to makeit tough to get to each of the rides, we had lots ofchoices. It was a real treat to see so many newpeople joining in the fun.

Of course, Fall is the best time to ride (Do we saythat every season? Do I sound like Tim Post?).GBNEMBA is hosting weekend rides at the favoredspot of whatever Ride Guide decides to "call ameeting". To keep up with the latest options,check the NEMBA website and/or the GBNEMBAFacebook page. Weekend rides generally get post-ed by Thursday.

Trail BuildingIt was a pretty light summer from a trail buildingperspective. We completed a new trail at BeaverBrook North (over the course of a few workdays),and did maintenance work at the Fells and LLF.This Fall's agenda includes some refinements atLLF, and possibly a reroute at the Fells (DCR per-mission pending). A few members are headed upto Highland in NH in late September for TrailFest,where NEMBA reps from across New England willgather to add some sweet new cross-country sin-gletrack and sample the Park's awesome downhill.

EventsOn Oct. 4th we will be hosting our annualInternational Take Your Kids Mountain Biking Day,at the Middlesex Fells (Stoneham) 9:30a - 2:00p.This event is always a great time designed to intro-duce children to the fun, excitement and fitnessbenefits that come from riding bikes in the woods.Andrea Jones and other experienced Ride Guides,supported by the MTB Patrol, will also teachrespect for the parks, trails, and other trail users.

Speaking of the Patrol, and looking further ahead,our Patrol Director Terry Kennedy and his wifeSusan, both certified American Red Cross instruc-

tors, will be conducting a day long class on BasicCPR/AED and Community First Aid. All whoattend will receive a First Aid and CPR/AED certifi-cation/training card. We are targeting late Januaryfor this session — please let us know if you'reinterested in learning these valuable skills.

So, lots of good times ahead. Whether on anorganized ride or just out with your buds, be sureto get some of that good stuff!

— Bill Cohn

Building a new climbing trail at Beaver Brook Reservation. Photos by Adam Glick

Adam Glick riding the new trail at Beaver Brook. Photo by Tim Post

Greater BostonPresident: Adam Glick,

[email protected] , 781-354-7845

VPs: Maciej Sobieszek and Rick Forzese

Secretary: Bill CohnTreasurer: Claire Grimble

Website: www.gbnemba.orgfacebook: “GB NEMBA”

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Mountain biking is the best in the fall, and NewEngland is the best place to be in the fall. Ergo: themountain biking in the fall in New England is thebest. That may not be a perfect syllogism, but Istand by the statement!

GP NEMBA is swinging into the fall after a greatsummer.

With the help of the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, GPNEMBA hosted the IMBA Instructor CertificationProgram in early August. Board members JimTasse, Andrew Favreau, Emily Helliesen and BrianDanz all attended the training, which was facilitat-ed by Mike Holme of Magpie Cycling from Moab,Utah. The course focused on the nuts and bolts ofleading off-road group rides, and we all came awaywith the feeling that those liability forms we’vebeen having folks sign when they join us on ridesare pretty important! The group also covered avariety of fundamental skills and how to teachthem, and all participants report that the contentpresented immediately changed up their riding.Some kinks are still clearly being worked out in the

curriculum, but it was avaluable learning experi-ence for anyone who isthinking about teachingfolks how to ride moun-tain bikes.

Our second Bikes andBrews event, held onAugust 23 was anothergreat success. About 50people showed up atElsmere Barbecue to enjoyrides on the CapeElizabeth trail system andbeers and barbecue after-wards. Swag sales wererobust, and the eventraised about $500 for theChapter. Weather was again great, and the eventincluded an intro to mountain bike class that usedone of our newly minted IMBA Level I instructors.Our next and final Bikes and Brews event isplanned for October 25—location is still TBD.Learn more athttp://www.gearworksproductions.com/gear-works/bikes-brews

More definitely scheduled is our next mountainbike social event, on October 16 at Rivalries inPortland ME. As always, there will be fun, info ontrails, and a report on chapter business.

And then there are trails to talk about. There’salways work getting done in Cape Elizabeth,Falmouth, and Yarmouth, but we’re excited about

the amazing work being done in Gorham under theleadership of Rob Lavoie, who serves on the town’sconservation commission. Rob has singlehanded-ly led the effort to recover and/or create nearly sixmiles of new singletrack in his town—and the rid-ers in the western part of our region are enjoyingthe fruits of his labor!

To learn more about dirty business in the GreaterPortland region, please contact us at [email protected]. You can also follow us on facebook,www.facebook.com/gpnemba, which we updatewhen we’re not riding. . . . Remember—keep therubber side down!

—Jim Tasse

Congrats to Carver Bikes, Forrest Carver, and the rest of the racers at the 12 Hours of Bradbury. And HUGE thanks to Pat Hackleman, Gearworks Productions and Casco Bay Sports for supporting

Greater Portland NEMBA. Photo by Katryn Mitchell.

Just in time for hunting season, neon/hunterorange riding shirts.

GreaterPortlandPresident: Jim Tasse

Vice President: Andrew Favreau

Treasurer: Emily HelliesenBoard: Brian Danz, Jim Tasse, Caleb

Hemphill, Chris Carleton, PatHackleman, Brian Stearns, MitchWacksman

W: www.greaterportlandnemba.comFacebook: “Greater Portland NEMBA”

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President's MessageThe 2014 prime riding sea-son is winding down. Mostof our weekly rides haveended for the season. Thenew pump track line atRussell Mill continues to betweaked and massagedweekly. A pump track isnever complete. The originalpump track line has pro-gressed over almost 5 yearsto get to where it is today. It will take time to dialin the line but I can tell you it's a labor of love.

We completed a large boardwalk project on theAcorn trail at Great Brook State Farm. The bridgework is stated for the Acorn North trail. This is thefirst of five boardwalks that are scheduled to becompleted on Acorn. The boardwalk building willcontinue next spring.

MVNEMBA has received approval for new single-track on a small parcel of the Billerica Town Forrest.The parcel is close to Russell Mill and will providea gateway to access the Billerica State Forrest.

The Mountain Bike Adventure Series at Great Brookwas a success. The awesome weather is a bonus.We had over 150 riders. The proceeds of the eventwill be channeled back in to Great Brook StateFarm, Lowell Dracut Tyngsboro Forest and BillericaState Forrest. Thank you to the countless supportof all the members and to JRA Cycles and TheCannondale Store for the donations and TeamForza-G for the post ride BBQ. See you in 2015

Group RidesMonday

The PYT ride at Russell Mill is done for 2014. A bigthank you to Dan McCormack for "making it hap-pen" every week. Huge props to JRA Cycles for pro-viding pizza every Monday. We hope to continuethe PYT in 2015.

Tuesday

The Lowell Dracut Tyngsboro Tuesday Night RideSeries has come to a close for 2014. We saw manynew faces in 2014 and hope they return for 2015.A big Thank you to Steve Richardson for leadingthe rides all year.

The Tuesday Night Women's Ride has sadly cometo a close for 2014. It was truly an awesome groupof ladies led by Karen Korza.

Friday

The Friday Night ride series at Russell Mill is thenever ending event. We offer an intermediate andadvanced-intermediate groups. As the days getlonger, the advance ride will also include a trip toGreat Brook. The long loop can be 20+ miles. Firstwave rolls at 5:00 and loops back to pick up the6:00 start.

When the snow flies, the event will roll on as aFatbike/snow shoe event. The goal is to keep thefun going 12 months a year.

Come ride with us!

—Barry Moore

MerrimackValleyPresident: Barry Moore,

[email protected]

Vice-President: Malen AndersonTreasurer: Steve RichardsonEmail List: mtb-

[email protected]: MVNEMBA

Web Page: www.nemba.org/mvnemba

Facebook Group: “Merrimack Valley NEMBA”

A little game of kids jousting at the Kona Bicycles MTB Advnenture Ride at Great Brook.Photo by Ted Korza

Marty Engel to the rescue. With Karen Korza and Sharron McDonald. Photo by Karen Korza

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It was an interesting latesummer this year with anabundancw of ground hor-nets, anyone not get stung?It seemed like for a fewweeks you couldn't avoidthe little buggers. Therewere several impressivewind events that knockedover many trees throughoutour riding area in theAugust, September timeframe. Thanks to all the folks that quickly buckedup those trees, I heard one guy say "I went out toclean up some trees and someone had alreadybeaten me to it." I am guessing our ranks are a lit-tle obsessive about keeping the trail clear. Thanksto all that helped out! Now that autumn is herelead rides are winding down and trail projects arein full swing. Oh and we got that Wicked Ridething coming up!

Trail projects:On September 7th a crew headed out to replace arotted bridge, and mend a second on theUnabomber Trail at Harold Parker. A small reroutewas also completed.

September 20th trail volunteers completed a newflow trail at Winnekenni Park in Haverhill. This wasNorth Shore's first foray into mechanized trail

building. Several days of machine work wererequired prior to the actual trail day. On the day ofthe trail event, two bog bridges were also con-structed along with finishing work on the trail. JeffWardle our Haverhill trail guy has been workingclosely with the city and the water shed to createa trail away from the shoreline of Konza Lake. Thearea is popular with dog walkers and joggers; thisnew multi use trail is also fun to bike.

October also had NS assisting Essex CountyGreenbelt with a board walk connecting the newConcord St parcel with Tompson St. This com-pletes the project we started in the spring with theclearing of an access trail in from the Concordstreet parking lot.

North Shore also participated in the Highland MtTrail Fest on the weekend of September 27 and 28.A new novice trail was added to the mix.

Lead Rides:The weeknight group rides have concluded for the

season. A lot of new faces participated this year!Thanks to Bob Ganley who led the charge at HaroldParker on Thursday nights, and Fred White whoorganized the novice ride at Willowdale onMondays.

Chapter Meetings:August 28th a ride and meeting at HP was held atAndy Sherman's house. Ride was good, but Andy'sribs and pulled chicken were even better. The allimportant year end chapter meeting will be held atthe home of Scott and Debbi Merloni in December.Please plan to attend!

Wicked Ride of the East:Sunday October 26th is the WRE. Come help,come ride! Harold Parkers State Forest has GreatMountain biking on 30 miles of singletrack, therewill be lots of food and vendors too. So don't missout on the major fund raiser of the year forNSNEMBA.

—Frank Lane

Joe Dizazzo gets mechanized at Winnekenni.

Fred White leading the relaxed Monday ride at Willowdale. Photo by Frank Lane

Getting some TV time during the Winnekennibuild in Haverhill.

North ShorePresident: Frank Lane

president@ns nemba.org,857-265-4756 Vice-President: Tom GreeneTreasurer: Debi Merloni Secretary: Hank KellsBOD Reps: Frank Lane & Hank KellsWicked Ride Chair: Steve CharretteEmail List: mtb-

[email protected]: Scott Merloni

www.ns nemba.org


ST201411 136.qxd 9/26/2014 1:03 PM


The fall riding season isquickly coming to an endand the short days and coldnights of winter are fastapproaching. Time to get inthose last epic rides beforethe leaves camouflage thetrails and the first snowfallblankets everything inwhite. The seasons arechanging, so shift gears andget the lights charged, thefat bike tuned and the snowshoes at the ready.

Our weekly RAW (ride after work) ride series hascome to a conclusion for the 2014 riding season.Many thanks to Margie Bowen for her dedicationand leadership of both the Mondaybeginner/novice ride and the Thursday night inter-mediate ride. Despite some struggles with theweather this season, both weekly rides saw arevolving cast of great riders and spirited loopsthroughout the Burlington woods. Always great tosee happy (although sometimes tired) faces return-ing to the parking lot. Thank for leading Margie!

Our newly created Kid's Ride series continues tobuild interest and participation. A total of fourrides have been held to date and two more areplanned for October and November. The young rid-ers are pedaling strong and taking on some pretty

impressive terrain and technical features. Speedand distance are also increasing with every ride. Itwon't be long before these boys and girls are tak-ing the adults for a ride! Many thanks to BrianVibert for leading this ride series and encouragingthe next generation.

As we enter into the winter season and the flakesbegin to fly, keep your eyes peeled to our websiteand Facebook page. We had lots of fun playing inthe snow under the full moon last year and plan toschedule both snowshoe and fatbike adventuresthis year as conditions permit. The weather prog-nosticators are suggesting it's going to be a snowywinter so if you have never been out in the snowcovered woods under the full moon, come join us,

you won't be disappointed!

In parting, remember that we are entering into theheart of hunting season! We all share the forestand this time of year the hunters are out in fullforce enjoying the limited window they have herein Connecticut to pursue their passion. Brush upon the hunting seasons, rules and regulations onthe DEEP website (http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2700&q=323414&deepNav_GID=1633) and show them the respect that weas mountain bikers would expect from them inreturn. Respect gets respect!

—Jon Regan

Northwest CTPresident: Jon Regan,

[email protected]

Vice-President: Scott Ruel

Treasurer/Secretary: Cara Regan

At Large: Margie BowenWebsite: www.nwctnemba.orgFacebook: “NW CT NEMBA”


Cara Regan rolling into fall. Photos by Jon Regan

NW CT NEMBA Kids Ride #4.

Benchcut on the Southwest Passage

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Trail BuildingOur newly formed NEMBAchapter is excited toannounce the completionof our first trail buildingproject!

We were approached byThe Waterville Foundationof Waterville Valley, NewHampshire about installingsingletrack on a small par-cel of previously unusedland along the Mad River. This made for a greatopportunity for us to get out in the woods as agroup and have a great time making trail. The ter-rain is quite flat so these are ideal trails for begin-ner riders and since its completion the trails haveseen lots of use by riders of all ages. If you findyourself in the area take the time to enjoy the newtrails as it is a very scenic location along the river.

Our First GrantWe are also excited to have successfully applied forand received our first grant of $1,000.00 from theWaterville Valley Foundation. As a new chapter wewill now be able to purchase some much neededtools for future projects. Our thanks to KristenBenz for her efforts in doing the heavy lifting andgetting us this grant money.

The Trail AheadAs we move forward we are working to gain accessto new areas for future trail building.

This includes working with The Squam LakesConservation Society and The Conservation Fundto include mountain bike trails on a new 5000 acreparcel of landrecently putinto a conserva-tion easement.This parcel isbisected by theBeebe River inCampton and isbetween theLakes Regionand the WhiteMountains. Itabuts the WhiteM o u n t a i nNational Forestso the potentialgoes beyond theeasement itself. This is a remote and very scenicarea so we are optimistic about the future poten-tial for some great riding in the future.

We are also now working with The Forest Serviceto begin maintenance on a number of local trails

which were designated for mountain biking in1995. The first project we are planning is theimprovement of The Guinea Pond Trail which leadsto Flat Mountain Pond. This trail is the remnants ofa historic logging railroad used to move timberfrom that watershed to the Pemi River where itwas milled and loaded onto rail cars to be distrib-uted to fuel the demand for lumber in southernNew England. This trail will leave from SandwichNotch road and take riders 8 miles into the WhiteMountains where it ends at a shelter on FlatMountain Pond. It is a beautiful location and thereare still remnants of the old railroad includingcables, sections of old rail and even some ties stillleft in the trail. It makes a wonderful out and backride and will access some great fishing and camp-ing opportunities.

We have had a great time working as a recognizedgroup and look forward to creating more ridingopportunities in this beautiful part of NewHampshire!

—Slade Warner


Pemi ValleyPresident: Jeremy Hillger

Vice-President: Mike AveryTreasurer: Sean OLearyFacebook: Pemi Valley NEMBA

Waterville Resident, and club member, MikeFurgal working through the sand.

Father and duaghter trail building team, Andy andNina Vermeesch.

Nathan Hillger trying out the new Riverside Trail.Photo by Jeremy Hillger

Trail Crew at the Waterville Trail: Heather Donahue, Amy Callahan, Lauren Purtell, and Kelly Peckham

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Way up here in the north-east our past summer hasbeen spent mostly main-taining and riding our clas-sic old school trails. As thedays grow shorter and theleaves change their colorthe topic quickly turns towinter biking, and winterbiking means Fat Biking!We're accustomed to win-ters coming sooner andsticking around longer leading to the possibility ofhaving 4 to 5 months of snow cover. The Fat Bikecan greatly extend a riders season to a full year oflimitless riding.

Last year, we spent much time discussing whatsnow grooming implements and techniques weshould employ, along with what trails would bebest suited for Fat Bikes. We quickly learned thatthere was a massive network of trails already inplace for this. I'm taking about the ITS system andconnector trails that the snowmobilers use here inMaine. We started riding local trails and beforelong we came up with some outstanding loopsthat took us anywhere from 15 to over 40 miles. Itwas truly fantastic riding on new terrain in areas

that are not accessible the rest of the year. Throughtrial and error we learned about: Proper tire pres-sure, what and when to ride for best conditions

and more importantly that stud-ded fat tires are useless on 1inch of snow that is packed onan icy trail!

We had no idea that superpacked slightly frozen snow onsnowmobile trails windingthrough the pristine forests ofMaine in the middle of winterwhen it is only 5 degrees outcould be a wicked goodtime! Wewould be welcomed by thesnowmobilers and their interestin the bikes with the fat tires.The biking season would nolonger be just that "a season"and this new winter bikingwould make it a year roundthing.

This year we hope to have mem-bers from our chapter join themany snowmobile clubs in thearea with a goal to have at leastone PR NEMBA member in eachclub. This person could work asa liaison or representative forthe Fat Biker community. Wewish to learn how we can makeit safe, help maintain trails, bewelcomed, and not a nuisance

to the snow riders.

Safety is a big concern for us and with the speed atwhich these machines travel they can be on youvery quickly. We have learned to listen for snowmachines and when hear them, we move to theside as quickly as possible. Our experience is thatthey always slow down when passing bikers. Wehave been in the practice of using front and rearblinking lights at all times along with bright cloth-ing... kind of like a roadie, uh!

We plan to continue our impromptu Saturday andSunday rides that became quite popular last year.Our winter Fat Biking future is definitely bright!

Come join us for a ride in the woods this winter.Check out our Facebook page and watch for rideupdates and postings.

—Craig McDonald

PenobscotRegionPresident: Aaron Brasslett,

[email protected]

Vice-President: Kris SornbergerTreasurer: Erik DaSilvaSecretary: Lauren JacobsCommunications: Deb MerrillFacebook: PRNEMBAWebsite: pr.nemba.org

PR NEMBA group ride in the Carrabassett Valley. Photo by Jeremy Bousquet

Craig MacDonald riding on a snowmobile trail. Photo By Laurie Fenlason

Newman Hill Bridge Work.Photo by Aaron Brasslett

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Wow, fall already.... Here is abrief recap of PVNEMA'ssummer activities:

The Kona Bicycles MTBAdventure ride held on July20th brought 81 riders outfor a perfect day in WendellState Forest. Many hours ofpre event trail work resultedin what many considered tobe the best conditions theyhad ever seen in Wendell. Great riding capped bysome delicious BBQ supplied again by Team Schiermade for a fantastic day. Proceeds from the eventwill be used for new trail signage designed byHarold Green and approved by the Land Managers.Thanks also to the New England Mountain BikePatrol for their support. The New EnglandMountain Bike Patrol is an all-volunteer program ofthe New England Mountain Bike Associationwhose mission is to create a highly visible presencehelping NEMBA advocate good use of trails. Moreformally, the Patrol's mission is to educate, informand assist all trail users.

Speaking of the Bike Patrol, Ruth Gemperlein andmyself have decided to join the ranks. I recentlyattended the Freetown 50 and got some training.

Ruth and I will be attending formal training inOctober/November. My understanding is that wewill be the first in our area and we look forward tobeing out there to lend a helping hand when need-ed.

I continued my experiment with racing at theLandmine 50. Unfortunately the single speed I wasriding lost its way (you've got to blame somebody!)and I was forced to call it a day early. Otherwise itappeared to be a very well attended and organizedevent. I even saw 3 other NEMBA Race Team mem-bers at the start so NEMBA Racing was well repre-sented! Many members will be attending theWicked Ride of the East in October, join us!

In Charlemont, Harold Green has been doing thelions share of the work preparing for the Fourth

Annual CTS (Charlemont Trails System) WholeEnchila and Burrito endurance rides to be held onSeptember 20th. The CTS trails are an extensivenetwork of hilly, technical single track for interme-diate to advanced mountain bike enthusiasts andhikers. Harold has also been leading the weeklyThursday night NEMBA ride on the CTS trails.

And finally, look for our annual end of the seasonChili ride held in November at Wendell StateForest, details when they are available!

Get the headlamps ready, Fall is coming!

Ride, ride, ride!!!

—Marc Lombard


PioneerValleyPresident: Marc Lombard,

[email protected], 413-834-5686

VP - Chris Koh, Steffi KrugTreasurer/Secretary: Harold Green

Board Members: Mike Akrep, SeanCondon, Ruth Gemperlein, John Keiler,Jack Rice

BOD Reps: Harold Green & Marc LombardEmail List: mtb-

[email protected]: www.pvnemba.orgFacebook & YouTube: PV NEMBAWebpage: www.nemba.org/pvnemba

Ruth Gemperlein(L), Bob Peery(Center) and Mike Akrep (R) with the beginners group at Wickett PondWendell State Forest during the 2014 Kona Adventure Ride.

Marc Lombard doing some TM at Wendell. Photo by Michael Akrep

Steffi, we’re going to miss you. Good luck at gradschool and come back soon!

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Getting BusyThe Chapter has been onthe move. Now that we areinto the Fall (Building) sea-son, we have a list of proj-ects in the cue. During thesummer months we metwith DEEP and obtainedpermission to maintain thecurrent trails system withinOld Furnace. We also peti-tioned for a boardwalk andbridge system to be installed on the Swampy sec-tion of Yellow. DEEP agreed and granted us permis-sion to head up the project. (See more info in OldFurnace FUNd Raiser Ride)

We have also continued to work with the ArmyCorp of Engineers to maintain the current trail sys-tem at West Thomspon Dam. Thanks to Rob Patonfor all his time and energy spent keeping any fallingtrees cleared throughout the year. The Chapter hada great trail day out there earlier this year, bench-ing the East side. Members continue to commenton the improvements and appreciate the ability toride a full loop around WTD now. We have anoth-er project in the works for the East side. Keep aneye out for a posting regarding the date and detail.

DEEP also granted us permission to help maintainMansfield Hollow trail system. There is an awe-some Friends of Mansfield group, but more volun-teers are always appreciated. We discussed a fewpotential projects with DEEP and are in the processof working out the details. Stay tuned.

Old Furnace FUNd Raiser RideQuiet Corner NEMBA has been granted permissionto build and install a boardwalk network onSwampy (Yellow), but we need to raise the fundsto do so. So put it on your calendar and invite yourriding buddies.

There will be intermediate and advanced loopoptions. Registration starts at 9AM.

Chapter Logo HoodiesSizes are limited; you may still have a chance topurchase one they are $30. We do have some left,and will have them on hand at upcoming events. Ifyou wish to purchase, Email your request [email protected]

Weekly RidesThe Ladies' Ride Summer Series is officially over for

2014. We had a great season, with lots of memo-rable rides and even had some new ladies join us.

Weekend Warrior ride are at various locationsthroughout New England. For more details, checkout the ride description on the NEMBA website.Weather permitting, start time and location isposted each week in the Quiet Corner NEMBA(Group Forum) on Facebook..

—Stacey Jimenez


Come Help Raise Funds to build a Boardwalk in Old Furnace. October 19th. Check www.nemba.org for details or our Facebook page.

Quiet Corner NEMBA Hoodies!

Quiet CornerPresident: Stacey Jimenez,

[email protected]

Vice-President: David Julian

Treasurer: Scott Grimshaw

Secretary: Jeff DoyleFacebook: “Quiet Corner NEMBA”Webpage: www.nemba.org/qcnemba

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We always like to look for-ward at what is coming up,but sometimes it is good tolook back. And before thelast leaves fall off of the treesis usually a good time to dojust that.

The transition from LeoCorrigan to John Sumnerheading up the chapter hasbeen smooth thanks to theefforts of both leaders. I amsure the rhythm that we have settled into with asteady cadence of rides and activities has helped tokeep things pretty stable as well. We continue toput together the popular Fun Rides in Big River,Arcadia and now Diamond Hill. Regular group

rides go out nearly every day of the week- includ-ing the new RI NEMBA Endurance Ride Series (aride that highlights different locations in RI -andokay, CT as well- that hit 30-40 miles each). Ourlocal bike shops have shown a lot of support forthe chapter, and even provided demo steeds atevents for us to try out on our local trails. It is notalways fun and games- we also look to give back tothe trails and community through work days.Whether partnering with the AMC on work inBurlingame, The Big River Cleanup, or TrailMaintenance at each of the riding areas in ourdomain, we are putting the skills of the riding com-munity to work. This goes double for the skills ofthose who attended the latest Trail Building Schoolevent in CT this year… It was nice that TrailSchool was so close this time around- everyoneknows that we RI folk can't venture more than 3stop lights from our front door more than threetimes a year. Knowing that- it was great to seehow many people from our chapter also made it tothe NE Advocacy Summit on the Cape and up toKT for NEMBAFest. That took two of those out ofstate trips for some people right there…

There are so many people who do a lot to makethis chapter run. It would take many pages tohighlight everyone- but I really wanted to thankMatt and Alex for stepping up to the plate to inter-face with regional NEMBA and improve our web-

site. Wayne has done a great job at keeping themembership up to speed on the minutes of theregular meetings by publishing notes. Our rideleaders are top notch- please be sure to thankthem for stepping up. Chris Nichols and theCumberland Crew keep raising the bar up atDiamond Hill. With the addition of the Pump Track(a fantastic place for another Take a Kid MountainBiking Day event), the area keeps getting betterand better. John Sumner's enthusiasm is conta-gious- making me bullish for what 2015 will bringfor the chapter. Al Moder deserves recognition forall of the work he has put in toward general trailmaintenance for years… And finally- if you are amountain biker in RI, you both know and likelyreally appreciate all that Alan Winsor has done andcontinues to do. His weekly missives for the BigRiver Ride -and really, all things RI MTB related-have become a tie that binds. His organization ofthe weekly BR ride is a very large undertaking. Itcan be easy to take for granted since it is alwaysthere, but that kind of dedication (along with atreat at the top of Elephant) should never be.Thank you, Alan

Enjoy the last days of autumn, and hopefully thiswinter allows us to keep right on rolling.

—Matt Schulde


RI NEMBA’s Fun Ride in Arcadia. Photo by John Sumner

John Sumner representing at the Hampshire 100.

Rhode IslandPresident: John Sumner,

[email protected]

VP Arcadia: Bart Angelo

VP Big River: Alan Winsor

VP Burlingame: Lennon Schroeder

VP Diamond Hill: Chris Nichols

VP Lincoln Woods: Brendan Dee

VP Prudence Island: Peter Gengler

VP Washington SF: Adam Brule

VP Wheetamoe Woods: Nancy Hughes

Treasurer: Kerry Angelo

Secretary: Wayne Asselin

NEMBA BOD Rep: Matt Schulde

NEMBA BOD Rep: Peter Gengler

Email List: [email protected]

Websie: RINEMBA.org

Facebook: RI NEMBA

Webpage: www.nemba.org/rinemba

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We had our Big event inAugust, The Bluff Point-Kona/NEMBA Mt BikeAdventure Series. And itwent off great with a bighelp from CCT NEMBA anda SUPER big thanks to CoryStiff for all his hard work onthe trails for weeks beforehand clearing and thenmarking the trails so we did-n't all have torn and bloodylegs and arms from the

thorns! The weather couldn't have been better andwe got a few last minute supporters so it reallyended up being an extra special event. Thanks toRose City , Suburban Ski and Sport, Cutting Edge,Niner, Scott and Cannondale brands for the demobikes. We had some really cool people show andhad a great time!

Also a big thanks to Niantic Bay Cycles which offi-cially joined SECT NEMBA at the Bluff Point event!

We are thinking of having a Rocky NeckCelebration on Oct 4th to celebrate the re-openingof south of the train tracks to biking for the winternow that it's too cold for all the beach people.Unfortunately it will most likely be done and overby the time you get this, but keep an eye open to

our Facebook pages and website for other eventsand work parties now that the summer business

has ended and we all have more time.

—Thom Lamourine

SE CT NEMBAPresident: Thom Lamourine,

[email protected]

Vice-President: Mickey Gilland

Treasurer: Andy Bennett

Secretary: Tad Fallon Facebook: “Southeastern CT NEMBA”Webpage: www.nemba.org/sectnemba

Central CT and Southeastern CT NEMBA partnered to put on this year’s Kona Bicycles MTB AdventureRide at Bluff Point. Photo by Mark Lurie

Unloading the Niner Sprinter Van with lovely demobikes. Photo by Thom L.

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Leominster TrailsThe ribbon cutting ceremony for the new ElmStreet parking area at Leominster State Forest washeld on August 23rd, and mountain bikers werewell represented. We appreciate the support. Weprobably did more talking than pedaling during thesubsequent group ride but it was time well spentmeeting groovy new people.

At the time of this writing the 2014 Mountain BikeAdventure Series is a week away. I am going to pre-dict that we all had a fabulous day and that manyof you enjoyed the wide variety of trails thatLeominster State Forest has to offer. Thanks to allof the volunteers who worked hard to provide asmooth and fun event. And thanks to the riderswho made it all worth while.

Unfortunately some of these excellent trails are onCity of Leominster watershed land, and the Cityhas plans to log large areas this fall and next year.The volunteer community has come together tonegotiate for the protection of the trail corridors.We are receiving contradictory messages from dif-ferent members of the City administration buthope to prevail.

We continue to post news and activities on theWachusett NEMBA Facebook page and GoogleGroup.

—Eric Boudreau

Ware River Watershed MTB AccessIssuesRecently the Massachusetts Department ofConservation and Recreation (DCR) - Division ofWater Supply Protection (DWSP) has let mountainbikers know that they plan to strictly enforce thelong standing ban of bicycles from all of the manymiles singletrack trails throughout their 25,000

acre Ware River Watershed property. Their regula-tions hold that bicycles are only permitted on grav-el roads and the two rail trails that pass throughthe Watershed. In fact, permitted bicycle access isidentical to that of automobiles with the exceptionof the rail trails. As we know, singletrack offers atrue mountain biking experience unavailable on railtrails or gravel roads fit for cars.

Mountain bikers have been riding on these trailsfor years and consistently help maintain them.While bicycles are prohibited from the singletrack,hikers and equestrians are welcome to use thesesame trails. Many people are unaware of the true

designation of the propertyand the bicycle ban. It'simportant to note thatRutland State Park access isnot in jeopardy; it's theWare River Watershed landthat is affected. RutlandState Park, however, is avery small (284 acre) parkcomprised mostly of waterwith some surrounding pic-nic areas and a beach. Thereare only a few very shorttrails on that property, andwe believe those are andwill remain open to moun-

tain bikes as it is designated as parkland and man-aged by the MassParks division of DCR.

At issue here are several things. First is the anti-quated set of rules that has not been reviseddespite many pro-MTB comments in past years'public comment periods and failed lobbying effortsin the past. The DWSP was unwilling to negotiateexpanded bicycle access. Secondly, the DWSP's pri-mary goal is water supply protection. They consid-er all public access to be a risk to that and there-fore the land is managed much differently thanparkland or woodland properties, both of whichDCR MassParks manage with public use a top con-cern. However, DWSP's current regulations areinconsistent with their goal: activities which aremore impactful to the land, such as logging andhorse riding, are welcome. Yet mountain biking,which DCR MassParks' own studies have proven tohave the same impact as hiking, is prohibited. Wesupport multi-use trails for all responsible non-motorized users. The issue of public access towatershed land is certainly a tough one but webelieve that DCR DWSP needs to use real environ-mental impact data and revise its land use policiesto accommodate the many mountain bikers in thearea hoping to ride and help maintain the greattrail network within the Ware River Watershed.

—Brett Russ

WachusettPresident: Jim Wrightson,


Secretary: Eric BoudreauTreasurer: Fred MeyerVP Coldbrock Springs: Brett RussVP Midstate Trail: Don SeifertVP Nashoba Trails: Dave BurnhamVP Petersham Trails: Alf BerryFacebook: “Wachusett NEMBA”Webpage: www.nemba.org/wachnemba

BSA'S New Mountain Biking Merit Badge Awarded At Local Scout Camp

Rutland, MA: The 1600 acreTreasure Valley ScoutReservation (TVSR) operatedby Mohegan Council, BSA ofWorcester, Massachusettsrecently awarded its firstMountain Bike Cycling MeritBadge to scout Mike Jamesonof Troop 151 from WestBoylston. Mike has thehonor of being the first BoyScout to earn this Eaglerequired Merit Badge atTVSR.

The week long course wasestablished by the TrailsCommittee of TVSR, made upof volunteers with localmountain biking and hikingenthusiasts from around thearea including Brett Russ, offi-cer of Team BUMS Mountain Bike Club, and Ed Fallon, Mid State Trail TVSR sectioncoordinator. Also helping in support to maintain and tune up the fleet of TVSR moun-tain bikes was Pat McGarrah, owner of Bicycle Concepts bike shops in Sturbridge, MAand Putnam, CT.

Mike arrived in camp with a BMX bike and was quickly sized into a camp owned GaryFisher. During the week some 7 volunteer adult leaders, guided Mike in the 7 requiredbike rides ranging from 2 miles to 22 miles and the other related requirements of propertrail riding, etiquette, and safety. Mike also spent an afternoon under the guidance ofRob Russo from Bicycle Concepts going thru bike maintenance and repairs.AlthoughMike was the only participant in this year's program, members of the TVSR Trails Commwere in general agreement to try to offer this course again next year. Anyone wishingto help volunteer in a mountain bike program at TVSR can [email protected].

Boy Scout Mike Jameson, on left, learns of the fine art of chang-ing a tube in the woods from Rob Russo of Bicycle Conceptsduring Mt Bike week at TVSR. Photo by Tom Chamberland

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Fall is here with glimmersof continued summer heathere and there. A fewleaves are beginning todrop, which for many of ussignifies some of the bestriding of the year. We'relooking forward to it.

We got some great workdone during the secondhalf of the summer. Wesecured two new trail-heads through agreements with CranmoreMountain and the Town of Conway. The first com-pleted kiosk for mtb trail information standsproudly on one of Cranmore's overflow lots nearthe fitness center, aka Artist Falls Lodge. This pro-vides great access to the East side trails on theirnorthern end. The second kiosk, coming soon, willbe at the end of Hemlock Lane near Walmart onthe southern end of the network. This location isin agreement with the Town of Conway and devel-oped through a grant from the Gibson-WoodburyFoundation to help protect the historic RedstoneQuarry area. These two trailheads are fantasticsteps towards quality access to the area trails andadditional parking.

Our friends at The Nature Conservancy are closingin on the goals for their "Grow the Green Hills"campaign. This will continue to protect green

space in our growing local community while pro-viding for some recreation opportunities awayfrom unique or exemplary plant communities.We look forward to working with the NatureConservancy toward protecting their lands whileproviding for some sustainable trail potential.

We were happy to hear that The Upper ValleySaco Land Trust has met their funding goals forthe Mount Surpriseproject. This is greatnews and we also lookforward to workingwith them to fulfilltheir mission and col-laborate on trailopportunities in theMt. Surprise area.

By the time thesewords go to print we

will have had our annu-al Flatbread fundraiserand helped support the"Bike for Books" a North

Conway Public Library event to get kids and fami-lies out on mountain bikes and raise money forbooks. A classic combination. Come ride while it'swarm. Next issue we'll be on the fat bikes.

—Chris Joosen VP


We had a great turn out at our Annual White Mountains Trail Buidling Weekend

The new kiosk at Cranmore Mountain’s overflow parking lot. This is one of two new trailheads thatwill help provide access and parking for our local trails.

WhiteMountainsPresident: Rob Adair,


VP: Chris JoosenTreasurer: Phil Ostroski Secretary: Paula ChurchillWebsite: www.wmnemba.org

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Special Events10/16 Greater Portland NEMBA Fall Social & Chapter Meeting Jim Tasse [email protected]/18-19 Gorham NH MTB Weekend Sally Brassill [email protected]/18 Quiet Corner NEMBA Old Furnace Fun Ride, Killingly, CT Stacey Jimenez [email protected]/2 SE MASS NEMBA Ride @ Adams Farm, Walpole, MA Steve Cobble [email protected]/2 RI NEMBA Fun Ride Lincoln Woods John Sumner [email protected]/28 SE MASS NEMBA Ride Foxboro SF, MA Steve Cobble [email protected]/14 SE MASS NEMBA Toy Drive Blue Hills, Milton MA Steve Cobble [email protected], Wachusett & Western Mass Alt Thurs Wachusett NEMBA Groton Ride Advanced Intermediate David Burnham [email protected] 978-852-4962Thurs PV NEMBA Charlemont Ride or Trail Work All Till 11/21 Harold Green [email protected] Robinson SP, Agawam Beginner Adam Jaber 413-746-4144Sun Wachusett NEMBA Leominster SF Intermediate Jim Wrightson [email protected] 978-852-4800

Connecticut Sun Central CT NEMBA Morning Ride at the W. Hartford Res All Charlie Beristain [email protected] 860-521-7188Sun QC NEMBA Weekend Warrior Ride Inter-Advanced Stacey Jimenez [email protected] FC NEMBA Bennett's Pond Ride Beginner-Adv. Novice Michael Ahearn [email protected] FC NEMBA Trumbull Ride Intermediate Kathleen Herde [email protected] 203-233-6886Wed CCT NEMBA Ride after Work,W. Hartford Res Advanced Novice Donald Myers [email protected] FC NEMBA Bennett's Pond Ride, Ridgefield Beginner-Intermediate Michael Ahearn [email protected]

NEMBA rides are led by individual NEMBA members for other mem-bers and prospective members. So if you haven't yet joined NEMBA,please do. Rides are usually for small numbers of people and vary withthe location and the personal style of the host. Rides have beenknown to change location or time at the last moment. So be sure tocontact the ride's leader, both to sign up, and to find out more aboutthe ride. **Be sure to contact the ride leader a couple of days beforethe ride takes place. That way you will be sure that the ride is on.

If you commit to a ride, go, since space is limited. That way the rideswill stay manageable and will be enjoyable for everyone. Helmets arerequired on all NEMBA rides. Contact your ride's leader if the weath-er looks questionable.

HEY! - Why not lead a NEMBA ride yourself? Contact Bill Boles at508-583-0067 or [email protected] for more information.

The following ride categories are only general guidelines. You shouldask the ride's leader exactly what type of ride he or she is planning interms of distance, pace and technicality. Also, be realistic about yourlevel of riding skills and don't join a ride that is beyond your presentability or fitness level.

MBA Kona Bicycles-Fox Shox MTB Adventure Seriesride. 10-20 miles. A ride on a marked course for allability levels. Normally includes short and longloops. Call for more information.

EFTA/NEMBA 10-25 miles. Marked loops for all ability levels.Normally includes multiple loops. Call for moreinformation.

Kids/Family 2-10 miles, usually easy pace & terrain. Theserides are aimed at parents with young children.

Beginner 2-7 miles, easy terrain, easy pace. These rides areaimed at riders with little or no riding experience.

Novice 4-9 miles, mellow pace, easy terrain, frequentstops.

Advanced Novice6-10 miles, mellow pace, either mostly easy ter-rain, or could be technical terrain done slowly, fre-quent stops.

Intermediate 10-20 miles, moderately technical, somewhatfaster pace, occasional stops and bail out points.Intermediate rides are designed for people whoride frequently, and have some skills, but whoprobably don't enter races.

Advanced Intermediate The same as intermediate, except fasterand harder terrain.

Advanced 20-30 miles, high technical difficulty, fast pace,few stops or chances to bail out. These rides areintended for advanced riders or, racers who wouldlike to go for a challenging ride at less than all outrace pace.

Women's Ride Can be any level of difficulty. Call for more infor-mation.

NEMBA Rides

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Weekdays CCT NEMBA RAW ride All Al Tinti [email protected] 860-368-910910/18 Quiet Corner NEMBA Old Furnace Fun RideRide, Killingly, CT All Stacey Jimenez [email protected]

Maine, New Hampshire & VermontSun Southern NH NEMBA Sunday Singlespeed Ride Inter-Adv. Intermediate Jason Gagnon [email protected]

Sun Penobscot Region NEMBA Ride All Emmy Monahan [email protected] Southern NH NEMBA Maniac Mechanic Monday Ride All Justin Rigoli [email protected] 603-867-BIKETues Brattleboro/Keene NEMBA Ride All Michael Davern [email protected] 603-359-7474 Till 10/21Tues Southern NH NEMBA FOMBA Ride Intermediate Jim Spiegel [email protected] 603-512-7800Wed CeMeNEMBA Ride, Intermediate Brian Alexander [email protected] 207-441-8227Thurs Brattleboro/Keene NEMBA Ride All Josh Reynolds [email protected] Till 10/23Thurs Central NH NEMBA Intermediate Ride Intermediate Matt Bowser [email protected] 603-491-5448Fri Central NH NEMBA Ride, Franklin Falls Intermediate Christina Callahan [email protected] 603-937-128410/16 Greater Portland NEMBA Fall Social & Chapter Meeting Jim Tasse [email protected]

Metro Boston, Merrimack & North ShoreTues MV NEMBA Lowell-Dracut Ride Advanced Intermediate Steve [email protected] MV NEMBA Ride at Russell Mill, Chelmsford All David Zizza [email protected] 617-543-3971Thurs MV NEMBA ride at the Lnadlocked Forest, Burlington All David Zizza [email protected] Thurs Wachusett NEMBA Groton Ride Advanced Intermediate David Burnham [email protected] Assabet River W. Sanctuary Adv. Novice - Intermediate Michael Condon [email protected] MV NEMBA Northeast MA Ride All David Zizza [email protected] 617-543-3971Sat&Sun Greater Boston NEMBA Weekend Rides All http://www.nemba.org/chapters/gbnemba

Southeastern Mass. Blackstone Valley & Rhode IslandSun SE MASS NEMBA Intermediate Level Ride Intermediate Corey French [email protected] RI NEMBA Arcadia Ride Intermediate John Sumner [email protected] SE MASS NEMBA Borderland Ride Intermediate Brad Childs [email protected] 508-838-6351 Ends 10/27Tues RI NEMBA Burlingame Ride All Lennon Schroeder [email protected] 401-212-6694Tues SE MASS NEMBA Foxboro Mellow Ride All Iain Crerar [email protected] Blackstone Valley NEMBA Women's Ride Women Danielle McLellan [email protected] (Women)Tues SE MASS NEMBA Wompatuck Ride Intermediate Ralph Gillis [email protected] 781-962-5281Wed SE MASS or Cape Cod NEMBA Ride Adv. Beginner - Intermediate Bill Boles [email protected] Cape Cod NEMBA ToT Wednesday Ride All Mike Dube [email protected] RI NEMBA Lincoln Woods Ride All Brendan Dee [email protected] 401-335-3163Thurs SE Ma NEMBA Kingston Ride Beginner - Adv. Novice Joe Basile [email protected] Blackstone Valley NEMBA Intermediate Ride Intermediate Eammon Carleton [email protected] SE MASS NEMBA Thursday Foxboro Ride Intermediate Iain Crerar [email protected] RI NEMBA Big River Ride All Alan Winsor [email protected] Cape Cod NEMBA Friday ToT Ride All Mike Dube [email protected] SE MASS NEMBA Wompatuck Ride Novice-Adanced Richard Banks [email protected] Cape Cod Saturday Mellow Ride Beginner-Adv. Novice Bill Boles [email protected] RI NEMBA Big River Ride All Alan Winsor [email protected] Blackstone Valley NEMBA Women's Ride Women Danielle McLellan [email protected] (Women)

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S.O.S.: Support Our Sponsors!

$1000+Ace Wheelworks, Somerville MABelmont Wheel Works, Belmont MABikebarn, Whitman MAInternational Bicycle Center, NewtonLandry’s Bicycles, Natick MAKona Bicycles, Fernsdale WARedbones BBQ, Somerville MASeven Cycles, Watertown MATed Wojcik Bicycles, Hampstead NHThe Bikeway Source, Bedford MA

$500+Cannondale Sports Unlimited, Cambridge MAJRA Cycles, Medford MASpark Bike Run Sports, E. Taunton MA

$200+Allspeed Cyclery, Portland MEBack Bay Bicycles, Boston MABerkshire East Ski Resort, Charlemont MABlackstone Bicycles, Cumberland RIBuchika’s Ski & Bike, Salem NHCycle Etc of Salem, Salem NHGorham Bike & Ski, Portland MEHub Bicycle Co., Cambridge MAMavic USA, Haverill MA

Northeast Bicycle Club, Billerica MARidgefield Bicycle Company, Ridgefield CTSouhegan Cycleworks, Mildford NHThe Bicycle Shop of Topsfield, Topsfield MA

$100Arcadian Shop, Lenox MABenidorm Bikes & Snowboards, Canton CTBerger’s Bike Shop, York MEBerkshire Bike & Board, Gt. Barrington MABethel Bicycle, Bethel MEBicycles Unlimited, Greenfield MABlue Steel Cyclery, Manchester NHBretton Woods Adventure Center, NHClass Cycles, Southbury CTColorado Ski & Bike, W. Springfield MACycle Lodge, Pembroke MACycle Loft, Burlington MACycling & Fitness Concepts, Rocky Hill CTExeter Bicycles, Exeter NHFriends of Wompatuck SP, Hingham MAGreat Glen Trails Outdoor Center, Gorham NHJaneware Micro, Somerville MAKaishingo Apparel, Somerville MALegend Bicycles, Providence RIMaine Huts & Trails, Kingsfield MENiantic Bicycles, Niantic CT

Norm’s Bike & Ski Shop, Keene NHNorthern Lights, Farmington MEO'LYN Contractors, Norwood MAPedal Power, Middleton CTPedro’s NA, Boston MAPlaine’s Bike Ski Snowboard, Pittsfield MARiverside Cycles, Newburyport MARolling In It, Milford NHRose Bicycle, Orono MESailworld Cape Cod, Buzzards Bay MASeaside Cycles, Manchester MASea Sports Cape Cod, Hyannis MASheldonville Bicycle Repair, Wrentham MASki Rack Sports, Bangor METrek Bicycles Portsmouth, Portsmouth NHTri-City Bicycles, Rochester NHUnion Cycles, Attleboro MAWheel Power, Exeter NHWoody's Cyclery, Middleton MAZane’s Cycles, Branford CT

$75Highland Mountain Bike Park, Northfield NHMountain Biking School, Needham MASinuosity Flowing Trails, Morrisville VTStratham Parks & Recreation, Stratham NH

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Non-Profit OrganizationU.S. Postage

PaidPermit #148

Plattsburgh, NY

New England Mountain Bike AssociationPO Box 2221Acton MA 01720

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

Check yourmembershipstatus and

renew promptly

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SingleTrackS - New England Mountain Bike Association

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