january 2012 #119

January 2012 #119www.nemba.org

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 Writers: Bill Boles, Jeff Cutler,Thom Parsons

Cartoonist: Philippe GuillermCopy Editor: Nanyee Keyes

Executive Director: Philip [email protected]

NEMBAPO Box 2221

Acton MA 01720

Board of DirectorsHarold Green, President

Adam Glick, Vice-PresidentMatt Schulde, Vice-President

Anne Shepard, TreasurerTom Grimble, Secretary

Rob Adair, White Mountains NEMBABrian Alexander, CeMeNEMBAJohn Anders, Midcoast Maine NEMBAJohn Barley, White Mountains NEMBAMatt Bowser, Central NH NEMBAEammon Carleton, BV NEMBAMatt Caron, Southern NH NEMBASteve Cobble, SE MA NEMBALeo Corrigan, RI NEMBAPeter DeSantis, Southern NH NEMBAAdam Glick, Greater Boston NEMBADavid Hughes, Carrabassett Region NEMBASteve LaFlame, Central NH NEMBAFrank Lane, NS NEMBACasey Leonard, Midcoast Maine NEMBABill Markham, Berkshire NEMBAStuart McDonald, MV NEMBAHarry Meyers, Berkshire NEMBABarry Moore, Merrimack Valley NEMBAChris O’Toole, CeMeNEMBAPeter Poanessa, BK NEMBADavid Riding, SE MA NEMBAPaul Rodrigue, BK NEMBASteve Rossi, PV NEMBADan Streeter, North Shore NEMBAChris Thurrott, Greater Boston NEMBAAl Tinti, CT NEMBAMitch Wacksman, Greater Portland NEMBA

W W W . N E M B A . O R G

SingleTrackSJanuary 2012, Number 119

Paper TrailLetters — 6Treadlines — 7Basic Biking — 20Go Willy Comic — 16Chapter News —17NEMBA 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: Todd Swinton mountain bikingin the Fore River Sanctuary, Portland Maine.Photo by Jeff Scher.

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.

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Cape Cod, Exit 7Are your trails snowbound? Maybe it’s time for a

road trip to Cape Cod. Willow Street, AKA, Exit 7 isone of the best rides on the Cape. By Bill Boles.

The Ultimate Road TripGlenn and Paula’s excellent adventure took them on great sin-gletracks across the US of A, from Michigan to Park City. Read

all about them! By Glenn Vernes and Paula Burton

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4 | January 2012 Ride the Trails

Save the Trails SingleTrackS No. 119 | 5

Annual giving is not only a end-of-season tradition — it is critical inkeeping us on track to provide you with great riding and stellar sin-gletrack. NEMBA relies on your end-of-season donation to ourAnnual Fund to keep our doors open and to work to create moreopportunities and more trails for you to mountain bike.

Please make a generous donation to NEMBA's Annual Fund.

Do you believe that mountain biking is good for the body, good forthe spirit and good for the trails? Show your passion with a generousdonation!

Our goal is to have good mountain bike trails near all of our commu-nities. Having great trails provides a quality of life that builds greatcommunities, and we all know that mountain biking is good for ourkids, our families and our communities. Please support NEMBA'sAnnual Fund. Help us do all we can to make New England a betterplace for mountain biking.

Your donation is an investment in the future of our sport.

With 21 chapters, we're proud that NEMBA continues to growthroughout New England. No matter where you are, you'll likely beable to find some great people to ride with. But more importantly, wehave the volunteer capacity to build and care for the trails in yourarea.

This season our four trail schools, including three done with theInternational Mountain Bicycling Association, were a tremendoussuccess. Our school in the Carrabassett Valley helped galvanize the

new chapter and rally the community around the vision of building anetwork of mountain bike trails, trails that will make this area a truemountain bike destination. The chapter has since been awarded aBikes Belong Grant, a testament to the energy and motivation ofmountain bikers in this scenic area. This is only one example of manygreat things taking place in NEMBA land.

The trail building season in New England always seems short and it'shard to fathom how we can dedicate 135 days to trailwork and stillfind time to ride. But we do! Our Mountain Bike Adventure Serieshas gotten hundreds of families out on the trails, and has raisedmoney for trailwork and open space protection, including the fabledBruce & Tom's in Massachusetts' North Shore.

Unfortunately, there are still some people —and some groups— thatremain hostile to mountain biking, groups that are actively trying toban us from public trails.

Your support helps us fight these extremists and stay vigilant. A trailis a terrible thing to waste!

Please return the Annual Fund card you received in the mail with yourcheck today or make your tax-deductible donation online atwww.nemba.org. Your annual donation will insure that our next sea-son of riding is even better!

Sincerely,

Your Support Keeps NEMBA in the Big Ring


L E T T E R

Dear NEMBA,

This year history was made on the White Mountain National Forest(WMNF) - over 13 miles of mountain bike trail were added to theexisting network of hiking trails. These trails are located in "TheMoats", a landscape well-suited to such trails just east of the MoatMountain Range in Conway and Albany, NH. This might not seem likean accomplishment of historic proportion until you consider that thistrail network - a truly formalized trail network designed and built formountain biking - is the first of its kind on the WMNF. On this landbase there have been hundreds of miles of hiking trails for over a hun-dred years but there has never been a trail system devoted to moun-tain biking. It's been a journey getting here, one the WMNF wouldnot have embarked on alone, but together was made possible (andeven enjoyable) due to a partnership with a small but dedicated com-munity of mountain bikers, and most notably their leader - Rob Adair.

Rob has been a key partner with the Forest Service for over a decadeas a trail volunteer and an advocate for mountain biking. The last sev-eral years he has filled the role of president of White MountainsNEMBA. The chapter has been active in the local mountain bikingcommunity for well over a decade. During that time, they have fos-tered the growth and viability of mountain biking in the area, work-ing with town, state and federal governments as well as local organ-izations to ensure there are trails to ride. Every year NEMBA hostsscheduled volunteer trail days throughout the summer, creatingopportunities for trail users to give back to the trails that bring ridersso much enjoyment.

Not only has Rob put in countless hours of physical labor on existingtrails, and now on the new system, he has also made himself avail-able for numerous meetings and strengthened a once tenuous rela-tionship between the Forest Service and the local mountain bike com-munity. The result has been a thriving partnership and a sustainablenetwork of trails for the public to enjoy. These successes were real-ized by working through the planning and approval process together,benefitting the current trail system and creating a foundation forfuture projects.

Rob has been a pleasure to work with and has always made himselfreadily available whether it be for meetings, trail work days, or con-sultation. He brings skills that have been very helpful in the pursuitof the Moat Trail System Project - both his technical trail skills as wellas diplomacy and patience as we navigated through the process andpolitics to create this now formalized trail network. The time he hasgiven and his long-term dedication and commitment in working withWMNF is to be commended.

Thank you Rob and the White Mountains NEMBA Chapter! TheWhite Mountain National Forest looks forward to continuing ourpartnership with you and NEMBA, and furthering our relationshipwith the mountain bike community.

Sincerely,

Jana JohnsonDispersed Recreation ManagerSaco Ranger District, White Mountain National Forest

Thanks from the White Mountain National Forest Recreation Manager


T R E A D L I N E S

Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day at the Middlesex Fells ReservationA rainy Friday and cloudy skies onSaturday didn't keep 40 kids and par-ents from coming out to enjoy theGreater Boston chapter's Take a KidMountain Biking Day at the MiddlesexFells on October 1. The weather stayeddry and a great time was had by all.

After giving a quick orientation on trailetiquette and safety, volunteer RideGuides led several group rides through-out the day, starting from the Soap BoxDerby track at the Sheepfold. The ridesexplored the trails and fields and theGuides taught more skills along theway. One of the highlights was ses-sioning on the dirt ramps off the old railline near Dark Hollow Trail. The kidskept trying until they made it up andover, even some of the parents made ittoo.

Back at the Sheepfold the kids testedtheir skills and learned new ones on theskinnies, bike limbo, teeter-totter, andother obstacles set up in the field. Theyounger kids tried out the slalom

course on the soap box track. Whentaking a break from riding, the kids wereable to make their own bike part t-shirtsand personalized bike license plates.

To round out the day everyone choweddown on burgers and hot dogs grilled toperfection by Anthony of the Cycle Loft.And then the swag fest began! All sortsof great bike gear donated by our spon-sors were given away - everything frombottles to helmets to bags and more.Our grand prize winner, ElizabethMadden, walked away with a sweet blueSpecialized Hot Rock mountain bikedonated by Wheelworks. Thanks toWheelworks, JRA Cycles, and Cycle Loftfor coming out to provide mechanicalsupport for the day and donating theswag. And to all our Ride Guides andthe Mountain Bike Patrol for showingfolks around and keeping things safe.

We can't wait for next year! Thanks forcoming out everyone!

—Chris ThurrottPhoto by Adam Glick


Many northern New Englanders looking for a snowand ice free area to ride in the winter or early springhead south to Cape Cod. Winters there are normallyless wintery, more like New York's Long Island, and aswinter moves into spring it's rare that the snow is toodeep to ride in or that the sandy gravely soil thatmakes up much of the dirt on the Cape is muddy.Many riders check conditions by joining NEMBA'sCape Cod email list and asking a local.

Most people heading for the Cape direct their cars toeither the Trail of Tears in Barnstable or to Otis inBourne and Falmouth. Others head farther down theCape to Nickerson State Park. But one of the best rid-ing locations on the Cape is also one of the leastknown. It's at exit seven on the Mid Cape Highway,Route 6 and is commonly referred to as WillowStreet. Confusing thing is Willow Street actuallycomprises two separate riding areas. Both are locatednear the same exit and can be linked together to formabout 35 miles of riding.

The first of these is located just a few hundred feetfrom the end of the exit ramp. When you exit thehighway drive to the South side of the highway bridge

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

Destination Cape Cod: Willow Street, AKA Exit 7by Bill Boles

Cape Cod frequently offers a snowless respite for hearty New England riders, and Exit 7 isone of many great singletrack destinations on the Cape. Photo by Jason Holm.


and park in the dirt lot beside the train tracks. You'll see a trail with aCape Cod Pathways marker leading into the woods and that trail willlead you to over 20 miles of enjoyable sometimes hilly singletracks.

Going straight on this trail for about three miles will bring you with-in site of Phinneys Lane. If you turn right there, go under the highwayand follow a dirt path up to the water towers where you'll find anoth-er trail on the north side of the highway that will take you back to therailroad tracks. This loop, called "The Highway Loop", is about sixmiles long. But it misses almost all of the good riding in the area.

Instead, take the second singletrack on your left and follow the mostobvious trail. This will net you almost 15 miles of riding. Most ofwhich will be fast and fun though there are a lot of hills to slog up.You'll notice what looks like wide dirt roads. These are the legacy of afailed housing development on land that was later preserved as awellhead protection zone by the town. Don't try to ride on theseroads, instead follow the singletracks that cross them. You may comeacross a trail leading around the Barnstable Airport. If you do keepfollowing it until it leads you out to Phinneys Lane. Turn right at thatpoint to get back to the "Highway Trail"

You've been riding mostly in the town of Barnstable. For your secondadventure you'll be in Yarmouth. From the end of the highway ramphead south on Willow Street for about ¾ of a mile. Turn left onHiggins Crowell Road and follow it for three miles until just past theYarmouth Police Station where you'll see a small conservation areaparking lot. These are the Yarmouth Town Trails. Heading out of theback of the parking area you'll discover over fifteen miles of trails.Some lead through the Horse Pond Conservation Area but most willtake you on a long journey to the west and south of the Bayberry

Hills Golf Course. After some exploration you'll actually find yourselfon a small hilltop overlooking the parking area by the Willow Streetrailroad tracks.

Another, shorter ride is located just across Higgins Crowell Road.That trail will first lead you around the Sandy Pond Conservation Areaand then, as you explore, into a vast area where the locals have devel-oped an extensive network of trails. Some of these trails do dead endin people's back yards, but that's what exploring is all about.

My guess is that one day will not be enough to explore the areasmentioned inthis article. Buthere's a goodtip. Whileyou're on theCape CodNEMBA emaillist, ask a localif they'd like tojoin you for aride. You'll findthat Cape CodNEMBA folksare very friend-ly and usuallymore than will-ing to show offtheir favoritetrails.

Some of the Cape's Bike Shops:Corner Cycle, Falmouth MA

www.cornercycle.comIdle Times Bike Shops, Wellfleet, N. Eastham, Orleans

www.idletimesbikes.comBrewster Bike, Brewster, Chatham www.brewster-

bike.comBike Zone, Hyannis

www.bikezonecapecod.comOrleans Cycles

www.orleanscyclecapecod.comDennis Cycle Center

www.denniscyclecenter.com

Nearby Restaurants:British Beer Company, Falmouth, Sandwich, Hyannis

www.britishbeer.comMarshland Restaurant, Sandwich

www.marshlandrestaurant.com


T R A V E L

Glenn: Paula and I took a dream vacation this pastsummer, spending a month on the road and hitting asmany riding areas as we could. The plan was to findareas about a day's drive apart, and this allowed usto sample not only different riding areas, but differ-ent geographic regions as well, and gradually accli-mate to the higher altitudes. We rode the flat, sandyLower Peninsula of Michigan, to the rolling hills ofWisconsin, to the foothills of the Rockies in SouthDakota, to the Lost in Space landscape of CurtGowdy State Park in Wyoming and finally to the bigmountains themselves in Utah and Idaho.

Our first stop was the Grand Rapids, Michigan area,where we found tight, fast, and twisty trails on looseto sandy soil. The trails were one-way to prevent col-lisions, and the soil is very clean and free of rocks androots. These trails are not hilly or technically challenging by NewEngland standards, but they test climbing fitness with short, steepclimbs and cornering skills with twisty, often bermed descents. TheMichigan Mountain Bike Association has done an excellent job of cre-ating fun and sustainable trails on a landscape not graced with thetypical makings of a challenging trail- namely long climbs and rock orroot gardens. Standout areas are the Cannonsburg Ski Area, on adrumlin hill just outside of town with about 10 miles of trail and a

freeride area, and Luten Park in Rockford, with a nine mile stacked-loop system.

Paula: I liked Michigan mostly because it is the only place that I canride black diamond trails and not feel like I am in over my head. AtCannonsburg Ski Area, we happened to be there on a Monday night.Everyone gets there when they get there (no waiting around in theparking lot for the one person who is always late), and then each per-son does a loop or two around the trail. After the ride everyone

The Ultimate Road Tripby Glenn Vernes and Paula Burton

Glenn at the Park City Skills Park


enjoys a tail gate party ,with plenty of brats andPBR beer.

Glenn: Next we headedinto Kettle MoraineState Forest inSouthern Wisconsin.The forest has two rid-ing areas, John Muir andEmma Carlin, with con-nector trails between,for about 30 miles ofriding. The riding hereis more like NewEngland with densersoil, more rocks androots and longer climbs,although the trails arestill faster and lesstechnical than we'reused to-a reasonably fitrider can put in 20miles before lunch.There is also a skillspark at John Muir with wooden banked turns, a teeter, and skinnies.The trails are rated novice, intermediate, and expert, like ski trails, butthey differ more by length and elevation gain than by the technicalskill they require.

Paula: If you are ever inPalmyra WI, be sure toeat at Squigy's on aWednesday night. It'sfilled with locals, and theall you can eat tacos are$7.50. Don't go there anyother night, becausesomeone might throwdarts at you. Also, if yourbike gets a mechanical, beaware that the mechanicsonly work on nextTuesday. I had to hit upthree bike stores before Ifound one that took pityon me and fixed a brokenspoke.

Glenn: We then moved onto Rapid City, SouthDakota, a day and a halfdrive from Wisconsin andthe longest traverse ofour trip. Rapid City is a

laid-back Western town with a healthy bike culture and some greatriding opportunities. This was our introduction to Western riding-long climbs, loose gravel soil, hot sun, and thin, dry air. Our first ridewas at the aptly named M Hill Park in Rapid City, where the trails

Paula on the Corral Creek Trail in Sun Valley

Continued on page 12


wind up and down the four-sided peak in serpentine fashion, and manyhave bermed corners. There is also a pretty radical skills freeride trail atthe top and a pump track at the bottom. The next day we hit the StormMountain Loop in nearby Rockerville. This is classic Western single-track- a bike-specific trail through ponderosa pine with big mountainclimbing, burn zones, tight switchbacks, and sketchy descents on thin,slippery soil. The final descent has recently been turned into a sort ofdownhill freeride park with dirt jumps, whoops, and a half pipe.

Paula: We learned a lesson about local knowledge in South Dakota.Everyone was very nice and helpful and talked too much, but then theywould send us on some crazy, unsigned, half-built trail out in thewilderness of the BlackMountains. One day we had themost surreal ride ever, ridingbehind someone's house to apark with huge dinosaur statues.I don't know how we survived!But be sure to visit my friendCat's campground in Pringle SD-population 103, and in the sum-mer, 109 with Cat and her fivekids.

Glenn: Our next stop was CurtGowdy State Park nearCheyenne, Wyoming. The geolo-gy here is unlike anything we'dseen before. It's where the plainsmeet the desert meets the moun-tains. You'll see aspens, pricklypear cactus, and Lunar-lookingrocks. The most notable featurefrom a mountain bike standpointis the rocks- they are big round,supremely grippy, and great funto ride over. The park is gracedwith a network of trails that haveearned it IMBA Epic status, thattake full advantage of the amaz-ingly varied topography.Slickrock, mountain switchbacks,rock gardens are all here. Somewind around, between, and oftenright over the rocks. This is pos-sibly the most impressive trailsystem I have ever ridden, built with a lot of government money and alot of help from IMBA. Some trails even have "play areas" for extra funwhile slower riders catch up, and cows (the trails cross grazing land).And the trails are so well marked you'd have to try to get lost. Standouttrails are Stone Temple, Mo' Rocka, 2%, Ignoramus, and Albert'sAlley.

Paula: Curt Gowdy was my favorite place, except at night when the windwould blow the tent down.

Glenn: After Wyoming we headed to Park City, Utah, to the big moun-tains- a land of ten million dollar homes, ten thousand dollar bikes, anda supremely fit-looking population. Park City has embraced mountainbiking, and outdoor recreation in general, in a big way. Professional crewsbuild and maintain the trails, and developed land is matched, acre foracre, with land set aside for conservation and outdoor recreation. Thetrails are two-way and traffic can be a problem, especially on weekends.Our first ride was on the Flying Dog Trail in the new Glenwild area. The18-mile trail starts with a long, gradual, mostly shady climb followed byan equally long descent. The trail then meanders through meadows

One way bike trail sign in Michigan


without much shade and occasional views of the ski resorts andOlympic ski jumps to the west. The next day we rode the Mid-Mountain Trail, another IMBA Epic, that runs along the chain of skiresorts we could see from Flying Dog, from Deer Valley to TheCanyons. The 25-mile trail is so named because it stays close to mid-mountain, or about 8,000 feet. There is no prolonged climbing, atleast by Rocky Mountain standards, but a lot of up-and-down, andsome fun, twisty descents.

Paula: I was proud of myself for riding the entire Flying Dog epic trailincluding the 1700 ft climb, but overall there were too many peopleriding and hiking on the trails for it to be totally enjoyable. Someonealmost ran me off a trail that was cut into the side of the mountain.

Glenn: As hard as it was to leave Park City, we continued to our nextdestination of Ketchum, Idaho. Here we found another bike-crazytown with a very laid back demeanor where dogs roam free, the thriftstore sells cycling clothes, and the "townie" bike seems like the mainmode of transportation. Ketchum also boasts an impressive variety oftrails- everything from easy cruisers to epic grinds in the mountains.On the first day we did the Corral Creek Trail in Sun Valley, a fair-ly easy seven mile out-and-back with short climbs and fast, rollingdescents. Next we rode the Sunnyside/Shadyside Loop north ofKetchum, another relatively easy cruiser. On the last day, I rode upthe Warm Springs Trail, a long switchbacked ascent that takes youhigh above town on the ski hill, and then down on the Riverside Trail,

Paula: At last we reached Sun Valley. There is not a bad meal to behad in Ketchum, and if you go, be sure to check out the Power House,restaurant and bike store. Even the little museum has a permanent

exhibit about bikes. We stayed with my friend Darlene and some ofher racer friends who were preparing for the mountain bike nationalraces. Yes, Ketchum is all about bicycling!

Glenn: Ketchum and Sun Valley were truly difficult to leave, but Paulaneeded to be in British Columbia for her gig as a hike leader at theAMC August Camp. We drove through Montana, crossed the borderwithout drama, and had one last ride together on the Connectortrail in Golden, BC. The trail connects town to the Moonraker trailsystem. It was a cold and rainy day and we never reached Moonraker,but the trail was lots of fun- a long gradual climb out of town and along, fast descent on the way back. Canadians build good trails.

Glenn: Did we learn anything? Well, there are great trails, and greattrail builders, all across the country, but as far as technical challengenone we tried can match what we have here in New England. Whatthey do test is your fitness and cornering skills. It’s a different ridingexperience and, while I wouldn't trade it for what we have, I would-n't mind having a little of it here, either.

Paula: There is more to this story, including a bird flying into the hubof Glenn's bike while driving through a near tornado, and findingfeathers in the spokes the next day; long drives through the prairie;driving around in circles trying to find some trail head and not sure ifwe understand the hand written directions we were given( that GPSdoesn't know all); hanging out with great people; getting lost on thetrail; having some travel fatigue; seeing fantastic wild flowers everywhere because of the wet spring out west; dealing with the wind,rain, altitude, and glaring sun. But it was truly a once in a life timetrip.


This is a column about basic riding techniques. It's designed to focuson developing riding skills rather than advanced riding techniques.Many of the techniques discussed here have universal application butthis column is the exception to that rule.

Newer riders can save a lot of energy and even enjoy their riding moreif they do more of one thing. What I'm talking about is called coast-ing. The concept is simple. When you're not in hurry, or when youwant to save a little energy, or need to take a little breather, just coastwhenever or wherever you can.

This column has talked a lot about using momentum to your advan-tage. Coasting is just another aspect of that. For example: On a groupride most people will struggle to keep up with the rider in front ofthem. But, if we try too hard to keep up we'll eventually exhaust our-selves. While this can be quite challenging and a lot of fun it's alsotiring.

Don't get me wrong, chasing your friends through the woods, is formost people the essence of trail bicycling. It's fun and it's a great wayto improve both your skills and your fitness level. But if you push ittoo far, it can become a drag.

Instead for a more relaxed approach to riding try this. Whenever yourbike has enough momentum to get you down the trail for ten or moreyards stop pedaling, stand up and enjoy the ride. Coast!

Almost immediately you'll notice that you're not really going thatmuch slower than the person in front of you, but that you are burn- ing much less energy. How much less energy? You'll probably save

enough to get you to the end of your ride without completely trash-ing yourself or enough to allow you to be competitive in the tradi-tional 'end of the ride sprint'.

Do you ever find yourself riding on a friend's rear wheel and having tobrake or slow down to keep from running into them? Well, why notavoid that? Stay just a few yards back and coast whenever you can.

Do you find yourself so fixated on the rear wheel in front of you thatyou rarely see anything else? If you do, relax, back off a bit, coast andlook around. When you do you'll find yourself enjoying your wood-lands a lot more.

Remember that hill you just climbed? Is there a reason that youshouldn't fully enjoy the next descent and make it last as long as pos-sible? No! Of course not. Stand up, coast and only start pedalingagain when the ground levels off or you have another hill to climb.

Can you picture yourself on a singletrack, swooping through the treesas you descend a small hill? You miss everything in your path, yourbike almost seeming to be part of your body. Well, guess what, you'recoasting.

Note: Racers adopting this technique will probably find themselvesgoing a little slower and passing fewer people. Racers know that thefastest way around a course is to pedal as much and as often as pos-sible. It's also true that people with advanced skills riding on verytechnical terrain rarely coast. Conquering features is not the samething as trail riding. Of course, when you're on a long "cross-stuntery"ride, there will be plenty of opportunities to coast between obstacles.

For the rest of us though coasting will ensure that our smiles willmore than equal our miles!

The next time that you're out for a fun ride with your friends try toenjoy it more by coasting whenever you can. On a coast to coast rideyou only have to pedal when you need to. The rest of the time you'rejust flowing through the woods letting your earned momentum do allthe work.

Riding from Coast to Coastby Bill Boles

B A S I C B I K I N G

Rider: Leslie Jonas Photo by PK


By Philippe Guillerm


The 2011 mountain bike season has flown by, andlike a big diesel truck we were a bit slow off theline, but we'll be moving full steam ahead throughthe winter as we plan for next spring. Our smallgroup of local mountain bike riders is very excitedabout accomplishing the goals we set at the inau-gural chapter meeting last April. Those goals, tobecome a ratified chapter of NEMBA and beginconstruction of the singletrack trail at Mt. Abramski resort seemed lofty this spring. But with vol-unteer help and local support, we were able to getthe ball rolling toward creating some amazingmountain biking in Western Maine. Though ournumbers are small, the vastness of the terrain andcommunity enthusiasm will soon be like a run away truck.

This summer and fall we held four small volunteertrail days, to work on our first mile and half single-track loop at Mt. Abram. The future trails will fol-low a looping design pattern, with each exploringa different wooded section enclosed by the exist-ing ski trails. Our major goal for next summer is tocreate several more miles of singletrack at Mt.

Abram, proper signage and trail mark-ings, along with a detailed user map.The management at Mt. Abram is veryexcited about this summer's progressand is very willing to support our chap-ter's efforts, in particular agreeing toallow the new trail network to remainfree use for the public, for the conceiv-able future.

This winter, along with trail planning,we'll be working on developing aware-ness of the Chapter. A Facebook pagehas been constructed, with a chapterwebsite soon to follow, in order to createan online presence. This, along with aneffort to create more awareness withinour business community, will hopefullyresult in an increase of membershipnumbers. We are also looking in to waysof informing the large number of vaca-tion homeowners of the benefits of join-ing NEMBA and good the Bethel AreaChapter can do with their support.

Unfortunately, one of board members,Jeremy Nellis found good work inVermont this summer, and has sincemoved. Jeremy's enthusiasm for creatingand maintaining trails will be missed inthe Bethel area. Peter Southam, ateacher and cycling coach at Gould

Academy, in addition to the owning theBethel Bicycle has agree to fill the void in

our chapter's board. Peter's involvement withcycling in our community makes him an obvious fitfor our board. We look forward to working withhim.

—Jeff Hershberger

Bethel AreaPresident: Jeff Hershberger,

[email protected], 207-890-5304

VP: Peter SouthamSecretary: Stewart MasonTreasurer: John HarveyEmail List: mtb-

[email protected]

New bridge built at Mt. Abram this summer.Youngest Bethel Area NEMBA member taking a

break from trail scouting.

BA NEMBA board member Stewart Mason pumping through the turn at Mt. AbramPhotos by Jeff Hershberger

C H A P T E R N E W S


It's been a busy month for Brattleboro KeeneNEMBA. We've made progress on a number of out-standing issues we've been addressing. The mostsignificant news item is the documented agree-ment reached between our group and the City ofKeene, which recognizes us as the primary stew-ards of the trail system at Drummer Hill. The citysaw the value of this agreement, in part becausethey recognize the recreational value of this pieceof property on the north side of the city limits.Prized by walkers, dog owners, trail runners, aswell as cyclists, this large parcel of land with itsnetwork of trails has been developed by cyclistswith both cross country and downhill agendas, butoften with a poor view for sustainability and main-tenance. We aim to correct some of these pastmistakes through trail improvement and in theprocess create a more viable and fun set of trails onthe property. It's noteworthy too that this proper-ty borders extensive tracts of open forest to thenorth, which holds the potential for futurearrangements with landowners and the possibilityof more trails.

The primary volunteer group for Pisgah State Park(Friends of Pisgah) has approached our group withthe hope that we will join forces with them in

maintaining trails in the park. We're excited aboutthis development. We've often thought that thisgroup was opposed to our efforts to develop apresence for bikes in the park. A working coalitionholds the promise of better understanding andmutual efforts to promote non-powered recre-ational use of the park. One of our members joineda trail work day earlier this fall hosted by Friends ofPisgah and they recognized that he had knowledgeof trail building that their members lacked, whichwas the reason they invited us to join forces. Welook forward to sharing more insights with them.

Trail improvement has commenced on a privateparcel of land west of Memorial Park in Brattleboro.This section of trail has long been a sponge forwater and a perpetual mud hole. We are con-structing a series of bridges (there should be 10when this work is completed) along with somererouting of the existing line in order to correct this

problem. We're using a host of different bridgebuilding techniques to reduce the need for lumberand to create variety and increased fun.

Some of our members have been involved in main-tenance of an old rail trail whose ownership haslong been in question. The right of way was pur-chased this year for the sole purpose of maintain-ing this trail, which runs along the eastern shore ofthe West River, from Brattleboro to Dummerston.This trail opens up exciting possibilities for con-necting trail systems between the towns, in addi-tion to being a resource for commuters, hikers, andcross country skiers.

We've approached the organizers of theBrattleboro Winter Carnival about hosting an icerace as part of the official carnival offerings inFebruary. The reception so far, after one meeting,has been positive.—Paul Rodrigue

BK NEMBA Bike Polo.

Riding KT

Brattleboro-KeenePresident: Paul Rodrigue,

[email protected]: Peter PoanessaSecretary: Dave LevasseurTreasurer: Curt BousquetEmail List:

[email protected] Email: [email protected]


Carrabassett's Mountain Bike Club (CR NEMBA)has enjoyed an extremely productive year. Weattribute our success to the partnerships we'veformed with the Town of Carrabassett Valley andMaine Huts & Trails, as well as support from landowner/managers and a volunteer base that hasstepped up in remarkable ways. Our volunteers putin over 1,000 hours on the construction and main-tenance of trails in CV this past season!

Hurricane Irene UpdateAlthough much of the Carrabassett Valley singletrail network weathered the heavy rainfall fromHurricane Irene rather well, we reported in the lastissue the devastation along the Narrow GaugePathway...the main corridor that runs the length ofthe valley alongside the Carrabassett River. Singletracks were destroyed and the massive mountainbike trestle that carries mountain bikers in thesummer and XC skiers across the river in the win-ter was washed way down stream. This is animportant link in our network of trails as it con-nects both sides of the valley at a central spotallowing mountain bikers to ride from the newconnector trails at the Carrabassett OutdoorCenter down to the Campbell Field area and acrossthe river to multitudes of single track trails.

Since the last issue many of the local riders ralliedto give a hand clearing the trails and the singletrack trails along the river have all reopened.Mounds of trees washed over the trails anddeposited by the flood waters were cleared awayalong with piles of sand and gravel. While thecleanup crews were at it existing stumps, rock andtrees were removed which improved the flow of the

trails. Most significantly, the town of CarrabassettValley voted to spend $50,000 for infrastructurerepairs to the mountain bike trestle. When thetrestle washed down river it also broke in half dur-ing Hurricane Irene. The two halves were draggedup river by giant cables, then cranes were used toplace the trestle back in place on the new bridgefootings which were raised 2 feet in elevation.New decking and railings were added to the trestle.

Mountain Bike TrailsThe club assisted the town at the Outdoor Centerin the construction of a trail that connects the cen-ter to Rte 27 near Campbell Field and a children'sloop, both of which are located near the pump

track we built last year. These trails are 3' wide,bench cut and covered in a fine crushed stone.They were designed for the beginner rider and areintended to invite riders to the ODC from theNarrow Gauge rail trail. We also built a trail thatuses x-country trails 7, 29 & 32 with a "tread with

in a tread" and single track re-routes. This trail isslightly more technical but still enjoyable for thelow-intermediate rider.

We also improved existing trails on MH&T system,in the Bigelow Preserve and on Penobscot Nationland in the Reddington pond area.

Organized Group Rides

The club organized 3 weekly group rides and wel-comed members and non-members alike. AlisonThayer led a Monday night ladies ride, Sundaymornings club members took turns leading a ridefrom the Outdoor Center and on Tuesday eveningsMatt Swan led a ride out of Northern Lights bike

Glenn Morrell riding by trailwork sign.Photo by Andy Gillespie

Family-friendly trail descending from theCarrabassett Outdoor Center to the Narrow

Gauge bike path.

Trestle Bridge Project over the Carrabassett. Photo by Andy Gillespie

Hardy Avery with his mini-excavator building theconnector trail to the Narrow Gauge.

Photo by Kerry Tull

CarrabassettRegion Maine

President: David Hughes, [email protected]

VP: Alison ThayerSecretary/Events: Kimberly TruskowskiTreasurer: Glenn MorrellFacebook: Carrabassett Region NEMBA



shop in Farmington. These rides allowed us tomeet new riders and to show people what there isfor trails and how to link them up for a great ride.

Events with Regional DrawThe club partnered with the Town to host twoevents at the Outdoor Center that drew partici-pants from all over New England and AtlanticCanada.

IMBA/NEMBA Trail School: In May we host-ed a trail building school. The program was pre-sented by experts from the New England MountainBike Association (NEMBA) and the InternationalMountain Bike Association (IMBA). Class roomdiscussion covered topics such as building and car-ing for trails, planning and executing trail projectsand boardwalk construction. Field clinics includedtrail assessment and rehabilitation, designing &construction of new trails and working with rock.Over 50 people participated. It was an incrediblyprofessional and informative event that helped setthe stage for the trail work we completed over thesummer.

Carrabassett Back Country CycleChallenge: In July we held a 60 mile mountainbike endurance race that was part of the US CANendurance series. The series had two races inCanada and two in the US. 150 riders (6 pro's)spent the weekend in Carrabassett to see if andhow fast they could complete this course. Over 50volunteers including the Sugarloaf Ski Patrol helpedmake this happen. By many accounts it was thebest venue and course of the series.

CR NEMBA 2012We plan to continue the organized group rides,and to host the Carrabassett Back Country CycleChallenge. Maybe we will be lucky enough to hosta trail building school again.

Map and signsOur most important project over the winter is todevelop a map and signage system for the trails atthe Outdoor Center and throughout the valley. ThePenobscot Nation has graciously given us permis-sion to map, mark and maintain existing trails onPenobscot Nation land in the Reddington area,along the Narrow Gauge and on the Houston BrookRd. The Bureau of Parks and Land has given us sim-ilar permission for a trail that runs along thesouthern edge of the Bigelow Preserve. Look for adraft map in the Outdoor Center this winter!

New trailsAt the Outdoor Center we will begin work on yeartwo of the three year plan that was approved bythe town selectman in 2010. With the help of agrant we received from Bikes Belong and the Townpledged to match, we will construct a trail that cir-cles the Moose Bog pond. This trail is designed forbeginner/intermediate riders (but fun for the experttoo). With the three entry level trails under ourbelt, we will begin to work on more advanced trailsin the area of the warming hut.

Maine Huts and Trails will be launching the firstyear of a three year plan to improve their trailsbetween and around the existing huts. They aredoing this with mountain bikers in mind. We aretalking to them about new trails in their trail cor-ridor and around their huts. This is very exciting!

So next year we will see a 20+ mile loop connect-ing trail systems at the Outdoor Center, inReddington pond area and the MH&T network.These trail systems will be marked and mapped andwe look forward to inviting riders from all over

New England to Carrabassett to see and experiencewhat mountain biking in Carrabassett Valley is allabout.

If you're a mountain biker and think it would begreat to come to Carrabassett in the "off season" toenjoy your vacation home and ride some sweet

trails please consider joining the club by visitingNEMBA's web site www.NEMBA.org and/or con-tacting David Hughes [email protected] to discuss other ways you could helpmake Carrabassett a world class mountain bikedestination. —Glenn Morrell & David Hughes

CR NEMBA volunteers, Mike Pelletier, Ben Listowitch, Pete Smith and Josh Tauses, building sweet sin-gletracks! Photo by Kerry Tull

The Carrabassett Back Country Cycle Challenge brought in riders from all over the northeast as well asfrom Canada. Photos by David Hughes


The past year has seen its share of mountain bik-ing ups and downs for CeMeNEMBA but despitehurricanes and unfortunate scheduling conflicts,the ups have far outshone the downs. Because ofthe hard work and commitment given by the chap-ter's membership and officers, Central MaineNEMBA continues to add trail, increase member-ship and foster the advancement of the sportthrough events, rides and promotion. Here aresome highlights from 2011...

The year began with election (and re-election) ofofficers and a bit of restructuring. Brian Alexandercontinued to serve as Chapter President. We wel-comed a VERY enthusiastic Chris O'Toole as VP, awonderfully able Sarah Hart took over the reins asTreasurer and long-time member Garry Hinkleysigned on as Secretary. This group immediatelytook on the task of finding and creating moreopportunities for growth and came up with someexcellent ideas for just that.

One of those opportunities involved looking forfunding resources. Through a $1,000 grant fromthe Healthy Maine Partnership of GreaterWaterville for trail maintenance, and an additional$500 through the Inland Hospital CommunityBenefit Program, improvements and repairs weremade to the Pine Ridge trails. These projectsbrought together organizations already quite famil-iar with each other- CeMeNEMBA, KennebecMessalonskee Trails, Waterville Parks & Rec andInland Hospital. The local snowmobile club alsocontributed resources for a new bridge that isshared by motorized and non-motorized outdoorenthusiasts alike.

Trail work this year included but was not limited toBrian Alexander spearheading the developmentand execution of a "trans-Waterville Trail". Thistrail serves to connect the Pine Ridge trails withthe Quarry Road Trails and now makes it possibleto ride loops in excess of 20 miles. A huge thankyou goes out to the Colby College community forallowing access to build the majority of the con-nector trail. Two new bridges were added to thePine Ridge loops and some VERY serious work wasperformed on double track loops in the area. Thisreconditioning allows for better drainage and amore consistent single-track trail break both upand down the double track.

About this time last year, preparations were underway around the annual Winter Carnival being heldat the Quarry Road Recreation Area in Watervillein February. CeMeNEMBA provided fatbike demos

and they were counted among the most popularactivities of the festival. Five fatbikes were avail-able for display and for demos thanks to some gen-erous CeMeNEMBA members. This event drewover 700 people who enjoyed a bonfire, food tablesand many other activities that showcased theQuarry Road Recreation Area. Fatbikes alsoreceived some fantastic media attention with anarticle (and accompanying video) in the MaineSunday Telegram highlighting the popularity ofwinter trail riding on 4 inch tires.

Hurricane Irene asserted herself in August andmanaged to reduce our two-day CeMeNEMBAMountain Bike Festival into a one day event, butshe could not block one day of blue skies and per-fect riding conditions. The day was based at theQuarry Road Trails while rides occurred at PineRidge and Colby Trails as well.

CeMeNEMBA again offered a regular slate ofWednesday night rides at Central Maine locationsthroughout the summer. In June, July andAugust, partnering with other Maine chapters ofNEMBA, the Central Maine chapter participated in

a statewide initiative called The Maine NEMBAExperience. In an effort to highlight a small frac-tion of the awesome trail riding in Maine, all fourMaine chapters of NEMBA scheduled rides thissummer, each taking a turn at hosting. Threebeginner rides were also offered and well attended.

CeMeNEMBA would like to thank the followinggroups for their help in 2011:

• Auclair Cycle & Ski• Bicycle Coalition of Maine• Central Maine Cycling Club• Domino's Pizza• Inland Hospital• Kennebec-Messalonskee Trails• Maine National Guard• Mathieu's Cycle & Fitness • Waterville Parks & Recreation• The many members & volunteers from

CeMeNEMBA

We look forward to seeing you out on the trails in2012!

— Pete Phair

Kennebec Highlands group ride made it to Vienna Mt just as the sun was setting. Photo by Brian Alexander

Before and After photos of the Pineridge Trail. Photos by Ellen Wells

Central MEPresident: Brian Alexander,


VP: Chris O’TooleSecretary: Garry HinkleyTreasurer: Sarah HartMembership: Ellen WellsPR: Pete PhairFacebook: CeMeNEMBAWebsite: www.cemenemba.org


The Central NH crew accomplished much in 2011.We orchestrated six formal Trail Care days.Additionally there were many impromptu worksessions that get little press, but are a necessary toaccomplish regular maintenance. Four new trailswere built in central NH in 2011. One new trail atFranklin Falls Dam; Sniper has become a favorite tomany and is a truly unique one at the dam with itsup and down pump track flow. Three new trailshave been built at our latest riding site; Page Hill inHill, NH. Bear claw and Hardhat trails bring you upPage Hill gently so that all levels of rider are able toclimb to the spots where you can view the WhiteMountains and Newfound Lake to the North. "TheDude Abides" is the latest trail to be added to PageHill property. That trail is a rugged trek for inter-mediate to expert riders. While still a work inprogress, "The dude abides" is sporting bridges, lotsof rock rides and will satisfy the most insatiableclimbing fanatic.

This being last Singletracks for 2011, it seems anappropriate time to count our blessings: We arethankful for the hardworking core trail workerswho come to every trail day. They contribute a sig-nificant amount of time and personal expense tomake it possible for all of us to enjoy our sport. Weare thankful too for the folks who can come out tohelp us even one time per year. We are thankful forthe ride leaders who give of themselves everyweek. Remember those folks show up no, matterhow they feel, or what the weather is and whosometimes find themselves riding alone on coldrainy nights. We are thankful for the land man-agers that understand our need for trails and allowus to access their land. In particular CNHNEMBA isindebted to the Army Corps Rangers of FranklinFalls, and the Lakes Region Conservation Trustwho have been very amenable to our chapter.

Great year Central NH, Thank You ! Happy winterriding!

—Grant Drew

Glenn Cilley riding The Dude Abides Trail, Page Hill. Photo by Christina Callahan

Ryan O'Brien shows CNH Trail Crew how to handle a rock, Page Hill Trails. Photo by Kevin Orlowski

Grant Drew and Barry Hersh wielding McLeods on the Sniper Trails, Franklin Falls Dam. Photo by Barry Greenhalgh

Central NHPresident: Grant Drew,

[email protected] VP: Matt BowserVP Franklin Falls: Mike GeldermannVP Elm Brook: Sharon NallVP Laconia: Mark HorvathSecretary: Jesse McGowanTreasurer: Barry GreenhalghPR Manager: Jesse McGowanBOD Reps: Steve LaFlame, Matt Bowser


The past couple of weeks have been trying forConnecticut Residents as a result of the GreatOctober Snow Storm that knocked out power tomore than 700K residents for upwards of a week ormore. The trails that we love to ride also weregreatly impacted by the storm too. Our TrailAmbassadors across the state have been workinghard to re-open these trails. In fact, CharlieBeristain, who spearheaded the recreational landuse loopholes, led a group of friends and openedup most of the Connecticut section of theFarmington Heritage Canal Trail, 22 miles in fact.Thanks Charlie!

Where's Waldo and the Upper Gussy Trail bothwere also hard hit, along with the trails at MillersPond, Case Mountain, Naugatuck State Forest,West Hartford Reservoir, Pequonnock River Valley,and Penwood State Park, most of which have beenre-opened to riding but that's not to say you won'tfind a big branch down in the middle of the trailnow and then because the storm also weakenedmany trees. You don't have to be a TrailAmbassador to help the trails so if you see some-thing that is within your ability to fix, please do so;and if you need help feel free to contact me andwe'll coordinate something with our local trailambassadors.

As we head into the wetter months of the year weask you to exercise caution when deciding to rideat particular location and if the owners of theproperty wish that you not ride after rainy weath-er or a prolonged wet period please observe theirwishes. Unfortunately, the Great October SnowStorm impacted our REI Penwood event so we aretrying to reschedule it for December.

Also, there is a trail closure I would like everyoneto know about. CT DEEP is logging a section of theCockaponset State Forest and this activity hasclosed the XC trail at Millers Pond State Park forapproximately 2 months.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any ideasfor new trails in your area and let's work togetherto make them happen.

Hope to see you on the trail.

—Mark Lurie

CT NEMBA’s Fall Fiesta. Photos by Mark Lurie

ConnecticutPresident: Mark Lurie,


VP: Tren SpenceSecretary: Glenn VernesTreasurer: Al Tinti Trails Advocacy: Paula BurtonBOD Reps: Mark LurieAt Large: Eric Mayhew & Art RotiEmail List: [email protected] Web: www.ctnemba.net

Snowtober Trail ClearingThe Halloween snowstorm crippled much of southern New England, leaving many trails impassable.Luckily outdoor enthusiasts of all elks are volunteering to clear their neck of the dirt. Here's a primeexample of such collaboration from Tolland County.

The Hop River State Rail Trail is a wonderful resource in Tolland County. This multi-use greenway con-sists of 5+ miles of trail along the abandoned railways used year round by hikers, joggers, dog walkers,mountain bikers, horseback, and cross-country skiers. The pre-halloween storm wreaked havoc on theHop River Rail-to-Trail system. The Vernon community (i.e.: residents, businesses, schools) were pow-erless for 10 days. As the community restored its sense of normalcy back to the daily grind it openedthe opportunity to clean Mother Nature's path of destruction.

Pedal Power of Vernon organized a 9:00 am "Trail clean-up day" on Saturday November 12, 2011. TheVernon Greenways Volunteers & Vernon Parks and Recreation supplied safety helmets, bow saws,pruners, and work gloves to the eager volunteers. Local mountain biking groups such as: Leisure TrailRiders Association and Thread City Cyclists (TCC) joined the work efforts. The 35 volunteers split intothree sub-work groups and tackled the blow downs, fallen branches, and removed debris from the trail.The sections near Hartford Rd (RT 30), Center Rd. & Regan Rd. were cleared by these volunteers.CTNEMBA Trail Ambassadors Peter Blume and Mike Lefevre helped in these sections and then clearedareas around Valley Falls. TCC crews worked their way down from Bolton Notch using small chain sawsand plenty of man-power.

The mighty Hop River will be scarred for many years. However, area residents can be proud of theirhard work, effort, communication, sense of community pride. By days end, the Hop River trail wasgiven back to the community for its intended use. —Peter Blume


There are now more leaves on the trails than thetrees. The air is cooler and the days are shorter. Itis a colorful time of the year in New England, butit is bitter sweet, for this seasonal beauty is theharbinger of winter. Our after-work group rideshave gone into hibernation, but our trail crewsremain busy.

With cleanup after Irene nearly done, MotherNature dealt us another blow, a Halloween week-end snowstorm. The wet, heavy snow played acruel trick on our trees. Frankly, it is amazing thereare any limbs and trees left in our corner of theworld. So our crews continue to saw and clear thetrails making a few log-ride treats out of the stormdebris.

In addition to cleaning up after Mother Nature, wehad another great day of collaborative trail build-ing. FC NEMBA, along with REI, CT NEMBA, theDEP and Ridgefield Bike Co. rerouted an environ-mentally sensitive, fall-line trail in HuntingtonState Park. Paula Burton of CT NEMBA workedwith our own Ryan Tucker to create ¾ of a miletrial that is truly beginner friendly. This rerouteallows novice riders to enjoy a beautiful loop ofsingle track as they build their confidence andskills. While the beginner rider was the primaryaudience for this reroute, many technical trail fea-tures were added as options along the way to keepthe advanced riders happy and challenged. Rollers

and rock spines parallel the main trail and make ita great trail to enjoy with a group of mixed abilityriders. We were so happy to get such a big projectdone and even more so that we were able to workso closely with other organizations that also lovegreat single track.

It hasn't been all storms and work here in FairfieldCounty; we've had some fun on two wheels too.Our Veterans' Day ride was held at Miller's Pond. Amodest group of riders spent the day enjoying allthe challenges Miller's throws down. It was a greatday of log rides and challenging tech and a nicebreak from cleaning up after storms.

As the weather gets colder, we have plentyplanned to keep things warm. Our first annual

Turkey Burner will be held at Mianus River Park. Itwill be social ride for all level riders. We will haveleaders ready to take riders out on beginner, inter-mediate or advanced loops, it should be fun for alland welcome movement after a day of sedentarygluttony and football watching. Also on the hori-zon is our Winter Social, which will be held sometime in January in Ridgefield, so keep an eye out fordetails. In the meantime, keep spinning and staywarm.

—-Kyaiera Tucker

Trail Partnerships with REI and CT NEMBA. Photo by David Francefort

Creating sustainable singletrack at Huntington SP. Photo by Ryan Tucker

It’s a dog’s world at Huntington SP. Photo byRyan Tucker

FairfieldCounty (CT)

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

VP: Chris KeczkemethySecretary: Mike BurkeTreasurer: David Francefort

Website: www.fcnemba.org


Aside from the Halloween Snowpocalypse this hasbeen a beautiful Fall for riding in Greater Boston.We have been fortunate to have one crisp, clearweekend after another as most of our riding shiftsfrom after work during the week to Saturdays andSundays.

International Take A Kid MountainBiking Day 2011On Saturday, October 1st we observedInternational Take a Kid MTB Day at the Fells withabout 40 kids and families. We did get lucky on theweather that weekend! See the full write up byChris Thurrott in this issue’s Treadlines for all thedetails.Big thanks to sponsors Wheelworks,CycleLoft, JRA Cycles and Quad Cycles!

NEMBAFestNEMBA Fest at Bear Brook State Park was incredi-ble. The weekend was crystal clear and GB led achapter ride on both Saturday and Sunday. NEMBAFest is turning into a not-to-be-missed event!

Ride Like a Girl! 2011The RLG series wrapped up at Highland Mountainwith a day of downhill teaching and a celebratory

When GB NEMBA’s Adam Glick heard that Highland Mountain Bike Park needed a hand to build somecross country trails next to their downhill trails, he organized an impromptu day of trail building.

Southern NH NEMBA followed up with another trail building session a couple of weeks later. Photos by Adam Glick

Grille meister, Anthony Laskaris of Cycle Loft, provided the post-ride burgers and dogs!

A riding family is a happy family, especially when it’s Take A Kid Mountain Biking Day!

Karen Eagan and Lyla Sabou at the Ride Like a GirlClinic at the Wicked Ride of the East.

Photo by PK

Greater BostonPresident: Adam Glick, adam@gbnem-

ba.org , 781-354-7845

VP: Tim Post

VP: Mike TabaczynskiVP: Greg KochSecretary: Terry KennedyTreasurer: Claire GrimblePatrol Director: Terry KennedyWebsite: www.gbnemba.org



barbeque after. We finished the second year of thisprogram for women riders with great feedback fromthe participants and over the winter will be plan-ning the third season. This series wouldn't be pos-sible without the hard work of Karen Eagan andAlexis Wruble and the great support of MarkHayes, owner of Highland Mountain.

Wrench Like a Girl! 2011We are looking at scheduling some winter WrenchLike a Girl! Clinics in the near future at host HubBicycle's in Cambridge. Stay turned for dates andsignup info.

Volunteer Appreciation Night atHarpoonIn conjunction with SE Mass, Merrimac Valley,North Shore, Blackstone Valley and Cape Codchapters we hosted a volunteer appreciation nightat the Harpoon Taproom in South Boston. We hada great turnout of about 35 NEMBA volunteers andit was really nice to meet everyone and relax in thefine Harpoon Taproom. Thank you NEMBAVolunteers!

Mountain Bike PatrolThe MTB Patrol has had a busy Fall and has madesure we all are kept patched up. The big news is achange of leadership: Terry Kennedy, after manyyears of steady guidance, is handing the reins overto Anthony Gabrielson. Terry, thank you for yourhard work developing and running the Patrol! Youwill be missed!

Landlocked ForestWe had a great Thursday Night ride series at LLFthis year and hope to continue that next year.Also, we hope that we will be receiving an RTPgrant to fund construction of a new boardwalk onthe East side of the swamp to create a sustainablecrossing there. Construction will happen sometimenext Spring/early Summer.

Middlesex FellsWith the public comment period coming to a closeon November 14th, we will be awaiting DCR's finalversion of the Fells RMP. Thank you to all who have

taken a few moments to send in comments on theRMP and share copies with us - they have all beenthoughtful and well done. The likely timetable forthe remainder of the RMP is that DCR will presentit to the Stewardship Council at the DecemberStewardship Council Meeting and it will be votedon at the January meeting. Then, I think we allhope that we will be in a position to start planninga strong trail maintenance plan to help support theFells and the enhanced rising opportunities theRMP is recommending.

Movie Night and GB NEMBAFundraiser at the Middlesex LoungeOn 11/30/2011, we will be premiering From theInside Out, a freeride film shot entirely in BritishColumbia. Door and raffle proceeds will benefit GB

directly. This looks like a great film and theMiddlesex Lounge is a great place to come hangout!

Chapter MeetingsGB holds its chapter meetings on the first Mondayof the month. We have been making an effort tomove them around to Greater Boston bike shops(thank you JRA, Wheelworks, and Quad Cycles!)so stay tuned for a chapter meeting coming to ashop near you! Nothing that happens in anyNEMBA chapter happens by magic: everything thatgets done happens through the hard work and ded-ication of riders like you. Show up and see how youcan help in your local chapter!

—Adam Glick, President GB NEMBA

Patrollers Rich Chase, Ray DeMarquez, Cindy Hickey, Art Paradice, Neil Mager and Terry Kennedy.Photo by PK

Emily Thibideau of Hub Bicycles with some greatswag for the Ride Like a Girl program.

Photo by PK

GB NEMBA Ride Leaders at NEMBAfest: Tom Grimble, Rick Forzese, Bill Cohn, Adam Glick and MaciejSobieszek. Photo by PK


This fall The Greater Portland Chapter has beeninvolved with several races and charity rides, sev-eral trail building and maintenance projects, andwe're already planning for next year!

Trail WorkThe Yarmouth, ME, West Side Trail project hasbeen moving along very quickly, and promises tobe a well designed and fun trail for riders of all abil-ity levels. You can check out the progress on theproject's Facebook page atwww.facebook.com/YarmouthTrails. To getinvolved, please email [email protected].

Race SupportWe are very proud to say that we helped to sup-port a local charity ride on November 5th. TheFalmouth 50x2 ride was a great success, drawingnearly 100 riders to Falmouth in support of thefamily of Mike Sandora. Mike is a well-known localrider whose family suffered a tragic loss when hisniece passed away, leaving 4 young childrenorphaned. The ride helped to raise over $2000 fora college fund for these unfortunate kids. This ridewas such a great success that our chapter is plan-ning to host a charity ride every fall!

On September 19th GP NEMBA showed its pres-ence at the 5th annual 12 Hours of BradburyMountain endurance race. This race was a greatfundraiser for our chapter and the park itself, and abig thanks goes out to Pat Hackleman of Casco BayEvents for supporting GP-NEMBA!

Another fun event that GP NEMBA was happy tobe a part of was the Casco Bay Cyclocross Racethat was held on the Eastern Promenade inPortland on October 15th. This unique venue for a

traditional grassroots cycling eventfeatured one of themost scenic crosscourses in NewEngland. With agreat turnout ofracers from all overNew England, thisevent continues togrow in popularity.

GP NEMBA wouldlike to thank all ofour members andsupporters for agreat 2011 season.With many funevents in the worksfor 2012, we hopethat we'll see you ata meeting or event,as well as on thetrails!

—Brian Danz

Many hands make light work at the new Yarmouth West Side Trail. Photo by Dan Ostyre

Mid-Ride break for one of the Falmouth 50x2 Groups. Photo by Matt Robbins

Post-Ride group shot at the Falmouth 50x2 Charity Ride. Photo by Matt Robbins

GreaterPortlandPresident: Mitch Wacksman, portland-

[email protected], 616-405-1448Vice-President: Fred MasciangeloOther officers: Coming Soon!

Email List: [email protected]

Website: coming soon!


As we wind down toward the end of another greatseason, we should take a minute to reflect on ourcollective successes. It's been a fantastic year ofriding, trail maintenance and fund raising. Eventhough we had a few rainouts, 2011 has been one

of the better years for riding in recent memory.Our chapter continued to have well attended rideson Tuesday and Friday; we've made some newfriends and added chapter members. If you are aFacebook fan but haven't registered as a NEMBAmember yet, you're missing something. Whetheryou're looking to ride more, to get the youngstersinterested, or to connect with other riders; youowe it to yourself and your fellow members to join.

At our last meeting we made good progress towardsetting our schedule for next year's riding mainte-nance and fund raising. Our Tuesday and Fridaynight rides will continue as will our trail careschedule and we hope to hold our 2012 MBASevent near the same September date. We alsoelected new chapter officers who will continue theexcellent MV tradition of giving back to the trails.Special thanks to Bob Giunta and Hugh Folsom for

their many years of service and dedication to thechapter. We wouldn't be where we are today with-out their leadership.

As for the fun stuff, we are still riding on Tuesdayand Friday. The trails have been cleaned of theusual autumn debris and the weather has beenultra cooperative. If you enjoy night riding, thencome to our Lowell Dracut or Russell Mill rides.Good lighting systems are as affordable as ever andthe night riding experience makes every bump andturn 'like new'. As I said before - come over to thedark side. Join us for a Tuesday/Friday riding till thesnow flies. Get your MV NEMBA email updates viathe forum, email or Facebook.

See you on the trail.

— Stuart McDonald

Lionel Chapman on the Tuesday Lowell-Dracut-Tyngsboro Ride. Photo by PK

Bob Giunta, Barry Moore, Dennis Powers, Steve Richardson and James Vogh heading off to do trail careat Great Brook Farm SP. Photo by PK

Fixie Mark riding the Great Brook MBAS. Photo by PK

The Pump Track at Russell Mills continues toattract lots of riders. Photo by PK

MerrimackValleyPresident: Stuart McDonald,

[email protected]

Vice-President: Barry MooreTreasurer: Steve RichardsonEmail List: mtb-

[email protected]: MVNEMBA


November 7th, 2011. The first thing that comes tomind as I'm writing this next installment forSingletracks, is that I hope my broken hand ishealed and that my doctor allows me to get back inthe saddle after my visit today. Even though myriding time has been put on hold, I've managed tokeep the passion alive by tromping through thewoods to identify new terrain, acquire more inti-mate knowledge of the landscape, and locate thosemagical contours that make trails come alive. Ialso found time to work on future access by iden-tifying landowners, networking and reaching out,which resulted in the potential for another 100plus acres to build trail on and creating criticallinks to future riding areas.

New Trails & Community ForumsWe flagged out another new trail near MasseyFalls. The new trail will offer a gradual climb outup to the Massey Falls trail head and is approxi-mately ¼ mile in length. We'll begin work thisseason and should finish up early next Spring if allgoes well.

On Nov 3rd, we hosted a community forum onmountain bike trails at the Snow Bowl lodge. Wedidn't want the forum to simply be another clubmeeting with a room full of mountain bikers. Wewanted to draw in the community at large, so wereached out to the media and the email networksof the Chamber of Commerce, YMCA, and local realestate professionals. Our intent was to educateour community on the mission of our club and thebenefits of mountain biking and trail access. I'mpleased to report that attendance was diverse andthe audience left excited about future opportuni-ties and the service we provide to our community.There was plenty of passion in the air, whichpeaked enough interest in non-mountain bikers tomotivate them to give it a go next season andmaybe even become involved in our local chapter.

I'd like to extend a warm welcome to Jason Derrigand Kevin Callahan to our executive committeeand pass along our appreciation to Mike White ashe takes over as the president of the RaggedMountain Ski club.

The new shared use trail is complete and turnedout pretty darned good. The trail basically beginsat the top of the toboggan chute (above the pumptrack). The first thing I could think of was theHighland Mountain Bike Parks, Battle of Hellionrace (look it up). Folks, this isn't your typical XCski /MTB trail and although it was designed withXC skiers and novice mountain bikers in mind, I'mpositive that this trail will keep riders of all abilitiesentertained. We're asking everyone to remain offof the trail until the grass takes root in early to mid

Spring. This will help control erosion and preventan unnecessary amount of sediment from enteringthe Hosmer Pond watershed.

This is the time of year when riding slows andwhen some trade the bike for skis, boards, andsnowshoes, which by the way is a great way tobegin trail design and look for opportunities andfind the best "flow" along those contours. Winteris also a time to begin thinking about the 2012season. Whether it's trail work, the RaggedMountain Fat Tire Festival, group rides, or anynumber of the other events we're involved with,they always require advance planning and partici-pation; so with that, consider becoming involvedand let us know if you are interested or have ideasto keep the fire alive. We need YOUR involvementin order to keep good things rolling along.

Lastly, our local Camden Hills Regional High Schoolmountain bike team (led by coaches SteveKoskinen and Casey Leonard) won not only their13th consecutive Maine State championship , theybrought home the inaugural New England champi-onship title reigning over teams from VT, NH, RI,and MA. It's great to finally see high schoolerscompeting on a regional level like this and it cer-tainly helps promote the sport we all love.

Be sure to check us out on Facebook, get involved,and join in on the conversation.

—John Anders

Kevin Callahan climbing to the top of Camden Snowbowl. Photo by Mike Pillows, Maine Media Workshop

Camden Hills Regional High School teammates,Robin Crandall and Tucker Van Dusen racing at the

State Championships. Photo by Lori Van Dusen

Mid CoastMainePresident: John Anders, 207-542-0080,

[email protected] Committee:

Kevin Davis, Mike Hartley, SteveKoskinen, Mike White

Treasurer/Secretary: Casey Leonard


As the winter season comes upon the North ShoreChapter of NEMBA we can reflect back on a suc-cessful autumn, with many accomplishments. Theorganization had a couple of trail days, many hoursof cleanup following the October snow storm, andanother great Wicked Ride of the East.

Trail Work A new trail at Beverly Commons was constructedin September, with some technical features, and anice bridge crossing. The new trail complementsthe existing trail system on this fine Greenbeltproperty. In October the trail crew finally receivedthe go ahead from the DCR to do some trail repairin Willowdale State Forest. First on the list was awashed out trail on the side of a hill, repairsincluded a bench cut, berming a few turns, and asmall reroute. The trail now flows downhill nicelyand climbs like a champ. Three boardwalks oversome muddy sections of the Bay Circuit Trail head-ing toward Route 1 were also installed that sameday.

At the August chapter meeting the membershipapproved the purchase of a new chainsaw, and leaf

blower. The new equipment came in real handy forthe clean up after the Halloween snow storm.Hundreds of oak tree tops came down on the trails,due to the heavy snow on their leaves. HaroldParker and Georgetown State Forests were particu-larly hard hit, but are now in good shape. Manypeople were out picking up after the storm, butthree guys Dan, Joe and Kirk spent three daysgoing to battle with the trail system at HP, eachwalking over 15 miles with chainsaws and tools toclear the trails for the Wicked Ride. Without thehelp of these individuals the event would not havebeen possible this year. Please thank them whenyou see them on the trails.

The Wicked Ride of the EastMother Nature tried her best to disrupt the 11thannual Wicked Ride, but do to a lot of hard work

the chapter was able to persevere and over 400mountain bikers enjoyed a fun filled day at HaroldParker one week after the original date. Many bik-ers thought the trails were in the best shape ever,as they enjoyed the marked loops of single track.Thanks goes out to all the venders that showed upincluding Cycle Loft, Wheel Works, Sinister, DieselBikes, and Highland Mountain Park. Add tons ofchili and some of Jaime's barbeque and you haveyourself an event. A terrific group of volunteershelped with parking, registration, T shirt sales, chiliserving, and trail marking. Proceeds from this year'sevent will be donated to the ECGA Tompson StreetReservation land purchase.

—Frank Lane

The Full Moon Monday Night Group Ride: Frank Lane, Lisa Chenney, Francios Fleche, Debbi Merloni, ScottMerloni, and Bob Hoefer. Photo by Mark Thayer

Chapter members complete work on the bog bridge at the newly rerouted Susan Winchester trailat Beverly Commons. Photo by Frank Lane

The Wicked Ride was a benefit for Essex CountryGreenbelt Association’s purchase of the Tompson

Street Gateway property in Gloucester.

North ShorePresident: Frank Lane

[email protected],978-465-2295 Vice-President: Fred White Treasurer: Kirk GoldsworthySecretary: Hank KellsBOD Reps: Dan Streeter & Frank LaneWicked Ride Chair: Steve CharretteEmail List: mtb-

[email protected]: www.nsnemba.org


So what goes on in the Connecticut River valleyand the surrounding hills in a typical summer? PVNEMBA has had an incredibly fun and busy sum-mer and fall season. The summer started with atornado ripping through the southern tier, causingSteve and his dependable helpers to get out andclear some of Robinson that was just outside themain path of the storm.

Shortly after the storm cleared the area, and thecrews cleared the trails, the focus moved to thenorthern tier as Franklin County's diligent trailcrew prepped the park and hosted the MBAS inWendell State Forest. Always a popular stop onthe MBAS circuit, this year we combined perfectweather, primo bar-b-que, a few sections of newtrail and a great turnout to make this year's eventone of the best.

Next up for the Valley's events was the series ofEPIC rides hosted by Steve and Chaz. Prior hostshad date conflicts in the mid-summer, so the EPICsended up with a slightly different flavor this year.Reports are that those who partook had a greattime. Congratulations to those who completed allof the Epics.

As fall rolled into view, so did Irene. Most of thearea was unscathed by the storm, but the Hills ofWestern Franklin County were hit hard. Not awhole lot of damage on the single track, but parkroads got messed up pretty badly, especially up atDubuque. Perhaps this has something to do withthe fact that the roads are all pretty much on thefall lines with a few poorly built and unmaintainedwater bars, and the trails are SUSTAINABLE, imag-ine that DCR, the stuff you occasionally try tomaintain is susceptible to damage, while the trailsyou've done all you can to prevent are untouchedby 200 year floods.

This fall, we've been really busy in the valley. Firstup was the Blue-Groove Charity Ride in RobinsonState Park. A huge turnout on a fantastic day, gotto enjoy these super buff trails just a few shortweeks before they were again littered with treedebris from the heavy wet snows. The gang havethem just about ready for riding again as I typethis. Also this fall we finally saw some trail com-pletions at Charlemont, thanks to super turnout atthe Charlemont Trails Extravaganza the first week-end of November. I was really concerned that thisevent would have to be cancelled with the 20+

inches of snow in the hill towns, but the followingwarmth brought normal fall work/riding conditionsback. On that day, we had 15 folks put in an aver-age of 5 hours of trail work building a bridge, acouple of berms, manicuring a nice rock line andgetting the leaf-blowers out on the trails. Thefruits of their labors were enjoyed by a gathering of35 riders a week later in the inaugural bigCharlemont Trails System event. We now have anice system of trails so you can easily build a nice

1-4 hour ride depending on which and how manyloops are included.

Before this edition goes to press, PV will havehosted the last major event for the season. TheChili Ride, ever popular for cold weather riding fol-lowed by cold beverages and hot food.

—Harold Green

Bruce Lessels of the Zoar Outdoor Center and Harry Meyer working on the Charlemont Trails System.Photos by Harold Green

If you build it, they will come. 35 riders came out for the inaugural Charlemont Trail ride.

PioneerValleyPresident: Steven Rossi,


VP Hamden County: Kris Wyman, ChrisGrello

VP Hampshire County: Megan Bilodeau,Chaz Nielson

VP Franklin County: Steffi Krug

Secretary: Juliana RossiTreasurer: Trevor Emond BOD Reps: Harold Green, Steven RossiEmail List:[email protected]


By the time this issue is unwrapped, the RINEMBA chapter will have marked the end ofanother peak season with the annual holiday din-ner. We will have also held the bike raffle (bigshout out to Casters for helping us out with that!).For the person who added to their bike stable, con-gratulations! For the rest of you- I guess you needto get out and ride with us more often so you havemore entries in said drawing...

Last issue I mentioned our FB membership- we arecurrently over 330 strong on the RI NEMBA page-that is great to see! That being said, we can't helpbut notice how our chapter membership hoverssomewhere around 200. The more members wehave, the more weight our voice carries when itcomes to advocacy. So if you don't know what toget RI NEMBA for the holidays- how about a littleevangelizing when you are out with parts of yourcrew who are not members? Sometimes peopleneed to have that question answered: What hasRI NEMBA done for mountain biking in RI lately?PG put together a handy list:

• Four arrowed fun rides across the state• Weekly ride series in Big River, Lincoln

Woods, Burlingame and Arcadia• Women only rides• Hosted the state's first ever IMBA Trail School• Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day events• Organized Trail Maintenance Days/manage-

ment area clean-ups• Added a bring your four legged furry children

mountain biking series• When Irene hit, members spent over 300

hours clearing the trails• Continued to work on our political connec-

tions to improve riding

So yeah, if they ask- you will have a few thingshandy… As the colder months come, it is a goodtime to join in on a chapter meeting or two. Keepup to date on what the plans for the future hold,or maybe bring up something you see that needsdoing? In 2012 we hope to make riding in LittleRhody even better.

One person who has been a driving force behind RINEMBA for the past three years is stepping downfrom his position on the masthead. Peter Gengler,our chapter president, is giving way to the evercapable Leo Corrigan. Most of you know Leo fromhis previous stint leading the RI chapter asPresident; or from the trails or his reliable presenceat events. I am very much looking forward to rid-

ing along as he steers us down the next trail, andvery grateful that he is stepping up to take thereins.

At this time, I feel that I would be remiss if I didnot take the time to reflect upon all that PG hasdone and how instrumental he has been over thelast three years as President of this chapter. If youare reading this than chances are you have met hima dozen times. I am also sure that you have seenhis name in the chapter news, but when we areputting this together I am cognizant of the factthat while he is so good at seeing what needs to bedone (and delegating evenly to accomplish the taskat hand so no one has to pull all the weight), he isalso equally reticent to accept the kudos for saidleadership. With that in mind, I usually pull backon the praise. Well- I have been saving it up, sonow it comes with both barrels:

Our resident 'Mad Scientist' of RI NEMBA willundoubtedly be embarrassed by this, but anyonewho has met him on the trailhead can attest to thefact that his energy and enthusiasm for our sporthave been instrumental in helping this chaptermove forward. From growing a Thursday night ridefrom a handful of people to a list that numbers inthe hundreds, to laying the groundwork throughnetworking and advocacy to help legitimize moun-tain biking on the singletrack in Big River, toincreasing our opportunities to join in organized

rides across the state, to his infectious view of howlucky we are to have so many viable places to rideso close (well- SOMEWHAT close by RI standards).In my view he has increased our chapter's strengthand professionalism which has led to our accom-plishing long sought goals.

He will certainly be right when he will undoubted-ly point to all the people who stepped up to makethings happen: Our VP's of all the managementareas. Our ride leaders can't be thanked enough,and the same goes for the people who sweep saidrides and offer encouragement and assistancealong the way. We're also grateful to the peoplewho keep our website and FB page relevant andactive, our fantastic LBS owners and staff, andeveryone who's been willing to act as legislativeliaisons. The people who take ownership of hugeprojects in Cumberland and SK and elsewhere inthe state. Those who write the chapter news atmidnight on the night that materials are due whilePK waits patiently for your segment so he can fin-ish the 'zine (*ahem*). While all of these peoplehave undoubtedly contributed so much, I am surethat they would be happy to acknowledge that youhave been there to help them succeed. So- thankyou! As winter comes, let us hope for clear trails sowe can all enjoy the fast riding on the frozen hard-pack. Happy holidays to you and yours.

—Matt Schulde

Rhode IslandPresident: Peter Gengler,


VP Arcadia: Jim Grimley

VP Big River: Peter Gengler

VP Burlingame: Lennon Schroeder

VP Lincoln Woods: Leo Corrigan

Treasurer: Sara Grimley

Secretary: Mike Saunders

NEMBA BOD Rep: Matt Schulde

NEMBA BOD Rep: Bart Angelo

Email List: [email protected]

Web: RINEMBA.org

The B-Team gets the trails ready for the Arcadia Fun Ride. Photo by Peter Gengler

Another great Take a Kid Mtn Biking Day by Chris at Diamond Hill. Photo by John Guertin


The Blue Hillshere's a lot of good news to report! The manage-ment at Blue Hills has decided to listen to some ofour RMP comments-most notably the dropping ofthe winter ban on riding in favor of a March-onlyclosure. This will give the trails a break when theyreally need it-mud season-rather than all winterwhen the trails are typically frozen solid…..This isa big improvement in policy, the first real changewe've seen in over 20 years. Another change thatwas recently made official, is that the Ponkapoag(affectionately known as 'Ponky') section of theBlue Hills is now open-for now, however, only the'Green Dot Loop'(GDL). The GDL circumnavigatesPonkapoag Pond and is the most heavily-used trailin the Blue Hills. Some sections are actual dirt roadshared by buses, trucks, cars, and park vehicles. Asection enters the Ponkapoag Golf Course, so keepyour helmet on in case of stray golf balls….You'llencounter traffic in the form of joggers, strollers,horses (of course), fishermen, and lots of dogs. Inother words, you'll have to keep your speed on aleash for most of the GDL.

The good news there is that this is the first ofthree-stage plan that DCR management assures usthat more of Ponky will be open with a year or less.And a lot of that is singletrack (WHAT? Singletrackin the Blue Hills?-yes, kids, we may finally getsome!), and includes access over the million-dollarbridge over 24, with more trails on the other side.Most of the trails in consideration are either hard-ly used or heavily damaged by horse traffic, mean-ing that either way, they're in dire need of mainte-nance. Stay tuned to the SEMass Facebook pageand Yahoogroups list for progress updates andupcoming trail days in 2012. The section east ofrte 28 is still posted with no bike signs, with nolegitimate reason why…. Ironically, bikers areresponsible for clearing most blowdowns as theyhappen over there. 'Maybe someday' BH manage-ment will realize the efforts and concerns of localriders ARE legitimate.

Trail Building in Quincyin other local news, NEMBA was approached bythe town of Braintree to design and build newmountain bike trails in a small parcel of an old

quarry area near the Braintree/Quincy line. Directlybehind Wal-Mart and bounded by an active RR linea pond and residential areas, this area is ripe forimprovement. The town is rightly concerned aboutsketchy users including homeless, drug users andparty sites. There are other areas in Braintree thatlocal riders would like to explore, so here's ouropportunity to show our stuff and make an impres-sion. It IS a small area, but with the right combi-nation of loops, rocky features, and access points,it will be fun.(the Braintree Conservation Ranger,who originally approached us and is working withus every step of the way, IS a mountain bikers!)

Again, stay tuned to the fb page and emails….wepresent to the ConCom next week, so if they likeour ideas, we'll be starting work in January, and doas much as we can this winter.

MBAS Ride in FoxboroBack in September, the Foxboro crew hosted their3rd annual MBAS event, on an awesome fall daywith record numbers of riders and lots of newmembers! By the time you read this, the snow willbe flying and Winter Buzz(my local fb page)will bebuzzing with snowshoe hikes, cross country skioutings, and of course, Snow Biking. Catch theBuzz!

Hope I didn't forget any other good news, butthat's all I got for now, as I'm heading to theNEMBA Volunteer Appreciation Night at theHarpoon Brewery.

—Steve Cobble

SE MassPresident: Steve Cobble,

[email protected], 781-254-8796Treasurer: Bill Boles VPs:Ames Nowell: Malcolm NeilsonBlue Hills: Joe SloaneBorderland: Rich HigginsCarolina Hills: Jack StorerCutler Park: Bob Khedarian Duxbury: Dave WaleckaFoxboro/Wrentham: Christopher PatrickFranklin: Jan Hubbell

Massasoit: John BaileyMyles Standish: Tim ScholzWompatuck: Tyler EusdenSecretary: Rich HigginsEmail List: [email protected]

This year’s Foxboro MTB Adventure ride was a great time. Photo by PK

The kids had a great ride at the Foxboro MTBAdventure ride. Photo by PK


NEMBAfestAwesome trails, great volunteers, tons of vendors,full campground, hot BBQ, 80 foot long skinny andriding with like minded mountain bikers.

Just back from the NEMBAfest "thank you" ride andBBQ we had time to reflect on the largest NEMBAevent yet ever. NEMBAfest 2011 had it all... andpeople came from miles around to enjoy what BearBrook had to offer. The hours of prep that went inthis event really paid off because everyone had ablast. Check out the pictures on NEMBA'sFacebook page if you missed it.

Partnership with NH State ParksSouthern NH chapter members and Philip had ameeting with the director of the trails division andother members of DRED to talk about the future ofour involvement in NH State Parks. With theirbudgets being cut volunteers are becoming moreand more valuable to them. That being said, if weare going to do the work we want to be able toimprove the trail systems and see progress eachand every time we work in the woods. After thisvery positive meeting we had another step in theright direction when Peter DeSantis was appointedto STAC (NH State Trail Advisory Commission).First of all congratulations Peter and second WEfinally have a voice in the quarterly meetings andplanning sessions.

The chapter had the first State Park planning meet-ing in early November to start work on the futureplans of Bear Brook. We are starting with BearBrook for many reasons, not the least of which isthe potential for having a trail system that wouldrival places like KT. The planning meeting wentvery well and many great voices were heard. Weare working to finalize a plan that we can presentto DRED and hopefully start laying out some greatnew loops in an already great ride destination.

Group ridesThis year’s group rides were great. Lots of newfaces and some great rides all over the state.Thank you to everyone who helped out on therides. We are looking into getting everyone wholeads a group ride a nice Ride Leader jersey andhopefully one of the Southern NH group riders willwin that Moots frame raffle.

Officers meetingThe chapter officers will all stay on for 2012, how-ever, if you are looking to play a larger part or have

some great ideas please reach out to me [email protected]

—Matt Caron

SouthernNew Hampshire

President: Matt Caron,[email protected], 603-321-8736

VP: Dan Sloan & Jean RubinSecretary: Laurie HarriganTreasurer: Eleanor KnottTrail Advisor: Peter DeSantisWebsite: www.snemba.orgEmail list: [email protected]

Len Earnshaw with daughter and friends. Photo by PK

The bike limbo competition was fast and furious. Photo by PK

A few of the great volunteers at NEMBAfest:


White Mountain NEMBA had a very successfulyear hosting rides and working on trails, focusingprimarily on upgrading the White MountainNational Forest's (WMNF) Moat Mountain trailnetwork. The Forest Service formally adopted over12 miles of singletrack trails last spring withmountain biking designated as the primary usergroup. Copying the Blackstone Valley chapter'sTuesday Night Trailwork (TNT) model, we put inover 600 volunteer hours to complete bridge, trailbuilding and maintenance projects on both privateand public lands. A testament to the quality of thework completed was the heavy rains of HurricaneIrene did no damage to newly rerouted trail sec-tions, in fact the rain only served to help compactthe trail tread.

Our intensive work in the WMNF did not go unno-ticed. Jana Johnson, Dispersed Recreation Managerfor the White Mountain National Forest's SacoDistrict, stated "While the WMNF has no shortageof hiking trails, the establishment of a trail system

designed specifically with mountain bikes in mindis a new and exciting recreation opportunity; notto mention the first of its kind on the WMNF. TheWhite Mountains NEMBA chapter has been thedriving force behind getting this nearly 13 mile trail

network proposed, through environ-mental analysis and, now, ready toride. The WMNF is fortunate to havesuch a fruitful partnership withNEMBA and greatly appreciate all thework, both in planning and on theground that they have done to makethis trail system a reality." The poten-tial for future expansion of this excel-lent trail network is a very real possi-bility.

Besides the work in the WMNF, wefabricated and installed a new bridgeand more singletrack at the well-usedJoe's Alibi access, completed reroutesof multiple sections of the ever pop-ular Red Tail Trail, did pruning andblowdown removal work in EchoLake State Park, Conway conserva-tion lands and other local trails, andeven made time to improve the racecourse used by the local high schoolmountain bike team.

We are especially grateful to Kringle'sCountry Store in Glen, who providedcold, tasty beverages to trail workersevery week, and to Mike Saras ofDakine, who donated a super niceBuilder's Pack to help carry tools tothe worksites. Check it out:www.dakine.com/p/bike/packs /guys/builders-pack

Lastly, many thanks tothose folks who showedup to help, whether youmade it one time orshowed up religiouslyevery week. Our philoso-phy was to build it rightonce and the results andoverwhelming positivefeedback speak for them-selves. We're looking for-ward to another produc-tive year in 2012.

—Rob Adair

WhiteMountainsPresident: Rob Adair,


VPs: John Barley, Mark Jenks, Tony TulipTreasurer: Phil Ostroski Secretary: Jean LeeWebsite: www.wmnemba.org

Constructing Joe's Alibi bridge. Photos by Rob Adair

Michael Hartrick, Master Carpenter.


We're pleased to announce that MootsCycles (famous for their handcrafted tita-nium bicycle frames) will be sponsoringNEMBA rides! Every member who comesto a ride and signs in will be entered towin a Moots Moto X 29er frame!Additionally ride leaders will be enteredinto a special raffle for a Moots componentpackage, including a Ti stem, handlebarand seatpost!

NEMBA rides are led by individual NEMBAmembers for other members and prospec-tive members. So if you haven't yet joined NEMBA, please do. Ridesare usually for small numbers of people and vary with the locationand the personal style of the host. Rides have been known to changelocation or time at the last moment. So be sure to contact the ride'sleader, both to sign up, and to find out more about the ride. **Besure to contact the ride leader a couple of days before the ride takesplace. 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.

(T/FR) Indicates a technical or freeride(MBA) Indicates a NEMBA Mountain Bike Adventure Series Ride(EN) Indicates an EFTA/NEMBA Fun Ride.(AM) Indicates a weekday daytime morning ride.(DB) Indicates a daybreak or early morning ride.(BHTW) Indicates a Blue Hills Trail Watch ride.(Dog) Indicates you can bring your dog.(W) Indicates a Women's ride.(CALL) Indicates contact the leader to see if the ride is on.(TBA) Indicates location to be determined.(U) Indicates an urban ride.(GAR) Gravity Assisted Ride(SS) Indicates Single Speed bicycles are OK.(SKI) Indicates a 'ride' that may change to skis(SShoe) Indicates Snowshoeing(SKILLS) Indicates a skills training session(KIDS) A ride for Kids, parents are often welcome too.(SS) Indicates a Singlespeed Bike ride

The following ride categories are only generalguidelines. You should ask the ride's leaderexactly what type of ride he or she is planningin terms of distance, pace and technicality.Also, be realistic about your level of ridingskills and don't join a ride that is beyond yourpresent ability or fitness level.

MBA Kona Bicycles-Fox Shox MTB AdventureSeries ride. 10-20 miles. A ride on a markedcourse for all ability levels. Normally includesshort and long loops. Call for more informa-

tion.

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.

Central, Wachusett & Western MassWednesdays Robinson SP, Agawam All Trevor Emond 413-789-0123Saturdays Hawley Ride or Charlemont Work All Harold Green [email protected] Notch Visitors Ctr, Hadley Intermediate Kris Wyman [email protected] Sundays Rutland State Park All Renee Gregoire [email protected] 774-200-0177Sundays Leominster SF All Jim Wrightson [email protected] 978-852-4800Connecticut Sundays W. Hartford Res. Intermediate-Adv. Charlie Beristain [email protected] 860-521-7188 (8:00 AM)Maine, New Hampshire & VermontMondays Greater Portland Area All Mike Davies [email protected] 207-878-8741

NEMBA RidesSponsored by Moots Cycles


Mondays Brattleboro, VT Intermediate Paul Rodrigue [email protected] Tuesdays Southern NH Beginner-Intermediate Matt Caron [email protected] Wednesdays Portland, ME Area Women Katrina Zalenski [email protected] (WOMEN) Wednesdays TBD, Central ME Brian Alexander [email protected] Gorham, ME All Gorham Bike & Ski [email protected] Thursdays TBD, Central NH Intermediate Matt Bowser [email protected] 603-491-5448Fridays Franklin Falls Dam Advanced Beginne r Christina Callahan 603-393-0794Saturdays Bradbury MTN SP, Pownal, MEAll Brian Danz [email protected] Sundays TBD, Southern NH All (SS) Jason Gagnon [email protected] 603-781-2640Metro Boston, Merrimack & North ShoreTuesdays Lynn Woods Women Tina Dwan [email protected] 781-258-8254Tuesdays Lowell Dracut Tyngsboro SF Intermediate Lionel Chapman [email protected] Thursdays TBD Skills All Barry Moore [email protected] Russell Mill, Chelmsford Intermediate Stuart Mcdonald [email protected] Saturdays TBD Adv. Beginner-Intermediate David Zizza [email protected] Mass. Blackstone Valley & Rhode IslandSundays Lincoln Woods, RI Beginner-Intermediate Leo Corrigan [email protected] Lincoln Woods, RI Intermediate Brendan Dee [email protected] Tuesdays TBD - RI Advanced Jim Grimley [email protected] 401-732-6390Tuesdays Foxboro SF Mellow-Recovery Iian Crerar [email protected] Duxbury Town Forest Women Beth Mills [email protected] (AM)Wednesdays Blackstone Valley, TBD All Eammon Carleton [email protected] www.bvnemba.orgWednesdays Burlingame, RI Adv Beg-Intermediate Lennon Schroeder [email protected] 401-212-6694Wednesdays TBD, SE Mass. (AM) Intermediate Bill Boles [email protected] 508-583-0067First Thursdays Foxboro SF Intermediate Ian Crerar [email protected] Thursdays Foxboro SF Intermediate Ian Crerar [email protected] First Thursdays Vietnam, Milford MA T/FR Skills Eammon Carleton [email protected] www.bvnemba.orgThursdays Big River, RI Relaxed-Advanced Alan Winsor [email protected] Fridays Blue Hills Intermediate Steve Cobble [email protected] Saturdays Wompatuck SP, Hingham Adv. Beginner & Kids Richard Banks [email protected] Big River, RI Beginner Alan Winsor

Ride the Trails ~ Save the TrailsJoin NEMBA to Support Mountain Biking inNew England !

Pick a Chapter!At Large

Berkshire NEMBABethel Area NEMBA

Blackstone Valley NEMBABrattleboro-Keene NEMBA

Cape Cod NEMBACarrabassett Region NEMBA

Central Maine NEMBACentral NH NEMBA

CT NEMBAFairfield County NEMBAGreater Boston NEMBA

Greater Portland NEMBAMerrimack MA NEMBAMidcoast Maine NEMBANorth Shore MA NEMBA

Pioneer Valley MA NEMBASoutheast MA NEMBASouthern NH NEMBARhode Island NEMBA

Wachusett MA NEMBAWhite Mtns NH NEMBA

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City ____________________________________________ State _______ Zip ______________________

Home phone _____________________________ Chapter ______________________________________

Email Address: _________________________________________________________________________

New:____ Renewal: ____ Visa/MC# _________________________________________ exp___________

Individual $35 ______ Family (2 Cards) $45 ______ Supporting $60 _____ Sponsoring $100_____

NEMBA, PO Box 2221, Acton MA 01720 Join online at WWW.NEMBA.ORG


S.O.S.: Support Our Sponsors!

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

$200+All Things 2 Wheels, Conway NHAll Tuned Up, Westminster MABicycles Unlimited, Greenfield MABlackstone Bicycles, Lincoln RIChainline Bicycles, Laconia NHHorst Engineering, E. Hartford CTHub Bicycle Co., Somerville MANortheast Bicycle Club, Billerica MANorthern Lights, Farmingtn MEQuad Cycles, Arlington MAS & W Sports, Concord NHSki Rack Sports, Bangor MESouhegan Cycleworks, Milford NHThe Bicycle Shop of Topsfield,

Topsfield MATrek Bicycles Portsmouth,

Portsmouth NHWoody's Cyclery, Middleton MA$100Active Sports Group, N. Conway NHArcadian Shop, Lenox MABack Bay Bicycles, Boston MA

Berkshire Bike & Board, Gt.Barrington MA

Beverly Cycles, Beverly MABurke Bike Barn, East Burke VTCycle Center of Stamford, Stamford

CTCycle Lodge, Pembroke MAExeter Cycles, Exeter NHFrank's Spoke 'N Wheel, Sudbury

MAGoodale’s Bike Shop, Concord NHGoodale’s Bike Shop, Hooksett NHCoodale’s Bike Shop, Nashua , NHGorham Bike & Ski, Portland MEGranby Bicycle, Granby CTHighland Hardware & Bike, Holyoke

MAHighland Mountain Bike Park,

Northfield NHIbex Sports, Portsmouth NHJRA Cycles, Medford MALikin' Bikin', Farmingtn NHMoots Cycles, Steamboat Spr. CONew England Bicycle, Southwick MANorm’s Bike & Ski Shop, Keene NHNorth Haven Bike, North Haven CTO'LYN Contractors, Norwood MAPapa Wheelies, Portsmouth NHPedal Power, Middleton CTPiche's Ski & Sport Shop, Gilford NHPlaine’s Bike Ski Snowboard,

Pittsfield MAREI, Inc. Hingham MARiverside Cycles, Newburyport MASeaSport, Hyannis MAStorrs Cycle Center, Storrs CTThe Bike Shop, Manchester CTValley Bike and Ski Works, Hadley

MA$100Norco Bicycles, Woodbridge, ON

PPeerrffoorrmmaannccee TT-SShhiirrtt

WWeeaarr WWiitthh PPrriiddee!! $$3388

wwwwww..NNEEMMBBAA..oorrgg

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Please Make Your End-of-SeasonDonation to NEMBA’s Annual Fund

january 2012 #119

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