NEW ENGLAND MOUNTAIN BIKE ASSOCIATION Files/ST201804 155 web.pdfsolving, and mountain biking. The...

May 2018 #155www.nemba.org

NEW ENGLAND MOUNTAIN BIKE ASSOCIATION

2 |May 2018 Ride the Trails

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 Editor & Publisher: Philip Keyes

Contributing Writer: Bill BolesCopy Editor: Nanyee Keyes

Executive Director: Philip [email protected]

NEMBAPO Box 2221

Acton MA 01720

Board of DirectorsAdam Glick, President

Matt Schulde, Vice-PresidentAnne Shepard, TreasurerHarold Green, Secretary

Rob Adair, White Mountains NEMBAJohn Anders, Midcoast Maine NEMBAAaron Brasslett, Penobscot Region NEMBADavid Burnham, Wachusett NEMBAPaula Burton, FC NEMBAMatt Caron, Southern NH NEMBASteve Cobble, SE MA NEMBAGrant Drew, Central NH NEMBAPerry Ermi, Cape Cod NEMBADisa Fedorowicz, Central Maine NEMBABrian Forestal, BV NEMBATim Friedman, SE MA NEMBAChris Gaudet, Southern NH NEMBAPeter Gengler, RI NEMBAJeremy Hillger, Pemi Valley NEMBADavid Hughes, Carrabassett Region NEMBAStacey Jimenez, Quiet Corner NEMBAJohn Joy, Central CT NEMBAHank Kells, North Shore NEMBAMorgan Laidlaw, Midcoast Maine NEMBAFrank Lane, North Shore NEMBARob Lavoie, Greater Portland NEMBAAlex Leich, White Mountains NEMBABob Lesmerise, Franconia Area NEMBACraig MacDonald, Penobscot Region NEMBAFred Meyers, Wachusett NEMBABarry Moore, Merrimack Valley NEMBAChris Nicodemus, Franconia Area NEMBAPeter Poanessa, BK NEMBATim Post, Pioneer Valley NEMBAJon Regan, Northwest CT NEMBASteve Richardson, Merrimack Valley NEMBAChris Riley, Central Maine NEMBABrett Russ, Wachusett NEMBAPete Schrader, BK NEMBAMaciej Sobieszek, Greater Boston NEMBACory Stiff, SE CT NEMBAJoshua Tauses, Carrabassett Valley NEMBAShelly Temple, Central NH NEMBAGlenn Tourtellot, Quiet Corner NEMBARyan Tucker, Fairfield County NEMBAGlenn Vernes, Central CT NEMBABrian Vibert, Northwest CT NEMBA

SingleTrackSSpring 2018, Number 155

Paper TrailTreadlines — 3Basic Biking — 8Chapter News

• Connecticut — 8• Maine — 13• Massachusetts — 18• New Hampshire — 25• Rhode Island — 31

NEMBA Rides — 32Support our Sponsors — 34

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

On the Cover: Corey French’s son, Ayrton,cleaning the rocks at the Fells at a GB NEMBAkids ride. Photo by Andrea Jones.

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

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

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

Trail Toolsby Bill Boles

What’s in your Hydration Pack?

6

Save the Trails SingleTrackS No. 155| 3


A N N O U N C E M E N T

Annual Meeting Election of NEMBA’s Board of Directors

Berkshire NEMBAAlison McGeeKevin Delaney

Blackstone Valley NEMBABrian Forestal

Anne Shepard (Alternate)

Brattleboro-Keene NEMBAPeter Poanessa

Pete Schrader (Alternate)

Cape Cod NEMBAMichael Dube

Perry Irmi (Alternate)

Carrabassett Valley NEMBADavid Hughes

Julie Coleman (Alternate)

Central CT NEMBAJohn Joy

Glenn Vernes (Alternate)

Central Maine NEMBAChris Riley

Disa Fedorowicz (Alternate)

Central NH NEMBAShelly Temple

Grant Drew (Alternate)

Fairfield County NEMBAPaula Burton

Mike Malwitz (Alternate)

Franconia Area NEMBAChristopher Nicodemus

Bob Lesmerise (Alternate)

Greater Boston NEMBAMaciej Sobieszek

Adam Glick (Alternate)

Greater Portland NEMBARob Lavoie

Merrimack Valley NEMBABarry Moore

Steve Richardson (Alternate)

Midcoast Maine NEMBAJohn Anders

Morgan Laidlaw (Alternate)

Pemi Valley NEMBAJeremy Hillger

Penobscot Region NEMBAAaron Brasslett

Craig MacDonald (Alternate)

Pioneer Valley NEMBAHarold Green

Jonathan Mauterer (Alternate)

North Shore NEMBAFrank Lane

Hank Kells (Alternate)

Northwest CT NEMBAJonathan Regan

Brian Vibert (Alternate)

Quiet Corner NEMBAStacey Jimenez

Kris Schreiner (Alternate)

Rhode Island NEMBAMatt Schulde

Peter Gengler (Alternate)

Six Rivers NEMBALawrence Kovacs

Southeast MA NEMBASteve Cobble

Tim Friedmann (Alternate)

Southern NH NEMBAMatt Caron

Chris Gaudet (Alternate)

Southeastern CT NEMBAKimberly Bradley

Wachusett NEMBADavid Burnham

Brett Russ (Alternate)

White Mountains NEMBAAmanda Tulip

NEMBA members are cordially invited to NEMBA's Annual Meeting and Election of our Board of Directors on May 6, 2018 at Kona BicyclesMTB Adventure event at 12pm at the Middlesex Fells Reservation at 300 Elm St., Medford MA. NEMBA's chapters have nominated who willrepresent their chapter on NEMBA's Board as a primary voting member and alternate. Now it's time for NEMBA membership to vote.


Imagine you're out on your bike. Springhas sprung, the trails are dry and hard.The leaves are just starting to show. Yourbike feels alive under you as fly throughyour favorite trails. As you get fartherand farther from your car your grin getsbigger and bigger. You're planning an epicride. Maybe, finally, you can explore thatdistant singletrack that you never seemto have enough time to get to.

This is a great ride and as you and yourfriends get more and more into it - dis-aster strikes. Well, maybe not exactlydisaster, but the ride comes to a suddenhalt as one of the bikes has a mechani-cal.

It could be a flat tire, a broken chain, abent derailleur, a loose seatpost or han-dlebar or a broken saddle. (All of whichthis author experienced last year.) Or itcould be something else, like brokenspokes, a rip in a tire's sidewall or what-ever.

The point is, that unless you and your

B A S I C B I K I N G

Trail ToolsBy Bill Boles


B A S I C B I K I N G

friends can fix it, that excellent ride will be over. And, worse case sce-nario, one of you will have to do 'the walk of shame' back to theirvehicle.

Most mechanical problems can be repaired out on the trail. But, onlyif you have the requisite tools on hand.

This article is intended to suggest what a well-prepared rider shouldhave with them to fix most trailside mechanicals.

The most common problem, by far, is a flat tire. If you're running innertubes, the solution is to remove your wheel, remove half the tire andpull out the punctured tube. Run your hand around the inner surfaceof the tire looking for thorns or nails and then either replace the tubewith a new one or patch the old one. Then pump your tire up and rideon.

For tubeless tires, see if you can find the leak, and position it to thebottom in the hopes of having your sealant plug it. If it doesn't, addmore sealant, by pulling part of the tire off the rim and pouring it in.Or adding a tire plug to the hole. In a worst-case scenario, check theinner surface of the tire for thorns and then run an inner tube asnoted about.

For a sidewall tear, try putting a folded dollar bill between the innersurface of the tire and the tube. Pump it up and you should be ableto ride it back to your start.

Okay! That's a long description of what to do with a flat. I'm using itillustrate just what tools and gear you'd need to get yourself out ofthe woods.

In this case, a pump, tire irons, and inner tube, or patch kit, a smallbottle of sealant, a tubeless tire plug kit, a dollar bill. Oh! And a smile.Because if you've got what you need you're back on the trail.

But there's lots of things that can go wrong with your bike: What elseshould you consider bringing with you? Here's a partial list: A multi-tool with Allen wrenches and a chain tool. Spare master links, a fewelectrical ties or pipe cleaners to affix loose items and a pliers or smallvice grip. Some people bring derailleur hangers, shifting cables, and ashort section of chain. A CO2 cartridge kit and spare cartridges, forthose of you who don't like to pump. (But you should still have apump with you.) Tweezers to pull thorns from your tire's carcass. Twofeet of duct tape rolled around a white pencil. (The pencil is for mark-ing holes in your tube or tire.) Extra food and drink, in case you're outfor an unexpectedly long time. At least $20 in cash for emergenciesand finally, a fully charged cell phone.

You don't have to carry everything though. If this gear is distributedamong your riding partners, you'll probably be oaky. During a race,minimize this. You don't want to overburden yourself when so manyof your fellow competitors don't bring anything.

Now that you're back on the trail, hopefully after just a short pause,you can get back to your ride. That distant singletrack is still callingto you. As are the much more familiar trails that precede it. Ride on!

Having the tools that you need to get you out of the woods leads toHappy Trails.


When you crack open thisissue, hopefully spring hassprung and you are out onthe trails-clearing and thenriding them! After a record 4Nor'easter's, there are tonsof blowdowns on manytrails. So please, grab ahandsaw and get out there.Also check the NEMBAhomepage and Facebookpage (Central CT NEMBA) for scheduled cleanupdays, we need volunteers to get the trails ready fora season of great riding.

The Central CT Board has been busy over the win-ter making presentations, attending meetings andplanning for the spring and summer seasons. JasonEngelhardt presented at the CT Land ConservationConference in March. He shared the story ofRockland's evolution, and its successes in landconservation, community engagement, problem-solving, and mountain biking. The presentationhad a positive effect getting some folks who hadbeen hesitant to work with MTBers in the past toreconsider. Some land managers invited conversa-tions to start new trails, while others were encour-aged to revitalize old partnerships. We hope forbetter partnerships as a result of this talk. Jasonyou rock-for Rockland!

Once again, John Joy will be spearheading thechapter's participation in The Great Give 2018, a36-hour online fundraising event created by TheCommunity Foundation for Greater New Haven.From 8:00 a.m. May 1 to 8:00 p.m. May 2, we'll bejoining hundreds of other nonprofit organizationsto raise money, awareness, and community enthu-siasm while qualifying for matching funds from theFoundation. In past years, our participation bene-fited Trail School South, the start of a new trail sys-tem at Rockhouse Hill Sanctuary in Oxford, andmost recently Rockland Preserve in Madison. Thisyear's proceeds will benefit the chapter's trail carefund. So do consider giving generously to supportthe trails you love, and help us build some more!Last year, John said that if we beat our fundraisinggoal, he'd bleach a white stripe down the center ofhis head. (We did, so he did.) This year, he'spromised us a Mohawk, so stay tuned for somehilarious photos. For more information, pleasevisit the chapter website: cctnemba.org

Everyone loves to ride the trails, but they need

constant care. Please look for notices on trailmaintenance days at River Highlands, West Rock,Rockland, Supply Ponds and Naugatuck StateForest (Hamden/Bethany). I expect to see you therewith a chainsaw in one hand and a hot coffee inthe other! Donuts and some healthy crap will beprovided for hardworking volunteers.

There are many events planned for 2018 includingthe annual Turkey Burners North and South,Winterfest and Fall Fiesta. In addition, we have afew new demo and fun events happening. In April,the RAW (Ride After Work) rides will start upagain. These are social, no drop group rides forambitious beginner through advanced intermediateriders, held at various locations. Attention rad ladymountain bikers — there will be a Liv CyclingDemo at River Highlands in Cromwell June 12,

from 3:30 to 7:00 p.m. For all the fun-loving gam-blers, this coming fall we hope to have a Poker Ridefundraising event at West Rock in Hamden. Checkthe NEMBA website and Facebook page for moredetails.

Lastly, the board is constantly trying to improveand grow our chapter, so we will be sending out ashort survey. We want to understand what areaswe should focus our energies on. The survey willbe sent via email by late April.

We want to thank all of you who continue to sup-port NEMBA. And ask you to recommend NEMBAto a friend, it is the best $35 bucks they'll everspend!

— Lisa M. Maloney

C O N N E C T I C U T

Al Tinti’s RAW (Ride After Work) Ride at Lookout Mountain at the Case Preserve.

Central CTPresident: Glenn Vernes,

[email protected]: OpenTreasurer: John JoySecretary: Peter FinchAt Large: Jason Engelhardt, Lisa

Maloney, Jon Petersen, Marc OtfinoskiBOD Reps: John Joy, Glenn VernesCT Web: www.ctnemba.comFacebook: “Central CT NEMBA”

Connecticut NEMBA representatives, Paula Burton (Fairfield County), Spencer Meyer and JasonEngelhardt (Central CT), Kim Bradley and Dennis Main (SECT) at the annual Connecticut Land

Conservation Conference at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT March 17, 2018. Photo courtesy ofSpencer Meyer.



Like everyone, we weredealing with the crazyweather over the past fewmonths. We were glad wehad the Stihl multi-tools tohelp us cut back all thebrush and tree-fall from themultiple Nor'easters.Though expensive, themulti-tools have proven tobe worth every penny andwe thank the membership for providing the funds.

On the Advocacy front, the big news inConnecticut is the inclusion of specific language inHouse Bill No. 5485 forbidding the use of e-bikeson single-track trails. Thanks to Philip Keyes andNEMBA for getting this language inserted. TheFCNEMBA Board agrees with the Bill's intent - todefine an e-Bike as a bicycle with respect to publicroads etc., but we do not believe e-Bikes should beallowed on the easily damaged single-track that webuild and maintain.

In January, Paula Burton and Bill Lake launched theHousatonic Valley Group to help develop andmaintain trails in the Woodbury - Oxford area.Anyone interested should join the HousatonicValley Group of NEMBA Facebook group for moredetails. Weekly rides, social events and upcomingtrail building activities are posted there. Ourthanks to Class Cycles in Southbury for helping getthis new Group launched. The Group meets atClass Cycles on the 3rd Wednesday of the month.Also, the "Housy Group" just had their first majorvictory - they just received town approval to buildnew trails in Woodbury on the Trolley Preserve.This will be a fantastic new trail system with a 2+mile loop. The first build-date is May 12!

FC NEMBA's first big trail project kicked off in Aprilat the beautiful Trout Brook Valley in Weston. Wereceived approval from the Aspetuck Land Trust toallow riding in an area previously closed to bikes.This new section (the Magenta trail) will provideadditional options and new features to mountainbikers, and is the result of years of hard work andtrust-building between the land managers andFCNEMBA. The new trail is planned to be openMay 1st. Our thanks to REI for posting the TroutBrook Trail building events on their web page.Other planned trail projects are available onwww.FCNEMBA.org, on the "Advocacy" page. An

updated Weekly Ride calendar is also available too.

Gunnar and Monika have also been working withthe town of Norwalk on a Pump Track proposal.The town is enthusiastic and agreed to donate theland - the town is evaluating several sites rightnow. We received letters of support from thepolice, the Norwalk Bike/Walk Commission, andseveral local and national businesses. We're tryingto help raise funds for the planning phase rightnow. We're off to a good start with the FairfieldCounty Giving Day funds - thanks to all who con-

tributed!

Also, Coach Monika has kicked off the FairfieldCounty Youth Cycling team's season with all-levelsSaturday group rides wrapped around team prac-tices. The team's focus is bringing new folks intothe sport, broadening our chapter's reach to recre-ational riders, and, the best part - RACING, start-ing with Hop Brook MTB Race in Middlebury onApril 8.

Happy trails, Mike Malwitz

Fairfield County Youth Cycling Team - it's all about balance. Photo by Monika Stokes. Location:Cranbury Park, Norwalk Connecticut.

It's never too cold for FCNEMBA." Photo: John Sweeney. Location: Frozen Pond at Huntington StatePark, Redding Connecticut.

FairfieldCounty

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

VP: Gunnar WaldmanSecretary: Monika StokesTreasurer: David Francefort

At Large: Rich Coffey, Kyaeira Tucker

BOD Reps: Ryan Tucker, Paula Burton

Website: www.fcnemba.org


Winter is a distant memoryand the warm invitingspring weather is upon usonce again. The mountainbike season is officiallyunderway!

Things are very active atNW CT NEMBA and plan-ning is underway for manyexciting projects and events

this year. From the newly approved mountain bikeroute on Johnnycake Mountain, bridge building inHarwinton and additional boardwalks in CowlesPark, numerous projects are scheduled for comple-tion during the year.

In addition to the trail building, additional effortsare being made to improve the navigational aids onthe trail systems. The color-coded blazing systemstarted last year will be extended to include newapproved routes. Additional trail signs withmileage and updated online and paper maps shouldall assist in guiding riders throughout the forestwith ease and confidence. An intersection num-bering system is also planned to provide a quickreference to precise locations in the thousands ofacres the trails traverse. In addition to helping trailusers navigate the network, these improvements

will also help trail crews, land managers and emer-gency responders perform their functions in a moreefficient manner.

As the mileage of approved mountain bike routesincreases, a new ambassador program is beingimplemented this year to help monitor and main-tain the trail network. Please consider volunteeringsome time to leave your mark on the great trails ofNorthwest Connecticut. If you're interested, pleasecontact Scott Ruel for the details of this initiative.

Our chapter group rides will begin in May. TheMonday and Thursday rides will be combined thisyear into one ride on Wednesday evenings. Asalways, multiple groups based on fitness and abil-ity will head out for a fun ride at varying locationsthroughout the region. Stay tuned for the detailsand date of the kickoff ride.

In closing, a reminder about monitoring trail con-ditions during the next few months. The spring isan exciting time, the snow has melted, the days arelonger, and the weather begins to warm. The desireto be out in the woods on the bike is at its highestlevel. It's also the time of the year which the trailsare most sensitive to damage. Before heading outfor a ride, be sure to gather as much informationon the trail and weather conditions as possible andalways err on the side of caution. Just because theweather is sunny and warm does not mean thatthe trails are dry and ready to ride without causingdamage. A small amount of restraint during thissensitive time of year will go a long way to keepthe trails in great shape for the duration of the rid-ing season.

See you out on the trails.

Jon R


Rock armoring muddy trail. Photo by Jon Regan

Northwest CTPresident: Jon Regan,

[email protected]

Vice-President: Scott Ruel

Treasurer: Cara Regan

Secretary: Brian Vibert

Event/Ride Coordinator: Margie BowenWebsite: www.nwctnemba.orgFacebook: “NW CT NEMBA”

Get ready for NWCT Trail Days.Photo by Brian Vibert

Singletrack in Cowles ParkPhoto by Benjamin Safryn

Cara Regan rolling down the trail.Photo by Scott Ruel


Quiet Corner NEMBA: Opening SeasonAfter a long, weird-weatherwinter, we are all lookingforward to getting out andriding regularly! QC NEMBAwill start our weekly guidedgroup ride season on April2. Our very active chapteroffers six different grouprides, 4 days a week, mostoccurring weekly! We wel-come riders of all levels whoare looking for camaraderie,great exercise and fun onthe trails of northeastern Connecticut.

We are pleased to introduce Kris Schreiner as ournew Vice President. A relatively new NEMBAmember, Kris learned to mountain bike in Coloradobut he enjoys our gnarly New England trails just asmuch. He will be spearheading a new memberrecruitment campaign for QC NEMBA this year andalso leading a new weekly ride on Wednesdays atOld Furnace State Park.

In between snow, rain & wind storms, our mem-bers have been busy cleaning up trails! This yearwe are committed to logging the many hours wespend on trail maintenance, along with communi-cating with members, local advocacy efforts,organizing and leading rides, and promoting ourchapter & events to the greater community. Wehope that keeping track of volunteer hours will aidus in getting grants and trail-use validation to ourstate & local resources.

Group Rides (starting April 1 through October,unless otherwise noted)**

Mellow Monday Rides are held weekly at JamesL. Goodwin SF. These are no drop, group rides tai-lored to riders in attendance, and may break upinto multiple groups to suit different abilities, ifneeded. Great for kids, families, casual and newriders, and those looking for a recovery ride.

Wednesday Women's Ride weekly @ 6pm.These no drop group rides are for intermediate levelwomen looking to ride together in a supportive,ladies only group. Ride locations will vary through-out CT, RI & SE MA.

Wednesday "Camel" Ride (Starts May 16th) Joinus on "hump day" with an after-work tour of OldFurnace State Park in Killingly every Wednesday at6pm. This ride is intended to challenge technicalskills and gain mid-week mileage. Advanced inter-mediate riders will tackle 8-10 technical miles with~1,000+ft of climbing.

Saturday Morning Special weekly rides are designedfor intermediate plus riders, and will be 15 - 20miles of varied terrain singletrack. The rides willvary in location throughout CT, RI & MA. Starttime based on location.

Weekend Warrior Rides are a year roundskills/freeride series. Weekend Warrior rides are atvarious locations throughout New England, anddesigned for intermediate plus riders looking toadvance their skills on a ride that will stop to ses-sion, play and encourage. This ride series has noset schedule due to race schedules. Rides will beposted in advance in the Quiet Corner NEMBAFacebook group.

Sunday Endurance Series - This ride is designedfor endurance riders and riders with solid fitnesslooking to stretch their riding mileage. Each ridewill lengthen in distance. Locations will vary. Thisseason's three scheduled rides are 6/10 25 miles atBig River, 7/1 20-25 miles at Goodwin State Forestand 7/22 30 miles at Arcadia.

Other QC NEMBA upcoming events:• Spring Outdoors" is a free event sponsored by

The Last Green Valley, May 12 & 19, all levelswelcome for guided rides at Goodwin StateForest

• Trail Day: Trail Build at Mansfield Hollow StatePark, April 15th.

• Goodwin/Natchaug Fun Ride, June 2

• Old Furnace Fun Ride, Sept 9

**For more details, check out the ride descriptionson the NEMBA website. Weather changes, starttimes and locations are posted each week in theQuiet Corner NEMBA (Group Forum) on Facebook(www.facebook.com/QuietCornerNEMBA).

— Cris Cadiz


Cheryl Doyle at Bluff Point. Photos by Stacey Jimenez

Mellow Monday at Goodwin SF

Quiet CornerPresident: Stacey Jimenez,

[email protected]

VP: Kris Schreiner

Treasurer: Glenn Tourtellot

Secretary: Cris CadizFacebook Page: Quiet Corner NEMBAFacebook Group: Quiet Corner NEMBA

(Group Forum)Webpage: www.nemba.org/qcnemba


The winter has been long,cold, and snowy down inSECT, but the buds on thetrees are just starting topop out, daffodils and cro-cuses are poking up, andthe wood frogs are sere-nading the muddy trails.As we wait for them todry, we're actively seekingout sections that needmaintenance in prepara-tion for an eventful 2018riding season.

Over the past few months we have continued toinitiate and grow relationships with land managersin our area. We've met with CTDEEP Parks andForestry representatives, who emphasized that weneed to work directly with them and follow theappropriate processes when maintaining or creat-ing new trails (illegal chainsaw use and trail build-ing threaten our access to state lands). We areworking closely with the Avalonia and Lyme LandTrusts, actively discussing and planning opportuni-ties for new trail systems. Our chapter directlyorganized a NEMBA sponsorship for the CT LandConservation Conference of March 17, which pro-vided incredible access to trail managers fromacross the state and seems to have increased theirinterest in partnering with NEMBA. The closer wework with our land managers, the more opportuni-ties we will have for riding and creating trails.

Over the winter, our chapter volunteers haveworked hard in helping maintain the mountain bikeroute for the Tour de Lyme. We have worked close-ly with the Lyme Land Conservation Trust andCTDEEP to gain a permit for maintenance efforts inNehantic State Forest, and gathered volunteers tohelp remove downed trees in several preserves.Several volunteers have stepped up to act as "TrailBosses" working to maintain sectors of the event'sapproximately 26-mile mountain biking route.SECT NEMBA plans to organize a Lyme Trail WorkDay for May 6, 2018, with the goal getting thetrails in top shape before we mark out the routethe week before the event. We hope to see manyof you from across the region at the Tour de Lymeon May 20, 2018. This premiere cycling eventoffers 16- and 26.5-mile mountain bike loopsthrough the hills, rocks, and gullies, of traditionalNew England dirt/gravel roads and single track.The money raised by this event will go toward cre-ating added opportunities for public enjoyment ofLyme Land Conservation Trust preserves, includingnew mountain bike trails, while also supporting

efforts to protect and maintain existing trails andconservation efforts. Please visit tourdelyme.orgfor more information and to register.

We have received confirmation that CTDEEP ismoving ahead with a new parking lot at MooweenState Park. NEMBA volunteers are prepared todevelop a new connector trail and support theparking lot construction. Our chapter has pur-chased a new leaf blower to support trail buildingat Mooween, trail maintenance for Tour de Lyme,and several new trail development opportunitieson the horizon.

A number of new rides and events are being organ-ized within SECTNEMBA for 2018. Our weeklySaturday morning rides have run straight through

the winter and continue to draw new participantseach week, thanks to Pat Lamond and WayfarerBicycle. Jessica Heuschele has organized andplanned our new weekly Thursday evening LadiesOnly ride, which kicks off April 5, 2018. SECTNEMBA will be hosting monthly novice and fami-ly-focused riding opportunities throughout theseason. The Bluff Mountain Bike Adventure Seriesride will make its return on August 18, 2018, markyour calendars! Keep an eye our social media andwebsite for additional details!

Ride on,

-Kim Bradley

Connecticut NEMBA representatives, Paula Burton (Fairfield County), Spencer Meyer and JasonEngelhardt (Central CT), Kim Bradley and Dennis Main (SECT) at the annual Connecticut Land

Conservation Conference at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT March 17, 2018. Photo courtesy ofSpencer Meyer.

Field crew consisting of SECT NEMBA Chapter members Thomas Provencher, Evan Bradley, Todd Romilly,Brian Kendall, Bob Caporaso, and Tim Wilson working to clear Tour de Lyme trails of fallen trees in

Nehantic State Forest, January 2018.

SECT NEMBAPresident: Kim Bradley, president@sect-

nemba.org, 860-581-3130

Vps: Cory Stiff & Pat Lamond

Treasurer: Janet Andersent

Secretary: Todd RomillyFacebook: “SECT NEMBA”Webpage: www.nemba.org/sectnemba



Great Winter!As winter comes to a close(even in CarrabassettValley), we're trying to lookbeyond the long mud sea-son we have here in themountains of westernMaine to summer and fallriding. But what a winterseason we had! Thanks tothe herculean efforts of TimFlight, CRNEMBA "chairmanof the corduroy" and the dedication of fellowgroomers Brian Oickle and Spencer Lee, there wassignificant singletrack mileage available to ride dur-ing all but the most challenging snow events.Sprocket, our plucky little grooming machine, didhis job well, towing sled, drag, and groomer with-out complaint through a variety of snow andweather conditions. Between the groomed single-track, significant rideable mileage on the MaineHuts & Trails (MH&T) system and access to a bigchunk of the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center Nordic skitrail system, big riding days were a reality. Plansare being laid for additional groomed singletrack forthe 2018/2019 winter riding season. New snowmeant less than ideal conditions for the fourthannual Sugarloaf Fat Tire Race and Fat Tire Day butby all reports everyone had fun.

Winter Fat Tire Bikers and NordicSkiers Not So DifferentIn January, Sugarloaf hosted a winter fat-bikinginformation session for Nordic skiers to discussplanned shared trail access. CRNEMBA volunteerswere on hand to answer questions and manybrought their bikes so skiers could give it go; ped-aling invariably led to smiling! Sugarloaf provideda hearty home-cooked meal for the event; in aroom full of folks eating lasagna and drinking beer,it was hard to tell skier from biker! They both:

• Like to be outside in the cold,

• Have the self-confidence to wear clothes therest of the world views as weird,

• Obsess over snow surface conditions,

• Spend more than they should on gear, and

• Can't imagine why anyone would ever want todo anything else!

Long Range Plan ReleasedAnyone involved with mountain bike trail planning

and construction knows it's a complicated endeav-or; permissions, funding, volunteer resource con-straints, and difficult terrain can all present chal-lenges. Help is always welcome and CRNEMBA isfortunate to have three other substantial partnersto lean on. The Carrabassett Valley TrailsCommittee (CVTC) represents a collaborativeeffort between the Town of Carrabassett Valley,CRNEMBA, Maine Huts & Trails, and Sugarloaf togrow and improve the CVTrails system. In order toguide those efforts over the next several years, theCVTC recently released the CVTrails Mountain BikeTrail System Development Plan. The plan can beseen on the CRNEMBA website https://carrabas-settnemba.org/ see the News Item titled Released:CVTrails Mountain Bike Trail System DevelopmentPlan.

Leadership Switch-UpI accepted the position of chapter president in thefall of last year. I did so with equal doses of humil-ity and excitement. And some trepidation as towhether my busy schedule would allow me to beas active within our riding community as our mem-bers deserve. A recent injury will sideline me fromthe bike for the 2018 season and that has tippedthe scales; effective Earth Day, Warren Gerow and Iwill be switching seats: Warren will becomePresident and I will assume the role of VP. Warrenhas the skills, temperament and judgment to be agreat president and I look forward to continuing towork with him and to helping CRNEMBA wherev-er I can.

2018 Summer & Fall EventsVolunteer Trail Work Days (May 26, June 2, June9 & 10, July 7 and other dates):

CRNEMBA needs you! We rely on volunteer trailcrews to get our network open and address manymaintenance projects that keep the trails ridingsweet. We usually meet at the Sugarloaf OutdoorCenter at 9:00 in the morning. Don't forget yourbike; we always leave time for a ride when thework is done. Dates and details are available onour website.

Carrabassett Backcountry Cycle Challenge(July14):

Now in its 8th year, the Carrabassett BackcountryCycle Challenge (CBBC) offers 100k, 50k, and 25krace options. A National Ultra Endurance (NUE)Series race, it's also the largest yearly fundraiser forthe Carrabassett Valley trail network. We had agreat 2017 race with nearly 400 participants. Youcan visit the CBCC Facebook page to see photosand stay in touch with what's happening with therace.

Maine Huts & Trails Backwoods Duathlon(August 4):

Operated by Baxter Outdoors, this low-key runand mountain bike event is super fun and featuresa 10k mountain trail run followed by a 15k bike.Baxter Brewing provides après-race refreshmentand proceeds support the trail system.

NEMBA TrailFest (August 17-19):

We will be teaming up with our friends at MaineHuts and Trails (MH&T) again this year for an out-standing work, ride, eat and stay experience.MH&T will generously provide participants withhuge discounts for lodging Friday and Saturdaynights and meals Friday evening through lunch onSunday. Work project details are being finalized;check the CRNEMBA Facebook event page for moredetails as they become available. Space is limitedso contact Spencer Lee at [email protected] toreserve your spot. MH&T is an integral part of ourtrail system and provides a unique backcountrylodging experience right on the trail; check themout at https://mainehuts.org/.

Carrabassett Adventure Ride (September 29):

This event is part of the Kona Bicycles MTHBAdventure Series and will be held at the AdaptiveOutdoor Adventure Center on the access road tothe Sugarloaf Outdoor Center. The facility hasplenty of space inside and out to support a greatevent during some of the best riding conditions ofthe season. Loops will be marked and guided ridesoffered. The day will end with a BBQ andCRNEMBA's annual meeting. Check our websitefor more details as they become available.

—Ed Gervais

Winter Singletrack Photo byAndy Gillespie

M A I N E

CarrabassettRegion Maine

President: Warren Gerow,[email protected]

VP: Ed Gervais Secretary: Lori GerencerTreasurer: Dana FriendFacebook: Carrabassett Region NEMBAWebsite: www.carrabassettnemba.orgFacebook and Instagram:

Carrabassett Region NEMBA


M A I N E

In an unpredictable winteryou may have found your-self dreaming of a charteredyacht with captain andcrew. Anchored in a quietcove, paddle boarding inemerald waters then savor-ing a cold beverage listen-ing to the halyards rockingto the swell. Or perhapsloftier thoughts on a pri-vate plane charting outyour next adventure. Look no further than theCeMENEMBA spring social for these and manyother varied and sundry items. April 28th at theReadfield Emporium brings the second annualsilent auction. It's a great opportunity to swap sto-ries from the past winter and make plans for thesummer season. Cemenemba.org has the specifics.You do not have to attend to bid but we hope youwill!

The spring auction is just one of many revenuesources supporting the trails. NEMBA membership

is another key resource. Our goal is to build andmaintain the maximum amount of single trackfinances allow. While any donation of any size atany time is greatly appreciated much of the plan-ning and scheduling takes place in the winter andspring. Planning is done around availableresources and timely donations will have a timelyimpact.

Volunteering this time of year is especially reward-ing. Clearing the winter detritus akin to vacuuminga dark rug. The results are immediately obvious andsupremely satisfying. The quicker the trails dry thesooner we can ride them. So consider joining yourfellow bikers for some early season trail work.

While the winter weather seemed pretty wild attimes it left us with some perfect conditions forriding. Our winter trail network grew leaps andbounds this year with expanded grooming at theLake Auburn Community Center and brand newtrails in the Kennebec Highlands. This was onlypossible through generous landowners and dedi-

cated volunteers. If you want to have fun in thewinter you have to seize the moment and our vol-unteer groomers had perfect timing.

Kudos are in order for the Central Maine Cyclingclub for the first indoor park in central Maine.Created as a fundraiser for storm damage to theroof of the Olde Mill Place in Vassalboro the clubput on a benefit race in February. The course wasabout three quarters of a mile on two floors of themill. Both attendance and fun shattered expecta-tions.

Upcoming eventsApril 28, Spring Kick-off and Silent Auction: TheEmporium in Readfield

June 16, The Bond Brook Tread fest: Our annualbiker race and largest fundraiser of the year.

July 8, 4th Annual Titcomb Mountain Women'sClinic: Titcomb Mountain in Farmington.

—Ian OgilvieErik Dasilva at the Olde Mill Fundraiser. Photo Chris Riley

Single Track Swamp in the Kennebec Highlands: Photo by Ian Ogilvie

Moxie at the Roxy Rand Road. Photo by Brett Vancott

Central MEPresident: Chris RileyVP: Disa FedorowiczRegional VPs: Frank Jalbert & Matt SwanSecretary: Garry HinkleyTreasurer: Justin LagasseyBoard Members: Brian Alexander, Ted

Eames, Ted ScharfSingleTracks: Ian OgilvieFacebook: CeMeNEMBAWebsite: www.cemenemba.org


M A I N E

The biggest news comingout of Greater Portlandrecently is the purchase ofa SnowDog winter groom-ing machine. As fatbikingcontinues to grow, ourmembership wanted win-ter riding options and weanswered their calls. Thetracked machine, aka"Grommet", allows us toride much of the same sin-gletrack we all love duringthe summer months. We blazed through winterlike our ride season never ended, literally. Nextfall, we plan to train more of our members to useGrommet and increase the amount of trailsgroomed all over Greater Portland.

Speaking of Spring, our chapter is just coming offour spring social in which over a hundred riderscame together to celebrate all things bike. Onevery lucky person went home with a customIndustry Nine Wheelset thanks to a graciousdonation from The Scott & Sunny Townsend Teamof Keller Williams Realty!

This upcoming season will show no lack of fun orprogress for our mountain biking community. Ourmonthly ride series dubbed, Tour de GreaterPortland, will continue. This ride is the firstSaturday of each month and rotates through ourpopular trail networks.

There is no shortage of summer projects plannedthis year throughout our region. Cape Elizabeth isexploring opportunities to create a machine-builttrail complete with berms and rollers, designed forriders of all abilities. Junior is going to love it! InFalmouth, word on the street is that specificallydesigned climb trail is on the radar for theBlackstrap Preserve. Bradbury Mountain State Parkis planning some improvements to Lanzo, Islandand O Trails. Lastly, the Gorham crew has another2 miles of new trail flagged. We are all patientlywaiting for the snow to melt to begin work. GPNEMBA has two new Board members, Jim Tasseand Andy Haynes. We would like to thank ouroutgoing members for their service, PatrickHackleman, Jack Zinn and Caleb Hemphill. In addi-tion, we have a new fearless leader. It is my pleas-ure to introduce you to Ilse Teeters-Trumpy, ournewest chapter president. Ilse is also the FIRSTfemale chapter president of all the Maine chapters.I for one think this is a wonderful sign of progres-sion of mountain biking. I've enjoyed serving asthe chapter President and hope to return to a lead-ership role in the future. Happy trails!

—Rob Lavoie

Meet Grommet the SnowDog! Photo by Corey Theriault.

Julie Coleman, Emily Day and Amanda Garvey at the GP NEMBA Spring Social

GreaterPortlandPresident: Ilse Teeters-Trumpy, iteeter-

[email protected]

Secretary: Amanda Devine

Treasurer: Emily HelliesenWeb: www.nemba.org/gpnembaFacebook: “Greater Portland NEMBA”


M A I N E

Thanks John Anders!After ten years at the helmof Midcoast NEMBA, JohnAnders has stepped asideas President. John has beena tireless workhorse for thechapter and will remaininvolved with many facetsof the chapter. John hastaken on a new professionalrole with the Georges RiverLand Trust and MCNEMBA is excited about thenew opportunities for mountain biking that thiswill create. Morgan Laidlaw has taken over as pres-ident of the chapter. We also have a new list ofofficers for 2018.

New Snow DogThrough collaboration of MCNEMBA, GeorgesRiver Land Trust, and Sidecountry Sports a SnowDog has been purchased! The machine will be usedto groom local trails for winter fat biking. Expectmore amazing fat biking to come out of the midcoast!

Six Pack Trail SeriesIn its second season, the Six Pack Trail series isscheduled to being on Saturday, April 21st. Theseries consists of 6 Saturday morning work ses-sions on the local trails and will include springcleanup, bridge work, and will address drainageissues. The work session will occur from 8:30amto 12:30pm, happy hour pricing will immediatelyfollow for all trail workers at the Drouthy Bear Pubin Camden. See the MCNEMBA Facebook page formore detailed information or feel free in inquire at207-949-4354.

Thomaston Town ForestPlanning and design is underway to begin con-structing mountain bike trails in the ThomastonTown Forest this summer. Initial efforts willinvolve building beginner friendly trails, which willeventually progress to intermediate and more tech-nically advanced trails as the project evolves.

Youth Explorers and Wednesday Night

RidesThe signature series of our chapter, the Explorers,will start around the third week of June and willrun into August. As in prior years, the series willrun on Monday evenings. In addition, aWednesday night ride series, hosted bySidecountry Sports, is also scheduled to get under-way this summer. The Wednesday Night Rides area great way for new riders to learn local trails,while developing their mountain bike skills and fit-ness. Please check with your Local Bike Shop (LBS)and the MCNEMBA Facebook page for moredetails.

MembershipWe need your support! Please consider joiningMcNEMBA by visiting www.nemba.org/join andselecting Midcoast Maine NEMBA as your chapter.Your contributions help support local trail buildingefforts and our youth mountain bike programs.

—Morgan Laidlaw

McNEMBA’s new Snowdog is a game-changer for our winter riding!

Rider: Bob Wellen and Statia fat biking GooseRiver trails Photo by John Anders

MidcoastMainePresident: John Anders, 207-542-0080,

[email protected]: Morgan LaidlawTreasurer: Stephanie SzarkaBoard:

Jason Buck, Jackson Kinney, Darby Urey,Walter Szarka, Scott Carlson, StaceyKeefer, Kevin Callahan

Facebook: “Midcoast Maine NEMBA”


The mountain bikers of Bath,Brunswick and TopshamMaine are thrilled to be join-ing the NEMBA family as thenewly formed Six RiversChapter. The NEMBA boardaccepted our petition at theirmeeting on April 3rd, 2018.News of the organization ofSix Rivers NEMBA is alreadygenerating interest andexcitement. Our top priorityis to work with our local land trusts, municipali-ties, schools, and other organizations to identify,acquire, and protect areas for trails. We hope to

increase off-road con-nectivity in our com-munities which will,in turn, promote out-door recreation.Another focus will beyouth outreach andprogramming. Werecognize trails are aresource for the entirecommunity and, as aNEMBA chapter, wewill foster enthusi-asm for responsiblemountain bike ridingin our region.

We plan to hostevents that will pro-mote proper trailbuilding, mainte-nance, and riding eti-quette, as well asengage youth andnew riders to becomelife-long lovers of mountain biking. Eventually, wewill provide literature and maps that will help localand visiting riders enjoy all our area has to offer. Inaddition, we are optimistic that any relationshipwith NEMBA will bring the resources we need toeffectively develop landowner relationships, advo-cate for bike access on public lands, and partnerwith land trusts, municipalities, and others on

long-term maintenance and insurance of trails. It isour sincere hope that these efforts will improve ouralready great riding, as well as support our localcommunities by supporting health and wellnessand environmental awareness. On behalf of the SixRivers NEMBA Board of Directors, thank you forwelcoming us into the fold!

—Lawrence Kovacs

Six RiversPresident: Lawrence Kovacs, lko-

[email protected]: Channing Jones Secretary: Lee CataldoDigital Guru: Matt Viara Board: Kristian Haralson, Alex Long, Jack

Bateman, Kurt Karwacky, Jaret Reblin,Michael Evan, Ernie Phillips, ForrestCarver, Bill Milam

M A I N E


The Berkshire chapter isexcited to be pullingtogether as a team to makesome great progress overthe next few months. Thiswinter we focused on nail-ing down some planes forseveral specific regionswith project planningmeetings led by our awe-some Trail Team Leaders.

Berkshire NEMBA members have been showing a

fantastic increase in participation at meetingswhich is laying the groundwork for all sorts ofgrowth. At our January kickoff meeting a livelygroup of 25 members and potential membersshowed up to discuss general plans for the begin-ning of the season including gear/tool planning,project outlines, and goals. We were thrilled thatPhilip Keyes was able to join us and share infor-mation about grants to help motivate our chapterfor even more growth and structure moving for-ward.

We also discussed ideas for youth initiatives,interest in trainings for responsible chainsaw work,establishing an effective trail cleanup/maintenancesystem, and how to share information amongchapter members.

For February we enjoyed a thoughtful slideshowfrom our Boulders Trail Team Leader Erik Forestell,which laid out a multi-phase plan for new trails inthis small, centrally-located park. The Boulders isone of many properties overseen by the BerkshireNatural Resources Council (BNRC), an organiza-tion our chapter is grateful to be partnering with—Mike Leavitt, Land and Trails Coordinator fromBNRC was able to join us for this meeting andshare information about that property as well as

others that mountain bikers will be helping to sup-port and sustain. In May, NEMBA and BNRC willjoin together for a Boulders workday to upkeepexisting trails and prepare for the new trail build-ing that will be led by Erik and his team later in theSpring. The group of 17 NEMBA members also dis-cussed projects and ideas for Kennedy Park inLenox, guided by trail team leader Ruth Wheeler.

The March meeting focused on the Greylock Glen,a project spearheaded by the Thunderbolt SkiRunners and supported by Berkshire NEMBA. Trailteam leader, Heather Linscott led discussions sur-rounding how to continue to grow the new trailnetwork by using existing trails and planning newroutes across various land sections at the base ofMount Greylock. The fantastic progress in thisregion has been due to the hard work of a small,dedicated group of skiers and riders with good col-laboration between the Town of Adams and theDepartment of Conservation and Recreation(DCR).

Our April meeting will focus on Pittsfield'sSpringside Park and Balance Rock. Springside Park,led by Jake Van Deusen, will feature projects tohelp with general upkeep and revitalization of thecity park, continue collaboration with theBerkshire Mountain Bike Training Series, and create

more youth-friendly options (trails, buildingopportunities, and activities). Balance Rock is aDCR property that will serve as an opportunity forus to rebuild connections with the state whilemaintaining some of the local riders' favorite trails.This area has been a longstanding attraction tomountain bikers and we hope to help make it moreaccessible and safe for all.

Launching from all of these focused, team-orientedplanning meetings, our chapter hopes to kick-offwith a wide variety of productive projects as soonas possible and carry the momentum through thespring, summer, and fall. Our primary focus thisyear will be to maintain and organize authorizedtrails, link trails into usable systems/trail net-works, build appropriate and valuable new trailswithin these systems, and strengthen our overallconnections within the local community.

Thank you to all our members and communitypartners who are helping us grow the structure ofthe mountain bike community!

—Alison McGee

M A S S A C H U S E T T S

BerkshireNEMBAPresident: Alison McGee,

[email protected]: Ruth WheelerTreasurer: Chris CalvertFacebook: “Berkshire NEMBA”BOD Reps: Alison McGee & Kevin

Delaney

Looking forward to more great events like this Bike the Glen, put on with the Thunderbolt Ski Runnersand Berkshire NEMBA.

NEMBA members met with other outdoor organizations last year as part of a kickoff meeting to worktoward boosting the outdoor recreation economy in the Berkshires

NEMBA volunteers at a fall trailwork day atSpringside Park—we're looking forward to even

more progress here this spring!


The Blackstone ValleyNEMBA chapter is pleasedto welcome spring, probablyalong with a lot of otherfolks! The March stormswreaked havoc in our parksand trails, but thankfullymany of our members havealready been hard at workclearing the trails. Thankyou to everyone for pitchingin, as we are all anxious to get out and ride.

Along with the ad hoc work, April is chalk full oforganized trail maintenance events. Please see ourFace Book page or the Blackstone Valley page onthe NEMBA website to see what opportunities arestill available for volunteers. As of this writing,here are the scheduled events, with more likely tocome:

• Callahan State Park bridge build - we are con-structing a new 54 ft. bridge on a seasonallywet section of Rocky Road on April 14th

• West Hill Dam trail clean up on April 22nd

• Goat Hill trail day and the Framingham EarthDay festival are slated for April 28

• Douglas State Park trail days April 28 and pos-sibly April 29

• Vietnam Tuesday night trail maintenance ridesbegin April 10 and will take place everyTuesday night during the season. Locationswill vary with up to the minute details postedon Face Book

• MRA Multisport has races coming up thatcould use some help from our BlackstoneValley volunteers at Goat Hill (4/14), WallumLake (5/5 & 5/6), and Hodges Dam (6/30)

The 2018 ride schedule is shaping up nicely. Wehave rides set up for several nights of the week.Check our Face Book page for up to the minutedetails. We are always looking for more volunteersthat would like to take part in the rewarding expe-rience of being a ride leader. Please reach out toBrian Forestal if you have interest in leading rideswith us.

We held our spring chapter meeting on Monday,April 2nd at CraftRoots Brewing in Milford. Forintroductions we asked people say their name,town, and preferred wheel size. The majority ofmembers picked wheel size… nah, they couldn'tpick just one! We discussed the above information

on trail days and ride schedule, and also talkedabout the importance of attending and respondingto the DCR resource management planning meet-ings. We have an active voice and it's a greatopportunity to be involved in the future of ourtrails. Please keep an eye out for our email cam-paign to reinforce our message to the DCR.

This year our chapter fun ride will take place onOctober 21st at Douglas State Park. We are stillworking out the details for this event but pleasemark your calendars.

While we say goodbye to winter until next season,let's not forget to mention the acquisition of ournew chapter Snow Dog! In our January meeting thechapter voted to explore grooming equipment. In asuccessful fund raising effort, we raised just under$4,000 from private donations and were able topurchase the equipment. The Blackstone ValleyNEMBA chapter is the proud owner of "Crank," ournew SnowDog brand trail groomer.

To close, we would like to give a shout out to oneof our members, Leslie Choquette. On April 1st,2017 Leslie joined the April challenge to ride a bikeevery day for 30 days. Several of our memberscompleted the challenge. But then Leslie kept rid-ing, and riding, and riding, our very own ForrestGump! On March 31st she hit 365 consecutivedays of riding! Although many people suggestedshe has earned a day off, I think she might still begoing. If you see Leslie out on the trails, and youprobably will, please tip your hat to this dedicatedmountain biker. Congratulations Leslie! #Goals#Crazy

—Brian Forestal & Kara Gilman


Congratulations to Leslie Choquette for finishingup 365 days of riding in a row!

Meet “Crank”, our new Snowdog. Can’t wait for winter to come. Just kdding ..... maybe!

BlackstoneValleyPresident: Brian Forestal,

[email protected] President: Eammon CarletonTreasurer: Rick AttridgeSecretary: Anne ShepardWebsite: www.bvnemba.orgBV Facebook: “Blackstone Valley

NEMBA”Vietnam Facebook: “NEMBA Vietnam”


Were getting excited as I'msure you all are to start rid-ing on a consistent basis asthe weather continues toimprove with spring in theAir, until tomorrow that is.

We are expecting a day lateApril Fools snow….

As April kicks off we have2 park serve days at CampGreenough and Nickerson

State Park.

Check our CCN Facebook Group page for dates andtimes.

We are happy to announce that we will be havingthe Porta Potty back again this season at our mainTOT parking lot.

Our FM Kids Flip out rides will begin again onFriday May 18 for the summer season. Thanks somuch Frank Merola for spearheading the kids ridesevery Friday night.

We could always use parents help with the rides asits getting bigger and bigger each week it seems.

We will have the Tabor Academy students backagain for a trail maintenance day. its always greatto see young men and women helping us out onthe mtb trails.

Cheers to Xtopher White for getting the studentsinvolved.

Our Chapter meetings will continue on the firstMonday of the month. locations will be differenteach month. Check out FB for locations.

See you on the trails,

—Mike and Crystal Dube


Cape CodPresident: Michael Dube, dubati@com-

cast.netVice President: Perry ErmiTreasurer: Frank MerolaSecretary: Kris ErmiFacebook Group: “Cape Cod NEMBA

Group”Yahoogroup:

[email protected]

Sunset Ride. Photo by Jason Catania

Group Ride Photo by Wayne Strohm


March was rough!Much like our nearby chap-ters, GBNEMBA has hadan... interesting Winter!Grooming and riding fat-bikes on our local trailsoccupied us for the "normal"months when one expectssnow. That was fun, and wewere looking forward to anearly Spring, but MotherNature threw us a curveball in March. GB members did help the MV effortsto groom and clear at Russell Mill, so we've beenable to ride, but lately what has occupied much ofour weeknight would-be riding hours has been"hike and hack" evenings. Luckily, we have threetrail work days scheduled on April 14th, 22nd,28th. We need lots of volunteers for these! Pleasedo yourself and the MTB community a good deedand attend at least one. It's great exercise, com-panionship, and precious time in the woods onYOUR trails. Plus you might even get one of ournew, cool volunteer T-shirts! You are invited to helpfor an hour or all day - whatever you can do, weneed your help. All three days will be spent ready-ing the Middlesex Fells Reservation for the seasonopening Mountain Bike Adventure Series (MBAS)event, celebrating 29 years of advocacy in the Fells.

Opening Day at the FellsThe Season Opener will be held on May 6th withregistration open at 9:00 AM. The location will bethe same as in years past - Flynn Rink, right at theintersection of Highland avenue, Elm street, andWoodland road in Medford. There will be colorcoded courses for Novice, Intermediate, and Expertriders. You can go off on your own or be led by oneof GB NEMBA's world famous ride guides. The NewEngland High School Cycling Association(NEHSCA) is planning to organize a ride, there willbe a kid's ride at 10, a couple special rides led bybike store guys, and a raffle/giveaway schwagfest!Cycle Loft will provide lunch again this year. Localbike stores will be on hand to display their waresand some will have demo bikes available. Theschedule will be up on the GB chapter page onwww.nemba.org or you can check the whiteboardby the registration tent that morning.

Weeknight and Kids' RidesWe are hoping to start our weeknight rides mid-April. This year the popular and exclusive Ladies'ride will continue, at rotating venues, on Tuesdaynights. The Monday novice ride at Beaver BrookNorth will pick back up. The Wednesday night Fellsride continues, and the flagship Thursday night

ride at Burlington Land Locked Forest returns. Inaddition to these rides just for fun, Dan will berunning the PYT on Monday nights, so you canpractice your technique. We will also be helping tocelebrate Burlington Town Day by providing a kids'ride, and hope to schedule something special forthe parents and children of the Estabrook School inLexington. The Kids' Ride series schedule below isweather dependent. Check the NEMBA website toensure dates haven't changed.

May 6 (Sunday) MBAS @Fells / Kids Ride

June 9 (Saturday) Burlington Town Day @LLF /Kids Ride

July 15(Sunday) Kids Ice-cream Ride @GreatBrook Farm State Park

Aug 18 (Saturday) @Rock Meadow - Belmont

Sept 9 (Sunday) MBAS @GBF/Kids ride withMVNEMBA

Sept 15 (Saturday) Ice-cream Reboot Kids Ride@Dow with NS NEMBA

Oct 14 (Sunday) Mtn Bike Kids Festival @Fells

Nov 25 (Sunday) Toys for Tots / Kids Ride @Fells

It's looking like a great season. We hope you thinkso too, and will come out to help us maintain, keepaccess to and enjoy our trails. After this drearyMarch we all need it!

—Rob Auffrey

Group ride from Russell Mill to Great Brook Farm, via Mill Pond. Photo by PK

Mary, Reenie, Ilana, Rob, Tom, Jon, and Louis theDog's butt. Photo by Mary McCarthy

Rick Forese on the RM log roll


Greater BostonPresident: Maciej Sobieszek ,

[email protected]

VPs: Adam Glick, Rick Forzese andAndrea Jones

Secretary: Rob Aufrey Treasurer: Bill CohnWebsite: www.gbnemba.orgfacebook: “GB NEMBA”


President’s Message

The 2018 riding season isunderway. We don't haveany large projects on thehorizon. The general main-tenance (deadfall removal,leave removal, brushingback, drainage…) was com-pleted as the trails becameridable. Our newest trail,Inner loop at Billerica Stateforest, will continue to beimproved. The focus will befeature creation and improvements. We will alsobe working to undo unauthorized trail sanitizing atLowell Dracut Tyngsboro SF. The number of modifi-cations in now in the double digits. Please keep on

the look out for the trail days.

The winter riding season has come to a close. I amnot sure it wanted to leave. We have entered intothe winter trail grooming. We are leaning how touse the Snowdog but more importantly when.There is a science to the perfect conditions andtiming for grooming. I am hoping to get to a pointwhere we could host a fun event next winter.

We have seen an increase in trail modification thispast fall and spring. We have added signs to theareas we have been having issues with. Please donot modify a trail you didn’t build, period! Timespent repairing modification is time taken awayfrom new trail. If you are going to spend 30 min-

utes sanitizing a trail feature, or just creating a goaround, why not spend that time practicing thetrail feature.

The MVNEMBA weekly rides will start as condi-tions and sunlight improve. Keep an eye onNEMBA.org and Facebook “MVNEMBA”

Come ride with us!

—Barry Moore

Creating White Asphalt with the Snowdog. Photo by Matt McRae

MV Road Trip to Womapatuck in January to ride dirt. Photo by PK

Kirk Goldsworthy leading a group ride on the newly Snowdogged trails at Russell Mill. Photo by PK


MerrimackValleyPresident: Barry Moore,

[email protected]

Vice-President: Malen AndersonTreasurer: Chris PetersenEmail List: mtb-

[email protected]: MVNEMBA

Web Page: www.nemba.org/mvnemba

Facebook Group: “Merrimack Valley NEMBA”


Fat bikers had a "feast orfamine" type of winter onBoston's north shore thisyear. Several big stormsdumped ample amounts ofsnow which usually meltedwithin a day or two.Currently it is late Marchand Old Man Winter isn'tgiving up yet. Threenor'easters in Marchwreaked havoc in manyareas. Many downed trees and other debris needto be cleared from the trails before normal ridingcan resume.

With the big snows of January came a proposalthat NSNEMBA purchase a snow groomer. RayMeyers took the lead on the issue and will give apresentation at the spring chapter meeting. Asnow groomer would be used on the trails at localparks to create a firmer surface and improve condi-tions for fat biking. Despite the fickle nature ofNew England winter weather, it seems like there issufficient support for the chapter to purchase asnow groomer.

Stay tuned for more info on the NSNEMBA SpringChapter Meeting, tentatively scheduled for April29 at Lee Hollenbeck's house. The many topics tobe discussed include: spring trail projects,NSNEMBA's weekly ride series and Wicked Rideplanning. A pre-meeting mtb ride will be led byLee and Barry Arsenault in theWilmington/Burlington Conservation Lands. Don'tforget to register for NEMBAFest!

— Hank Kells

North ShorePresident: Frank Lane

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

[email protected]: Scott Merloni

www.ns nemba.org


NS NEMBA volunteers at the Volunteer Party at the Harpoon Brewery:Steve Charette, Deb Merloni, Scott Merloni, Karen Whittier, Lee Hollenbeck, Reenie Greene, Tom

Greene, Frank Lane, Hank Kells and Dan Streeter

Russ Campbell getting his phat on. Photo by Tom Greene


After that winter we justexperienced, most of us arelooking to get back on ourbikes and ride some sweetsingletrack! Here's theshort list of some of ourfavorite parks, as compiledby Tom McKenna:

Top 10 SE MassParksIf you look at the trails list-ed on the SE Mass Chapter page of the NEMBAwebsite, you will find a listing of 38 different loca-tions to ride in or near our chapter. Here is adescription of the top 10 riding locations within SEMass.

1. & 2. Blue Hills & Ponkapoag Pond areas

The Blue Hills has essentially 2 parks; theHoughton's/Great Blue area north of Rt. 128 andPonkapoag Pond (locally known as Ponky) south of128. Houghton's/Great Blue area is large andincludes lots of both double and single track witha fair amount of climbing. The area can be steepand rocky so would be more technical. This areaincludes the NEMBA created Buck Hill singletracksand also an enduro style trail called Coon Hollowoff the top of the Great Blue. These areas are gen-erally intermediate, and a good way to familiarizeyourself with the park is to follow one of the well-established White or Yellow Triangle Loops. Bothstart and finish at the Houghton's Pond parking lot,and you can pickup a MTB Map at theHeadquarters across the street.

Ponky on the other hand is much more mellow.You can take a 4 mile double track around the pondor venture off the main loop on more than 8 milesof fun and flowy single track on both sides of thehorse bridge spanning Rt. 24.

3. Adam's Farm

Located in Walpole, Adams farm is a great place forall abilities. Novice riders can negotiate easy sin-gle track throughout most of the park. Expert rid-ers can hammer a 7 - 9 mile loop and double it upby reversing direction. On the far side of the parkis the famous Enough With The Turns trail (Strava

Segment...).

4. Ames Nowell State Park

A small park mostly in Abington. The riding is dif-ficult to navigate and at least a 6 out of 10 on thetechnical scale. Good riders will often take 2 hoursto do 6 - 8 miles in this park. The park includes thefamous and challenging Witch Trail created byNEMBA decades ago. Good to go with a guide thefirst time or two.

5. F. Gilbert Hills State Park

Huge multi-use park with motorbikes, hikers,mountain bikers and a few equestrians in Foxboro(often referred to as Foxy). The trails are wideranging with lots of single track. A good map inhand is best to get around the trails. Where anovice rider will mostly need to stay on the manydouble tracks, intermediate riders will easily find12 - 15 miles of challenging Single Track. Most rid-ers will hit Dan's trail, a flowy singletrack namedfor Dan Ibbitson who helped build the trail buttragically passed away on a bike ride in RhodeIsland two years ago.

6. Massasoit State Park

A small park in the middle of the SE Kingdom. Lotsof fairly easy single track with a few challengingclimbs thrown in. A good place for a novice riderto work on ascending and descending with a fewroots thrown in. It's fairly easy to navigate as apark road runs through the middle. Look for thetrail on the southern edge of Lake Rico. It's one ofthe best in the SE Mass area.

7. Duxbury (Knapp Town Forest)

A conservation area of Duxbury that is largelymaintained by mountain bikers. It's the closestthing we have to Cape riding and dries out fasterthan most parks. Some very challenging singletrack for the accomplished rider but there are lotsof intermediate and novice double and single trackin the park. Look for the teeter totter you can rollon the west side of the park.

8. Wompatuck State Park

What can I say? A mountain biker's paradise.Great maps and even a map app. This park is wellmaintained by the Friends of Wompatuck, most of

whom are NEMBA members. From bike paths to20' rock rollers, AND a pump track, this park hasthe miles and terrain for every rider. Any of thedescents off Prospect Hill are well worth the climb.

9. Borderland State Park

One of the most technical parks in the SE Kingdomlargely located in Easton. Roller after roller afterroller is the theme of this park. Although there aresuper nice carriage trails around the lakes of thispark, most of the single track in the interior of thepark are not for the timid bikers. Look for theNEMBA trail for some thrills.

10. Freetown-Fall River State Forest

Huge park covering most of the SW corner of theSE Kingdom. You can connect 40 plus miles oftrails in this park with a good map and a littlefamiliarization. Lots of double track for the noviceriders as well. Half of the park is multi-use but inreality you could see motorbikes just about any-where. If you like rock gardens and plenty of miles,this is your park.

11.When conditions don't allow in any of theabove, there's (almost) always what I affectionate-ly call QuincyLoops. An eclectic mix of gravel, sin-gletrack, gravelly singletrack, pavement and pavedbike path, city parks, front yards, marshlands, acouple of fun drop-ins, all on a very scenic tournear and along the ocean where you can spin formiles any time of year. Options abound in everydirection, up into Blue Hills, out to South Bostonand Castle Island, Nut Island, Mattapan, andbeyond! Mountainbike fun can be had on many'trail' surfaces! Look me up for a tour sometime!...Steve Cobble

SE Mass NEMBA Organized Rides• Tuesday Evening, F. Gilbert State Park, Foxboro

• Thursday Evenings, F. Gilbert State Park, Foxboro

• Thursday Mornings, Blue Hills Reservation,Milton

• Saturday Mornings, Wompatuck State Park,Hingham

—Tom McKenna


SE MassPresident: Steve Cobble,

[email protected], 781-254-8796Treasurer: Rich HigginsSecretary: Tom McKenna VPs:Ames Nowell: Corey WynottBlue Hills/Cutler: Neil McDaidBorderland: Rich HigginsBraintree Town: John DohertyF. Gilbert Hills(Foxboro): Dave RidingMassasoit: Dale HigginsFreetown: Karin ManfrediWompatuck: Dave FarrellFacebook: “SE Mass NEMBA”BOD Reps: Steve Cobble, Tim Friedman

Blowdown removal using a hand-powered chainsaw


The snow is finally melting(again) in our little corner ofNew England. The MarchNor'easters gave us someawesome late season fat bik-ing, but most people areitching for dirt.

To help scratch that itch thechapter hosted a screeningof the documentary TheMoment on April 7th. The film is a feature-lengthdocumentary about the origin of freeride moun-tain biking. It tells the story of a small movementof mountain bikers and filmmakers who rose up,challenged the status quo, and turned the sportof cycling on its head.

Weekly rides will be starting up as soon as condi-tions allow. Keene rides will be Wednesdayevenings, with Brattleboro rolling on Thursdays.Watch all the normal places for ride locations.Rides are social, intermediate in pace/difficulty,and occur at various trail networks in the area.

May 20th the chapter will be holding its annualSpring Kick-Off event. Like previous years, theevent will be held in Vernon VT at Todd and PamAmato's house. There will be group rides, self-guided rides, rides for the kids (including a geo-cache adventure ride), pump track, shops withdemo bikes, and pizza from Little Zoe's. It isalways a fun time. Hope to see everyone outthere.

We continue to work with the City of Keene tofind a suitable site for a pump track. The city isvery much on board with the idea, and has beenvery supportive. We've formed a small workinggroup to keep this moving, and have been talkingwith various designers and builders of pump tracksas well as local people that have experience withdesigning and building pump tracks. Hopefully wecan keep this moving forward and make it a 2018project!

In 2018 we'll be teaming up with the MonadnockCycling Club on a couple things. The first is theCyclones Race Team. The Cyclones Race Team isthe kids/junior race program part of MonadnockCycling Club, and has partnered with theBrattleboro-Keene NEMBA Chapter. They rideweekly to work on skills and have fun! The chap-ter will be helping out with the weekly rides, offer-ing riding tips and leading rides for the older kids.They hope to kick things off mid-May this year.Stay tuned for more info. We'll also be working

with MCC to continue the Bike for Bovines MTBrace at Stonewall Farm. We'll be looking for volun-teers to help get the course in shape, and to makethe event go off without a hitch.

As far as trail projects for 2018 go... in Keene weplan to finish the bridge in Drummer Hill on Mike'sExtension, give Stonewall Farm some love, addadditional bridging to the Snowshoe Trail in theFood Network, replace the bridge by the lower yel-low gate in the Food Network, and add some newtrail in a few places. Over in Brattleboro the guyshave already started hauling in lumber to replacebridging on the 10 Bridges Trail, and are talkingwith the land manager about adding more trail up

above the Living Memorial Park.

To help make all this happen the chapter plans toget back on a regular meeting schedule. We kindof fell apart in 2017… We meet every othermonth, with meetings to be held in May, July,September, and November the remainder of thisyear. Come to the meetings to find out what isgoing on, meet some people, and maybe get moreinvolved in MTB advocacy in our area.

We'll see you on the trails.

—Mike Davern

N E W H A M P S H I R E / V T

Brattleboro-KeenePresident: Peter Poanessa,

[email protected] President: Josh ReynoldsSecretary: Mike DavernTreasurer: Peter SchraderEmail List:

[email protected] Email: [email protected]

Icy Condition. Photos by Mike Davern

Old School VS New School Grooming!

R i d e t h e T r a i l s ~ S a v e t h e T r a i l sSupport NEMBA to improve Your Ride!

Please support us with your Membership

www.nemba.org


After a winter of fat biking,skiing, snowshoeing andother winter activity, we arelooking forward to the changeof seasons and the "regular"biking season.

Winter was book-ended byour fall meeting lastNovember at KettleHeadBrewing Company, and ourPre-spring meeting in Marchin the Ragged Mountain lodge.

We had a great turnout for the fall meeting. Morethan 20 people were in attendance. Everyoneenjoyed the brew pub atmosphere and food. At themeeting, Jesse McGowan was elected to replace

Barry Greenhalgh as club treasurer. Thank youBarry for over 10 years of service, thank you Jessefor stepping in for the future! Leslie Ludtke andJim Owers from NHCC attended to discuss part-nering with CNH-NEMBA on new trail develop-ment projects. We are looking forward to workingwith them to expand riding options in Central NH.

For our March meeting, we took advantage of greatski conditions at Ragged to get in a few turns priorto our meeting. Talk there turned to plans for theupcoming spring trail clean-up and maintenanceseason. Trail days for Franklin Falls, Page Hill,Broken Ground, and Broken Ground were dis-cussed. The first one will be at Franklin Falls in

May. Look for the schedule to be posted soon onour web site (cnhnemba.org) and our Facebookpage (Central NH Nemba). We will work to do abetter job communicating our news and eventsthis year!

For 2018, we will be continuing our monthly Bikeand Barbecue rides. So come out for a group rideand stay after to socialize with food and beverageson us. Locations and dates will be posted on ourpages and on our group email blasts.

Looking forward to 2018 riding and seeing the allregular faces and hopefully, lots of new faces!

—Mike Geldermann

Bike Talk and Beer Sampling!

Central NHPresident: Mike Geldermann,

[email protected]: Matt BowserVP Franklin Falls: Matt BowserVP Hop-Ev: Nicholas HolmesVP Page Hill: Glenn CilleyVP Ahern: Grant DrewTreasurer: Barry GreenhalghPR Manager: Kevin OrlowskiBOD Reps: Shelly Temple, Grant Drew


The spring of 2018 will markthe third anniversary of thechapter. Winter is still losingits grip on the north countryand the single track trails arestarting to re-emerge. Plansfor spring and summerinclude more events andmore opportunity to bringNEMBA's broader member-ship to our region.

We will be welcoming the 2018 spring northernNew England NEMBA trail school to Franconia onSaturday May 19 and plans also include a valleyride out White Mountain Sport Shop on Sundaywith an après party in collaboration with ReklisBrewing Company. More details soon. SinceKingdom Trails is our neighbor across theConnecticut River, our chapter looks forward toparticipating in NEMBAfest and also welcomingfolks to explore our emerging terrain in Littletonand Franconia while visiting the north country.The weekly Tuesday evening ride series with theLittleton Bike Shop is once again planned for theupcoming season. Since locations for the ridesvary, it is best to check with the bike shop day ofthe ride. There will also be group rides on selectweekends each month through the WhiteMountains Bike Shop at Franconia Inn. When theschedules are finalized they will be posted throughthe NEMBA ride page or check directly with eitherbike shop. The 26th running of the top notchtriathlon is slated for Saturday August 4 starting atthe Old Stone Furnace in downtown Franconia.This event includes a 6.5 mile on & off road moun-tain bike segment climbing 1000 feet from the startto Echo Lake in Franconia Notch before the swimand trail run. Teams as well as triathletes are wel-come. Proceeds will benefit Lafayette recreation.Finally we are planning for our first annual "TNT" -Tires and Tunes Mountain Bike Event - Saturday,September 8, 2018. A fund-raising, fun ride onthe Franconia Trails System, a BBQ and karaoke (orGary-O-Ke as we like to call it at Copper CannonCamp) Sponsored by Copper Cannon Camp,Franconia Area NEMBA and Lafayette Recreation.Watch for more details on FB: https://www.face-book.com/groups/FANEMBA/ or email [email protected] for more info!

The chapter continues to collaborate closely withParker Mountain and MTB collaborative-The col-

laborative is being established as a northern ringincluding FA-NEMBA & Parker in the area justnorth of Franconia Notch, Hub North in Gorham,Mahoosuc Trails in Bethel, Maine, CircuitsFrontiere in East Hereford Quebec, and returningsouth west to complete the ring, Kingdom Trails inEast Burke. Folks will want to ride the ring. Beingremote from most NEMBA membership and majorpopulation centers, we are seeking to establish theregion as worthy of a truly exceptional vacationdestination as well as a day trip destination for rid-ers of all abilities.

We continue to collaborate closely with NationalForest Service regarding trails in the nearby forestboth official and emerging and have renewed ourvolunteer service agreement to continue that col-laboration. We are in discussions with multipleparties around the region with goal of improvinglinking routes within our network and establishmore beginner and intermediate family friendlytrail experiences.

Spring clean-up awaits, join us and join the fun.Happy Riding.

—Chris Nicodemus

FranconiaAreaPresident: Chris Nicodemus,

[email protected] President: Gardner Kellogg

VP Outreach: Janel Lawton

VP Trails: Bob Lesmerises

VP Trail Access: Jim McCann

VP Littleton Area: Blake Roberts

Treasurer: Sandy Olney

Secretary: Molly Maloy

Facebook: “Franconia Area NEMBA”

N E W H A M P S H I R E

Some punk kid enjoying a March ride at Parker Mountain in Littleton. Photo by Shad Lawton

Spring Dreams…Photo by Chris Nicodemus



It looks like we are finally onthe backside of a long win-ter. As the skiers and snow-boarders enjoy the springcorn, our attention is turn-ing to new season of moun-tain biking and trail-buildingin the Pemigewasset Valley.The fat biking was great thisseason, but we are all look-ing forward to terra-firmaand more mild tempera-tures.

The Pemi-Valley NEMBA chapter was busy lastyear with the following:

- Fox Park. This town park in Plymouth has asmall trail network that is great for intermediateriders. Plymouth Parks & Recreation continues tosupport our efforts to build and maintain trails inFox Park. In 2017, we updated the trail map at themain kiosk, updated trail signs, and installed small

maps throughout the park with "You Are Here"labels.

- Gyroscope. The riverfront forest on theHolderness side of the Pemi has long been a popu-lar local recreation area. Pemi Valley NEMBA haspartnered with landowners to address the stew-ardship of this great community resource. In 2017we cleared blowdowns and vegetation in thewoods, mowed a 2 mile loop through the hayfields,and installed signage and mapping. The HoldernessConservation Commission printed a great posterfor the kiosk, which includes the trail map andinformation about the conservation and ecologicalattributes of this area.

Neighboring landowners have been happy to helprestrict off-road vehicle access to this land, whichwill help to protect the special natural resourcesfound here.

- White Mountain National Forest. TheUS Forest Service has long wanted to address theissue of informal trails on Forest land, but there

was never an organized group of mountain bikersto talk to, until Pemi Valley NEMBA formed in2014. This past winter the Forest Service unveiledthe Wanosha Project. Pemi-Valley NEMBA hasremained an active participant in this process andcontinues to support the use mountain bikes inthe White Mountain National Forest.

- D Acres, an organic farm and hostel inDorchester, invested a lot of time and resourcesinto building mountain bike trails in the woodssurrounding the farm. They have built a machine-built flow trail, a hand-built downhill trail, a pumptrack, a beginner/intermediate jump line, and havemade improvements to their existing hiking trailsthat will make them fun to bike. These trails will tieinto neighboring trails and will be FREE to the pub-lic! Stop by D Acres' farm house for some greatfood and their regular events.

Looking ahead at 2018 our chapter goals includethe following:

- Trail work. We plan to hit the ground run-ning in the spring of 2018 by cleaning up theGyroscope trails. We will also have a clean-up day

at the Plymouth Pump Track. In addition, we planto make improvements to the trails at Fox Park toincrease the flow and fun! Stay tuned for specifictrail work dates.

- Stewardship of existing trails. It's nosecret that Plymouth has an extensive network ofmountain bike trails that have evolved informally.We will continually work towards reaching agree-ments with landowners to formalize more riding,and to ensure public access and adequate trailmaintenance.

- Connecting trail systems. Our region hasmany scattered trail systems that are separated byundeveloped lands. We are working to identify"greenway" corridors that would connect thesetrail systems. In many cases, these corridors thatare a priority for trail connectivity are also a prior-ity for conserving wildlife and natural resources.

If you are new to area or just visiting, feel free tojoin us at a meeting or trail day. Have a greatSpring!

—Greg Disanto

Pemi ValleyPresident: Slade Warner

Vice-President: Jay HarringtonTreasurer: Sean O’LearyBOD Rep: Jeremy HillgerFacebook: Pemi Valley NEMBA

It was a great season of fatbiking but now it’s time for dirt!


Spring has finally sprungand I know the memories ofthe three back-to-backNor'Easters in March arefading. Though we are sure-ly embracing the warmerweather, let's also reflectfondly on the great winterconditions that made forsome great fat-biking thisseason. Thanks to the dedi-cated grooming efforts ofmany cyclists, FOMBA,Stratham Hill Park, Wasserman Park and Horse Hill,among others, provided tons of fun when the trailswere snow-covered.

The late winter storms certainly left a lot ofdowned trees and deadfall on the trails. Thoughour members were out immediately following thestorms to perform clean-up, many areas could stilluse some help. Please watch the chapter Facebookpage, the NEMBA website and e-mail alerts for traildays.

As we transition into Spring, our chapter contin-ues to offer a variety of led rides. Keep an eye onthe Southern NH NEMBA FB page for details.

• Monday Intermediate Co-ed Ride: We meet at5:45 pm, location rotates. This ride is geared forthe individuals who are comfortable on technicalsingletrack. This is always a no-drop ride. Distanceis usually anywhere from 7-14 miles depending onthe size of group and terrain. Ride contact: AlannaCarlson [email protected]

• Tuesday Co-ed Novice Ride: Meets weekly atMine Falls Park, year-round as conditions allow.Check out the first "No Lights Required" ride onTuesday April 24th. Ride leader: Chris Gaudet.

• Thursday Co-ed Strong Novice Ride: We meet a6PM, location rotates.This ride will be starting inmid to late May. Ride leader: Chris Gaudet.

• Saturday Women's Skills: This monthly sessionis geared toward novice and strong novice womenriders who are looking to gain some confidence andskills for more technical singletrack. Led by AlannaCarlson [email protected] & KateRichardson [email protected]

• Sunday Co-ed Skills Ride: Ride occurs once amonth on Sunday afternoons starting in June. Rideleader: Jeff Hannigan.

• Last year's Strong Novice "Field Trip" rides werevery popular, so we will offering them again thisyear beginning in late May or early June. They willoccur once to twice a month on Saturday morn-ings. Venues like Bear Brook, Franklin Falls, andLandlocked Forest are in the rotation.Ride leader:Chris Gaudet.

Our chapter sponsored a WIlderness First AidSeminar that trained more than twenty membersfrom the Southern NH and Merrimack Valley chap-ters. The intensive two-day training focused on avariety of scenarios that might be encountered on

the trails. It's reassuring knowing that many of usare now trained to handle such emergencies untilthe professionals arrive.

We plan to have a kick-off chapter ride at BearBrook State Park at some point after Memorial Day.The ride will be followed by a brief informationalmeeting and social gathering. Please watch thechapter Facebook page and e-mail notifications fordetails.

—Dan Dwyer


Dawn Dione, Jen Penn, Alanna Carlson, Nicole Bolin

Dan Dwyer at the Mount Washington Ski, Shoe and Fatbike to the Clouds race.

SouthernNew HampshirePresident: Matt Caron,

[email protected], 603-321-8736VP: Dan DwyerVP: Bill Theroux Secretary: Alanna CarlsonTreasurer: Norrie KnottTrail Advisor: Peter DeSantisEmail list: [email protected]: Southern NH NEMBA


2018 White Mountain NEMBAAs the snow begins to meltaround these parts I knowmany of you are starting topull your bikes out and getready for the season. Manyof you never reallystopped, just changedbikes and increased theamount of clothing.Whatever group you are apart of, it is time to startthinking long evenings,sunshine and jersey weath-er. Your executive council hasn't been hibernatingand we are excited to share what we have beenplanning all winter.

Mike Stewart has been plugging away on a trailwork calendar and we hope to be sharing it by theend of April. This summer we are bringing backTuesday Night Trail (TNT) work. For many I knowthis never officially went away but put it in yourcalendars and get ready to work on a wide varietyof projects across our trails. Once a month we willalso be doing a full trail work day to really dig intobigger projects. Please checkfacebook.com/wmnemba for the most updatedinformation on locations and projects. We havegot kiosks to build, water bars to clear, brushing,bridge building, sign installation and so muchmore. Check the calendar, show up and help out!

Greg DiSanto of the Pemi Valley NEMBA has gra-ciously offered us the use of a map he produced ofour local trails. We have been meticulously goingover it all winter and hope to have the final prod-uct soon. It is really exciting to have an updatedmap to help everyone navigate our expansive trailsystem. Building new kiosks and replacing olderones is on the project list for the summer and Ican't wait to put the new maps on display. Gregdid an amazing job and we can't thank him enoughfor offering up his professional grade map for ourChapter's use.

Our first trail work day will be May 20th, 9am atHigh Street Lower Lot, also known as the shootingpit parking. We are due for a Forest Service trailsrefresher. Come learn the USFS trail standards andget out on the trails. Attendance at this showsour commitment to sustaining our relationshipwith the White Mountain National Forest and ourtrail system. We will also be replacing the alwayssketchy high school loop bridge. Rob and crewhave been pulling new stringers in over the snowand are getting everything else in place to get rightafter it when the snow melts.

After working all day, what better way to relax

than attending Leo Rides Again fundraiser atFlatbread May 20th from 2-8pm. As many of youknow, Leo Rossignol had a serious bike accident inearly February. Come out and show your supportas he continues down his road of recovery andrehabilitation. There will be a silent action, live

music, delicious food and brews and of course fun!Leo has given a lot to our mountain bike commu-nity and this is the perfect opportunity to showhim some love. Please join us for a great day, sup-port Leo and kick off the 2018 riding season right!

—Amanda Tulip


Fresh Tracks. Photo by Kurt Erickson

WhiteMountainsPresident: Amanda Tulip,

[email protected]: Chris Lewando & Mike LeBlancTreasurer: Phil Ostroski Secretary: Shannon DunfeyWebsite: www.wmnemba.org

Come show Leo some love!Leo Rides Again Benefit

May 20th 2-8pm Flatbread


R H O D E I S L A N D

You've just got to love New England Winters. Thisyear's winter's MTB'ing sea-son got off on the wrongfoot when the venue for ourChapter's Holiday Party inDecember went out of busi-ness the week of our sched-uled party without even aphone call to let us know.Thankfully, one of ourmembers learned about thisbefore we all showed up toa closed door. In March, weeventually had our "Dead ofWinter" party at Brutopia in Cranston, RI. A greatevening was had by all and was highlighted by anunscheduled coaster flinging event. Thanks toPresident Matt for the subtle way it was kept undercontrol. What would you expect when you keep abunch of over-aged juveniles, who might have hada little too much to drink, waiting for food? Atleast we didn't send Matt into the kitchen to speedup the cooks. As always, it was great to seemountain bikers from all over the state that youdon't always catch up with on the trails, togetherin one spot. A special award of thanks was givento Kerry Angelo. Kerry is resigning after serving asour Chapter Treasurer for eight years. Job welldone Kerry, many thanks.

Mother nature has been pretty rough on us in NewEngland this year. Nor'easter after Nor'easter havekept us off the trails with rain, snow and blown-down trees. The trails are now a mess with trees

down all over. On a positive note, it is great whenyou open the "RI Mountain Biking" Facebook pageand see posts and photos of the work being doneto clean up the trails and maps showing wherethat work is being done. It would, of course, beeven better if there were more users putting insome time to help clean up. But, hey, "what goesaround comes around" and what comes aroundmay just rip your derailleur off. I started making alist to thank all of the guys and gals who havepitched in and done their bit, but the list was get-ting too long and I realized I'd never get everyonein. So, I'll just say that the Derailleur Gods knowwho you are and hope you get a pass on damagethis year.

Meeting Street. For the last two years RINEMBA members have been taking kids from theMeeting Street School (www.meetingstreet.org) inProvidence, RI on weekly bike rides. MeetingStreet says "it's where children of all abilitiesthrive." The kids love the rides and the turn out bymembers to volunteer to help is outstanding. Wehave made annual donations to the school and didso again this year. I, along with Haley Winsor whomother teaches at the school, made a presentationat the Meeting Street School Telethon of our$1,000 donation. I thought that was very gener-ous until I saw the children they were workingwith. There are many students that we will neversee on the bike path because of the challenges theyface. It was a very humbling experience and Godbless the people working there.

Woody Hill. A new riding area has been devel-oped over the past few months in Westerly, RI. RINEMBA will be holding its unofficial grand openingon April 22 with a free RI NEMBA Fun Ride tointroduce this new location. Check the RI NEMBAweb page and Facebook page for details as the dategets closer. Thanks go to the Westerly Land Trustfor letting us develop the site, Glen Tourtellot forbeing an outstanding trail boss and the rest of usslaves who worked so hard to make this such agreat new place to ride.

Big River Clean-Up. RI NEMBA will onceagain be at Big River to celebrate Earth Day. Wehave been a big part of organizing and making thisevent happen helping the West GreenwichConservation Committee keep this area clean.After years of hauling dumped trash out of thisarea we are faced with the problem of "what theheck are we going to do this year". Well, we arestill going to help at Big River this year, mainlycleaning up roadside trash, and hopefully we willexpand into other riding areas to keep mothernature happy.

— Matt Mlyniec

Rhode IslandPresident: Matt Mlyniec,

[email protected]

Chapter Board Members: JamesHoard, Craig Mello, ChristopherHughes

Treasurer: Kerry Angelo

Secretary: Lauren Hoard

NEMBA BOD Rep: Matt Schulde, PeterGengler

Website: RINEMBA.org

Facebook: RINEMBA

Thank you, Kerry Angelo, for your dedication andservice to RI NEMBA

Trail sign for Hobbit Juice. One of the new trails in Woody Hill.

Chris and Haley presenting a check for $1000 at the Meeting Street Telethon


NEMBA rides are led by individual NEMBA members for other members and prospective members. So if you haven't yet joined NEMBA, pleasedo. Rides are usually for small numbers of people and vary with the location and the personal style of the host. Rides have been known tochange location or time at the last moment. So be sure to contact the ride's leader, 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 takes place. That way you will be sure that the ride is on.

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

HEY! - Why not lead a NEMBA ride yourself? Contact Bill Boles at 508-583-0067 or [email protected] for more information.

NEMBA Rides

Central, Wachusett & Western Mass SundaysWachusett NEMBA Leominster SF Ride Intermediate Leominster, MA

Connecticut Sundays Fairfield County NEMBA Sunday Ride Intermediate Sean [email protected]

Sundays Quiet Corner NEMBA Weekend Warrior Ride Int-Advanced Stacey [email protected] 860-

230-1237 (Location Varies)

Mondays Fairfield County NEMBA Ride Intermediate Dave Herde [email protected] (Location Varies)

Mondays Quiet Corner NEMBA Monday Mellow Ride Easy Pace Glenn Tourtellot 401-450-1596 Hampton

1st Mondays Fairfield County NEMBA Beginner https://www.facebook.com/groups/fcnemba/ Mianus River Park

Mondays Fairfield County NEMBA All Mountain https://www.facebook.com/groups/fcnemba/ Mianus River

Park

Mondays Housatonic NEMBA All Mountain Southbury

1st Tuesdays Fairfield County NEMBA Tuesday Skills Session All Paula Burton [email protected] Southbury

Tuesdays Fairfield County NEMBA Tuesday Ride Beginner-Social Paula Burton [email protected] Southbury

Tuesdays Central CT NEMBA Women's Ride Intermediate Lisa Maloney [email protected] 203 772 5812

Wednesdays NW CT NEMBA All Level Ride All Various [email protected]

Wednesdays Quiet Corner NEMBA Women's Ride Intermediate Cris Cadiz [email protected] 860-983-6551

Wednesdays Fairfield County NEMBA All Mountain Skills Ride Advanced Wilton Woods

Thursdays Fairfield County NEMBA Women's Ride All Lisa [email protected] Quillian

Thursdays SE CT NEMBA Women's Ride All Jessica Heuschele [email protected] (Location Varies)

Thursdays Central CT NEMBA Ride After Work Series Adv. Novice-Intermediate Al Tinti [email protected] 860-368-9109

Thursdays Fairfield County NEMBA All Mountain Ride Intermediate Trout Brook

Alt Fridays Fairfield County NEMBA Fat Bike Ride All Dave & Kathy Herde [email protected] Southbury

Saturdays Quiet Corner NEMBA Saturday AM Special Intermediate-Advanced Glenn Tourtelot 401-450-1596

Saturdays SE CT NEMBA Bluff Point Ride All Pat Lamond [email protected] 860-443-8250 Groton

Saturdays Fairfield County NEMBA

Maine, New Hampshire & Vermont Sundays Brattleboro-Keene NEMBA Sunday Ride Adv. Novice-Adv. Inter. Mike Davern [email protected] Keene

Mondays Southern NH NEMBA Intermediate Co-Ed Ride Intermediate Alanna Carlson [email protected]

Tuesdays Southern NH NEMBA COED Novice Ride Novice-Adv Beginner Chris Gaudet [email protected] Nashua, NH

Tuesdays Franconia Area NEMBA Landshark Mountain Bike Ride (Littleton) Dave Harkless [email protected] 603-


444-3437

Wednesdays Central Maine NEMBA Ride Intermediate Brian Alexander [email protected] 207-441-8227

Wednesdays Brattleboro-Keene NEMBA Wednesday Rides Adv. Novice-Adv. Intermediate Mike Davern

[email protected] Keene, NH

Thursdays Brattleboro-Keene NEMBA Thursday Rides Adv. Novice-Adv. Intermediate Josh Reynolds

Thursdays Southern NH NEMBA Co-Ed Ride Strong Novice Chris Gaudet [email protected] (Location

Varies)

Some Saturdays Southern NH NEMBA Women Skills Novice -Intermediate Alana & Kate [email protected]

[email protected] (Starts in June)

Some Sundays Southern NH NEMBA Co-Ed Skills Novice-Intermediate JeffHannigan [email protected]

Metro Boston, Merrimack & North Shore Mondays Greater Boston NEMBA Ride Novice/Beginner https://www.facebook.com/groups/gb.rides/ Beaver Brook North

Mondays Greater Boston NEBA Practice Your Technique All JRA Cycles (781) 391-3636

Tuesdays Greater Boston NEMBA Women's Ride Women https://www.facebook.com/groups/gb.rides/ Western Greenway

Tuesdays MV NEMBA Lowell-Dracut SF Intermediate / Advanced [email protected]

Tuesdays MV NEMBA Grateful Tread Ride Adv. Beginner-Intermediate Russel Mill or Billerica TF [email protected]

Wednesdays Greater Boston NEMBA Fells Ride Adv Novice - Expert https://www.facebook.com/groups/gb.rides/

Thursdays MV NEMBA By Grateful Tread Adv. Beginner - Intermediate David Zizza [email protected]

Thursdays Greater Boston NEMBA Landlocked Forest Ride All Burlington

Saturdays MV NEMBA by Grateful Tread Northeast MA Ride Adv. Beginner-Intermediate David Zizza [email protected]

Sat & Sun GB NEMBA Weekend Rides All https://www.facebook.com/groups/gb.rides/ (Locations Vary)

Southeastern Mass. Blackstone Valley & Rhode Island Sundays RI NEMBA Arcadia Ride Intermediate John Sumner [email protected] Exeter, RI

Mondays Blackstone Valley NEMBA Hopkinton SP Ride All Brian Forestal [email protected] Hopkinton

Tuesdays SE MASS NEMBA Foxborough Ride All Iain Crerar [email protected] Foxborough

Tuesdays Blackstone Valley NEMBA Women's Ride Beginner-Social Brenda Smith [email protected]

Tuesdays Blackstone Valley NEMBA West Hill Dam Ride All Mortiz Schmid [email protected] Uxbridge, MA

Wednesdays Cape Cod NEMBA ToT Wednesday Ride All Mike Dube [email protected] Barnstable

Wednesdays RI NEMBA Lincoln Woods Ride All Brendan Dee [email protected] 401 335 3163 Lincoln, RI

Thursdays SE MASS NEMBA Thursday Foxborough Ride Int-Adv. Intermediate Iain Crerar [email protected]

Thursdays SE MA NEMBA Blue Hills Morning Ride All Steve Cobble [email protected] Milton, MA

Thursdays Blackstone Valley NEMBA Exploration Ride All All Brian Forestal [email protected]

Fridays Cape Cod NEMBA Friday ToT Ride All Mike Dube [email protected] Barnstable, MA

Saturdays SE MASS NEMBA Wompatuck Ride All Richard Banks [email protected]

Saturdays Cape Cod NEMBA Saturday Mellow RideNewer Riders Bill Boles [email protected] Location Varies

Saturdays SE MA NEMBA Intermediate Ride Intermediate Corey French [email protected] Location Varies

Various Days Backstone Valley NEMBA Women's Intermediate ride Intermediate Kara Gilman [email protected]


S.O.S.: Support Our Sponsors!$1000+365 Cycles, Keene NHAce Wheelworks, Somerville MABelmont Wheelworks, Belmont MABikebarn, Whitman MABlackstone Bicycles, Cumberland RICannondale, Wilton CTLandry’s Bicycles, Natick MAKona Bicycles, Fernsdale WARedbones BBQ, Somerville MAThe Bikeway Source, Bedford MA

$500Corner Cycle, Falmouth MACycle Lodge, Pembroke MACyclemania, Portland MEJRA Cycles, Medford MAOverland Basecamp, Waltham MAPapa Wheelies Back Bay, Boston MAPapa Wheelies Natick, Natick MAPapa Wheelies Portsmouth, Portsmouth NHRidgefield Bicycle Sport Club, Ridgefield CT

$200+Allspeed Cyclery, Portland MEBikes & Life, Worcester MAColonial Bicycle Portsmouth, Portsmouth NHCycles, Etc. Salem NHCycling Concepts, Glastonbury CTDedham Bike, Dedham MAGamache & Lessard Co., Auburn MELOCO Cycling, Newmarket NHNortheast Bicycle Club, Charlestown MAPat's Bike Shop, Brewer MEQuad Cycles, Arlington MARainbow Bicycle, Lewiston ME

S & W Sports, Concord NHSalem Cycle, Salem MASlipping Gears Cycling, Bangor MEWoody's Cyclery, Middleton MA

$100Airline Cycles, East Hampton CTAJs Cycles, Rangeley MEAMC Maine, Greenville MEAmity Bicycle, Woodbridge CTBarker Mountain Bikes, Bethel MEBenidorm Bikes & Snowboards, Canton CTBicycle Clinic, S. Weymouth MABicycle World Inc., Greenfield MABikezone Hyannis, Hyannis MABretton Woods Adventure Center, Bretton

Woods NHBuchika's Ski & Bike, Salem NHBusytown Bikes, Lewiston MEC2 by Janeware, Somerville MACape Cod Cycling Club, Hyannis MACarrabassett Valley Bikes, Carrabassett ValleyClass Act Racing, Quincy MAClass Cycles, Southbury CTDanielson Adventure Sports, Danielson CTErnie's Cycle Shop, Westbrook MEF.I.S Sports, Kingfield MEFales & Fales, PA, Lewiston MEFrank the Welder, Bellows Falls VTFriends of Wompatuck SP, Hingham MAGoodale’s Bike Shop, Concord NHGoodale’s Bike Shop, Hooksett NHGoodale’s Bike Shop, Nashual NHGravel Tours, Bondville VTLaurel Bicycle FDN, Woodbridge CTLittleton Bike, Littleton NHMaul's Bike Shop, Halifax MA

MRA Multisport, Northbridge MANew Canaan Bicycles, New Canaan CTNorm’s Bike & Ski Shop, Keene NHNorthampton Bicycles, Northampton MANortheast Race Management, Raynham MANorthern Lights, Farmington MEPedal Power, Middleton CTPedal Power Bike & Ski, Acton MAPedalin' Fools Mobile Bicycle Service, PlaistowPlaine’s Bike Ski Snowboard, Pittsfield MAPowder Ridge Mountain Park, Middlefield CTRide Studio Cafe, Lexington MARidgeline Bicycles, Avon CTRiverside Cycles, Haverhill MARiverside Cycles, Newburyport MARose Bicycle, Orono MESailworld Cape Cod, Buzzards Bay MASansoucy Stone, Worcester MASDR Clothing Co., Burlington VTSea Sports Cyclery & Outdoors, Hyannis MASki Rack Sports, Bangor MESpeed & Sprocket Cycle Works, Holyoke MASteve The Bike Guy, Sherborn MAThe Original Irregular, Kingfield METri-City Bicycles, Rochester NHUnion Cycle, Attleboro MAWayfarer Bicycles, New London CTWest Hill Shop, Putney VTWheelhouse Bike Co., Chatham MAWinterwoman Designs, Nashau NH

$75D Acres of New Hampshire, Dorchester NHHighland Mountain Bike Park, Northfield NHKingdom Camps, East Burke VTRocklandia Rad n Gnar, Guilford CTStratham Parks & Recreation, Stratham NH

Make a toast to NEMBA’s 30th Anniversarywith our new commemorative beverage

wrench from Pedro’s.This might well become your favorite bike tool! Get yours

at www.nemba.org

Non-Profit OrganizationU.S. Postage

PaidPermit #148

Plattsburgh, NY

New England Mountain Bike AssociationPO Box 2221Acton MA 01720

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

NEMBAFEST REGISTRATION IS OPEN!WWW.NEMBAFEST.COM

JUNE 22-24, 2018

Date post:	11-Oct-2020
Category:	Documents
Upload:	others
View:	0 times
Download:	0 times

NEW ENGLAND MOUNTAIN BIKE ASSOCIATION Files/ST201804 155 web.pdfsolving, and mountain biking. The...

Documents