mountain biking

21 replies [Last post]
Anonymous's picture
Anonymous

Does anyone in the club do any mountain biking? It's been more than a year since I used my other bike. I was thinking about trying out Blue Mountain. If you're interested post here.

Anonymous's picture
jt (not verified)

What level MTB rider are you? Blue is pretty challenging.

Check out the forums at www.wmba.org to hook up with a group ride. I would offer to take you myself but I am sadly lacking in the time required for an off road epic.

Sprain ridge is just 30 minutes from Manhattan and is a little easier than Blue.

Anonymous's picture
Denise (not verified)

When I used to ride I was low intermediate, I'd say. I'm not crazy about the technical riding that is typical in this area. I've been to Blue Mountain once, years ago, and I don't remember its being too frustrating. I'm up for either Sprain Ridge or Blue Mountain.

I'm looking for people to ride with, not a leader. I have a car or we could ride Metro North - you don't have to know what you're doing to come along. Just don't really want to ride alone.

Anonymous's picture
Herb (not verified)

Denise, there are a few of us that mountain bike often at Blue Mountain. I'm leaving, with 3 others for Crested Butte and the Fat Tire Festival on the 18th. We all shipped our bikes out already. Would love to join you when we return.
Are you able to ride during the week, or is it just weekends?

Anonymous's picture
bill (not verified)

I'd be interested in more info about Blue Mountain and Sprain Ridge. Never been to either. I've ridden up in New Paltz but it's all carriage roads and totally Boring.

Anonymous's picture
osh richardson (not verified)

hi
interested, will make a change. drop me a mail with any plans. cheers, Osh.

Anonymous's picture
Risa (not verified)
Mountain Bike

Hi,
I have a road bike and a mountain bike. I'm new to mountain biking and have not used it much. I would like to ride with people as long as you'd be okay at having a newbe.
Risa

Anonymous's picture
Denise (not verified)

I'm only free on weekends until the end of June. After that my work schedule will be variable, so a ride during the week is possible.

Newbies are definitely welcome, Risa. What kind of road rider are you?

Herb, I've been to Crested Butte several times - miles and miles of rolling rock/root-free paths. Sigh. I'd love to ride with you when you get back.

So if the weather's nice next Sunday does anyone want to go to Sprain Ridge?

Anonymous's picture
Herb Dershowitz (not verified)

Denise, we share a love for Crested Butte. This will be mu 6th trip back. One year I worked registration for the festival because I had a broken collar bone and couldn't ride.
I'll email you when I get back and we'll plan a ride.

Anonymous's picture
Josh Gosciak (not verified)
mountain biking


Denise,

Here's a link to Blue Mountain trails. I'd love to come along, especially if we take Metro North during the weekdays. (What better way to break up the week than a Wednesday away from the office?) So keep me posted.

http://www.westchestergov.com/Parks/pdfs/Maps/Trailways/BlueMountain05.pdf

Anonymous's picture
evan (not verified)
good

cant do next sunday, but definately good for a mountain biking trip. have been biking out in East LI when i get the chance out of city, and have been wanting to get up to westchester (though East LI has some fine trails).

if you do another day, weekday or weekend post.
would be great! could use a regular mtb ride to off set road.

Anonymous's picture
JT (not verified)

Evan, where in eastern LI is the good mountain biking? I was just out in Southampton and it was pancake flat. I didn't even bring the mountain bike. I went on a few road rides, but the lack of hills (and that eternal headwind) made it no fun.

Anonymous's picture
bill (not verified)

Rocky Point out by LIE exit 63 (I think) is a lot of fun. It's about 5000+ acres of pine barrens with the twistingest just barely handlebarwide singletrack I've ever ridden. It's basically made specifically for biking by a dedicated bunch of volunteers out there.

There are numerous short side trails that contain challenges. None are too hard - even the double diamonds. And they're set up so you can do them and rejoin the main trail up ahead.

There's not much for climbs of course. It's mostly flat but you can get your heart going in some places. And there are lots of big swooping bumps and jumps.

It's actually an amazing place to ride. If you take every side trail you come across, it's about 21 miles total. There's also a family loop and various bailout points.

You need a pass to park there. Mine expired years ago but I've never had a problem.

As for other east end riding. Hither Hills has some fun trails.


>>
Directions: Rt. 495 (L.I.E.) To exit 67 north, north on Rt. 216 miles to Whiskey Road, right on Whiskey Road, main entrance to property on left. Permit station for property is located at the Ridge Conservation Area. Access by daily permit Nov. 1-Dec. 31 & Jan. Deer season (Reservations are required for weekends, holidays and Jan. Deer season.), by seasonal permit Jan. 2-Oct. 31. Contact the DEC Region 1 Sporting License Office for more information.
<<

Also you might check out the LI Bike group's page: http://www.climbonline.org/

Anonymous's picture
evan (not verified)

jt, stop in at Bikehampton in Sag Harbor and they will hook you up with maps for trail networks that are good between Sag and East Hampton. they are good guys and will fill you in on trail heads, etc. There is also Hither Hills out in Montauk. Both have some good climbs in spots, not incredibly technical but challenging enough. all good single track. there is a Wensday afternoon ride if you are out there that is challenging.

over all a good scene with well maintained trails and solid riders.

for some good roadie rides there are fine hills around East Hampton. Nothing crazy but nice back roads away from all the winds.

Anonymous's picture
chris o (not verified)
Sat. June 18 ride

"I am changing this message to say, ""Nevermind."" I am going to do the monster Port Jervis ride instead."

Anonymous's picture
Denise (not verified)

I'm busy this Saturday or else I'd go. Will you be going next weekend?

Anonymous's picture
chris o (not verified)
Saturday ride

I like to ride every Saturday so I may just be doing this the following weekend - unless there is some really good road bike ride going on. It is a little early for me to commit but I am leaning towards it.

I will post on this subject in the middle of next week.

Anonymous's picture
April (not verified)
Mountain biking

"Funny to find so many others who enjoy riding off-road. I wish I've check this board a few days earlier because I'm out the door to the Jim Thorpe Mountain Bike weekend this moment! Would have been nice to have company... oh well.

For years, various individual had tried to get an off-road contingent going, to no particular success. At one point, we had off-road rides listed in the bullitin board almost every month. But that die out. I continue to hear comments that ""nobody's interested in off-road ride"", which I know to be un-true based on past expereince. Nonetheless, we were ""discouraged"" to continue by the power that WAS. That was like 5 years ago...

Such is the scence it is still today. NYCC is still strictly a NYRBC (New York Road Bike Club). Your best bet is to hook up with either the Westchester club (wmba.org) or the Long Island club (climbonline.org) for rides in those areas. Long Island, in particular, has many relatively easier trails, flat, twisty, could be narrow (== fun)... For the more hard core, there's also the Norther Jersey club, which I don't remember the website, that rides in Ringwood and Wawayada. That's about as technical as East coast riding can get! Westchester is somewhere between those 2 extreems. All the parks in Westchester have trails ranging from advance beginer to almost freeride terrain.

Another way to hook up with other NYC riders is, in true internet fashion, to go to the New York forum of mtbr.com. It is from that forum that I found out about the Fat Tire festival in Blue Mountain and this weekend's Jim Thorpe mtb weekend...

"

Anonymous's picture
John Z (not verified)
Mountain Bike?

We find some stuff every Wednesday evening.

Anonymous's picture
Neile (not verified)
Mountain Bike Review rates the streets of New York pretty high
Anonymous's picture
John Z (not verified)
Nice Review

But our best stuff isn't on the streets...

Anonymous's picture
April (not verified)

"It's not ""on"" the street, it's ABOVE!

Like bunny hopping the police cars on the once-a-month Friday evening CM ride... Or the same technique for dodging trees can probably be used in dodging police scooters. ;o)

Obviously, this thread has reached its end of usefulness, because I have justed managed to bring out the ""slick snobs""!"

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