SingleTTrackS Files/ST200309 [email protected] TBA Yudicky Farm, Nashua, 603 883 6251,...

SingleTrackSSingleTrackSSeptember 2003, Number 69

www.nemba.org

REPAIR CLASSES AT WHEELWORKSWheelworks has created an opportunity to learn bicycle mechanics in aprofessional repair shop, taught by qualified instructors. You'll save time bynot having to wait for your bicycle to be tuned up at the local shop (someshops have 3-4 week waiting periods for repairs during peak seasons).You'll save time by not walking your bike miles out of the woodsbecause you didn't know how to make an efficient trailside repair. You'llsave money by not paying labor to maintain your bicycle over the years(the average tune-up ranges from $45-75 and should be performed at leastonce per year).Those of you who might be interested in working in thebicycle industry (full or part time, as a lifestyle or as a hobby) will haveobtained a solid base of bicycle repair knowledge in which to grow upon.

Class Offerings Fall/Winter 02-03

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Suspension Fork Clinics • 2 Hours - $50 per participant

Disc Brake Clinics • 2 Hours - $50 per participant

Wheel Building Clinics • 4 Hours - $100 per participant

Flat Fix Clinics 1 Hour - $25 per participant

Women’s Specific Clinics • 6 Hours - $69.99 per participant

Visit: www.wheelworks.com for Details & Class Schedules

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SingleTrackS No. 69 | 3

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

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

©SingleTracks Editor & Publisher: Philip Keyes

Staff Writer: Krisztina HollyContributing Writers: Bill Boles, Jeff Cutler

Copy Editor: Nanyee KeyesExecutive Director: Philip Keyes

NEMBAPO Box 2221

Acton MA 01720

Voice 800.57.NEMBAFax: 928-395-7759

[email protected]

Board of DirectorsBill Boles, President

Tom Grimble, Vice-PresidentAnne Shepard, TreasurerCarolyn Zepf, Secretary

Rob Adair, White Mountains NEMBAOdin Adolphson, Berkshire NEMBANorman Blanchette, MV NEMBATodd Bumen, Mt. Agamenticus NEMBAPaula Burton, CT NEMBAJack Chapman, At LargeSteve Cole, Mt. Agamenticus NEMBABrian Condon, Maine NEMBAJohn Dudek, Pioneer Valley NEMBALen Earnshaw, Seacoast NEMBAHugh Folsom, Merrimack Valley NEMBAKrisztina Holly, At LargeTina Hopkins, Rhode Island NEMBAFrank Lane, North Shore NEMBAJoe Levine, Greater Boston NEMBARob Macgregor, VT NEMBAWalter Masgul, SC NH NEMBATom McCrumm, Berkshire NEMBAJonathan Melzar, Seacoast NEMBADon Myers, CT NEMBATJ Mora, VT NEMBAJason Record, Seacoast NEMBABill Rogers, RI NEMBAJean Rubin, SC NH NEMBAVictor Saverino, Cape Cod NEMBAMitch Steinberg, Blackstone Valley NEMBADan Streeter, North Shore NEMBADon Theriault, Maine NEMBARoger Wharton, Cape Cod NEMBAGeorge Willard, Pioneer Valley NEMBAJim Wrightson, Wachusett NEMBA

WWW.NEMBA.ORG

SingleTrackSSeptember/October 2003, Number 69

Paper TrailCalendar —4Chain Mail —5Treadlines —6SideTracks —22SingleTrak Mechanik —24Chapter News —27NEMBA Rides —33NEMBA Sponsors—38

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

Contribute! Got a cool story idea? Want tobuild your publishing resume? Give us a call. Youcan reach us at [email protected] or call800-57-NEMBA.

On the Cover: Nanyee Keyes riding theArizona Trail in the Kaibab National Forest.Photo by Philip Keyes

Want to Advertise?

SingleTracks offers inexpensive and targetedadvertising which helps us defray the cost ofproducing this cool ‘zine. Call 800-57-NEMBAor email [email protected] for our media kit.

Escape to the

Grand CanyonRiding the North Rim of the Grand Canyon is theperfect way to experience this world’s wonder.No crowds, awesome views... and you get toexperience it on a mountain bike! By PhilipKeyes

RideAlaska

Looking for a real adventure? Alaska offerssome spectacular riding in some pristinewilderness. By Mark Lisee

12

20

4 | September 2003

Greater Boston NEMBASept. 13 Fells, [email protected], 617-776-1363Sept. 20 Belmont, [email protected], 617-776-1363Sept. 27 Great Brook Farm SP, [email protected], 800-576-3622Oct. 25 Fells, [email protected], 617-776-1363

Merrimack Valley NEMBAOct. 4 Lowell-Dracut SF, [email protected], 978-455-

5605

Mt. Agamenticus NEMBASep 14 Mt. Agamenticus, [email protected] 19 Mt. Agamenticus, [email protected] Shore NEMBASept. 20 Harold Parker, 978-462-4605, [email protected]. TBA Harold Parker, 978-462-4605, [email protected]

Wachusett NEMBAOct 4 Leominster SF. [email protected], 978-464-5353Nov. TBA Leominster SF, [email protected], 978-464-5353

Seacoast NEMBASept. 7 Fort Rock, Exeter, [email protected], 603-895-

6633Oct. 12 Northwood M. SP, [email protected], 603-895-

6633Oct. 26 Bear Brook SP, [email protected], 603-895-6633Nov. 2 Pawtuckaway SP, [email protected], 603-895-6633

South Central NH NEMBAAug. 16 Tucker Brook, Milford, 603 673 1817,

[email protected]

TBA Yudicky Farm, Nashua, 603 883 6251, [email protected] Grater Road, Merrimack, [email protected] Mountains NEMBASept. 20 National Public Lands Day TBA, [email protected],

603-356-6913TBA Conway Recreation Path Bridge Replacement,

[email protected], 603-356-6913

September 6/7 IMBA Epic, North Conway NH [email protected], 603-356-0233Sept. 14 CT NEMBA Fall Fiesta, [email protected], 860-945-1346Sept. 21 Blue Hills MTB Day [email protected], 617-285-9708Sept. 28 SC NH NEMBA Poker Ride,Mont Vernon NH, 603-672-8252 [email protected]

Sept. 14 Bear Brook Boogie, Allentown NH, [email protected]. 26 Wicked Ride of the East, Harold Parker SF, [email protected]

Oct. 5 Camp Lydon, Sandwich MA Oct. 19 Great Brook Farm NEMBAFest

2003 Mondo Events CalendarHarpoon MTB Adventure Series www.nemba.org, 800-576-3622

Fun Events/Benefits

EFTA / NEMBA Fun Rides

Tomac / NEMBA Trail Care Series

New Hampshire Rocky Mountain Bicycles Trail Care Series

Sept. 6 Mansfield Hollow SP, 860-455-9358, [email protected]. 20 Shenipsit SF, Somers, [email protected]. 1 Mansfield Hollow SP, 860-455-9358, [email protected]

Cannondale / CT NEMBA Trail Care Series

You're invited to join IMBA on September 6-7, for an IMBA Epic Celebration on theNanomocomuck Trail in North Conway,New Hampshire. The two-day event of trail-work and epic mountain bike riding is freefor IMBA members, but you must sign up.To register go to www.imba.com/

NEMBAFest 2003October 19th 9am-4pm

Great Brook Farm State Park, Carlisle MAJoin mountain bikers from around New England for a one-daymountain bike festival, featuring great rides, music, a huge

industry expo and demo bikes, and plenty of stuff.


Chain Letters

Thanks for Trail Builders SchoolJust wanted to let you know that this Trail Building class was oneof the best classes I've been to. This was for mainly 2 reasons......1)The very knowledgeable and experienced IMBA team. I learned a lotfrom them and even changed some of my thinkings on trail mainte-nance. And 2) This 2 day class was well organized and profession-ally done. I can't imagine doing it better. The mixture of class work,hands on training and doing a little mountain biking :-) was justright.

As a DEM land manager I got a whole new appreciation for NEMBA(and IMBA). I can see much better, how important your group is toour "forests and parks" in helping us build and maintain trails forALL users. Thanks again and I look forward to working with youand your organization in the future.

Cary VandenAkker, Douglas State Forest Supervisor

Whooo Hooo, I won a Trek Fuel!I just joined NEMBA via online registration. I have been meaningto take care of this for a long time, but kept forgetting - especiallysince I won the TREK FUEL 100 at the Somerville VFW back inApril! I have been riding it this season and my butt is thankful forthe rear suspension, compared to my GT Zaskar hardtail.

I went to the Boston MTB Video Award event with 11 friends andwe all bought an extra ticket for the raffle. I won on the ticketthat was given me when I walked in the door - like it was meantfor me!! The folks at Ace Wheelworks in Somerville have beencool about doing a couple of small things - like changing out to alonger stem too.

Can't say thanks enough, and I'm glad to know that our member-ship dues are going to all the great work that NEMBA does! Thebottom line is that you guys are doing great work and the "com-munity" out here appreciates it! ...Sometimes we forget to show itby taking care of things like becoming a member and supportingthe cause, but we need to remember to do that - for this andother causes we value.

John DiModica, Somerville MA

ED: You forgot to mention that it was your BIRTHDAY! I can stillhear you screaming “It’s my birthday. I can’t believe it... It’s mybirthday!”

Senator John Kerry Congratulates NEMBAI am proud to join your family, friends and colleagues in congratulat-ing the New England Mountain Bike Association on receiving anaward from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Your conscientious efforts on behalf of the environment continue toproduce astounding results. By committing yourselves to preservingand protecting the environment you assure its conservation, whileeducating others to assure its conservation in the future. I applaudthe ingenuity, dedication and creativity with which you have workedon behalf of our communities, our environment, and our future

Again, congratulations on this recognition of your hard work. I wishyou the best of luck in all your future endeavors.

John F. Kerry, United States Senator

Rides, Fun, Music, Food, Bike Swap and More!

$10 for members, $15 for general public.$5 for kids 15 and under

WWW.NEMBA.ORG

NEMBAFest 2003October 19th, 9am-4pm

Great Brook Farm State Park

Carlisle MA

EPA Award to NEMBAThanks for all the work you do to present mountain bikers in agood light to the people that matter. The EPA Award will go a longway in helping our cause. I hope we get a lot of mileage out of it.Definitely a medal NEMBA should pin on its chest to show every-body. That must be a first for a MTB group to get such an award.

I have gotten a handful of my friends to join NEMBA and con-tribute to Nam. I told them that groups like Rage, etc. are a fineway to meet people and organize things but they have to joinNEMBA if they really want to help mountain biking, becauseNEMBA is working in the arena that counts - the political arena.We need representation with the people that have the power totell us where and when we can and can't ride. So even if they don'tget that involved themselves at least by joining, NEMBA gets a lit-tle money, they become aware of all the work it takes to open andkeep open trails and NEMBA membership increases, which looksgood when NEMBA can approach a political machine and say I rep-resent X number of people. The more the better.

I read the article in Mountain Bike Action that mentions theBoston area as being one of the Top ten area for mountain biking.You were mentioned in it. When I come to think about it you arementioned in almost every MTB mag every month.

We had a blast at the video awards! Can't wait till next year's.

John Allen, Medford MA

6 | September 2003

T R E A D L I N E S

Redbones Bike Week Block PartyEvery year, Redbones BBQ of Somerville, Massachusetts, pulls out allthe stops to celebrate all things bicycling for the kick off of BikeWeek. It's the only time in the year when all the different elementsof Boston's bike culture come together in one place. Maybe it's the

lure of pulled-pork and good beer, but you got to hand it to Redbonesto be able to attract such a wide range of bicyclists and offer them

So Close, Yet So Far!We only have $20,000 left to go! But with the summer moving forward full tilt, donations haveslowed down, so we need you to take a few moments and makeyour tax-deductible online donation. Let’s wrap this up and start rid-ing! Even if you've never ridden 'Nam, your support is importantand meaningful: show that you care about the sport and arewilling to protect the trails that make it possible.

It's hard to overstate the importance of this land purchase even if you don't ride 'Nam. With your help and support,we'll be making mountain bike history by being the first MTB organization to own and manage our own trails andprotect them forever. Be part of this history!

While every dollar counts, those who donate $1,000 or more will have their names engraved on a bronze plaquethat will be installed on the property. We invite you to join the 20 or so individuals or families who will be listed.

But the most important thing is to do yourpart regardless of the amount. It's time tomake this dream a reality, and as I said inthe beginning we're so close, yet so far.Your donation matters. Let's preservethis singletrack for eternity!

NEMBA’s Land Preservation FundPO Box 2221Acton MA 01720All donations are 100% tax-deductible

Double your gift! Many corporations match employee donations. Donate online: www.nemba.org Donate by phone: 800-57-NEMBA

Save VietnamForever!

Buy Now, Ride ForeverSAVE VIETNAM

Left to Right: MassBikes’ Tim Baldwin, Redbones Proprietor, Rob Gregory andNEMBA’s Philip Keyes


such a good time.

The event is really ablock party, withcyclists spilling outof the restaurantonto a transformedChester Street that'slined with vendortents and imbuedwith the smell offood. BesidesNEMBA andMassBike —whowere treated like theguests of honor— itwas a great way tomeet all sorts of goodpeople from Ace andBelmont Wheel-works, Kryptonite,Independent Fab-rication, AlternateNeeds Transporta-tion, Rubel Bike

Maps, Seven Cycles, Paramount Bicycle Repair, Hokey Spokes, VintageEtc, The Ride Magazine, Harpoon Brewery, Friends of the CommunityPath, Aids Action Committee Fund Raiser Ride and the Lou Gehrig'sDisease Fund Raiser Ride. The list goes on… and there is always ashowing by the funky guys from SCUL on their incredible chopperbikes!

The event raised $3,800 for MassBike and NEMBA, and Redboneskicked in a couple hundred more to bring it up to $4,000 for the twoorganizations. Paramount Bicycle Repair also presented a $500 checkto NEMBA to help with the Vietnam purchase. All in all, it's a verycool event put on by some very cool people, and NEMBA greatlyappreciates the support.

NEMBA Founder, Heidi Davis, meets GreaterBoston President, Tom Grimble for the first time!

Jaime Schier works hard for Harpoon. He rides bikes, makes beer, ridessome more, makes more beer.... wins a bike! Love Beer, Love Bikes!

Ride the Trai l s / Save the Trai l sMountain bikers need a single voice to protect trail access, build new trails

and take care of the thousands of miles of trails in New England. Pick a Chapter!At LargeBerkshire NEMBABlackstone Valley NEMBACape Cod NEMBACT NEMBAGreater Boston NEMBAMaine NEMBAMerrimack MA NEMBAMt. Agamenticus NEMBANorth Shore MA NEMBAPioneer Valley MA NEMBASeacoast NH NEMBASouth Central NH NEMBASoutheast MA NEMBARhode Island NEMBAVermont NEMBAWachusett MA NEMBAWhite Mtns NH NEMBA

Name ________________________________________________________________________________

Address _______________________________________________________________________________

City ____________________________________________ State _______ Zip ______________________

Home phone _____________________________ Chapter ______________________________________

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

Individual $20 ______ Family (2 Cards) $30 ______ Supporting $50 _____ Sponsoring $100_____

Bicycle Dealer Memberships:Basic $100 _____ Supporting $200_____ Benefactor $500_____ Lifetime $1500_____

Referred by: __________________________________________

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

T R E A D L I N E S

8 | September 2003

Patrol Expands into Harold ParkerWith the approval of the Massachusetts Department ofEnvironmental Management and the North Shore and Greater BostonNEMBA Board of Directors, the Greater Boston Mountain Bike Patrolhas expanded routine patrol coverage into Harold Parker State Forestin North Andover, MA. Geographically, the park is located within theNorth Shore Chapters' territory, but the North Shore Chapter doesnot currently have a patrol. With the Greater Boston Patrol in closeproximity, the Boards of both Chapters agreed to utilize and providefinancial support to the existing Greater Boston Patrol. Harold Parker

becomes the fourth park in the metropolitan Boston area in whichthe Patrol operates. The other parks include the Middlesex-FellsReservation, Lynn Woods and Great Brook Farm State Park. TheHarold Parker Supervisor, Richard Scott, got the process started byasking if it was possible to have a patrol in his park. He was delight-ed when informed that Patrollers were ready to start riding in HaroldParker, stating, that it was good for the park and good for NEMBA andthat there was no downside. Patrollers in their recognizable red jer-seys are now in the process of becoming familiar with the trail sys-tem and park policies. Initially, the current roster of patrollers shouldbe capable of providing coverage at the four parks, but long term it isanticipated that more patrollers will be needed. If you think youmight be interested in becoming a Greater Boston Patroller, contactthe Patrol Director, Art Paradice at [email protected] or978-372-7442 for more information.

CT NEMBA Education Booth

CT NEMBA's Don Myers has created a marketing roadshow to helpincrease membership. With a tent, banners and educational mate-rial, Don plans to attend a number of different venues that our out-side the "normal" cycling scene.

In June the CT NEMBA booth was set up at the Celebrate WestHartford event, a singles and family gathering. Though it rainedboth days, NEMBA volunteers spoke to a lot of people. Over 100people came up and requested a new brochure which had a map ofCT with a listing of riding locations throughout the state. Thebrochure also describes CT NEMBA's advocacy programs and letspeople know how to get involved.

T R E A D L I N E S

Get NEMBAGear OnlineNEMBA has partneredwith Fund-Net to offervarious and sundryitems to you with theNEMBA logo embroi-dered. Currently, we'reoffering polo-styleshirts, Tshirts, crewsand sweatshirts. Alsoavailable are tote bags,messenger bags andfleece blankets. A por-tion of each sale will goto NEMBA and theprices are very reason-able. Each order is custom embroidered just for you, so please makesure that you order the correct size. Show some NEMBA pride andorder some genuine NEMBAGear at NEMBA.ORG.

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Come to Blue Hills MountainBike Day 2003

It's free, it's fun and the riding's great! Imagine this: your favoritegroup of land managers have decided that they really like all of themountain bike riders who use their trail system. They think that

it would be great to sponsor anannual MTB festival that show-cases the great working relation-ship that they have with local rid-ers. Being riders themselves, theycould help lead rides, teach basicand advanced skills, and even leadcool games and contests like aBike Limbo.

Welcome to Blue Hills Mountain Bike Day, and you're invited tothis seventh annual event on September 21st. There will be some-thing for everyone: marked rides, expo booths, games and fun.Advance riders will be able to test their meddle and even familieswith younger kids will have a great time.

There will also be riding clinics, and kids' obstacle course, and var-ious games such as a trackstand contest, a slow race and the infa-mous bike limbo. So come for a ride, demo a bike, get some foodor even a massage and share in the fun. The gates open at 9amfrom the Houghton's Pond area. —Joe Sloane

Pedal, Pedal, PEDAL! You Got it!You may have heard this phrase echoing in the forests around Bostonthis spring. It's the sound of new mountain bikers being cheerfullyencouraged to succeed. The Greater Boston and North Shore chaptershave pooled their efforts this year to lead a series of skills clinics inparks throughout the area. We have completed half of the 10 sched-uled rides. Beginning in the Fells with basic balance drills we havesteadily increased the challenge level. We then moved on to BradleyPalmer to tackle steep climbs, tight turning single track, as well ascrossing water, roots and rock walls. Most recently the group venturedout to Harold Parker State Park in North Andover, where the challengewas the infamous "Blow Down" trail. A twisty up and down single-track littered with no less than 17 downed trees ranging in size from 3inches to over a foot. With nearly triple our usual attendance it is clearthis is a skill many are eager to master.

There are 5 rides remaining in the Thursday night series. We were atHarold Parker in July, and will be at Great Brook Farm, Carlisle in Augustand will finish off in the Lynn Woods during September. Basic skills arealways reviewed at each of the clinics and personal attention is givento individuals specific concerns. You can join in at any time. A groupskill level assessment is done before each ride so no one feels leftbehind or held back. We don't go far or fast. The focus is on fun, friend-ship, and a little learning. Come out and join us.

Updates on the remaining rides are posted to the NSNEMBA andGBNEMBA e-mail lists and can be found on the NEMBA forumsMassachusetts ride board on nemba.org. For more information you cancontact Bill Piotte (justbill) by e-mail at [email protected] —Bill Piotte

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Biking at Bluff Point EndangeredGroton CT: Early this spring, a land management plan proposed forBluff Point asserted that mountain cyclists and, to a lesser extentpedestrians, are endangering a certain False Beech Heather. The planrecommended restricting or banning mountain biking and hiking inmany areas of Bluff Point.

This position and policy are being challenged, and the stateDepartment of Environmental Protection is crafting a new land man-agement policy based on input from CT NEMBA and other recreation-al groups whose access rights are being challenged.

For now, the efforts of the DEP seem to be stalled in our current statebudget quagmire, which has slowed progress toward the creation ofmulti-usage zones and restriction of mountain bikers and hikers fromthe southeastern area (the Nature Preserve.

CT NEMBA continues to monitor progress on this land managementplan through regular contact with the park manager and the DEP envi-ronmental officer assigned to this land management initiative. Theoriginal officer assigned to this recently retired; a new one is currentlyre-learning the history of the project. CT NEMBA has also alerted theTown of Groton to the situation and is working with town officials.

We will keep abreast of the situation and strive to push policy to anacceptable conclusion.

In May, CT NEMBA held a tremendously successful trail maintenancesession, re-routing about 800 yards of trail to avoid a chronic wet area.Thanks again to all 15 of the dedicated volunteers who helped. —DaveSingleton

T R E A D L I N E S

T R E A D L I N E S

10 | September 2003

The phone rings. It's Gary Briere, Mass. DEM's head of recre-ation and one of DEM's outside-the-box thinkers. I can'thelp but wonder where the conversation is going to lead.

"You know, Phil,” says Gary, “I think we need to find a wayto get your NEMBA guys' trail building savvy to some of ourDEM land managers. I see huge potential for the PioneerValley to become a really great destination for recreational-ists, but we need to offer them a well thought-out trail sys-tem that makes people want to come out here, spend sometime and enjoy our forests and parks." Yes, I'm paraphrasing,but this is how Gary talks, and he always seems to start offwith some large and inspirational purpose.

I take the bait and respond. "How about we do a trail schoolfor all the park supervisors? Maybe we can join forces withthe AMC and really make a show of it." This was probablywhat Gary was thinking all the time, but as a veteran of theDEM, he knows that it's better to have the person who does all thework think that it's his or her idea. "Sounds great," says Gary. "Let's doit!"

Thus began the New England Trail Builders School. I called Joy Streetand enlisted AMC's Trails Coordinator, Heather Clish. She was alsopsyched to be able to offer AMC's support for the school, and bothshe and the Berkshire AMC's trail specialist, Ted Weber, offered to beinstructors. We rounded off the instructors with IMBA's Trail CareCrew, Scott Linnenburger and Aaryn Kay, as well as NEMBA's TomGrimble, Paul Peaslee, Krisztina Holly, Peter Brandenburg and RichLaBombard. To top it off, we brought in Kurt Loheit from California.Kurt never misses a chance to take a weekend off from rocket science

to spend some time in the woods talking about trails.

With over fifty people registered —including over a dozen DEM landmanagers and park personnel—my only regret was that there weren'tmore AMC members at the school. But like NEMBA, the AMC haslots going on every weekend. However, trail aficionados came from asfar away as northern Maine and New York, and there was a goodregional attendance by NEMBAmembers.

The Notch Visitors Center atHolyoke State Park was a perfectvenue, and the park supervisor,Mike Smyth, was a gracious hostwho helped solve a slew of logis-tical issues. The location wasalso the perfect laboratorybecause of the variety of trails —and trail problems— and eachclinic dealt with different issuesand techniques.

Over the weekend we offered acombination of classroominstruction that presented anoverview of the principles of traildesign and maintenance, as wellas on-the-trail clinics thatfocused on a variety of topics.One session taught how to construct boardwalks using hemlock treesas the support beams. A second focused on drainage structures anderosion control techniques, and a third clinic taught how to designsustainable singletrack trails. Some of the sessions were repeated thenext day so that people could learn the different techniques, and wealso offered a clinic on working with rock to fortify the trails.

It was a productive weekend and very gratifying to combine forceswith the AMC and IMBA, and have so many DEM land managers inattendance. As always, we try to have as much fun as possible dur-ing these schools, and there were some great rides and some of theDEM staff decided that they wanted to see what the buzz was allabout. In that vein, Cary Vandenakker, Douglas State Forest's super-visor, deserves the award for most gnarly mountain biking. Cary tookhis mild-managed comfort bike down what is probably the most dif-ficult descent on the mountain and did so with style!

Partnerships like these are good for the trails, and by combining ourknowledge we can make the trails a better place for everyone.

New England Trail Builders School

Over a dozen staffers from Massachusett’s Department of Environmental Managementtook part in the New EnglandTrail Builders School put on by NEMBA, the AMC and IMBA.

So, what’s wrong with this waterbar? Well, pretty much everything!

PV NEMBA’s Rich LaBombard biking intools to build a boardwalk


Mountain Bikers Report Arson atVietnam

Here's the report sent in by NEMBA member, John Goeller:

It was the first Sunday in May, and I was leading a group of NH rid-ers,who wanted to see the Vietnam and what their donations were goingtoward. We were having a great ride, when we all stopped to re-group.As we looked down the trail we noticed smoke. We went down the trailand the smell got stronger. We went around a large rock formation andwhen we got to the top of the hill we could see lots of smoke.

We dismounted our bikes and we hadn't even walked 10 yards when wecould see the flames. My guess is there was about 1/2 acre burning. I gotout my cell phone and dialed 911. I was connected first to the StatePolice, then Milford Police, then the Milford Fire Department.

I tried my best to describe where we were, but that proved to be verydifficult. The fire department asked if I could meet them at the road. Isaid I would meet them at the trailhead at Route 85, just before theCharles River. While I was on the phone, the guys had started making afire break around the fire, and it was working very well. There were acouple of small rock formations that were extremely hot. At this point Itook off to meet the Fire department, leaving 10 guys from NH to playfiremen.

I rode down to meet the Fire Department, and they followed me with thetruck into the woods, but could only get the truck about halfway in, sothey had to hoof it. I commented to the fireman " I hope this doesn'tmean the firebug is back," and the fireman responded with " Oh, he'sback, this is the 3rd fire since Easter Sunday." He also told me that thefire on Easter Sunday had burnt over 50 acres on the north side of rte.85 , not very far from where we were.

When we got to the fire, or what was left of it, the combination of mak-ing fire breaks and throwing dirt between the rocks had all but put it out.The area was still smoldering , and the fire men were going to wet downthe area to keep it from flaring up again. The firemen thanked us for ourprompt action and getting the fire under control. At this point we leftand continued on with our ride, but this incident made it a ride wewould not forget.

For the last few years, someone has been torching conservation lands and pri-vate property in Milford, MA. In at least two cases, the first to come upon the

fires has been mountain bikers, sometimes putting them out and other timescalling in the Fire Department. Please report any suspicious activity to the local

authorities and help them put an end to the arson.

12 | September 2003

I've never considered myself a mountainbike tour type of guy. Pay someone to

lead me through the forest? Hire some-one to make sure I'm fed and don't get

lost? I didn't get it. But when I was cajoled into going by a couple of NEMBA folk, Tomand Claire Grimble (and especially my wife, Nanyee), I decided it washigh time to see what a trip with a mountain bike tour company wasall about. It turned out to be one of the best vacations ever.

Western Spirit Cycling made it all so easy, and the hardest part of thetrip was deciding which of their many tours to take. We chose theArizona North Rim trip because it was an intermediate trip thataccommodated a wide range of riding abilities and offered somebonus riding for the hardcore. The clincher was the dream of seeingone of the world's most amazing natural wonders —the GrandCanyon— on a mountain bike. NEMBA's Bill Boles must have agreedsince he hopped on board with his friend, Marlene.

Western Spirit gave good phone and signing up was a breeze. Theyanswered all our many questions, sent us a detailed list of things tobring, explained how to ship the bikes, and where to meet. From thatpoint on, all we needed to do was ride, eat and sleep... and focus onhaving as much fun as possible. Not a bad deal at all!

Leaving from St. George, Utah (a couple of hours shuttle drive fromVegas), Western Spirit picked us up at our inexpensive but clean hotelalong with the other tour folk, and drove us deep into the KaibabNational Forest in northern Arizona. As we drove into the high coun-try from the dry heat of the valley floor, the air cooled and thinned,and our anticipation grew. Joshua trees and chula cacti gave way tojuniper, ponderosa pines and aspens as we worked our way up to

8500 feet. The drive was a good time to chat with our fellow com-rades and begin to get to know each other. By the end of the trip, weall had become fast friends.

The Arizona TrailThe first day's goal was to do an easy ride to camp on the ArizonaTrail. Once all the linkages of this trail are complete, riders will be ableto ride from Mexico to Utah on a mix of singletrack, doubletrack anddirt road. The section we were to ride over the next two days was buffsingle and doubletrack that had moderate amounts of climbing, madea bit more difficult because of our lowlander lungs.

Weaving through thick aspen and pine groves, the singletrack trailspills out on to expansive rolling meadows with wide-open vistas andfast doubletrack. Hawks, vultures and the occasional coyote searchfor their next meals, and the deep blue sky collides with wildflowersand pined ridges. All of us felt a surge of euphoria as we tried to drinkin the views. This is indeed mountain bike god's country.

By the end of the day we reached camp and our first view of the EastRim of the Grand Canyon. Ponderosa pines dropped off into a psy-chedelic stratigraphy of 360-million year old polished, multi-coloredrock that makes up the Marble Canyon. As we got off our bikes andcrept —with some trepidation— onto the cataclysmic promontoriesthat hang off the canyon walls, the view infiltrated all of my body, andthe combination of vertigo and euphoria from the intense exposuremade me lightheaded. Words don't describe the majesty of rock andthe enormous geological timeframes we were witnessing. Faced withsuch enormity, it's hard not to reflect on the insignificance of humanswithin this giant landscape.

Violet-green swallows torpedoed down the canyon walls to swoopup and blast by our heads. Black and white Clark's Nutcrackerssquawked as they alighted on the tips of the pines below, nipping onberries and pine nuts, and red-tailed Hawks and Turkey Vultures float-

Escape to Grand Canyon’s North Rimby Philip Keyes


ed along on the thermals coming upfrom the hot valley floor. Lizardspeeked around rocks at us wearily andscurried off. All the while, the view ofthe canyon's rockscape literally could-n't fit into our heads, creating the men-tal overload that is pure awe.Combining this with a day of excep-tional riding, the result was bliss, pureand simple.

The vivid beauty of the first day's ridehad already worked its bonding magicon the entire group, and everyone feltcomfortable hanging out, drinking beerand soaking in the pine-scented shadewhile we waited for our friendly andattentive guides to cook us up somegourmet grub. Grilled salmon andchicken sizzled and snapped over thecoals, not to be outdone by a richchocolate fondue of fresh strawberries,pineapple and melon. It's hard tobelieve that our intrepid guides couldprepare such a banquet deep in theKaibab Forest. After some games andbantering, we retired to our tents tosleep and dream of the upcoming day.

Western Spirit Cycling’s North Rim tour offers the perfect combination of alpine singletrack and open meadowdoubletrack to accomodate a wide range of rider abilities. The Arizona Trail is well marked, and each hill and

valley offers a new breath-taking vista. This is the perfect “couples” tour.

Continued on page 14

We were greeted the next morningby the smell of fresh "cowboy" coffee,homemade blueberry pancakes andscrambled eggs. We ate heartilyknowing that we had a long day ofriding on a different out and backsection of the Arizona Trail. We didour best not to stuff ourselves beforethe ride.

Within moments of mounting ourbikes we were screaming down a fastdescent through the alpine single-track switchbacks down to therolling meadows below—a descentthat we'd have to pay back later onthe way back. For the remainder ofthe morning we followed the con-tours up and over the hills from for-est to meadow, from meadow to for-est. Since our lungs found them-selves over 8000 feet higher thanusual, we took each hill slowly andmeticulously, breathing deeply andspinning the best circles we couldmuster. On the downhills, we'dthrow caution to the wind, and rip

14 | September 2003

The Marble Canyon was named by John Wesley Power, the first explorer to run the length of the ColoradoRiver. The polished stone near the base of the river reminded him of marble though, in fact, it’s a 360 million

year old limestone that was depositied at the floor of this great ocean basin.

the descents and rail the twists and turns ofeach well-earned gravity trough. We roller-coastered all the way to lunch, whereWestern Spirit's V10 van and trailer met uswith plenty of fixings for sandwiches, salads,drinks and fruits. Hmmm, why does foodalways taste better in the middle of the for-est?

Though it was an out-and-back trail, thefamiliarity of the return voyage let us focusmore on the scenery, and it was sometimeshard to ride while gawking at the views, flow-ers and landscapes. Between the bird songsand rustling winds, you could hear fellow rid-ers uttering "Wow!" as another vista tooktheir breath away.

Then, came the final ascent. We gatheredtogether at the base to muster motivationbefore making a go of it. Steep and marbley,and with tight turns, only our guide Johnnywas able to clean it on his 29" rigid Willet.While it wasn't a technical climb, the lack ofoxygen made all of us see stars and blackspots before we crested up to the high forestterrace. We all chanted encouragement asriders finished the climb. It was a good feel-ing, and the group felt a growing kinship from

the shared magic of the trip.

It was a solid long day of riding, and the tasteof a cold beer was only outmatched by theexceptional fresh vegetable and sausagepasta, salad and chocolate cake (baked fromscratch in a dutch oven over the coals).

During the evening, we joked around, heardtales of endo'es and bleeding knees, andplayed a newfangled and addictive card gamecalled Quiddler. After a gentle sunset andsome stargazing, we slept as soundly as thecanyon around us.


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Fragrant blue lupine mixed with ponderosa pine and junipers to create an intoxicating ride

Continued on page 16

16 | September 2003

Hike and BikeDay three was a great change of pace forour well-worn legs. We drove into theGrand Canyon National Park and hikedthe Widforss Trail around the GrandCanyon's spectacular North Rim.

The canyon wall is about a mile abovethe Colorado River, and the red andorange walls of the rocks present a lay-ered history down to the inner gorge'searliest level, nearly 2 billion years old.We popped out on to numerous rockoutcroppings to get a bird's eye view ofthe big ditch.

My eyes busily scanned the skies insearch of my first California Condor.There are only 34 condor released in thepark and they have thousands of squaremiles to patrol.

Fortune smiled. There, circling the pon-derosa trees above us, were three enor-mous birds, looking more like ptero-dactyl. With 9-foot wingspans and blackand white underwings, they appearedpart bird, part airplane, and before weknew it, the prehistoric birds caught a

While most tourists first see the Canyon at the more popular South Rim, riding the North Rim lets one expe-rience this splendor without the crowds and tourist trappings.


thermal, soared above us and out of sight.

After a short walk around the historicGrand Canyon Lodge and a gourmet lunch,we drove back into the Kaibab NationalForest and rode an 8-mile descent to campon the forest roads. Some of us continuedon to ride a glorious singletrack that woundits way around the fingers of the canyon,popping out every so often for breathtakingviews of the canyon below.

In an attempt to outdo the splendor of theviews, the guides cooked us up killer fajitasand homemade banana chocolate chip icecream. It was another day of pure content-ment.

The Rainbow Rim TrailOne of highlights of the trip, the RainbowRim Trail is a snaking singletrack that hugsthe canyon and flirts with the WildernessArea that is off-limits to bikes. Designedand flagged by Ranger John Kneeling, thenarrow mountain bike trail weaves aroundthe rim and winds in and around each fin-ger of the Canyon, then scoots into the for-est as it follows the contours of the land. It

The North Rim Trail is as close to the Grand Canyon as bikes can legally go. It skirts the border of theNational Forest Service and and the National Park Land, and currently there’s no offroad mountain biking

currently allowed in the the National Park.Continued on page 18

18 | September 2003

was impossible not to"Oooo" and "Ahhhaaa"along the trail becauseof the sheer beauty andmaximum fun-factor thetrail offered.

As we zipped aroundthe tight turns, the rockface of the canyon wallplummets down 1000feet and opens up intokaleidoscopic views.Then, in an instant, thetrail would turn into thedeep forest shadethrough gentle mead-ows of lupine and scar-let gilia. At times, thebikes appear to pedalthemselves, carving and

berming their way around the ponderosa and aspen.

Claire and Nanyee made it their personal missions to ride the entire30+ miles of singletrack —their longest ride ever— and by the timewe hit the lunch station at Fence Point, their "stokemeter was peggedto the max" (as one of the guide was prone to saying). No question,the Rainbow Rim Trail should rank high on any mountain biker's"must-ride" list.

All Good Things Must Ride to the EndOn the last day we did a short out-and-back on the final section ofthe Rainbow Rim. Last days are always a bit sad, but the trail madeit impossible not to smile and chuckle around the bends and turns.

What is it about some trails that just makes one laugh with childishglee? How is it that the bike can remain so grounded on the dirt whileour minds soar so far above it? Some people search all their lives forsuch feelings of transcendence, yet it seems so easy on a bike, espe-cially on the Rainbow Rim trail. We were the condors of the trail.

Before we knew it, we were descending the mountains in WesternSpirits' V10 van back to the land of cacti and scrub surrounding St.George, away from the cool blue skies and down to the torrid dry heatof the Mormon's Dixie of the West. Before we knew it, we were backto the decadent neons of Las Vegas and on the plane back east, a briefescape from the East Coast's sultry humidity and our busy lives.

Little did I know that even though I was a bit skeptical about thewhole mountain bike tour thing, I'd already be planning my next one.Hmmmm, Telluride to Moab anyone?

Getting Down and DirtyThe cost of Western Spirit's North Rim trip is $895 per per-son. We rented a tent, a couple of sleeping bags and pads fromthem for $95, but you can bring your own. For an extra $50,Western Spirit will receive and assemble your bike at a local bikeshop as well as pack it up for you for the journey home (UPScharges are extra). But if you don't mind not riding your ownbike, you can rent Specialized Rockhopper dualies for $35/day.

The best way to get to St. George is by flying to Vegas (it costus $330) and take a shuttle to St. George ($50 round trip) rightfrom the airport. The hotel itself cost $45 dollars, was nice andclean, offered a big continental breakfast, and had a small butnice pool. Western Spirit can be reached on the web atwww.western spirit.com or you can get one of their gorgeouscatalogues by calling 800-845-2453.

While at the North Rim, we ran into another tour companygroup run by Escape Adventures that appeared to be havingjust as much fun. You can check them out at www.escapeadven-tures.com or call them at 800-596-2953.

If you want toextend your trip,Zion National Park isonly an hour awayfrom St. George. Westayed there for twonights at a nice hotelon the banks of theVirgin River called theCliffrose Lodge andGardens(cliffroselodge.com,800-243-8824) and enjoyed hikes up into the wonderfully inti-mate canyons and biking on the exceptional slickrock trails ofGooseberry Mesa. Don't forget to ride early in the morning dur-ing the summer since it gets quite hot. Since Western Spirit usesa bike shop in Zion as their bike shipping destination, it wasgreat to arrive and have our bikes built up and ready to ride.Highly recommended.

Salmon, chicken, steak fajits and greatdesserts... We gained weight even though

we rode all day!

20 | September 2003

Riding Alaska's Resurrection Pass TrailSouth of Anchorage on the Kenai Peninsula runs a spectacular 40-mile singletrack trail called Resurrection Pass. Connecting the south-ern town of Hope to Coopers Landing in the south, the trail is wellmaintained and, byAlaskan standards,well traveled andnot too remote. ByNew England stan-dards this meanswilderness.

Due to the lengthof the trail, ourgroup decided tomake this a 3-day/2-night event.We rented theForest Service cabinon Juneau Lake andchartered a float-plane to fly our gearto the cabin. Iwould recommendriding from Hope to Cooper Landing since the descent from the passinto Cooper Landing is more enjoyable than the descent into Hope.

The first day consisted of driving the couple of hours from Anchorageto the Hope trailhead and riding 30 miles to the cabin. Our first goalfor the day is "The Grassy Knoll," about 19 miles away. This marks theend of the climbing and the start of the pass. The trail parallelsResurrection Creek, initially as a fire road with some short climbs anddescents. Soon the trail changes to singletrack and the climbingensures there is plenty of time to enjoy the scenery. But all is notuphill as the trail descends to cross every tributary and then climbsagain to regain the elevation. Finally, the streams are left behind andone last climb brings us out of the trees to reach The Grassy Knoll.The spectacular view and the anticipation of a great downhill ride intwo days make the effort worthwhile.

With most of the climbing behind us, we proceed into the pass. Aswith most passes on the Kenai Peninsula, the terrain here is moreNew England-like than the climb. There are lots of rocks embedded inthe dirt and occasional rock armored water crossings. Soon we reachResurrection Pass at an elevation of 2600' and the most remote point

in the ride. It is about 20miles back to the cars andalmost 15 miles to bail outvia Devils Pass Trail to theleft. On the positive side,there is a small cabin forshelter. A constant windand temperatures in the60s encourage us to keepmoving.

The descent from the passstarts gradually and pleas-antly. There are severalbridges, although one isbroken but rideable. Soonwe encounter a snowfield.Unlike the previous year,there was only one field to

cross and it wasn't very big. A couple of miles later near the end ofthe downhill, the trail splits to rejoin later. The left-hand trail ismarked summer route and is steeper and more challenging. The right-hand trail is the winter route and leads to the Swan Lake cabin. Afterrejoining, there are some ups and downs (and one bear encounter)before the trail emerges on the shore of Juneau Lake. From here it'sonly a couple more miles to the cabin

The second day's ride was an out-and-back from the cabin to theCooper Landing trailhead. The first few miles consist of rolling terrainwith some rocks and mud. Just after a trail junction there is an over-look for a waterfall that is well worth the stop to take in the view.From here to the parking lot is one long, glorious down hill with rocksand roots to keep things interesting. Watch out for the right handturns. They're off camber and the left side consists of a long drop toJuneau Creek. Also, because of the waterfall, this section of the trail

Ride Alaskaby Mark Lisee, SC NH NEMBA


has a decent number of hikers. The descent is more thanworth the price of admission since the climb back up isquite manageable. It's then back to the cabin, for a totalof almost 20 miles of riding.

The third day's ride was from the cabin back to the carsat Hope. We started with a nice, serene ride along theedge of Juneau Lake before starting the climb back toResurrection Pass. In this direction, the summer cut offis a challenging, technical climb. The winter route ismore gradual and not as technical. Unlike the Hope sideof the pass, the climbing here is continuous until thetop. Cool weather and a steady wind encouraged us tokeep moving through the pass, although we did stop fora group photo.

The descent into Hope starts with a couple miles of bigring down hill. With the terrain blurring by, it's easy toforget the climbing we did to get to the top. That is untilthe first stream crossing comes as a reminder that it'snot all down hill to the cars. Still, in the sun and out ofthe wind, the riding is very pleasant. All too soon, we'reback at the cars.

Other Rides on the Kenai PeninsulaJohnson Pass runs 24 miles from the Granite Creekcampground in the north to Moose Pass in the south. I've only riddenit heading south. The last portion of the climb is steep with a coupleof sections that require pushing. Overall, it's rockier and more tech-nical than Resurrection Pass.

Primrose Creek Trail runs south from the Primrose CreekCampground and meets the Lost Lake Trail, which runs north fromSeward. The climb heading north out of Seward is steady with a fewchallenging water crossings. Along the pass, the trail has some short,steep ups and downs. The descent into Primrose Campground hassome drops that will challenge many people. The total length is 15miles one way.

Upper Russian Lake is a loop that starts at the state boat launchnear Snug Harbor Road, just east of Cooper Landing. It starts with 11miles of riding on a dirt road. The last 3 miles are a steep climb. Thenit's 21 miles of singletrack, generally downhill. The terrain varies frommellow to a stretch strewn with broken rock and paralleling a stream.It ends with a 2-mile descent down a tourist-laden dirt road followedby 6 miles on pavement. The total length is 40 miles.

Resurrection Pass 411Located in the Chugach National Forest southwest ofAnchorage, this 39-mile is the most popular route on theKenai Peninsula.

There is a series of eight US Forest Service (USFS) cabinsalong the route for $25 per night. They have to be reservedin advance at the USFS office in Anchorage and are quitepopular in the summer.

For trail information and to reserve a cabin, call the USForest Service office for the Anchorage District: ChugachNational Forest (907) 271-2500), 201 East 9th St., Suite206, Anchorage, AK 99501.

22 | September 2003

On a Tuesday night in early May, I fellout of bed with a leg cramp that mighthave killed a lesser man. This painfulmuscle rebellion was a direct result ofjumping back into the biking seasonwithout proper preparation or trainingafter a long cold winter of couch surf-ing, nuked foods and McDonald's DollarMenu.

As I lay there, noticing how nicely thefloors had been finished and wonderingif the dust bunny under my bed wouldattack my whimpering mass, I cursedmy off-season training regimen ofPlaystation2 and ten-pin bowling.

I also wondered how many other fat-tire warriors were having similarthoughts as they swore off Tetris andHagen Daz pints in exchange for theearly season punishment of PowerBarsand bib-short wedgies.

Robert Frost - no relation to Jack Frost,who seems to have lingered a bit longerthan usual in the Northeast this year -mentions a road less traveled in one of

his poems. To interpret, he was talkingabout exploring new directions andthat's what seems to be happeningmore in mountain biking regarding fit-ness.

I often take solace in the remarkableregenerative power of the human bodyand soul. Our bodies seem to quicklyrebound from slothfulness to fitness ina matter of weeks, given the rightamount of discipline and activity.

For years, I've lurched back into warmweather activity from a sedentary win-ter and was mildly disappointed recent-ly to find out my routine is fraught withdanger.

An online article from the VirginiaMason Medical Center says, "studiessuggest that repeated variations inweight, particularly during youngadulthood, increase the risk of heartdisease. In fact, "yo-yo" weight losspatterns were as risky to the heart asbeing overweight itself when theamount being lost and regained is equal

Trail Less Traveledby Jeff Cutler

S I D E T R A C K S


to 10 percent or more of the body weight."

Talk about a wake-up call. As much as we liketo think we're impervious to ailmentsbecause we hang with a group of fitnessfreaks who ride bikes 37+ weeks of the year,we definitely need to listen to our bodieswhen restarting the dirt season.

Maybe now it's time to take a road less trav-eled by.

George Santayana - a Spanish-born USphilosopher said, "Those who cannot remem-ber the past are condemned to repeat it."

Aside from being another great quote thatnobody seems able to attribute correctly (Ihad to look it up too), it says a lot about ourbiking habits.

When will we evolve to the point where weremember the difficulty of the season's firstride at Otis? And how many times will wehave to start spring by tossing out a horriblydiscolored water bladder that is home toorganisms as large as a small hamster?

Some of you are already enlightened andevolving as evidenced by the number of roadbikes, toned calves and wind-burned faces Isaw on the road while the trails were still

snow-covered. Others, myself included,think that watching OLN and hoisting laun-dry baskets up three flights of stairs will keepus fit.

In fact, I almost left the short bus andmigrated into the cool, fit kids group byattending an early-season road ride withsome other mtbers this year. It was onlyMarch, but the temps had risen and I gotreally pumped to show off on the bike again.

I should have known to cancel the ride whenI got winded whilst packing the Jeep.Carrying my full Camelbak that day got myheart rate up above 120 and bending over topull my tights up made me a little dizzy.

SO, after resting for a minute and eating abox of mini microwavable pancakes to get myenergy back, I hopped in the car and went toride 45 miles on the road. Genius.

I'm no doctor, but I'd suggest going into yourcross-training routine a little more gradually.All I got for my trouble that day was another

leg cramp, a stripe of road grime up my back,and a handful of politely astonished andannoyed riders who dragged my sorry carcassall around metro west Massachusetts.

I guess what I'm delivering today is a gentlesermon urging you to be prepared next year.Make a plan this summer to keep your fitnesslevel up. Do some real exercise at a gym orpick up a bike trainer now at a yard sale.

Santayana had a pile of other quotes duringhis long philosophical career. But the onethat seems to tie in nicely with travel andplanning is this:

"Before he sets out, the traveler must possessfixed interests and facilities to be served bytravel."

I'll be fixing my interests in the steadfastavoidance of leg cramps and the resoluteretention of my fitness level as I travelthrough the rest of 2003. I hope you do thesame.

...how many times will we have to start spring by toss-ing out a horribly discolored water bladder that ishome to organisms as large as a small hamster?

24 | September 2003

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See you on the trails!

By Christopher Patrick

What's the easiest way to keep my bikeup and running if I don't have a lot oftime for bike maintenance?Good bike maintenance includes keeping your bike clean, adjustedproperly and well lubed. However, for those periods when you can'ttake the time to perform maintenance, here are some good practicesto get your bike through till the next tune-up. Improvised methodsfor accomplishing the basics listed below can also be seen on theNEMBA web forum at www.nemba.org/yabbse. Many members haveposted ways of keeping your bike up and running between rides.Check out the tech section of the NEMBA web forum for more.

Just after each ride:

· Keep it clean. Take a minute to wipe the bike down after your ride.Wipe down whatever you can, paying attention to drivetrain. A gooditem to use is a long bristled brush for derailleur and cassette clean-ing. It can also be used to loosen mud and dirt stuck to the otherparts of the bike. If you have a chance for a quick rinse with a waterbottle or even the garden hose, do so with care. (no direct sprayingat the bearings like wheel hubs, bottom bracket and headset) Wipelarge drops of water off bike and wipe the chain. Let the rest of thebike air dry.

· For those with not a minute for even a quick cleanup andwipedown, you can put it away dirty. Let the mud and grime dry.Next, take a soft bristle brush and remove all debris from every spot

you can reach. Wipe the chain, and relube.

• Tighten anything that loosened during ride now, and make the bikeready for next ride.

• Check to see that wheels spin true. Repair out of true wheelsbefore next ride.

• Take note of tires, grips, brake and shifter cables, and any otherwear and tear items that a visual inspection will cover. Check yourfork and any other suspension components. Take a second to inspectthe tires, paying close attention to the sidewalls.

• Lastly, a clean bike is easier to inspect for cracks and damage. Lookover the frame and fork for any suspicious looking damage.

Just before each ride:

• If you washed the bike after the last ride, the chain should be dryby now. This is the best chance to lubricate the chain and wipe itclean. Re-apply lube and wipe as needed. Proper lubrication of chainsinclude allowing some time for the lube to set in before wiping thechain. But if you’re in a hurry, a quick lube and wipe will be sufficientfor a ride.

• Take another quick spin of the controls, check again to see thatgears and brakes are working properly.

How do I know if I need to replace myDisc Brake Pads?Disc Brake pad life depends on many different circumstances, such asriding style and riding conditions. Most disc brake pads outlast rim

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brake pads. Common sense would have it that when the pads areworn down (by inspection) it's time to replace them. You can weardisc brake pads down till they are just short of exposing the metalbacking plate. Often times though, without occasional inspection,you could miss the signs indicating the need for replacement, and

wear the pad material right off the backing plate. When or if thisoccurs during a ride, damage could result to the rotor.

The best way to tell if you need to replace your disc brake pads, is toinspect them with a metric ruler. Do this by removing them from thecaliper as the manufacturer suggests. The good way to tell if yourpads should be replaced is when total thickness of the pad and back-ing plate is less then 3mm. (The pad material thickness of mostbrands is approximately 1.5mm when new, so you can also tell howmuch wear has resulted when measuring.)

There are lots of ways to clean your bike. Pond jumping, unfortunately, isn’tone of them. If you hose down your bike, make sure not to point the nozzletoward any of the bearing—headset, bottom brackets, and hubs. It’s bestto use plain old soap and water. Dawn dishwashing liquid is regarded the

best since it cuts grease well. Some people bypass water all together andwipe the bike off with Pledge furniture polish. It cuts the grease and leaves

a nice wax shine. Smells lemon fresh too! Photo by Ken Zacharias.

Hot TipsWider is Better

Wider tires will allow you to decrease your tire pressure sub-stantially, giving you more traction with the ground andincreased cornering performance. If you are cautious on thedownhills and/or unskilled, the increased rolling-resistance youunnoticably suffer going uphill will be made up for tenfold whilegoing down.

Light in the Loafers

People frequently forget that shoes are an easy place to cut backthe pounds and it's also part of the bike. Why bother having a20 lb bike if you have 10 lb shoes! Light shoes let you spinfaster. —Kevin Montgomery

26 | September 2003

The amount of drag or air resistance produced by putting your bicy-cle on top of your car is so great that on a trip from England toScotland it would be cheaper to send it by train because of the fuelconsumption to overcome the drag

Men are 6 times more likely to be struck by lightning than women.

The bicycle was patented by W.K. Clarkson, Jr. of New York City onJune 26, 1819.

The first bicycle that was made in 1817 by Baron von Drais didn'thave any pedals. People walked it along.

One car out of every 230 made was stolen last year.

The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV wasFred and Wilma Flintstone.

In Tokyo, a bicycle is faster than a car for most trips of less than 50minutes.

In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So in oldEngland, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell atthem mind their own pints and quarts and settle down. It's where weget the phrase "mind your P's and Q's"

Buffalo Pedaling History Bicycle Museum is the world's largest bicyclemuseum.

One gallon of used motor oil can ruin approximately one million gal-lons of fresh water.

The longest tandem or "bicycle built for two" ever made was actuallyfor thirty-five. It is almost 67 feet long and weighs about as much asa Volkswagen.

Some ribbon worms will eat themselves if they can't find any food.

Ever thought about what will happen if one billion Chinese and onebillion Indians insisted on not riding bicycles and started driving cars—as the Americans and Europeans do?

It's illegal to drink beer out of a bucket while you're sitting on a curbin St. Louis.

What is a ghost-proof bicycle?Answer: One with no spooks in it.

It is impossible to lick your elbow.

"Lie flat on your backs, class, and circle your feet in the air as if youwere riding your bikes," said the gym teacher. "Fred! What are you doing? Move your feet, boy." "I'm freewheeling, sir."

You're born with 300 bones, but when you get to be an adult, youonly have 206.

“My dog is a nuisance. He chases everyone on a bicycle. What can I do?”“Take his bike away”

The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven:$6,400. That’s a lot of bikes!

Cat urine glows under a black-light!

Q: If you see a lawyer on a bicycle, why don't you swerve to hit him?A: It might be your bicycle.

Q. What occurs more often in December than any other month?A. Conception.

NEMBA on the Web:

From www.chevron.com, “Nemba crude oil is produced in Angola. Itis loaded from the Chevron-operated Malongo Terminal, which canaccommodate VLCC loading. Cabinda also loads at Malongo andcombined cargoes of Cabinda and Nemba on VLCCs are common”

From Bruck News Service: “"Ugeekoki sowa nemba nanushu?"(Would you like a pile of dead fish with your rotten seaweed?).

Questionable Trivia and Assorted Bad Bike JokesS I D E T R A C K S


C H A P T E R N E W S

Fall Fiesta time!Seems like summer just arrived and we're alreadythinking about fall. SAVE THE DATE for the FifthAnnual Fall Fiesta, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday,Sept. 14 (rain date Sept. 21) at a location TBA(we're looking at the eastern end of the state forthis year's event).

We'll have rides for all ability levels, food andentertainment, including some events we'recooking up for the kids. This will be a blast, sodon't miss it! Want to help out with the event?Contact Mike Dews: [email protected].

Also at the Fiesta, we'll hold our annual chapter-wide meeting and elect board members. Some ofour incumbent members will be running again,but we welcome new candidates who will bringfresh ideas to CT NEMBA. Interested in running?Contact Nancy Martin: 203.230.2326 [email protected]. Have questions about what theboard does? Contact me or any other boardmember.

Speaking of the board, director-at-large HowieKargman has left — the board and the state —for a new job in Vermont. We are sorry to seehim go, but wish him well in his new career andhome.

Around the stateEleven new Trail Ambassadors — most fromwestern Connecticut — were oriented in earlyJune in Bethel. They join the ranks of nearly 50Trail Ambassadors throughout Connecticut. AtBluff Point in Groton CT NEMBA held a success-ful train maintenance day in spring. Board mem-bers Paul Bassett and Dave Singleton continue tomonitor the proposed management plan recom-mending that a significant portion of Bluff Pointbe designated a nature preserve, restricting orprohibiting use by mountain bikers and othergroups (see article in this issue of SingleTracks).The Patrol provided support for events in theHartford area, including the Trout Brook Relay atthe West Hartford Reservoir in early June and theMS Ride for the Cure June 22.

Trail maintenance events are scheduled through-out the state in the fall; check www.ctnemba.orgfor details. Come on out and do your part to care

for our precious trails.

What's new?As part of our efforts to bring in new members,we have two new brochures that describe CTNEMBA — its mission, membership, programsand activities. One of the brochures also has aConnecticut map listing locations of many CTtrails. Many thanks to Jay Sloves and the staff ofElkinson & Sloves Marketing of Farmington, whodesigned the brochure gratis. If you'd like a copy,contact Don Myers, [email protected].

We've been distributing brochures at events allover the state, including Celebrate! WestHartford in early June. Rain kept the crowdsbelow normal at the event, but lots of folksstopped by to ask about mountain biking inConnecticut and CT NEMBA. Thanks to CentralWheel of Farmington, one of our sponsor shops,for setting up a bike display that made for greateye candy. We'll also be handing out brochuresand talking up CT NEMBA at the Lime RockVintage Car Fest Labor Day weekend. If you canhelp staff a booth at that event, contact DonMyers or Nancy Martin: [email protected].

Got questions, concerns, ideas? Please feel freeto contact me or any other board member. —Turch

ConnecticutPresident: John Turchi, [email protected] or

860-653-5038Vice-President: Alex Sokolow,

[email protected], 203-281-0789Secretary: Nancy MartinTreasurer: Mike GnazzoDirectors: Paul Bassett, Paula Burton,

Howie Kargman, Matt Mueller, DonMyers

Patrol Coordinator: Brian Smith, [email protected]

Ambassador Coordinator: Alex SokolowEmail List: [email protected] Web: www.ctnemba.org

Belmont ReportDiscussions regarding which trails bicycles willbe allowed to use on the McLean property inBelmont are ongoing. Through our work a yearago we were able to remove a legal barrier whichprevented cyclist from having access to thisproperty but this issue if far from being resolved.The decision rests with a group of eight known asthe McLean Land Management Committee. Madeup of four representatives from the McLeanHospital and four from the Town of Belmont, thegroup is charged with making management deci-sions for this urban open space that containstrails that are frequently used by mountain bik-

ers, hikers, dog walkers and trail runners.Emotions have been charged over the issue ofcyclist access. There is a small group of peoplewho live in very close proximity to the propertyand wish to limit the use of the trails. These peo-ple are very active and show up at all of the com-mittee meetings. Fortunately, so does NEMBA.The McLean Land Management Committee is agood group of fair people who have to make adecision that will likely anger some people. Weneed to make sure that the Mountain Bike com-munity continues to represent itself in the bestpossible light. Be very respectful of the land andthe land use policy wherever you ride. Neverbuild new trails or stunts without permissionfrom a land manager and always be courteous toother trail users and authority figures. Be awareof the politics and issues on the trails you regu-larly ride. Even if you don't get involved youshould be aware of what is going on. If anybodyis interested in a more detailed description ofwhat is happening at Belmont feel free to contactme ([email protected]) or come toour next Chapter meeting.

Lynn Woods Ranger FundIt is often the simple things that we take forgranted. Things like maps and office supplies arestaples to park rangers but when funding gets cutthey are also some of the first things to go. AtLynn Woods, this is exactly what happened.Facing fiscal problems the City of Lynn needed tocut back and as a result, left the Lynn WoodsRanger program without an operating budget.The ranger program at Lynn and the currentranger Dan Small are crucial to our having suchgreat mountain biking opportunities in this park

so NEMBA was enthusiastic about helping out.The proceeds from the Mountain Bike AdventureSeries Ride at Lynn Woods were combined with adonation from the Greater Boston Chapter createa $1,500 operating fund for the Ranger Program.This may not seem like big money but it isenough to keep things going for one more year. Ifyou see Dan on the trail, stop and say thank youand give him any spare pens you may have inyour camelback.

Get InvolvedGreater Boston NEMBA holds regular chaptermeetings on the first Monday of each month. Inthe summer we hold the meetings at the presi-dent's house so that we can accommodate a pre-meeting ride and the rest of the year we meet atSeven Cycles in Watertown. The location andtime of the next meeting is always available onour chapter website at www.gbnemba.org. Weencourage all members to attend a meeting tomeet new people and learn what is going on. Weare always looking for volunteers to help withevent planning, events, maintenance days andadvocacy. If you are interested in helping, sendme an email or give me a call. —Tom Grimble

Greater BostonPresident: Tom Grimble, 617-776-1363

[email protected], Vice-President: Joe LevineSecretary: Daniel AlarcoTreasurer: Claire GrimblePatrol Director: Art Paradice,

[email protected]: [email protected] List: [email protected]: www.gbnemba.org

Meetings: Check website for monthlymeeting schedule 1st Monday eachmonth.

28 | September 2003

NEMBA’sOfficialSingletrackBar!

Eat ‘em and Ride!

This has been a very busy couple of months forthe Merrimack Valley chapter of NEMBA. Wehave several new trails in the forest, a new rideschedule and some fresh blood on the NEMBAboard. Mike Andersen of Groton has joined theboard of Merrimack Valley NEMBA as VicePresident of the chapter. Mike will be involvedwith trail work and organizing rides in the GrotonTown Forest and the MIT woods in Westford offof Rte. 40.

Update on new trails for DracutA few months ago I received an email from theDEM telling met they had a group of AmeriCorpvolunteers that would be spending two weeks inthe Lowell Dracut Tyngsboro state forest starting

on June the 2nd. I was asked to come up with alist of projects for them to do. My mind was rac-ing with all the items I had on my wish list forthe forest. But I also realized this was a rareopportunity and I didn't want to waste it by hav-ing them pick up beer bottles and trash. A groupof us quickly got together in Carlisle to puttogether a strategy for the volunteers and also agame plan going forward with issues dealing withthe forest. Our local chapter of NEMBA

(Merrimack Valley) had a trail maintenance daycoming up on June the 7th. We would use thatday with our local volunteers to cut a new trail inthe forest. This project had been discussed local-ly for almost two years now and was finally goingto get to see the light of day.

Meanwhile we would direct the AmeriCorp vol-unteers to another location in the forest andhave them design and construct a brand new allpurpose trail. This trail would be appropriate forhikers, joggers, mountain bikers, cross countryskiing, snow showing, and also horse back riding.We would tell the AmeriCorp volunteers wherewe wanted the trail to start and where we want-ed it to end. This was important because histor-ically the Lowell Dracut Tyngsboro state foresthas a collection of trails that don't connecttogether in a logical, easy to use sequence. Thiscan create confusion to outside users. We didnot want to create another trail that would frus-trate users. This new trail would finish at a

point in the forest where users would have theoption of going back to the parking lot or contin-ue on existing trails. Our strategy for the forest isto utilize some of the current trails with severalnew trails, carefully positioned, to create a longcontinuous loop trail that would circle the forest.With the new trail construction we are alreadyhalf way there.

National Trails DayOn Saturday, June the 7th, 16volunteers from all over thelandscape got together at theTotman Road entrance to theLowell Dracut Tyngsboro Stateforest. The new trail had beenflagged the previous weekendand we were ready to cut in thetrail. This new trail takes care ofseveral issues for us. It redirectsan older trail that has been ren-dered useless because of newhome construction in Dracut.And it gave us an opportunityto add to the

trail and tie it in to anotherexisting trail. About an hourinto the project a light rainstarted to fall. The rain contin-

ued to fall and never let up. The rain washedaway our ride but not our results. The new trailis in place and adds a new look and mileage to avery familiar area. We used the landscape as bestwe could to add in a couple of "wrinkles" alongthe trail. Thanks to all who attended especiallythe Greater Boston chapter who allowed us theuse of their tools. Also thanks to the EFTA(Eastern Fat Tire Association) members whoshowed up to help out and earned some valuable

"pay dirt" points in the process.

AmeriCorp VolunteersDuring the first two weeks of June, a group of 5AmeriCorp volunteers started work on anothernew trail in the Dracut state forest. This one islocated near the Trotting Park road entrance ofthe forest and is the first leg of what will be onelong continuous loop around the forest. This trailhas some nice rolling section, climbing in bothdirections and a brief rocky technical section. Thetrail is wide enough so that it won't need to bebrushed back anytime soon. This is really anamazing accomplishment. This trail has a lookand feel that regular riders of Dracut will not rec-ognize. This trail was aligned to an existing oldertrail to allow riders to stay on singletrack and

spend less time doubling back over the dirtroads. In fact, the trail at the other end of the for-est that the local members cut, is also a part ofthis new loop trail.

Ride ScheduleFirst of all, if you haven't yet signed up for themtb-merrimack email list, then what are youwaiting for. Go to NEMBA's home page atnemba.org, click on digital nemba, select nemba'semail list and follow the directions to get your-self subscribed. Rides and locations will be post-ed to this list.

Looking down the trailLooking ahead, I can see two or three more trailsthat will need to be cut to complete a singletrackloop around the forest to tie everything together.Also a project that is being talked about is to finda way to access Whortleberry Hill in theTyngsboro side of the forest. It's tricky but it canbe done with a sizeable boardwalk project tocarry us over some wet spots. Again get sub-scribed to NEMBA's mtb-merrimack email list tostay on top of all local events. —NormanBlanchette

MerrimackVAlleyPresident: Norman Blanchette, 978-957-

0800, [email protected]: Mike AndersenTreasurer: Hugh Folsom, (978) 244-0633Email List: mtb-

[email protected]


Although as we read this I'm sure we'll haveenjoyed a dry July (are your fingers crossed?please?), we'll also look back on the missing spring

of 2003. Rain fell every weekend from May 3 untilJune 21! But the wet trails have whet our appetitefor the summer. Oooh, a pun.

There was no stopping the trail work, though, asDan Streeter (Trail Projects) led hardy souls in con-structing a boardwalk on a Sunday morning inheavy rain (June 1) at the Delano Pond trail.Thanks, Dan, and crew Frank Lane (VP), RonCorporon (Treasurer), Joe DiZazzo (Trail Projects),Sandy Bray (Event Coordinator), Robin Wilson,Kirk Goldsworthy, and Hal Clark.

Unfortunately, two of our proposed projects are injeopardy, both being beaver problems. Watch forfurther information on the web.

At our June meeting, the chapter allocated moneyfor the expansion of the Mountain Bike Patrol intoHarold Parker. We are looking forward to seeing the

red shirts of the patrol on those trails. Please thankthem!

We also made a donation to assist in purchasing aWorksman Side-by Side Trike for an autistic child inNewbury. If you would like to make a personaldonation to this worthy cause, please contact me.

Someone told me the other day that the Farmer'sAlmanac says that when the Old Man of theMountains falls, the summer will only be 18 dayslong. That smacks of the old saw that summer isover on the Fourth of July. Whatever. Enjoy Augustand what's left of the evening light. —MarkDerrane

North ShorePresident: Mark Derrane,

[email protected], 781-718-0285

Vice-President: Frank [email protected] 978-465-2295

Treasurer: Ron CorporonSecretary: Jessica SlateEmail List: [email protected]

It's mid - August, and when Mother Nature coop-erates with good riding weather, it doesn't matterwhere you are…just hop on a bike and go. With somany places to ride in the Pioneer Valley, it's hardto choose. We've got everything from mellow, to,hold on to your bars and pray that your legs oryour lungs don't give out.

Which reminds me... I'd like to say congratulationsto the PVNEMBA riders who made such a fineshowing at the 24 Hours Of Adrenaline in Dalton,Mass. late June. Our own Kevin Montgomeryplaced 11th in the solo division [which, based onhis young age, should qualify him for the World's],and one of our sponsor's, Competitive Edge, wonthe Corporate division outright. Way to go guys!We do have some pretty fair riders out here.

Speaking of riders, I'd like to welcome the manynew riders who have joined our Chapter. A goodnumber of riders joined at the Adventure SeriesRide held at the D.A.R. on Memorial Day weekend.I hope you newer members take advantage of allthe AS rides throughout the year, as well as all thelocal riding this fine valley has to offer.

I realize we aren't the most social, as in gettingtogether and organizing tons of rides; that beingsaid, we also know that our membership knows

what we are all about, and that is to maintain andkeep open a trail system that benefits so many, andpromote our sport in the best way possible.

Where is your favorite ride?Some of us took advantage of the hot weather androde to a favorite swimming hole. For some, theChesterfield Gorge double track road that runsright along side of the Westfield river inChesterfield offered some very easy riding coupledwith a clean, easy flowing river to cool off in.

The D.A.R State Park is getting its fair share of rid-ers looking for longer climbs, rocky and rote singletrack, and a great lake to swim in after the ride.

The Holyoke/Skinner Range State Park, BatchelorStreet entrance seems to be the most active of allthe riding areas in the Pioneer Valley. On manynights, especially Wednesdays, the parking lot isnear capacity. The twisty, short and sometimesquite steep and technical climbs seem to drawsome of the area's most hardcore riders.

For something on the more mellow side, Robinsonand Chicopee State Parks should do quite nicely.Also, the Northampton Meadows which is totallyflat, and dusty if no rain for a while. It's all farm-land with beautiful views of the Connecticut Riverand the Holyoke Range.

In the Northern part of the Valley up in Greenfield,Bicycle World has been hosting rides on a regularbasis. All abilities are welcome, and the rides offersomething for every-one.

Amethyst Brook areain Amherst/Pelhamarea on Route 9 isanother little hotspot to check out.

These are just a fewareas we have to ridein. yet we all knowthere is so muchmore. Places likeAshfield, Southamp-ton and Westhamp-

ton, Westfield, Ludlow, Forest Park in Springfield,Nonotuck Park in Easthampton (the ThursdayNight Racing Series is still going on thru the end ofAugust), we could go on and on.

New Sponsors We would like to welcome VOMAX and GravityWarehouse our newest PVEMBA sponsors.VOMAX makes great cycling clothing, which I'msure many of us will agree, makes us look a lot bet-ter than we actually are. Check out their website.Gravity Warehouse in Southwick carries a fine lineof bikes and has able mechanics to keep your ridein top shape. Go visit them.

Summer Agenda Presently we are looking into adding new singletrack in the D.A.R State Park. The Park recentlyacquired over 100 acres of fairly interesting territo-ry. Once we have more specific info on this poten-tial project, we'll keep you posted via the Forum onthe NEMBA website. If we get the OK, we'll need alot of trail meisters to complete the work.

What's Next?Until the D.A.R trail project gets the go ahead, itlooks like it's time to just get on your bike and ride.Hope to see you in the woods. —George Willard

PioneerValleyPresident: George Willard, 413-527-

0330, [email protected]

VP Hampshire County: Rich LaBombard,413-527-7427, [email protected]

VP Franklin County: John Dudek, 413-772-0496, [email protected]

VP Hamden County: Want a job?Treasurer: Peter Ogulewicz Web: http://pvnemba.tripod.com/pvnem-

ba.htm

Hey,Check yourlabel and

renewonline!

www.nemba.org

30 | September 2003

On May 18, 2003 Arcadia was the place to be forRI Mountain Bikers. We had a great turnout andnice weather for our annual Fun Ride. We alsosigned up 14 members (some new, some old) andraised $580 for the NEMBA Land PreservationFund. As usual Jim Grimley arrowed a challengingbut "fun" ride. Thanks goes to the usual crew fortaking care of the details and making the event ahuge success. (Jim and Sara Grimley, Tina Hopkins,Randy Williams, Jon Wellington, and Paul Ricci)

AMC planned an awesome Trail Maintenance Dayfor National Trails Day on June 7, 2003. A fewmountain bikers (Thanks Dan!) showed up to helpput two bridges in Burlingame. We also had theopportunity to reroute a trail. One hiker and onemountain biker (me!) went out together to decidewhat the new trail should look like, after much dis-cussion we flagged it and then everyone else camealong to help us cut the new section of single

track. This was the most enjoyable trail projectthat I've ever participated in and it was great tohave hikers and mountain bikers working togetheron our local trails. Hope to see you out there!Thanks, Tina Hopkins

Rhode IslandPresident: Jim Grimley, 401-782-0162,

[email protected]

Vice-President: Jim Christensen

Treasurer: Sara Grimely

Secretary: Tina Hopkins

Email List: [email protected]

Web:http://members.aol.com/rinemba99/rinemba.htm

RI Patrol: Tom Hogan, 860-376-3250

http://www.geocities.com/mtbikepatrol

New trailsThis year, the Chapters' focus is on building newtrails, and, so far so good!

The first of three new trails planned for this yearwas cut in Nashua at Yudicky on June 7. And, as ofthis writing, the cutting of the second and thirdtrails are planned for July 19th, NH Trails Day, atMine Falls Park, in Nashua; and on July 27th atGrater Rd. in Merrimack.

A lot of work goes into a new trail. At first it's easy,you're riding through the woods and an area catch-es your eye, and you think, "Great place for a trail."So you wander around a bit, laying out a line inyour head, around those trees, down that hill,around those rocks, no…wait, over those rocks.Oooh, you think, it's going to be sweet! After a lotof time spend walking through the woods, finetuning the lay out of your new trail, the hard workbegins: getting the OK from The Powers That Be.You go to the meetings, do the research, write theletters, walk the site with the local Con Comm.OK, you've got the go ahead, and the fun workbegins! You choose a day, go out with great bunchof people and spend the morning cutting branches,pulling roots, wrestling rocks, sweating and swat-ting black flies. Then you get to ride your new trail,and it's as good as you imagined.

It is a lot of work, but well worth it. Not onlybecause you wind up with a great new trail, but, aswe have found, you gain a lot of good will andrespect from the local officials because you areoffering to do something rather than asking themto do it for you. So, big Thank You to the people

who came up withthe idea, and gotthe OK. And, a bigThank You to all ofthose good peoplewho spent themorning wrestlingrocks and swattingblack flies.

YudickyThe official namefor this NashuaCity Park is SouthWest Park. (Thatname just doesn'thave the panacheof "Yudicky") It wascreated a few yearsago when the citydid a land swapwith a developer.The developer gotto build luxuryhomes on a parcelof land that stretches into the park and the city gotthe land on the south side of rte 111a. The parkitself is not very big, but it abuts lots of open pri-vate land, and it is not well known to the generalpublic. ATVs are not allowed, but the ban is notenforced so there is a lot of ATV activity.

This year Yudicky has seen a huge increase in thenumber of riders. It has always been a local funplace to ride, but now the word is out. There aretwo sections to ride there. The regular trails andthe new "Barbwire" trail on the north side, and themore challenging "Fireball" and "Twisted Sister" onthe south side. Of course everybody is welcome,but keep a few things in mind. Please park by thesoftball fields not at the ends of Old Ridge Rd. Ifthe trail by Lovewell Pond is muddy, please walkyour bike. (This is a real bug-a-boo with the ConComm.) One of the trails runs right up against theback yards of some of the new houses, so waveand be friendly.

Poker Ride, Sept. 14thSouth Central Chapter of NEMBA with the supportof EFTA, will once again host a Poker Ride atLamson Farm in Mont Vernon, New Hampshire onSeptember 28th. This is a fun event for the wholefamily. Participants will play 7-card draw while bik-ing through scenic single track and meadows. Win

prizes for the best and worst hands! Come explorethe trails at beautiful Lamson Farm and have tonsof fun. Cost for the first hand is $10 and each addi-tional hand is $5. Increase your odds by purchas-ing an additional card at the start for $5. Proceedsto benefit the Souhegan Boys and Girls Club,Lamson Farm Trust, and future trail developmentand maintenance. As in all NEMBA events, hel-mets are mandatory. Registration will begin at 10am and the ride will continue until 3pm.Directions: Watch for signs which will be postedalong route 13 and Lamson Rd. Take Rt. 13 Norththrough Mont Vernon Center. Turn left ontoLamson Rd. Park at the end of the road when yousee the signs. If you have questions or would liketo volunteer, contact Susan DeCloedt [email protected] or 672-8252. —JeanRubin

South-CentralNew HampshirePresident: Jean Rubin, [email protected]: Mark Polomski

[email protected]: Debbie DeGroot

[email protected]: Susan DeCloedt,

[email protected]: www.scnhnemba.org


As the soaking rains of Spring have given way tothe dog days of Summer, land managers across theSEMASS region have expressed much appreciationto the MTB community for using a great deal ofcommon sense and trail smarts to keep impacts toa minimum during an unusually wet Spring season.MDC Blue Hills Ranger Maggi Brown reported thather staff was pleased to see riders changing theirroutes throughout May and June to avoid wet andmuddy trails. Maybe the increased awareness onthe part of riders has to do with the tremendousparticipation by the NEMBA community on a mul-

titude of trail work projects inrecent years. Anyone who hasever put in time with a shoveland rake knows how that experi-ence changes one's outlook onhow we all impact the trails.

National Trails Day, on June 7th,was another great example ofcombined efforts generatingspectacular results. NEMBAmembers joined volunteeremployees from Boston-area REIstores and the AppalachianMountain Club on a MDC board-walk building project at CutlerPark in Dedham. Over seventyfive volunteers hauled lumber,drilled holes and dug in the mudas a beautiful new boardwalkextended across hundreds of feetof marshland. This new board-walk replaced a deteriorated onethat had sent many a ridercareening into the water in the past. The bound-less energy and enthusiasm of MDC Park ManagerKevin Hollenbeck made the day a real success.Kevin is a master at generating corporate supportfor his projects and we are always impressed withthe amount of donated materials, as well as foodand drink, that appear on his workdays.

On the fun side, Jeff Cutler assembled his owncrew of dedicated volunteers at Wompatuck StatePark on June 29th for the third installment of thisyear's Harpoon MTB Adventure series. Plenty offun trail rides, a gathering of vendors, and greatweather contributed to a superb day. Yet anotherexample of the amazing efforts put forward by ded-icated people to build good relationships with themanagers of parks we all use.

This year's MDC Blue Hills Mountain Bike Day isscheduled for Sunday, September 21 at Houghton'sPond in Milton. This will be our "Seventh Annual"celebration of the strong working relationship thatthe Greater Boston mountain biking communityhas with the MDC Blue Hills staff. This year's eventwill have some new surprises, so be sure to checkout the NEMBA website for details in the comingweeks. This event is unique in New England as it issponsored by the land managers themselves!Although volunteers from TrailWatch and NEMBAcontribute to the effort, the MDC's sponsorshipand support of this event is a real salute to the rid-ers who help make the Blue Hills a model of multi-use trail cooperation. If you've never been to theBlue Hills for Mountain Bike Day, put this year's"Lucky Seven" on your calendar and join us for thefun! —Joe Sloane

SE MassPresident: Carolyn Zepf, 781-297-5658 Vice-Presidents:Ames Nowell: Don Jordan, 781-767-

4044Blue Hills: Joe Sloane, 617-696-3533Borderland: Richard Higgins, 508-328-

7590Foxboro: Dan Ibbitson, 508-384-0665Franklin SF: Jan Hubbell, 508-341-5509Freetown: Dennis Lewis, 508-993-5920Myles Standish: Tim Scholz, 508-763-

2327Wompatuck: Paul Peaslee, 781-925-2512Wrentham: Kevin Delaney, 401-722-

2426Treasurer: Bill Boles, 508-583-0067Secretary: Eero Kola, 781-356-2518Email List: [email protected]

Although as we read this I'm sure we'll have

enjoyed a dry July (are your fingers crossed?please?), we'll also look back on the missing springof 2003. Rain fell every weekend from May 3 untilJune 21! But the wet trails have whet our appetitefor the summer. Oooh, a pun.

There was no stopping the trail work, though, asDan Streeter (Trail Projects) led hardy souls in con-structing a boardwalk on a Sunday morning inheavy rain (June 1) at the Delano Pond trail.Thanks, Dan, and crew Frank Lane (VP), RonCorporon (Treasurer), Joe DiZazzo (Trail Projects),Sandy Bray (Event Coordinator), Robin Wilson,Kirk Goldsworthy, and Hal Clark.

Unfortunately, two of our proposed projects are injeopardy, both being beaver problems. Watch forfurther information on the web.

At our June meeting, the chapter allocated moneyfor the expansion of the Mountain Bike Patrol intoHarold Parker. We are looking forward to seeing thered shirts of the patrol on those trails. Please thankthem!

We also made a donation to assist in purchasing aWorksman Side-by Side Trike for an autistic child inNewbury. If you would like to make a personaldonation to this worthy cause, please contact me.

Someone told me the other day that the Farmer'sAlmanac says that when the Old Man of theMountains falls, the summer will only be 18 dayslong. That smacks of the old saw that summer isover on the Fourth of July. Whatever. Enjoy Augustand what's left of the evening light. —MarkDerrane

SeacoastPresident: Jonathan Melzar,

[email protected]: Kevin CoxSecretary: Jason RecordTreasurer: David HeathEmail List: [email protected]: www.snemba.org

32 | September 2003

National Trails Day: We had 10 people show upfor this trail maintenance event. A crew of 6cleaned water bars on the Black Cap Trail and rock-armored a short section of trail that's a seasonalwet spot. This piece is located about mid-waybetween the Cranmore Trail and the fork of the oldcarriage road.

The other four of us did some rock work over a wetswale on the Red Tail Trail. For those familiar withthe trail, this is located just below the "stone

plank" and came out really nice - there's someexcellent rock to work with in this area. We alsobench cut a couple off-camber sections of the trailand cleaned and regraded a couple drainage swales.A very successful day overall.

Pudding Pond Trail at Locust Lane: NEMBA istaking the lead to correct a poor trail crossing ofNorth Conway's North-South Road and adjacentrailroad tracks. If the NHDOT can't get it right, we'llshow them how to do it. We have submitted plansto the State's Bureau of Rails for an official trail/RRcrossing. They have approved the detail, but needto formalize a Crossing Agreement with the town.The work also involves building a switchback tocorrect the DOT's fall line trail down the roadembankment.

2003 Rocky Mountain Bicycles NH Trail CareSeries: Rocky Mountain Bicycles is again sponsor-ing the 2003 New Hampshire trail maintenanceseries. Note these dates:

August 14 - 17: The 3rd Annual Trail BuildingWeekend: We have received final approval fromthe Forest Service and are scheduled to finish offthe re-route of the lower Mineral Site Trail onSaturday, August 16th. Work is underway! Thetrail work will be followed by a barbeque bash

Saturday evening and reaping the rewards with aride on Sunday. An IMBA Trail Care Crew will be intown to meet with land managers and help workon the trail project.

This is a super fun event of trail building, socializ-ing, and riding. Whether you've ridden in theWhites or not, please let us share some of this par-adise with you.

September 6 & 7: IMBA Epic: The WhiteMountains have been selected as a 2003 IMBAEpic site, involving one day of trail work in theNanamocomuck area and one day of an epic rideguided by locals. Some details available atwww.imba.com/epics/nan.html. Contact MarkJenks or Cathy Steers at [email protected] tosee how you can help out.

September 20 - National Public Lands Day:Conway Recreation Path Bridge Replacement:White Mountains NEMBA and the Town ofConway have received an $11,000 New HampshireRecreational Trails Program grant to replace theaging & sagging Rec Path bridge. This big erectorset project will be completed by NEMBA and Townof Conway Public Works crews.

Hope to have you join us! —Rob Adair

WhiteMountainsPresident: Mark Jenks, 603-356-0233,

[email protected]: Rob Adair, 603-356-

5214, [email protected]: Phil Ostroski Secretary: Cathy SteersEmail List:

[email protected]

Other NEMBA Chapter Contacts:Blackstone Valley: Anne Shepard, [email protected], 508 624 7185

Berkshire NEMBA: Odin Adolfson, [email protected]

Cape Cod NEMBA: Charlie Genatossio, [email protected], 508-477-4936

Maine NEMBA Don Theriault, [email protected], 207-768-5736

Mt. Agamenticus NEMBA Steve Cole, [email protected], 603-433-6328

Wachusett NEMBA Jim Wrightson, [email protected], 978-464-5353

Greetings all! Hope everyone is enjoying the sum-mer and getting lots of riding time....

A crew of six gathered for our National Trails Daymaintenance project on Ken Query's trails inJamaica. (While these trails are on Ken's own land,he does encourage the riding public to use them,so it seemed appropriate that we lend him a handin working on them.) We brushed out one of theoriginal trails which has not been used for a fewyears, after the longer loop was opened, now thereis a choice of routes... We also installed a smallstone bridge over a wet section toward the bottomof the big downhill, and some culverts higher upon the downhill. These will require further workhowever, and we will schedule a late-summer trailday to do that work... While the day was bothrainy and buggy, we got a fair amount done and sat

down to a late lunch afterwards. Thanks to allthose who helped out. We'll keep you postedabout the next work day.

By the time you read this the US Forest Service willhave completed its round of meetings to deal withtrail issues in the process of revising the forestplan. Yours truly attended the Londonderry meet-ing, which seemed to go well. The Forest Servicestaff seems to clearly recognize the need to providefor more bike access, and the general public didn'tseem to think that was at all controversial, at leastnot compared to snowmobiles and ATVS or ORVs.Forest Service staffers also explained that they rec-ognize that bikes should not be included withthese motorized uses for planning purposes. Therewas some discussion of whether the NationalForest is an appropriate location for free-ridingtrails or not...

There will be further opportunities for public inputand comment, if you weren't able to make it to ameeting at this time mail, email and phone calls areappropriate. Call the Forest Service office near youor visit their website for email purposes, atwww.fs.fed.us/r9/gmfl/nepa_planning/plan_revi-sion.htm

Note also that the September meetings are on the

topic of wilderness. See last month's ST forKrisztina Holly's article on wilderness issues inNew England as they relate to bike access. Thesewill be important meetings for us to attend as well.Not having had any dialogue with the VermontWilderness Association, despite our repeatedrequests, we may have to go on record as opposedto any new wilderness designations at this time.

It came to my attention today, via a phone mes-sage from our Forest Service trails specialist, thatthe NO BIKES signs we posted last year at the IPRoad - AT / LT crossings are "down". Not sure yetwhether that means they're been taken down and"disappeared" or what. If they have been vandal-ized, it could affect our conditional use status, ifpeople then start riding on the Appalachian / LongTrails.

We will make every attempt to replace the signsASAP. In the meantime, if you ride thatroute,please stick to the main, most obvious road-way. It would be a real drag to run afoul of ouragreement with the Forest Service and the GreenMountain Club now that we're in a position to geta lot more access....

That's all for now, happy pedaling! —RobMacgregor

VermontPresident: Rob Macgregor, 802-824-

3642, [email protected]: Cyndi Kilday


NEMBA rides are led by individual NEMBA members for other mem-bers and prospective members. So if you haven't yet joined NEMBA,please do.

Rides are usually for small numbers of people and vary with thelocation and the personal style of the host. Rides have been knownto change location or time at the last moment. So be sure to callthe ride's leader, both to sign up, and to find out more about theride. **Be sure to contact the ride leader a couple of days before theride 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 therides will stay manageable and will be enjoyable for everyone.Helmets are required on all NEMBA rides. Contact your ride's leaderif the weather looks questionable.

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

(MBA) Indicates a Harpoon MTB Adventure Series Ride(EN Indicates an EFTA/NEMBA Fun Ride.(D) Indicates a weekday daytime ride.(DB) Indicates a daybreak or early morning ride.(BHTW) Indicates a Blue Hills Trail Watch ride.(NBTRS) Indicates Newington Bike Trek Ride Series(Dog) Indicates you can bring your dog.(W) Indicates a WOMBATS ride.(K) Indicates a Kids & Family ride.(CALL) Indicates contact the leader to see if the ride is on.(TBA) Indicates location to be determined.(U) Indicates an urban ride.

The following ride categories are only general guidelines. You shouldask the ride's leader exactly what type of ride he or she is planningin terms of distance, pace and technicality. Also, be realistic aboutyour level of riding skills and don't join a ride that is beyond yourpresent ability or fitness level.

MBA 10-20 miles. A ride on a marked course for allability levels. Normally includes short and long loops. Call for moreinformation.EFTA/NEMBA 10-25 miles. Marked loops for all ability levels.Normally includes multiple loops. Call for more information.Kids/Family: 2-10 miles, usually easy pace & terrain. Theserides are aimed at parents with young children.Beginner: 2-7 miles, easy terrain, easy pace. These rides are aimed atriders with little or no riding experience.Novice: 4-9 miles, mellow pace, easy terrain, frequentstops.Advanced Novice: 6-10 miles, mellow pace, either mostlyeasy terrain, or could be technical terrain done slowly, frequentstops.Intermediate: 10-20 miles, moderately technical, somewhatfaster pace, occasional stops and bail out points. Intermediate ridesare designed for people who ride frequently, and have some skills,but who probably don't enter races.Advanced Intermediate: The same as intermediate, except fasterand harder terrain.Advanced: 20-30 miles, high technical difficulty, fast pace,few stops or chances tobail out. These rides are intended foradvanced riders or, racers who would like to go for a challenging rideat less than all out race pace.Women's Rides: Can be any level of difficulty. Call for more infor-mation.

Cape Cod & Islands08/16 Pochasset Beginner - Skills Ride Ted Rowan [email protected] 508-540-2200 X29808/16 Trail of Tears Advanced Intermediate Sesuit Creek Outfitters [email protected] 508-385-1912(DB)08/17 TBA Beginner & Inter. Village Cycles [email protected] 508-759-677308/17 Vineyard Intermediate David Whitmon [email protected] 508-693-490508/19 Trail of Tears All Mike Dube [email protected] 508-477-130008/20 Trail of Tears All Mike Dube [email protected] 508-477-130008/21 Yarmouth Intermediate Sesuit Creek Outfitters [email protected] 508-385-191208/23 Pochasset Beginner - Skills Ride Ted Rowan [email protected] 508-540-2200 X29808/23 Trail of Tears Advanced Intermediate Sesuit Creek Outfitters [email protected] 508-385-1912(DB)08/24 TBA Beginner & Inter. Village Cycles [email protected] 508-759-677308/24 Vineyard Intermediate David Whitmon [email protected] 508-693-490508/26 Trail of Tears All Mike Dube [email protected] 508-477-130008/27 Trail of Tears All Mike Dube [email protected] 508-477-130008/28 Yarmouth Intermediate Sesuit Creek Outfitters [email protected] 508-385-191208/30 Pochasset Beginner - Skills Ride Ted Rowan [email protected] 508-540-2200 X29808/30 Trail of Tears Advanced Intermediate Sesuit Creek Outfitters [email protected] 508-385-1912(DB)08/31 TBA Beginner & Inter. Village Cycles [email protected] 508-759-677308/31 Vineyard Intermediate David Whitmon [email protected] 508-693-490509/02 Trail of Tears All Mike Dube [email protected] 508-477-130009/03 Trail of Tears All Mike Dube [email protected] 508-477-130009/04 Yarmouth Intermediate Sesuit Creek Outfitters [email protected] 508-385-191209/06 Pochasset Beginner - Skills Ride Ted Rowan [email protected] 508-540-2200 X29809/06 Trail of Tears Advanced Intermediate Sesuit Creek Outfitters [email protected] 508-385-1912(DB)09/07 TBA Beginner & Inter. Village Cycles [email protected] 508-759-677309/07 Vineyard Intermediate David Whitmon [email protected] 508-693-490509/09 Trail of Tears All Mike Dube [email protected] 508-477-130009/10 Trail of Tears All Mike Dube [email protected] 508-477-130009/11 Yarmouth Intermediate Sesuit Creek Outfitters [email protected] 508-385-191209/13 Pochasset Beginner - Skills Ride Ted Rowan [email protected] 508-540-2200 X29809/13 Trail of Tears Advanced Intermediate Sesuit Creek Outfitters [email protected] 508-385-1912(DB)

NEMBA Group Rides

34 | September 2003

09/14 TBA Beginner & Inter. Village Cycles [email protected] 508-759-677309/14 Vineyard Intermediate David Whitmon [email protected] 508-693-490509/16 Trail of Tears All Mike Dube [email protected] 508-477-130009/17 Trail of Tears All Mike Dube [email protected] 508-477-130009/18 Yarmouth Intermediate Sesuit Creek Outfitters [email protected] 508-385-191209/20 Pochasset Beginner - Skills Ride Ted Rowan [email protected] 508-385-1912(DB)09/21 TBA Beginner & Inter. Village Cycles [email protected] 508-759-677309/21 Vineyard Intermediate David Whitmon [email protected] 508-693-4905

Central, Wachusett & Western Mass08/17 Leominster SF Beg. - Adv Beginner Jim Wrightson [email protected] 978-464-535308/19 Greenfield All Bicycle World 413-774-370108/24 Leominster SF Beg. - Adv Beginner Jim Wrightson [email protected] 978-464-535308/26 Greenfield All Bicycle World 413-774-370109/02 Greenfield All Bicycle World 413-774-370109/07 Leominster SF Beg. - Adv Beginner Jim Wrightson [email protected] 978-464-535309/09 Greenfield All Bicycle World 413-774-370109/14 Leominster SF Beg. - Adv Beginner Jim Wrightson [email protected] 978-464-535309/16 Greenfield All Bicycle World 413-774-370109/21 Leominster SF Beg. - Adv Beginner Jim Wrightson [email protected] 978-464-535309/23 Greenfield All Bicycle World 413-774-370109/28 Leominster SF Beg. - Adv Beginner Jim Wrightson [email protected] 978-464-535309/30 Greenfield All Bicycle World 413-774-370110/05 Leominster SF Beg. - Adv Beginner Jim Wrightson [email protected] 978-464-535310/07 Greenfield All Bicycle World 413-774-370110/12 Leominster SF Beg. - Adv Beginner Jim Wrightson [email protected] 978-464-535310/14 Greenfield All Bicycle World 413-774-370110/19 Leominster SF Beg. - Adv Beginner Jim Wrightson [email protected] 978-464-535310/21 Greenfield All Bicycle World 413-774-370110/26 Leominster SF Beg. - Adv Beginner Jim Wrightson [email protected] 978-464-535310/28 Greenfield All Bicycle World 413-774-370111/02 Leominster SF Beg. - Adv Beginner Jim Wrightson [email protected] 978-464-535311/09 Leominster SF Beg. - Adv Beginner Jim Wrightson [email protected] 978-464-5353

Connecticut07/26 Trout Brook Intermediate - contact Eric Schonenberg [email protected] 203-746-024607/27 Tyler Mill Beginner - Novice Newington Bike Shop [email protected] 860-225-008507/28 W. Hartford Reservoir Adv. Nov. - Int. Don Myers [email protected] 860-561-275507/28 Hartman's Park Intermediate Alex Sokolow [email protected] 860-663-142208/04 West Rock Ridge SP Intermediate Alex Sokolow [email protected] 860-663-142208/04 W. Hartford Reservoir Adv. Nov. - Int. Don Myers [email protected] 860-561-275508/11 Cockaponset SF Intermediate Alex Sokolow [email protected] 860-663-142208/11 W. Hartford Reservoir Adv. Nov. - Int. Don Myers [email protected] 860-561-275508/16 Nepaug SF Beginner - Novice Newington Bike Shop [email protected] 860-225-0085(DB)08/18 Meshomasic SF Intermediate Alex Sokolow [email protected] 860-663-142208/18 W. Hartford Reservoir Adv. Nov. - Int. Don Myers [email protected] 860-561-275508/20 Mianus Park Advanced Larry Settembrini [email protected] 203-674-747808/25 W. Hartford Reservoir Adv. Nov. - Int. Don Myers [email protected] 860-561-275508/25 Hartman's Park Intermediate Alex Sokolow [email protected] 860-663-142208/27 Penwood SF Beginner - Novice Newington Bike Shop [email protected] 860-225-008509/03 Cockaponset SF Intermediate Alex Sokolow [email protected] 860-663-142209/08 W. Hartford Reservoir Adv. Nov. - Int. Don Myers [email protected] 860-561-275509/08 Hartman's Park Intermediate Alex Sokolow [email protected] 860-663-142209/13 Airline Trail Beginner - Novice Newington Bike Shop [email protected] 860-225-0085(DB)09/15 W. Hartford Reservoir Adv. Nov. - Int. Don Myers [email protected] 860-561-275509/15 Hartman's Park Intermediate Alex Sokolow [email protected] 860-663-142209/17 Mianus Park Advanced Larry Settembrini [email protected] 203-674-747809/22 Wadsworth Falls SP Beginner/Novice Alex Sokolow [email protected] 860-663-142209/22 W. Hartford Reservoir Adv. Nov. - Int. Don Myers [email protected] 860-561-275509/28 W. Hartford Res. Beginner - Novice Newington Bike Shop [email protected] 860-225-008509/29 W. Hartford Reservoir Adv. Nov. - Int. Don Myers [email protected] 860-561-275510/06 W. Hartford Reservoir Adv. Nov. - Int. Don Myers [email protected] 860-561-275510/13 W. Hartford Reservoir Adv. Nov. - Int. Don Myers [email protected] 860-561-275510/20 W. Hartford Reservoir Adv. Nov. - Int. Don Myers [email protected] 860-561-275510/27 W. Hartford Reservoir Adv. Nov. - Int. Don Myers [email protected] 860-561-2755

Maine, New Hampshire & Vermont07/22 TBA Intermediate Bob Hall [email protected] 603-673-181707/29 Parsonfield, ME Beginner - Intermediate Back Ctry. Excursions [email protected] 207-625-818907/29 TBA Intermediate Bob Hall [email protected] 603-673-1817


08/04 Mine Falls NH Beginner Women+ Kids Jean Rubin [email protected] (W)08/05 TBA Intermediate Bob Hall [email protected] 603-673-181708/12 TBA Intermediate Bob Hall [email protected] 603-673-181708/14 Parsonfield, ME Beginner - Intermediate Back Ctry. Excursions [email protected] 207-625-818908/19 TBA Intermediate Bob Hall [email protected] 603-673-181708/22 Parsonfield, ME Beginner - Intermediate Back Ctry. Excursions [email protected] 207-625-818908/26 TBA Intermediate Bob Hall [email protected] 603-673-181709/01 Mine Falls NH Beginner Women+ Kids Jean Rubin [email protected] (W)09/02 TBA Intermediate Bob Hall [email protected] 603-673-181709/05 Parsonfield, ME Beginner - Intermediate Back Ctry. Excursions [email protected] 207-625-818909/09 TBA Intermediate Bob Hall [email protected] 603-673-181709/16 TBA Intermediate Bob Hall [email protected] 603-673-181709/19 Parsonfield, ME Beginner - Intermediate Back Ctry. Excursions [email protected] 207-625-818909/23 TBA Intermediate Bob Hall [email protected] 603-673-181709/30 TBA Intermediate Bob Hall [email protected] 603-673-181710/07 TBA Intermediate Bob Hall [email protected] 603-673-181710/14 TBA Intermediate Bob Hall [email protected] 603-673-181710/21 TBA Intermediate Bob Hall [email protected] 603-673-181710/28 TBA Intermediate Bob Hall [email protected] 603-673-1817

Metro Boston, Merrimac & North Shore08/17 Middlesex Fells Intermediate Marc - ATA Cycles [email protected] 617-354-090708/17 Groton TF Intermediate Josh or Cal [email protected] 978-772-159008/18 Belmont Beginner Andrew Ewas [email protected] 617-489-357708/18 TBA Advanced Beginner Bill Boles [email protected] 508-583-006708/19 Salem Advanced Intermediate Mike Salerno [email protected]/19 Groton, MIT Trails Advanced Intermediate Mike Andersen [email protected] 978-448-052108/20 TBA Intermediate Tina Gagnon [email protected] 978-657-0100x12308/20 Blue Hills Intermediate Steve Cobble [email protected] 781-254-8796(D)(BHTW)08/21 Great Brook State Farm Beginner/Skills Bill Piotte [email protected]/21 Great Brook SP Women -Adv. Novice Nanyee Keyes [email protected] 978-263-045908/21 Groton TF Intermediate Josh or Cal [email protected] 978-772-159008/23 Groton TF Women Harley Erickson [email protected] 978-772-3694(W)08/24 Middlesex Fells Intermediate Marc - ATA Cycles [email protected] 617-354-090708/25 Belmont Beginner Andrew Ewas [email protected] 617-489-357708/25 TBA Advanced Beginner Bill Boles [email protected] 508-583-006708/26 Salem Advanced Intermediate Mike Salerno [email protected]/26 Groton, MIT Trails Advanced Intermediate Mike Andersen [email protected] 978-448-052108/27 TBA Intermediate Tina Gagnon [email protected] 978-657-0100 X 12308/27 Blue Hills Intermediate Steve Cobble [email protected] 781-254-8796(D)(BHTW)08/28 Great Brook SP Women -Adv. Novice Nanyee Keyes [email protected] 978-263-045908/28 Groton TF Intermediate Josh or Cal [email protected] 978-772-159008/30 Middlesex Fells Women Jeanne Trubek [email protected] 617-244-8762(W)08/31 Middlesex Fells Intermediate Marc - ATA Cycles [email protected] 617-354-090709/01 Belmont Beginner Andrew Ewas [email protected] 617-489-357709/01 TBA Advanced Beginner Bill Boles [email protected] 508-583-006709/02 Salem Advanced Intermediate Mike Salerno [email protected]/02 Groton, MIT Trails Advanced Intermediate Mike Andersen [email protected] 978-448-052109/03 TBA Intermediate Tina Gagnon [email protected] 978-657-0100 X 12309/03 Blue Hills Intermediate Steve Cobble [email protected] 781-254-8796(D)(BHTW)09/04 Groton TF Intermediate Josh or Cal [email protected] 978-772-159009/04 Great Brook SP Women -Adv. Novice Nanyee Keyes [email protected] 978-263-045909/06 Middlesex Fells Women Kim & Lisa [email protected] 781-729-2228(W)09/07 Middlesex Fells Intermediate Marc - ATA Cycles [email protected] 617-354-090709/08 Belmont Beginner Andrew Ewas [email protected] 617-489-357709/08 TBA Advanced Beginner Bill Boles [email protected] 508-583-006709/09 Lynn Woods Beginner/Skills Bill Piotte [email protected]/09 Salem Advanced Intermediate Mike Salerno [email protected]/09 Groton, MIT Trails Advanced Intermediate Mike Andersen [email protected] 978-448-052109/10 TBA Intermediate Tina Gagnon [email protected] 978-657-0100 X 12309/10 Blue Hills Intermediate Steve Cobble [email protected] 781-254-8796(D)(BHTW)09/11 Lynn Woods Beginner/Skills Bill Piotte [email protected]/11 Great Brook SP Women -Adv. Novice Nanyee Keyes [email protected] 978-263-045909/11 Groton TF Intermediate Josh or Cal [email protected] 978-772-159009/16 Groton, MIT Trails Advanced Intermediate Mike Andersen [email protected] 978-448-052109/17 Blue Hills Intermediate Steve Cobble [email protected] 781-254-8796(D)(BHTW)09/18 Great Brook SP Women -Adv. Novice Nanyee Keyes [email protected] 978-263-045909/18 Groton TF Intermediate Josh or Cal [email protected] 978-772-159009/23 Groton, MIT Trails Advanced Intermediate Mike Andersen [email protected] 978-448-052109/25 Great Brook SP Women -Adv. Novice Nanyee Keyes [email protected] 978-263-0459

36 | September 2003

09/25 Groton TF Intermediate Josh or Cal [email protected] 978-772-159009/24 Blue Hills Intermediate Steve Cobble [email protected] 781-254-8796(D)(BHTW)09/27 Wompatuck SP Women Angela Kuketz [email protected] 781-335-8426(W)09/30 Groton, MIT Trails Advanced Intermediate Mike Andersen [email protected] 978-448-052110/02 Groton TF Intermediate Josh or Cal [email protected] 978-772-159010/09 Groton TF Intermediate Josh or Cal [email protected] 978-772-159010/16 Groton TF Intermediate Josh or Cal [email protected] 978-772-159010/23 Groton TF Intermediate Josh or Cal [email protected] 978-772-159010/30 Groton TF Intermediate Josh or Cal [email protected] 978-772-159011/06 Groton TF Intermediate Josh or Cal [email protected] 978-772-159011/13 Groton TF Intermediate Josh or Cal [email protected] 978-772-1590

Southeastern Mass & Blackstone Valley08/17 TBA Beginner & Inter. Village Cycles [email protected] 508-759-677308/18 TBA Advanced Beginner Bill Boles [email protected] 508-583-006708/20 Pagent Field, Quincy Intermediate Steve Cobble [email protected] 781-254-8796(D)08/20 Callahan SP Intermediate & Beginner www.bvnemba.org08/21 Foxboro SF Intermediate Dan Ibbitson [email protected] 508-384-066508/24 TBA Beginner & Inter. Village Cycles [email protected] 508-759-677308/25 TBA Advanced Beginner Bill Boles [email protected] 508-583-006708/27 Pagent Field, Quincy Intermediate Steve Cobble [email protected] 781-254-8796(D)08/27 Wrentham SF Intermediate & Beginner www.bvnemba.org08/28 Foxboro SF Intermediate Dan Ibbitson [email protected] 508-384-0665008/31 TBA Beginner & Inter. Village Cycles [email protected] 508-759-677309/01 TBA Advanced Beginner Bill Boles [email protected] 508-583-006709/02 Pagent Field, Quincy Intermediate Steve Cobble [email protected] 781-254-8796(D)09/04 Foxboro SF Intermediate Dan Ibbitson [email protected] 508-384-066509/07 TBA Beginner & Inter. Village Cycles [email protected] 508-759-677309/08 TBA Advanced Beginner Bill Boles [email protected] 508-583-006709/09 Pagent Field, Quincy Intermediate Steve Cobble [email protected] 781-254-8796(D)09/11 Foxboro SF Intermediate Dan Ibbitson [email protected] 508-384-066509/13 Foxboro SF Women Kristen Weisker [email protected] 508-965-8744(W)(Dog)09/14 TBA Beginner & Inter. Village Cycles [email protected] 508-759-677309/20 Callahan SP Women Harley Erickson [email protected] 978-772-3694(W)09/27 Wompatuck SP Women Angela Kuketz [email protected] 781-335-8426(W)

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S.O.S.: Support Our Sponsors!$1000+Ace Wheelworks, Somerville MABelmont Wheel Works, Belmont MABikebarn, Whitman MACannondale, Bethel CTHarpoon, Boston MAIMBA, Boulder COIndependent Fabrication, Somerville MAMerlin Metalworks, Chattanooga TNMystic Cycle Center, Mystic CTRedbones BBQ, Somerville MASeven Cycles, Watertown MATed Wojcik Bicycles, Hampstead NHThe Bikeway Source

$500Competitive Edge Bike & Ski, Hadley MA

$150-200+AdventureBus, Yucaipa CACycle Loft, Burlington MAInterbike, Laguna Beach CANewington Bicycles, Newington CTPedal Power, Middletown CTSalem Cycle, Salem MASouhegan Cycleworks, Milford NHThe Bike Shop, Inc., Manchester CTThe Bike Shop of Topsfield, Topsfield MAVOMax, Plainfield MA

$100Amity Bicycle, Woodbridge CTBenidorm Bikes & Snowboards, Canton CTBicycle World Inc., Greenfield MABiker's Edge, Bristol CTCove Cycle, Hyannis MAExeter Cycles, Exeter NHGoodale's Bike & Ski, Nashua NHGravity Warehouse, Southwick MAHighland Hardware & Bike Shop, Holyoke MAJRA Cycles, Medford MANew Horizon Sports, Inc., Westfield MANorth Haven Bike, North Haven CTNorth Shore Cyclists, Amesbury MANorthampton Bikes, Northampton MAREI, Inc., Framingham MARiverside Cycles, Newburyport MARock'n Road Cycles, Clinton CTSaybrook Cycle Works, Old Saybrook CTSouthampton Bicycle Center, SouthamptonUnion Cycle, Attleboro MAValley Bicycle, Granby CTWallingford Bike & Repair, Wallingford CTWestern Cycle & Fitness, Danvers MAWheel Power, Exeter NH

$50Backcountry Excursion of MaineCoyote Mountain Bike Camp, Fairlee VTIgleheart Custom Bicycles, Essex MAMcNeill’s Brewery, Brattleboro VTNortheast Bicycle Club, Burlington MASinister Bikes, Peobody MA

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SingleTTrackS Files/ST200309 [email protected] TBA Yudicky Farm, Nashua, 603 883 6251,...

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Transcript of SingleTTrackS Files/ST200309 [email protected] TBA Yudicky Farm, Nashua, 603 883 6251,...