RideYourBike

Rideyourbike.us - April Events

2013-04-07T19:38:00.000-04:00

April has seen a dramatic shift from the cold overcast days of March to warm sunny days.

Spring is upon us So unless you are laid up like me after a mishap at Rays get out and Ride

Trail Maintenance

Jorba volunteers have made great progress during their first day in 2013. Section 1 of 5 of the proposed trail re-routes has been cleared and raked with a great start to bench cutting and rock working. We plan to continue with tread work over the next series of work days, until this section is complete and open for riding.

Dirty Thursdays begin on April 4, 4:00-7:00 pm.
For those looking to get in some week day work. Meet at the work site when you can by foot or bike. RSVP Art White for location by 2:00 that day, so he has enough tools. Art plans to pull tools in to work site by bike and trailer.

Monday, April 8

Bike and Walk Morristown is hoping the weather will be nice by this date for the return of their Meatless Monday ride. This ride will leave at 6:30 pm from Drip Coffee on the Green (whether it is open or not), and head over to Carmel Haifa in Morris Plains for what organizer Kendra declares is 'New Jersey's best falafel and hummus.'

Tuesday, April 9

Paramus REI is holding one their popular FREE Bike Maintenance Basics classes from 7:00-8:30 pm. If you ride a bike, you'll want this class – I know, as I've taken it myself. In this informative presentation you'll learn how to properly lube a chain, fix a flat tire in record time, and make other minor adjustments to your bike. No experience is necessary and the class is free, but space is very limited, so pre-register now at REI.com.

Wednesday, April 10

Thursday, April 11

Missed the Tuesday class? You can still get to Paramus REI for their popular FREE Bike Maintenance Basics class from 7:00-8:30 pm. In this informative presentation you'll learn how to properly lube a chain, fix a flat tire in record time, and make other minor adjustments to your bike. No experience is necessary and the class is free, but space is very limited, so pre-register now at REI.com.

Saturday, April 13

Jersey Off Road Bicycle Association's Trips for Kids heads to Allaire State Park in Farmingdale. Meet up at the Hospital Road Lot at 10:00 am. The event lasts until 3:00 pm, and lunch will be provided. Your RSVP is required and parents not riding must stay at the meet up location. Waiver forms will need to be completed for all riders. If needed, bikes and safety gear will be available on a first come/first serve basis. Email TripsforKids@jorba.org to RSVP or with any questions.

Sunday, April 14

Ringwood Trail Maintenance - Meet at the Ryerson Middle School (130 Valley Road, Ringwood, NJ 07456) at 9:00 AM
Bring gloves, sturdy shoes, water, and snacks. Tools will be provided. Steady rain cancels

If you have enjoyed any of the trails in Ringwood this is your chance to give back and make the trails better.

Click Here to see what a day of trail maintenance looks like.

Tim Sullivan will be hosting a 12:00 noon Bike Tour through Newark Branchbrook Park's famous cherry trees. Come see the largest collection of cherry trees in the US in full bloom. The blossoms will be better and the group will visit the official Branchbrook Park Bloomfest at the halfway point of the tour. The noon start to gives you time at the festival for Japanese cultural demonstrations, children's activities, live music, a crafter's marketplace, food choices, and more. The meet-up is at the Prudential Concert Grove between the lions. If you can look across the lake and see the cathedral, you're in the right place. The course is about 8 mostly-flat leisurely miles long, and you'll be walking your bike through cherry groves. It's easy for beginners and kids. Riding rain or shine, and PLEASE wear a helmet! Post-ride, Tim will lead the group down to the Ironbound (just east of Penn Station) for some food and sangria! He knows all the back street spots that are cheap and dee-licious! There is no fee for the tour. Wear pink in cherry solidarity if you want. Qs?: Call Tim at 973-997-6461 or email tim@tsoup.com.

Wednesday, April 17

Sunday, April 21

Race #1 of the H2H 2013 Race series (NJ State Championships)
Blue Mountain is a great venue with many tight technical sections, rock gardens, power climbs, steep descents. The course is fast and sets up riders for a lot of side by side racing.
Event:Chain Stretcher
Location: Blue Mountain, Peekskill, NY
Promoter WMBA

Introduction to Mountain Biking - Hosted by REI Paramus Class takes place at Lewis Morris County Park
REI's instructors will teach you the proper techniques of shifting, braking, hill climbing, descending, body and pedal position, and navigating minor obstacles on the trail. Proper trail etiquette and safety will also be addressed. Class will begin at 10:00 am, and is expected to last about 7 hours. The cost for REI members is $65.00. Non-members will pay $85.00. This is designed as an educational ride, not a guided tour; the idea is to teach you how to get more out of your mountain biking experience. This event is recommended for those 14 and older – and anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Please feel free to bring your own personal helmet, but they will have helmets available for those that do not have a helmet. Space is very limited for these classes, so pre-register now at REI.com.

Ride for the Wild is a benefit ride for Antler Ridge Wildlife Sanctuary, a non-profit organization that rescues, rehabilitates and releases injured wildlife, farm and domestic animals in the Northwest NJ area. The ride starts at 9:00 am, and starts and finishes at Marty's Reliable Cycle of Hackettstown. The route is a 40-mile road loop best suited for road bikes, with 2,000 total feet of climbing and a halfway aid station/rest stop at Antler Ridge Wildlife Sanctuary. Beautiful scenery, rolling hills, and more cows, horses, goats and alpacas along this rural ride than cars -- bears and bald eagles have been known to make an appearance too! Registration is a $20 donation per rider, with all of the proceeds go to the Antler Ridge Wildlife Sanctuary. Riders will be provided cue sheets, and road markings will be posted at intersections. Contact Megan at Marty's of Hackettstown at megan@martysreliable.com or 908-852-1650 with any questions.

Wednesday, April 24

Marty's Bike and Brew Mountain Bike Ride is a mountain bike ride that leaves from the Marty's Reliable Cycle Hackettstown store on Wednesdays at 6:00 pm sharp. The shop closes at 5:00 on Wednesday so the employees can go on the ride. There will be intermediate and expert paced rides. The ride will go through Stephens State Park, Saxton Falls and Deer Park. The ride will be awesome, mostly because Megan Schmidt and Mikey Shank will be guiding you. After the ride everyone is welcome to gather up at Bea McNally's for brews and food!

FREE Bike Maintenance Basics classes at Paramus REI from 7:00-8:30 pm. In this informative presentation you'll learn how to properly lube a chain, fix a flat tire in record time, and make other minor adjustments to your bike. No experience is necessary and the class is free, but space is very limited, so pre-register now at REI.com.

Friday, April 26

Join Morristown's Community Bicycle Ride, a friendly ride that EVERYONE can do. Meet up at 6:15 pm at Morristown Town Hall – the ride takes off at 6:30 pm. After the ride, everyone (even those who didn't ride off the upcoming calories) is invited to mix and mingle with other friendly folks and start off the sunny season right with some homemade ice cream at South Street Creamery for the Bike and Walk Morristown Ice Cream Social, beginning at 7:15 pm.

Saturday, April 27

Join Bike and Walk Morristown at the Sidebar in Morristown for their spring membership drive and first ever Bikes.Bands.Beer event. This party includes music by three fantastic bands: local favorites Eyeswan and Brydgrass, and coming in all the way from Nyack, Srch Party, who was recently featured on WFMU's Long Rally with Scott McDowell. Each ticket includes a coupon for one of the Sidebar's great craft beers on draft, and there will be an amazing silent auction. This is also a perfect time to become a member if you haven't already! General tickets are $15 in advance (including the beer coupon), and $20 at the door. Want to skip the membership line at the party? Get a BikeWalkTown Membership ticket now, get the beer and a year-long individual membership for $35. Tickets on sale now at Brown Paper Tickets. As always, BWM thanks their generous sponsors for believing that Morristown would benefit from more bikes, bands and beers together in one place: James O'Rourke Physical Therapy, New Jersey Roller Derby, and Be Well.

Sunday, April 28

Hands-On Intermediate Bike Maintenance class at Paramus REI will teach you all about your bike parts, basic repair techniques and when you need to seek professional repair help. Topics include cable systems and adjustments to your brakes and deraileurs. To keep the class interactive, seats are limited to 6. Participants are encouraged to bring their own bike to practice on. Class starts at 11:00 am, and continues through 3:00 pm. As always, space is very limited, so pre-register now at REI.com.

Ringwood Trail Maintenance - Meet at Lot C at 9:00 AM

Bring gloves, sturdy shoes, water, and snacks. Tools will be provided. Steady rain cancels

If you have enjoyed any of the trails in Ringwood this is your chance to give back and make the trails better.

Click Here to see what a day of trail maintenance looks like.

Great Deal at REI Bike shorts for 49 cents

2013-04-05T12:26:00.001-04:00

Every once in a while the shopping gods smile on you and you get a great deal.
No I don't mean a great deal Like I got Mavic Ksyrium SL Wheelset for $900 (But Honey I saved over 200 bucks - It was too good to pass up)

I mean a great deal like I got a pair of Cannondale Rush Baggy Bike Shorts (Retail 89.00) for .49 - That's right fourty nine cents not dollars.

How did I do this well they were on closeout at the REI.outlet so the price was reduced to 49.93
I had it shipped to the store (free shipping)
No Tax
Applied my Member discount code (MEM2013) for another 20% off.
Applied my dividends reward of 39.44
Leaving me with a grand total of .49 left to pay out of pocket.

Rideyourbike.us Weekend update - March 17 2013

2013-03-17T23:20:00.003-04:00

News:

Bike thieves are now using GPS to steal bikes.
Cyclists who use mobile phone apps and websites to plan, track, and share their rides are being targeted by bike thieves.
Thieves use the technology to pinpoint homes that have expensive bikes (based on rider profiling)
More than 370 high value bikes have been stolen from Staffordshire in the last 4 months.
In order to minimize the risk of being tracked do not start at stop tracking your rides from your home and be careful what data you publicly share. As a rule you should not publicly share information about your bikes or their value.

Upcoming Mountain Bike Races:

DATE	EVENT	LOCATION

March 24	US Cup East/SERC #1	Gainesville, FL
March 24	Chickasaw Trace Classic	Columbia, TN
April 6-7	US Cup East/SERC #2	Bryson City, NC
April 13-14	Rumble at 18 Road	Fruita, CO
April 21	Greenbrier Challenge AMBC, MASS/MARC #1	Hagerstown-Frederick, MD
April 28	US Cup East/SERC #3	Winder, GA
May 4	The Idyllwild Spring Challenge	Idyllwild, CA
May 5	Iron Hill Challenge MTB	Newark, DE
May 5	Wawayanda Spring Cleaning MTB Race – Campmor H2H Race #2	Hewitt, NJ
May 5	US Cup East/SERC #4	Ducktown, TN
May 18	On the Rocks at French Creek	Birdsboro, PA
May 19	US Cup East/SERC #5	Conyers, GA
May 26	US Cup East/SERC #6	Jackson, GA

Upcoming Events
Tired of the cold weather Rideyourbike.us is taking it on the road to Rays Indoor Bike Park the weekend of March 22nd
We will be there filming, hanging out, riding, and most importantly bringing all the action back to you.

Products:
Mountainbike magazine ran an article on best Mountain Bike tires for wet muddy trail conditions
They reviewed the Hutchinson Toro, Kenda Kommando, Schwalb Hans Dampf, and a few entries by Specialized. Click here for the reviews.

Two Road bike races to be held at Hunter Mountain in 2013

2013-02-23T17:56:00.000-05:00

The Hunter Mountain Spring Classic and the Hunter Mountain Fall Classic will be held on May 11 and Sept. 7, respectively.
These are Two well supported bike race “classics” that came to the area last year.
Both races are presented by Anthem Sports and from the organizers of America's Queen of the Classics, the Tour of the Battenkill.

The Hunter Mountain Classics are stops on the Stan's Notubes Great American Cycling Series of Events for 2013. A 39 mile road race with NO dirt road sections with an exciting start and finish at Hunter Mountain!

The complete circuit is 38.6 miles, with those in the Juniors category, ages 15-18, making the loop only once, but everyone else except Cat-1 doing it twice, for a total of 78 miles.
The Cat-1 Elite Men’s Pro category will travel 117 miles — a full three times around the circuit.

The initial category will start off at 9 a.m., with the race generally concluding about 3 p.m.
The Spring Classic race is the fourth in the year’s Great American Cycling Series, which is sponsored by Stan’s NoTubes, a distinctive tubeless design created by Corning businessman Stan Koziatek.
The race is preceded by the BattenSpring Classic in March, the Tour of the Battenkill in April, and then the Tour of the Dragons in Vermont in early May.
Tour of the Catskills in August is the seventh in the annual lineup, and the Hunter Mountain Fall Classic in September is the eighth on the circuit, after which it finishes up with the Tour of the Adirondacks and the BattenFall Classic.

Drake said the beauty of the region and the variety of the course challenge is what makes riders love coming to the Catskills.
“It’s been real positive,” he said. “It’s such a great area to race.”
Drake said that last year, the Hunter Spring Classic drew in more than 400 riders — a very respectable number for a race’s first year — and he is hoping to see even more this year.
“We’re hoping to improve on that this year,” he said.
“The whole Northern Catskills are just a great place to ride our bicycles,” Drake said.
“And,” he added, “it’s close to New York City, so it’s very convenient (for many participants).”
For more information on the Hunter Spring Classic, visit www.greatamericancycling.com.

Winter Riding in New Jersey

2013-02-10T23:19:00.000-05:00

When the weather gets cold and the snow starts to fall Load your bike in the car and head south down to the Allaire State park. If you have not been to Allaire it's time to make the trek. About a mile off of exit 98, miles of flowing singletrack await. The sandy soil at Allaire makes it a great place to ride after a rainy week since it drains so well. In the colder temps the sand firms up making it a popular place to ride in the winter months. With hard-packed soil conditions, rolling terrain, and bermed turns you can really rail here. The trails are heavily used but not crowded. Only a day after we were blanketed with almost a foot of snow the trails were packed down and ready to ride. Allaire is primarily rolling terrain but there are a few hilly section and short steep climbs to get your heart pumping. The trails are varied with something for everyone from the absolute beginner to the most advanced riders.
Afterwards head to the Allenwood General Store for a great post ride meal.

Directions: Parkway to Exit 98 to County Rd. 524. Turn left onto Hospital Rd.The parking Lot is on the right about a mile up the road

Weighing in on Lance Armstrong

2013-01-19T12:44:00.001-05:00

Lance Armstrong's recent interview with Oprah Winfrey has sparked a lot of emotion from viewers and the media alike.
There are a few things from the interview that surprised me. First the level of doping. I expected to hear that Lance had been blood doping (removing blood and then putting back in at a later point in-time) The increased red blood cell count is supposed to increase oxygen delivery. But I did not expect to hear about the use of EPO and Testosterone. I also felt that even though the interview was dubbed as no holds barred it seemed somewhat scripted and allowed Lance to deliver an agenda.
In the case of Lance Armstrong and in life, I try to see the good, take that with me, and leave the rest. With that in mind I think that Armstrong was a great cyclist one that inspired millions of people. The tours that he won were some of the most exciting tours that I have ever witnessed the rivalry between him and Jan Ulrich (also found guilty of doping) made for some of the greatest moments of televised tour history. His sponsors reaped the benefit of being associated with him. They aligned themselves with the values that he represented simply stated hard work, determination, stamina, preparation, technology all delivered positive results. And this was true.
Yes there were additional illegal elements that played a role in getting Lance on the podium 7 years in row. But let me be clear to those who speak about cheating and doping and credit Lances victories to the use of illegal practices but have not had to dig deep, deeper than they thought possible, who have not had to fight through the pain of cramps so severe that that can see your quads pulsing. That have not continued to push through searing lungs or stopped to throw-up and then keep going. Who have not pushed on until they couldn't go any further but somehow did. You have no place reporting on this story because you are only regurgitating part of the story.
You want everyone to believe that the only reason Lance was a champion was because he was doping and that is just not true. The illegal practices may have given Lance an advantage over those who were not but EPO and Testosterone are not the sole reasons he stood on the podium 7 times.
I used to have a picture, in my indoor training area, of Lance racing on a mountain stage in the rain (You can tell he is miserable but at the same time driven) This picture used to inspire me to push a harder during interval training. It inspired me to get on the bike at 10:00 at night after I put my daughter to bed and finished up other tasks for the night.
While watching the Tour de France I saw an advertisement for Carmichael training systems (CTS) and signed on with them to design my training programs for over 5 years because I believed in what their programs offered. I followed the plans that were designed for me, and I made improvements and enjoyed the sport of cycling all the more for it.
I completed my first century during the Livestrong-100 in Philadelphia.
I still ride at the Livestrong event and believe in the good it does to help people with cancer.

So this is the Lance I will take with me the one who inspired me, who through his story indirectly introduced me to my coaches. The Lance who was the founder and the face of Livestrong foundation - Best of Luck to Doug Ullman and the rest of the Livestrong leadership team in delivering the Livestrong vision.
I will take the good and leave the rest.

2012 Year in Review

2013-01-01T23:18:00.002-05:00

2012 was a great year for cycling in the Tri-State area. In this post I will look at some of the people, places, and events that were, 2012.

In road cycling New Jersey played host to the Grand Fondo NJ in Morristown and was also a big portion of the Grand Fondo NY and and the NYC Triathlon Why? Because the terrain and roads that follow the Hudson River on the New Jersey side are great for riding the hilly terrain, scenery, and cycling culture are the reason that week after week so many cyclist take to 9W and head up to the State Line, Piermont, Nyack, and Bear Mountain.

In mountain biking it looked like New Jersey would be loosing its premier downhill and Freeride park in Vernon NJ.
News of Diablo's closure started circulating in January of last year soon after that it was announced that Mountain Creek would take over the mountain bike park and it would open in May for the 2012 season. I was able to get out and ride there over the summer and really enjoyed numerous intermediate and beginner trails. Don't worry there are still all of the Expert and Advanced trails that you know and love as well as a Jump bag and some new stuff for those who must go faster and bigger. Mountain Creek is set to open for 2013. Season passes are available now.

Places
New in 2012 was the completion of a pump track in West Milford New Jersey - The pump track is a welcome and needed addition to the area. Hopefully the success of the track will lead to the development of a BMX track and racing in North Jersey as well as more parks incorporating pump tracks into there design.

In 2012 Jungle Habitat saw the development and improvement of trails in the park making it one of the local favorites. After Hurricane Sandy JORBA was out in full force to ensure the trails were back in ride ready shape. As always a special thanks goes out to JORBA and its volunteers that work tirelessly to ensure that there are trails to ride.

Six Mile Run - Although Six Mile Run is not a new park, 2012 put the park in the mainstream of places to ride with the park gaining plenty of buzz in message boards and blogs. It is no wonder with a loop that is almost 15 miles in length. The park has plenty of rollers, jumps, twisty singletrack, and lots of man made features. Six Mile is a must ride for 2013. Also great about this park is that the whole family can enjoy it besides singletrack you can ride for miles on the canal towpath.

Waywayanda - 2012 also saw Waywayanda become more of a mainstream place to ride instead of just a "local in the know" favorite. This may be due to GPS units or better marked trails but whatever the reason it seems that a lot more people are making the trip to Waywayanda for a great day of riding.

People
2012 saw the fall of one of cycling's greats Lance Armstrong - I have always been and will continue to be inspired by his ability to ride a bike and push himself harder than the other riders in my eyes he is a champion.
Off the bike his work with the Livestrong foundation should be commended. Whatever your opinion of Lance is as an athlete I hope you will not "throw the baby out with the bathwater" and will see that the Livestrong foundation does so much good for those affected by cancer.

Events
The 2012 Olympics MTB race showed that mountain biking could be watched real time and be viewer friendly by utilizing a short-track man-made course the London Olympics organizers did a great job

On a personal note I would like to thank John and all the guys at the Cosmic Wheel for getting my ride in top shape on last minute notice for the Thanksgiving day ride then providing me with an early Christmas gift by getting my 8 year old Cyclops Fluid 2 trainer warranty'd

2012 also saw the beginning of things to come for rideyourbike.us in 2013 we will continue to improve the sites navigation ensuring mobile compatibility. Providing you with great trail reviews, maps, and all the information you need to get out and ride.

All the best to you in 2013
Mike A

Riding in a Palace

2012-12-02T20:56:00.000-05:00

Red Bull has hosted events in some pretty exotic locations but The National Palace of Culture in Sofia is probably one of the most unexpected locales for a Downhill race. Riders raced from the rooftop through the 7-floors of the Palace eventually landing at the marble tiles around the monumental building, an iconic symbol of the communist era in Bulgarian history.

Red Bull Ride the Palace challenged 60 riders from 6 countries to compete at a unique urban DH course that attracted a few thousand young people from the capital city, crowded together to witness a never before seen mountain bike race.

Thanksgiving Day Rides for 2012

2012-11-21T14:33:00.004-05:00

Thanksgiving Day Rides - 2012

Waywayanda - A Local classic and favorite of mine always a great turnout Meet at the Boat Launch Around 8:00 Ready to ride at 8:30

Jungle Habitat - For those of you who are out a little too late on Wednesday night this is the ride for you Meet at 10:00 am
The West Milford Pump Track will be closed

Lewis Morris - The "tradition" continues this year on Thanksgiving Day.
Where: Meet at Parking Lot across from Sunrise Lake on Rt 24. Please note that last Sunday, there was a fallen tree blocking access to this parking lot. I’m not sure if it will be cleared for next week.
Time: Start at 9AM
Due to the recent storm damage, be prepared to climb over some fallen trees.

Trail Maintenance This Weekend

2012-11-16T12:46:00.002-05:00

Trail Maintenance Schedule for November 17th and 18th 2012

Hurricane Sandy and the Noreaster have impacted many of the areas trails the volunteers are needed.

What: Eagle Rock Trail Maintenance
When: Saturday, the November 17th @ 10am.
Where Eagle Rock Reservation meet at the Afterglow entrance to the Reservation, in Verona.
Description: Bring work gloves, saw, pruners, drinking water/beverage, snacks, etc.

What: Wildcat Ridge WMA trail clearing
When: Sat, November 17, 9am – 4pm
Where: 40.966557,-74.475461 (map)
Description: We are going to continue trail clearing Saturday 11/17/12.
WCC registered and JORBA members are welcome to volunteer.
Meet 9am on Upper Hibernia Road, under the power lines.
40.966557,-74.475461

We will start clearing the Wildcat Ridge Trail ( Yellow) south towards the reservoir.
Be prepared for walking...no bikes.
Wear long sleeve shirts, jackets, long pants, work boots, and bright orange as there will be hunters out there.
I have a few hardhats, but bring hardhat and eye protection if you have it.
Tick repellant, Poison Ivy protection.
Bring water.
Gloves supplied.
Leave your chainsaw at home.
Folding hand saws and two man saws are available.

rsvp
wildcat@jorba.org
973dash879dash0820

What: Ringwood - Trail Work
When: Sun, November 18, 8:30am – 1:00pm
Where Ringwood State Park
Description: Jorba crews will split into 2- 3 groups to clear cut logs, branches and re-route trails around root balls. Be prepared to walk several miles with tools or ride bikes along technical trails.
Wear sturdy shoes, bring gloves and water.
Tools will be provided.
RSVP to Ringwoodmtb@gmail.com

What: Allaire Trail Maintenance
When: Sun, November 18, 8am - 12pm
Where Hospital Rd lot

Description
Following TM we will have our annual post-tm campfire and pot-luck picnic.

What: Mercer County Park Trail Maintenance Day
When: Sun, November 18, 8:30am – 12:30pm
Where: 316 South Post Road West Windsor NJ (map)
Description:

We will be meeting at the Marina at 9am for all of the 2009 TM dates

We generally finish around 12 pm – 1 pm Please bring something to drink.
Tools and Gloves will be supplied.
Mick

Waywayanda 2012 (After Hurricane Sandy)

2012-11-14T22:32:00.000-05:00

Hurricane Sandy had turned the lifes of many of us here in New Jersey upside down. After 2 weeks some of us are finally regaining some sense of normalcy. So with today's temps expected to get up into the mid 60's we planned a group ride at Waywayanda. The days weather did turn out to be great unfortunately the conditions at Waywayanda were less than ideal. Hurricane Sandy left her mark all along the mountain. Almost all the leaves are off the trees covering the trail. This is making it difficult to always know where the trail is while fallen branches lie in wait to destroy an unsuspecting derailleur. Other trails like the Pines are so littered with fallen trees that the trail is unable to be ridden at this time. Despite the condition of the trails we still had a great ride. It was just nice to be out on a great day with friends sharing the experience of a ride.

Waywaynda is less ridden than some other area parks such as Ramapo Ringwood and Jungle habitat but making the trek an additional 1/2 hour northwest provides riders with a trail system that has a remote immense feel. The trails are varied from loamy northern cedar marshes to twisty technical rhododendron groves, to rocky ridgelines that lead to some amazing views of the park.

I am hoping that trail conditions will improve over the next couple of weeks so that the annual Thanksgiving day ride will be on. (rideyourbike.us will post Thanksgiving day rides)

Photos

GPS

Ride your bike through the winter with these dressing tips

2012-11-02T18:37:00.000-04:00

Someone was asking me the other day when I would stop riding for the winter because of the weather. While I am not so hardcore that I ride on the road when it is minus two degrees and snowing. I am usually able to hit the trails on most weekends. It all really comes down to dressing correctly for the weather. In this article I will try to provide some guidelines and tips to keep you warm and dry without overheating.

Dress in layers: I am sure you have heard this one before. It is sage advice. This is the most important part of being able to stay warm. Heat gets trapped in the layers and moisture is wicked away from you skin. If you start to overheat you can always peel off a layer.

Layer Basics

Base layer: This is the layer that you put next to your skin. It should be light, tight, and wicking to move moisture away and keep you warm.
Under Armour and Hind are excellent choices. I usually wear a cycling jersey over my base layer. This provides me with pockets if I need them and a layer that zips if I start to get warm but not so much that I want to drop a layer.

Insulating Layer: This layer is the one that has the most variation. For a forty degree day an additional base layer garment may suffice. Below forty to thirty a smart wool long sleeve jersey is a good choice. Below thirty I usually wear my Fox Insulated Jersey which is warm and wicking. Pearl Izumi also has some good choices.

Shell: The shell is the your top layer and is responsible for keeping out the elements while allowing moisture and some heat to escape. Shells are the most technical garment you will probably own. Some shells have a lining to provide additional warmth and can be zipped out when not needed. Some have sleeves that zip off and zippers for venting. All this in a package that folds up to fit in your jersey or camelback.
Hind and Pearl Izumi, and Gore-Tex make good choices

Use your Head: Due to the number of blood vessels and lack of fat on your head you can loose up to ten percent more heat through you head than other parts of your body. Make sure you keep your head covered. There are varying head covers. I have three, all of which are made by Nike. One is a full head and face cover which is great for colder days. The other two are beanie type head covers. All three are made of synthetic stretchy material.

Down to your toes: I use Lake Cycling Boots and Pearl Izumi or smart wool winter socks. I find the Lake boots to be toasty down to temps of 15 degrees or so. Pedaling hard—and wearing good lofty socks—most riders will be fine even in temperatures approaching zero degrees. But I also use Neoprene shoe covers for the coldest of days.

Don't forget your hands: Cold hands will ruin an otherwise good ride. If you can not hold onto the bars you can not ride. I have tried a variety of winter cycling gloves but my hands get cold easily, so now I use ski gloves which keep my hands warm. After riding with them a few times they have become worked in enough to not feel bulky anymore.
Last but not least keep your legs warm: This is one of the easier parts of your body to keep warm since your legs are performing most of the work. Tights will usually suffice. On days that fall below thirty degrees you may want a tight with some additional insulation. Pearl Izumi makes some tights with a fleece lining that will do the trick. When out on the road something with WindStopper on the front is a good idea.
Dress for the coldest part of the day: Make sure you have clothes to keep you warm for the coldest part of the day you can always peel off a layer, but if you are not warm enough you only have what you brought with you.
Ride a later in the day: By riding in the late morning or early afternoon you will be taking advantage of the warmest part of the day. The difference can be a substantial ten to twenty degrees.

West Milford Pump Track

2012-09-18T00:45:00.000-04:00

West Milford Pump Track

Rideyourbike.us payed a visit to The West Milford Pump Track this weekend.
What's a pump track you might ask. Well it is a series of tightly linked rollers and berms.

The origins of the pump track are rooted in the BMX tracks of the late‘70s and ‘80s. The first pump tracks appeared in Fox's Chainsmoke in 1996.

Pump tracks get their name from the method of pumping the terrain for momentum. A skilled rider can get up to speeds of 20 mph without pedaling. But don't be mislead, pump tracks provide a serious full body workout while developing bike handling skills.
Pump tracks build confidence, strength, and lightning fast bike handling skills.
Intimidated by the Pump Track? Don't be pumping is simple. Just follow these two rules from Lee McCormack (author of Welcome to Pump Track Nation)
1) absorb any surface that faces the way you’re coming from,.
2) Push into any surface that faces the way you want to go. Part of this push gets translated into forward motion and, voila, you gain speed.

During our visit to the West Milford Pump Track there were quite a few riders of all ages. Among them Matt, and Timmy who were there with Mom Aileen and friend Chris.
They were there for about three hours working on trying to clear a tabletop and keeping speed through the entire track.
I spoke with Aileen who was enthusiastic about the track stating "that the town needed something like this".
There were other parents sitting on the bleachers watching their kids and more then a little tempted to give the Pump Track a try.

I am sure the Pump Track will be a way for families to enjoy cycling together. I brought my 8 year old daughter, by the end of the day her confidence was improved and she was riding most of the track.

The New Milford Pump Track is located at the end of Farrell Recreation Field, 30 Lycosky Drive off Marshall Hill Road.

Giant Bike Demo Day September 2

2012-08-19T21:21:00.001-04:00

Giant Bike's Demo
Sunday, Sept. 2nd 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Allaire State Park
4252 County Road ,
Wall Township, New Jersey 07727
Hospital Road Parking Lot

The Giant Big Rig is coming to Allaire State Park loaded with the New 2013 Bikes. 26" Full Suspension, 29er Hardtails, 29er Full Suspension, and the all new Trance 29er.
Also on board, Cross Bikes and Giant's award winning Road Bikes.
This is a rain or shine event.
Helmets are mandatory.
The event is free with no registration required.

Olympic Mountain Biking in 2012

2012-08-13T00:04:00.003-04:00

Has Mountain biking finally evolved into a spectator friendly sport.
If the 2012 Olympics are any indicator the answer is an undeniable yes.
Through the use of slide-track and manned cameras dotting the 3 mile man-made course and helicopter shots to fill in the gaps almost all the action was captured.

For those onsite the venue was also spectator friendly. Built around an infield the course provided fans
with excellent vantage points and the ability to easily move to key areas such as Snake Hill, The Rock Garden and Deane’s Drop.

Although the course was 3 miles in length the overall area was less than a mile making it easy for spectators to move throughout the course.
My one criticism would be the commentary. Mountain Biking is not the same as the Tour de France. Today's race was a 21 mile lay it all out for an hour and a half event on the dirt. Why the commentators would make so many references to road cycling (at one point mentioning the riders out on the road) is beyond me.
NBC should have brought in commentators who understand cross country mountain biking and can
translate the intricacies of the race into plain-speak with genuine enthusiasm.
That being said the racing was exceptional, playing out more like a short track event with lead riders staying together in tight formation. As the race progressed there were quite a few position changes and 2 of the five were eventually dropped in the final laps.
The last lap was a nail biter with Jaroslav Kulhavy of the Czech Republic and Nino Schurter of Switzerland trading places on the climbs but is was Kulhavy who took the final turns in the lead and sprinted to a gold medal finish just one second ahead of Schurter Italian Marco Aurelio Fontana of Italy took bronze 25 seconds behind the leader without a seat.
Fontana seat had come loose during a rock garden section in the final mile. American Todd Wells rounded out the top ten with a finish 0:02:21 behind the lead.
Results
Woman's Results
Men's Results
Video - Replay
Woman's Final
Men's Final

Bergen County Bicycle Tour

2012-05-14T17:24:00.002-04:00

8th Annual BERGEN COUNTY BICYCLE TOUR Ride for Fun and Health - Sunday, June 3, 2012
Sponsored by Bicycle Touring Club of North Jersey (BTCNJ)

Also sponsored byBergen Community CollegeBergen County Executive Kathy DonovanNew Jersey Bicycle Coalition

There will be Various Rides for All Skill Levels

45-Mile at 8:00 AM (Rest Stops)
25-Mile at 8:30 AM (Rest Stops)
12-Mile at 9:00 AM
5-Mile Family ride at 10:30 AM

Please arrive 30 minutes before ride start to park, pick up registration material and be ready to ride

Who: Riders of all ages.

Where: All routes will begin at Lot B of Bergen Community College at 400 Paramus Rd. Parking is available in Lot B.

Cost: $15 for pre-registered per riders, $20 for onsite registration

Free Giveaways: include a CHANCE TO WIN BICYCLE related items donated by bicycle stores. Tour also includes water, snacks and hot dog lunch (food served until 1:00 PM.) Rest stops for 25 and 45 mile routes.

Registration:
Pre-registration through Wednesday May 30th. Onsite registration day of event – cost is $20.

Register on-line through Active.com

Otherwise please send a $15 check made out to the
Bicycle Touring Club of North Jersey
Remember to include a filled out registration form.

Please mail to:
Bicycle Touring Club of North Jersey
PO Box 255
Haworth, NJ 07641
Attn: Bergen County Bicycle Tour

PLEASE NOTE: All riders will be required to wear safety helmets. A limited number of helmets will be available for purchase at site.

Chequamegon-Nicolet Forest ATV trails to open May 1st

2012-04-29T09:41:00.001-04:00

Chequamegon-Nicolet Forest ATV trails to open May ..
Apr 27, 2012 12:57 PM CST
(PRESS RELEASE) -- The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest's All Terrain Vehicle (ATV), motor bike, horse and mountain bike trails will be opened for use as of May1. This opening is for all Forest Service jurisdiction trails. Trails in the Bayfield County area are open as of April 27.

The new Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) is also now available on line at http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/cnnf. Hard copies of the MVUM will be available for free in all offices as of mid-May. The MVUM is the map that shows users where it is legal to ride.

Please ride responsibly and do not ride in areas that are too wet. Doing so may cause long term resource damage.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/cnnf

Mountain Creek NJ to Host stop-2 of the USA Cycling Professional Mountain Bike Gravity Tour

2012-02-13T09:59:00.002-05:00

USA Cycling announced on Thursday the 2012 USA Cycling Professional Mountain Bike Gravity Tour (US Pro GRT) for 2012. In its fourth year, the series has expanded to six races and aims to provide a consistent stage of international-caliber events for elite gravity racers to showcase their downhill skills.

The nation's top gravity racers will be looking to dethrone 2011 champions Cody Warren (DRD X-Fusion Intense) and Jill Kintner (Transition Racing) as the downhill-only series visits five states from April to August.

The calendar will begin with a visit to Port Angeles, Washington, for the fourth consecutive year as the NW Cup will once again kick things off, this year on April 26-29.
The Mountain Creek Bike Park will play host to the calendar's newest event, the Eastern States Cup in Mountain Creek, New Jersey, on May 20.
The series will then head just up the road to Roxbury, New York, for Plattekill Mountain's stop on the Eastern States Cup on May 27.

Things again heat up out west on June 9-10, when the Mountain States Cup - Chile Challenge offers riders a preview of the 2013-2014 USA Cycling Gravity National Championships venue in Angel Fire, New Mexico. The nation's top gravity riders will head back to New York the following weekend for the US Pro GRT’s fifth stop, the Whiteface Pro GRT 5K Downhill in Wilmington, New York. The only UCI category 2 event on this year's Pro GRT schedule, the Northstar Pro GRT will wrap things up in Truckee, California on August 3-5.
Each of the six stops will offer series ranking points to top finishers, resulting in overall individual titles for professional men and women. The racers with the most points throughout the six-race series will be recognized as the best gravity athletes competing on American soil.
The highest ranked Americans in the US Pro GRT overall rankings (provided he/she are in the top three) as of July 30, 2012, will also be an automatic selection to the United States' world championship team. In addition, Pro/Category 1 junior male athletes, racing age 17 or 18, with the fastest finishing time in each round of the USA Cycling Pro GRT Downhill series prior to July 30 will be placed into a world championship selection pool.
For more information on the series, including current standings once the series gets underway, visit www.uacycling.org/progrt.
2012 USA Cycling Pro Gravity Tour (US Pro GRT)
April 26-29: NW Cup, Port Angeles, Washington (NE)
May 20: Eastern States Cup - Mountain Creek, Mountain Creek, New Jersey (NE)
May 27: Eastern States Cup - Plattekill, Roxbury, New York (NE)
June 9-10: Mountain States Cup - Chile Challenge, Angel Fire, New Mexico (NE)
June 16-17: Whiteface Pro GRT 5K Downhill, Wilmington, New York (NE)
August 3-5: Northstar Pro GRT, Truckee, California (UCI Cat. 2)

The end of an Era - Diablo Freeride Park in Vernon NJ is Closing

2012-01-19T15:55:00.002-05:00

Greetings Diablo Fans!

On this day we have some unfortunate news to share with you. As most of you know, Mountain Creek Resort was recently purchased by a local golf course developer and during this ownership change the bike park has gone through a tough transition suffering from executive pitfalls. Recently, the new owners of the resort offered Diablo Freeride Park a 5-year lease extension and unfortunately the terms of this agreement are not favorable for the future growth of the park and are clearly not representative of a resort that has a genuine interest in the sport of mountain biking.

As a result, we have declined to accept this offer to extend our existing agreement and Diablo Freeride Park is now officially closed for business. During the past 12 months, the resort has repeatedly and negligently breached existing agreements, caused unnecessary damage to the bike park and has adversely influenced the ability of the park to progress, expand or simply operate and provide a high level of service that you have come to expect. As a result, we can no longer invest time, passion and valuable resources at a resort that does not share our passion for the sport or respect for the community of riders that have called Diablo 'home' the past nine years.

The backstory...

While the owners of the resort were aggressive and motivated to sign an agreement that would continue the current Diablo / resort relationship, this arrangement would greatly inhibit our ability to offer our guests the high standard of quality you have come to expect over the past nine years. We devised an extensive, 5-year plan and investment commitment that would bring a plethora of new improvements to the park including several new downhill trails, tons of new terrain features and an all-new, innovative 20mile XC/FR trail network/center on the mountain top. We were motivated and committed to these projects, however, the risk of investing these significant resources without a proper & fair agreement is simply not a wise venture. Once bitten, twice shy.

Broken Promises...

In addition to various other operational issues caused by the new resort management, the 2011 season saw an immense amount of unnessecary park closures, trail damage, operating shedule 'broken promises' and various trail interuptions. This past September & October the bike park was completely closed for six weeks as a result of the resorts inability to properly maintain their ski trails and control erosion. After repeated requests, the resort refused to dedicate the proper resources to get the premise repaired and the park back open for business. Instead of honoring a contractual agreement to make speedy repairs, the resort focused on completing less important projects while mountain bikers were left stranded, frustrated and unable to ride their favorite park. This was simply unnacceptable. As a customer, you deserved better.

Furthermore, this past fall the resort management forged ahead and caused the demise and destruction of nearly $100,000 of developed mountain bike trails. Offering no advanced warning, explanation or plan to remediate or reimburse for the loss of these popular bike trails, the end result is an extensive amount of terrain and features that are damaged, destroyed and / or needing significant repair. These actions are not only in breach of contract, they are also not representative of a resort that has ambitions of growing the sport or a management team demonstrating respect for the mountain biking customer.

In closing, we made every effort to reach a mutually benefitting agreement with the current resort ownership, however negotiations have ceased and we have rejected their proposed 5-year lease extension.

***Perhaps as a final measure to save face for a season filled with tons of downtime and broken promises, Mountain Creek resort has at least agreed to honor all 2012 season passes that have been purchased to date.

With regards to the U.S. Open of Mountain Biking, negotiations are currently underway bringing the event to the Lake Tahoe region. More info soon!

A huge thanks goes out to all of our friends and loyal fans throughout the years! Hosting tens of thousands of riders from points across the globe, it has been a great adventure filled with many accolades and good times.

We appreciate your support!

Best,

Shawn Orecchio

Founder & General Manager

Diablo Freeride Park

I am personally saddened by the closing I competed in the 1st and only US open at Diablo that had a Cross Country discipline.

Diablo was also the site of my first full on downhill experience

Rideyoubike.us has covered many of the US open events here are a few:
http://blog.rideyourbike.us/2009/06/2009-us-open-of-mountain-biking-mens.html

http://blog.rideyourbike.us/2009/05/us-open-of-mountain-biking-at-diablo.html

http://blog.rideyourbike.us/2008/10/trail-to-nowhere.html

BP Fabric of America Fund helps JORBA

2012-01-16T13:28:00.005-05:00

The Fabric of America Fund was created for the purpose of providing BP America employees with a way to help make a difference in communities across the United States. Employees are encouraged to select an organization or organizations and are allotted a sum per year to donate on BP's behalf

For the past few years I have allocated my share to JORBA because of the work they have done building amazing trails and working with land owners and park systems to provide new locations to ride.

Below is a note I received from JORBA president Frank Harms

Our treasurer has informed me that we have received a very generous check from your company. On behalf of all of us at JORBA, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support. Thanks to people like you, we can get our volunteers the tools they need to make our trails as good as they can be. 2012 looks to be an even better year with new parks and even more trails to enjoy. Thanks again!

sincerely,

Frank

Frank Harms

JORBA President

Allaire Trail Users Group

Should You Be Mountain Biking

2011-11-09T11:43:00.001-05:00

While rideyourbike.us doesn't answer all your questions we think this might help with one of the more important ones

Enjoy the ride!

Contact your U.S. Senators Today to Save Bicycle and Pedestrian Funding

2011-10-28T09:30:00.001-04:00

Contact your U.S. Senators Today to Save Bicycle and Pedestrian Funding

Dear Readers,

Last month, we asked you to contact your U.S. Senators to oppose Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn's plan to strip funding from the Transportation Enhancements program, which is the main source of the federal investment for bike projects of all types. Peopleforbikes.org supporters and our allies generated more than 75,000 emails to Congress in 48 hours. This rapid and powerful grassroots response succeeded: Mr. Coburn withdrew his amendment and crucial funding for bicycling was preserved.

We are sorry to report today that bike infrastructure funding is under serious and immediate attack again – this time in an amendment proposed by Senator Rand Paul (KY) that would redirect all funding for Transportation Enhancements to bridge repairs. Mr. Paul's amendment is set for a Senate vote Tuesday, Nov. 1.

While we are all for bridge repairs, gutting the Transportation Enhancements program is not the way to get the job done. We must defeat this amendment and we need your help. We need you to contact your state's two U.S. Senators today and ask them to oppose this amendment. Here are four reasons why:

1. Everyone deserves to be safe. We agree that we must keep our bridges safe, but the lives of pedestrians and bicyclists are important too. Nearly 5,000 Americans die each year biking or walking on our nation’s roadways.

2. Reallocating bike funding won't make a dent in the cost of bridge repairs. Even if every penny of Transportation Enhancements money is diverted to bridge repairs, Senator Paul’s plan would still take 80 years to fix the backlog of bridge repairs we have today.

3. Transportation Enhancements provide essential transportation benefits, like reducing road congestion, improving safety, getting people active, and creating more jobs per dollar than highway-only projects.

4. States don't spend all the money they already receive for bridge repairs.

This is the third attempt in a month by a small group of Senators to target Transportation Enhancements, using a different angle each time. It is a waste of the Senate's time and taxpayers dollars to focus on eliminating this modest, cost-effective, valuable program when we are in dire need of real and viable solutions to fix our failing transportation system.

Please contact your Senators today to ask them to vote against the Paul amendment (SA-821) to eliminate Transportation Enhancements. (You can find your Senators, review basic suggested text for your email, and send your note directly from this link.)

Thank you for your help today, and for passing this call to action along.

Tim Blumenthal
Director, Peopleforbikes.org

Mountain Biker get taken out by a Red Hartebeest

2011-10-12T09:23:00.003-04:00

Obstacles that riders face during a Mountain Bike Race

Steep Climbs - Check
Logs - Check
Rock gardens - Check
red hartebeest - Wait! What was that?

If you are racing in South Africa add wild animals to the list of obstacles that you may encounter. Just ask rider Evan van der Spuy who was fortunate not to have been seriously injured, or worse, when a red hartebeest sprung from the brush and head-butted him off his bike during a weekend competition at Albert Falls Dam.
You can view the footage below. We were lucky enough to have the whole event captured on video the rider behind him was wearing a GoPro Camera

Remember always wear your helmet - You never know what you might come up against.

Team Town Cycle's 3rd annual Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day! Saturday, October 1

2011-09-28T10:52:00.000-04:00

Team Town Cycle: Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day, Oct. 1 - and a spe...: It's time for Team Town Cycle's 3rd annual Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day! Saturday, October 1, from 1-3 p.m., at Jungle Habitat, in Wes...

2011 Kids’ Mountain Bike Ride and Clinic

2011-08-02T14:30:00.006-04:00

Kids’ Mountain Bike Ride and Clinic

Saturday, August 6, 2011 at 10:00 AM

At the old Jungle Habitat site, Airport Road, West Milford, NJ

_______________________________________________________

Introduce your children to the joy of mountain biking in

a fun and safe way!

Prizes for all participants - No Entry Fee!

Join Team Town Cycle for a Kids’ Mountain Ride and Clinic! Bring your little bear cubs

out to Jungle Habitat for a fun filled day of riding, skill building, and competitions!

We have designed an exciting and fun day for riders of all abilities and ages! Any bicycle

with fat tires and in good working order is eligible to ride—it doesn’t have to be a geared

mountain bike. Helmets are MANDATORY! A parent or guardian must sign a release

form and must be present during the event.

Got Training Wheels? NO PROBLEM!! Take a stab at going without them in our HUGE

top lot full of space for practice!

Competitions run throughout the entire day with a bunch of prizes

For more information, please contact:

David Van Wart at (973) 390-6915 or Tim Warchol at (973) 557-3298.

You can also check out our website at www.teamtowncycle.com, or email us- info@teamtowncycle.com

For more information about Mountain Biking in Jungle Habitat click Here:
http://rideyourbike.us/Rides/New_Jersey/Gateway/JungleHabitat.htm