Hartman Park Fun Ride (plus Ice Cream!)

We're having at ride at Hartman Park in Lyme in conjunction with the Southeast CT chapter on Sunday June 14th. If you've never ridden Hartman Park it's a fun place with twisty, moderately rocky and rooty trails, short steep climbs. A social no-drop pace for riders intermediate and up. We'll be going for ice cream at a local shop after the ride.

Meet at 9AM at 109 Gungy Rd in Lyme CT.

Fun Ride at Robinson State Park 4/19/2015

Join CC NEMBA for a fun ride at Robinson State Park in Agawam, Mass. Smooth, twisty trails are a great place for an early season ride. No drop rides. Rides depart at 10AM from 1 Armory Dr. in Agawam.

More: http://www.nemba.org/rides/central-ct-nemba-fun-ride-robinson-state-park

2011 Happening at Huntington

This year's Happening at Huntington was a resounding success!  There was not just one demo truck, but two!  We originally planned on having Trek but a last minute addition to the event was Shimano who was show casing their equipment on a plethora of different bikes including 29ers and 26ers, full suspension, hard tails, and even a geared rigid bike.  If you recall last year's event we had a big let down from a neighboring bike manufacturing company who said they were going to bring their demo truck and then 5 days before the event notified us that they weren't coming. 

Photo Credit:  Dave Francefort

Well, this year's event more than made up for it, and for me after demoing two really nice bikes I think there might be a carbon fiber Fisher 29er with Shimano gears in my future!  Especially since Trek guaranty's their Carbon Fiber frames for life!  That's outstanding and definitely something worth considering for the next frame purchase.

Also, REI and the new Ridgefield Bicycle Company (formerly known as Dr Mike's Mobile Bike Shop), and Outdoor Sports of Wilton also had tents and brought demo bikes to try out.

If you didn't try a demo, I hope you got some of the free swag that was available.  There were water bottle galore and energy snacks from Powerbar that were donated, too.

Outdoor Sports had a great selection of Cannondale and Specialized bikes

Talk about rides!  There were at least 8 different led rides hitting some of the finest single track that Northern Fairfield County has to offer, including a skills ride led by ..... of the Campmor Racing Team.  I saw more people riding the trails on Sunday than I ever have during past events.  Whether or not they were out riding for our event it was amazing to see how many people were using the park.  And being Father's Day, it was especially heart warming to see Fathers with their Sons and Daughters mountain biking in the park!

I played sweep on an intermediate ride led by Javier Hernandez that hit single track trails in South Pond, the Big Burn, and the Twisties.  Of course, it wouldn't be a CT NEMBA ride without at least one mechanical.  Steve Eldridge is pictured above fixing a flat on his new 650b Full Susser from Jamis.  Unfortunately for Steve, he got another flat shortly there after so there must have been a thorn sticking through his tire that he missed.  I guess he figured out what was going on because as we were climbing back up the last hill to the event I saw him flying down the hill all smiles!

Peter Westerholm, 2010 Winner of the GT Bike Raffle

The Creature from Millers Pond Ride this Sunday 10/31.

The Creature from Millers Pond Ride this Sunday 10/31.

Don't miss the awesomest ride of the autumn this Sunday Halloween morning. Costumes optional but come ready for a challenging ride. The pictures give an idea of what Millers Pond has to offer. Trails are built by mountain bikers for mountain bikers and intended as an intermediate to advanced riding area. There are lots of steep rock faces, log skinnies and drop ins to that require guts and skill.

There will be a 2 ½ to 3 hour advanced ride that will cover the entire red trail. The pace will be intermediate with opportunity to retry interesting sections. There will also be a shorter intermediate ride on the xc-oriented section of the red trail.  

Meet in the parking lot on Foothills road at 9 AM. Rides will start shortly thereafter, giving everyone a chance to get home for Halloween.

Directions: From route 9 take exit 11, route 155/Randolph Rd. Left at end of ramp (from north or south). Left at stop light onto Millbrook Rd. At the fork bear left onto Foothills Rd, follow up the hill, through the stop sign, and to the parking lot on right.       

Middletown Madness: Ride Videos

Heather La Palme riding by the 10 Commandments

Mike Hartford riding a skinny and then dropping

Middletown Madness: Advanced Ride Pictures

Ed Perten getting ready

Javier Hernandez

Bryan McFarland

Bryan's Voodoo

Some dudes from Mass

Steve Tobey

Kyiera Tucker

More shots of the guys from Mass

I think this is one of the guys from Mass but I didn't get his name

Mike Hartford on the Virginia Creeper

(John Isch Photography)

An overheated Bill Lake

The 10th Commandment

Steve Tobey rolling

(John Isch Photography)

Ryan Tucker rolling down

(John Isch Photography)

Heather La Palme

(John Isch Photography)

Mike Hartford on the 10 Commandments

(John Isch Photography)

Steve Tobey on the 10th Commandment with Tren Spence looking on

(John Isch Photography)

Last ride of the decade!

A little last minute ride of CT NEMBA members took place at Huntington State Park this morning, in fact it was the last ride of the decade! Starting out we had Heather, Brendan, Derek, Paula, Glenn and Mark. By the time everyone assembled there must have been 2 inches of snow on the ground and it was still coming down.

While waiting for Paula and Glenn to get ready I spoke to a bow hunter that just came out of the woods and was surprised to learn that quite often he runs into guys hunting with firearms in the State Park! Yes, it's bow hunting only but remember for the future, if you are going to be riding Huntington SP during hunting season please wear blaze orange or another bright color and refrain from wearing white! My fears have come to light about opening up bow hunting here.

Heather and Brendan

There was probably 2 inches of snow on the ground when when we started but scary part was the ice hidden underneath the snow! I think everyone got to experience the joys of having their bike slip out from under them during the first five minutes of the ride. An early casualty occurred when Paula's bike slipped out from under her in the Big Burn. She opted to return to the cars and head into town to the coffee shop.

Derek, Glenn, & Brendan

Brendan between the Blues

Realizing that it would be safer if we stuck to single track we did a loop in the Big Burn and then took the single track that intersects with the blue over by the Mica Mines. From there we went north, rolled down the DH trail and hooked back around to the blue trail. From there we headed out onto the lollipop trail. We were almost back at the lower Dodgingtown lot when Heather suggested we go around the lot because it was one huge ice rink and rode a section of trail that I have never ridden before.

Glen riding the boundary cart path

Derek climbing up from the bottom of the DH trail

Heather

Mark

Glenn having a snack

Group shot before the lollipop trail

From l to r: Heather; Brendan; Glen; Mark

Another group shot, only this one includes Derek (r)

Once back onto the Dodgingtown Road, we cut across to one of the carriage roads. Heather, Glenn, and Brendan decided to hit the Rock and Roll Trail, while I opted to take a loop around the main lake and scouted out a potential new area for a new trail that I am going to start building in the spring, and Derek headed back to the cars.

2009 Veterans' Day Ride at Grayville Park

Seventeen people showed up to ride today for the CT NEMBA Veteran's day Ride. We started out as one group and eventually broke into two with Al's friend Mike leading the more advanced riders on a hammer fest through Grayville. Al and his brother Joe led a more intermediate ride that covered 9+ miles of buff single track!

Folks getting ready

Ryan Tucker

Brendan

Joe (l), Mike (r)

Darlene Phillips (l) and Joe (r)

Glenn Vernes making a nice little up

Group picture of the B ride group

Bad luck: derailleur nut snapped coming off a log ride

Snapped clean off

rest break on the river trail