Northeast TW mountain bike meetup at Kingdom Trails (VT) - June 25-26

I'm planning on taking the day Friday to work my way up there - thinking of a pit stop at Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown for a ride before getting up to the campsite Friday evening. It's still a ways away, but would make for a good way to break up the drive and stretch the legs.

 

Have you ever ridden Pine Hill Park in Rutland VT? If it's not too far out of the way that's a great spot to stop, or Millstone in Barre VT.

 

Nope - only place I have really been before up north is KT. Going to check those places out - want to use Friday to hit a spot before the Saturday meetup and open to almost anywhere between Massachusetts and Vermont.

 

Oh man...I could give you a few others if you want, those are both fun though. Pine Hill has a bunch of unique bridges, including a MTB-specific suspension bridge and Millstone is a bunch of trails through historic and active granite quarries. Mount Ascutney has a lot of fun stuff, Sherbourne Trails in Killington is a good time too.

 

Don’t forget Slate Valley Trails just south of Castleton, I prefer them to Pine Hill Park these days.
I would also remind any bikers on Strava that there is a “TacomaWorld Rides” group, see where other TWers are riding near you!
https://www.strava.com/clubs/tacomaworld

 

I have not been there yet. Will have to check them out this summer.

 

My bad, just South of Castleton…corrected above post.

 

I'm going to need a place to stay for Friday and Saturday night. I'll split with you for Saturday night; however you want to do it.

 

Anyone been able to take advantage of the warmer weather and get some riding in?

 

Mud season up here, no riding yet, trails are all closed.

 

We’ve been able to get out a few times so far, NICA team practice has started and we’ve been cleaning up some of the trails locally. I’m still on the fat-bike to get a little float on soft soil and so I don’t have to clean the full suspension after every ride.

 

Forgot your mud season lasts longer than ours - hopefully soon! The buds on the trees are just starting to show up which helps quickly soak up the groundwater down here.

 

It's been really bad this year.

 

I like the picture of the kid standing in the middle of the rut.

 

Jesus that is no joke! Hoping things dry up for you guys ASAP

 

Fortunately I don't have very far to go before I hit pavement. My own driveway was just redone last spring with a bunch of fresh 1"minus stone and it puts me on a private road that I share with two neighbors, one to either side. We all work to maintain the road where it crosses our respective lots and it's in really good shape considering how the town roads look. that road puts me right on Rt2 and from there there's nowhere I have to go that requires dirt travel.

 

I've not been paying attention, do we need to book a campsite? I'm literally waiting till the last minute and not getting a bike until mid May cause thats when bonuses hit. Last dumb question, pedals. The bike I'm eying doesn't come with them. Whats everyone recommend, platform pedals with the little pins or without?

 

Platform with the pins but get bike shoes otherwise you`ll tear your feet up.

 

Most don't come with pedals nowadays. Or if they do they're POS.

I use race face knockoffs from Amazon.

Get decent shoes but they'll destroy any and all shoes. They're not subtle pins. Your shins will eat it more than your feet.