Magazine of the New England Mountain Bike Association

March 2002, Number 60www.nemba.org

Magazine of the New England Mountain Bike Association

Double Your PleasureDouble Your Pleasure

SingleTrackSSingleTrackS

10 Wild Winter Pursuits You've Gotta Try10 Wild Winter Pursuits You've Gotta Try

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JJooiinn NNEEMMBBAA ttoo SSaavvee TTrraaiill AAcccceessssMountain bikers need a single voice to protect trail access, build new trails and take care of thethousands of miles of trails in New England. We’re a grassroots organization that relies on you and

your financial support to protect our sport. Whether you ride a lot or a little, if you enjoy mountainbiking, you should become a NEMBA member! Get your friends to join too.

Ride the Trails — Save the Trails!Pick a Chapter!

At LargeBerkshire NEMBABlackstone Valley NEMBACape Cod NEMBACT NEMBAGreater Boston NEMBAMerrimack MA 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: __________________________________________

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

2002 Events CalenderEducationApril 6 GB NEMBA Patrol/Trail Guide Clinic, 781-231-1497May 11 Trail Building School, Lynn Woods, 800-57-NEMBAMay 12 Trail Building School, Wompatuck SP, 800-57-NEMBA

FestivalsMay 20th Redbones Bike Benefit, 55 Chester St., Somerville MAOctober 20 NEMBAFest MTB Festival, Great Brook Farm,800-57-NEMBA

2002 Pedro's-Harpoon Mountain Bike Adventure Series, 800-57-NEMBAMay 5 Lynn Woods Reservation, Lynn MAMay 19 Harold Parker SP, N. Andover MAJune 9 Holyoke Range/Skinner State Park, Easthampton MAJuly 21 Connecticut, Location TBD

August 25 Wompatuck SP, Hingham MA,Sept. 8 White Mtns NH, 800-57-NEMBAOct. 20 Great Brook Farm SP

Merlin/NEMBA Trail Maintenance Series

Blackstone Valley NEMBAApril 13 Whitehall SP, 10am, 508-366-7870

Greater Boston NEMBAApril 27 Great Brook Farm SP, Carlisle MA, 781-275-1861June 1 Lynn Woods Reservation, Lynn MA, 781- 647-3287June 1 Great Brook Farm SP, Carlisle MA, 781-275-1861August 17 Great Brook Farm SP, Carlisle MA, 781-275-1861Sept. 14 Lynn Woods Reservation, Lynn MA, 781- 647-3287Sept. 29 Great Brook Farm SP, Carlisle MA,781-275-1861October 5 Lynn Woods Reservation, Lynn MA,781- 647-3287

Pioneer Valley NEMBAApril 27 D.A.R., Rich LaBombard, 413-527-7427May 4 Holyoke Range, Rich LaBombard, 413-527-7427May 11 D.A.R., Rich LaBombard, 413-527-7427June 1 Holyoke Range, Rich LaBombard, 413-527-7427July 6 Holyoke Range, Rich LaBombard, 413-527-7427August 3 Holyoke Range, Rich LaBombard, 413-527-7427

SingleTrackSNEMBA, the New England Mountain BikeAssociation, is a not-for-profit 501 (c) (3)organization dedicated to promoting trailaccess, maintaining trails open for mountainbicyclists, and educating mountain bicycliststo use these trails sensitively and responsibly.

SingleTracks is published six times a year bythe New England Mountain Bike Associationfor the trail community, and is made possibleby riders like you.

©SingleTracks Editor & Publisher: Philip Keyes

Singletracks Committee: Bill Boles, KrisztinaHolly, Nanyee Keyes, and Mary Tunnicliffe

Executive Director: Philip KeyesLetters/Submissions:

SingleTracksPO Box 2221

Acton MA 01720

Voice 800.57.NEMBAFax: 970-395-7759

Email: singletracks@nemba.org

Board of DirectorsBill Boles, President

Len Earnshaw, Vice-PresidentAnne Shepard, TreasurerJohn Dudek, Secretary

Rob Adair, White Mountains NEMBANorman Blanchette, Merrimack NEMBABill Boles, SE MA NEMBAJack Chapman, EFTA LiasonBob Croston, Greater Boston NEMBAHunt Durey, North Shore NEMBAHugh Folshom, Merrimack Valley NEMBATom Grimble, Greater Boston NEMBAJim Grimley, RI NEMBAGray Harrison, Wachusett NEMBAJohan Holmquist, North Shore NEMBAKrisztina Holly, At LargeTina Hopkins, Rhode Island NEMBARich LaBombard, Pioneer Valley NEMBARob Macgregor, VT NEMBAWalter Masgul, SC NH NEMBATom McCrumm, Berkshire NEMBADeb McCulloch, Cape Cod & Islands NEMBATJ Mora, VT NEMBAJason Record, Seacoast NEMBAJean Rubin, SC NH NEMBAAlex Sokolow, CT NEMBAMitch Steinberg, Blackstone Valley NEMBAAdam Thomas, Cape Cod NEMBAMary Tunnicliffe, Berkshire NEMBAJohn Turchi, CT NEMBAJim Wrightson, Wachusett NEMBACarolyn Zept, SE MA NEMBA

We are also dedicated to having fun!

NEMBA, P.O. Box 2221Acton MA 01720800 -57-NEMBA

WWW.NEMBA.ORG

SingleTrackSFebruary / March 2002, Number 60

Vietnam Under ThreatThe trails around Milford, Holliston and Hopkintonknown as ‘Nam are facing many threats.Development, public access, corporate liability, park-ing and ORV use are all coming into play to put thisarea on the endangered list. How can mountain bik-ers help? By Anne Shepard

Ten Wild Winter Events that YouGotta Try!Winter only comes once a season so try some-thing new. How about kiteboarding, ice climbing,telemarking, dog skijoring, or even ice diving? Hereare some really cool events for you to make themost out of winter. By Krisztina Holly

Double Your PleasureNot just for beachcruising anymore. Offroadtandeming can get you and your partner intosome serious singletrack....and you’ll never getseparated! By a collection of crazy tandemists

Paper TrailChain Letters —5Treadlines —6On Patrol —13Happenings —14Sidetracks —27Chapter News —30NEMBA Rides —34NEMBA Sponsors—38

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SingleTracks welcomes submissionsand artwork from our literate or creative mem-bership. This is your forum and your magazine,so please send us stuff!

Contribute! Got a cool story idea? Want tobuild your publishing resume? Give us a call.You can reach us at SingleTracks@nemba.org orcall 800-57-NEMBA.

On the Cover: Jim Levola and Cathy Rubin ofCT NEMBA, veterans of the Offroad SingletrackHiatus Involving Tandems, ride their Ventanadualie duo. Photo by Philip Keyes

Know Someone who wants to Advertise?

SingleTracks offers inexpensive and targetedadvertising which helps us defray the cost ofproducing this cool ‘zine. Call 800-57-NEMBAor email pk@nemba.org for our media kit.

Thanks from an Eagle Scout at Great BrookI would like to thank everyone from NEMBA that attended myEagle Project on Saturday, November 3. The project went remark-

ably well and things got donevery quickly. Without NEMBAI would not have been able tocomplete my project becauseof all the guidance and advicethat you offered. The new traillooks great and seems like itwill last for a long time if itisn't abused. Thanks too forthe pizza at the end of theworkday, I think that most ofthe boys from my troop reallyappreciated that. I hopeeverybody had a good timeworking on the trail, I knowthat a lot of the boys did.Overall I think that the pro-ject was a huge success and

that NEMBA was one of the main contributors to that success.Thanks again to everybody that helped out.

Brian Coppola, Eagle Scout, Bedford MA

NEMBA’s Growing OneBaby at a Time!

A number of our members havebeen growing our ranks throughbasic biology! One of our newestmembers is Samuel Li Walter, bornto Bo and Andy Walter, two faithfulsupports of SE MA NEMBA.Question is: who gets to babysitwhile the other rides?Congratulations. —Philip Keyes

Cheap Tubeless AlternativeI found a low cost way to make a tubeless wheelset that I want toshare with other members. It's the tubeless tire kit:www.notubes.com. I was very careful during the installationprocess to follow the directions both written and video on his web-site. The results are excellent and I highly recommend them.

1) I can run lower tire pressures (30-35 lbs):comfort & speedimprove.

2) Weight savings over a conventional ultralight tire and tube of 60gm/wheel. Over 300+grams/wheel for the UST wheel/tirecombo.

3) Cost $25.00 for two wheels & multiple tires. I can run differenttire combos off the same wheel set. They can be re-set with justa touch of new sealant.

4) Time to install @ 2 hrs. Most of that was cleaning old glue offthe rim.

5) Little or no air loss during or between rides. It's no different thanmy tube set-up.

6) If the tire blows off the rim - happened Sunday - it's the same asgetting a pinch flat on a regular wheel, just flip the bike on itsback; clean rim/tire of any leaves or other debris; hook up theC02 inflator and pop the tire back up. Your good to go in 30 sec-onds. I waited a bit to see if it actually worked. Very cool. I did-n't even have to take the wheel off the bike!

I'm not sure I should promote a product here, but I see two realbenefits. Our members can get a great tubeless setup with theirfavorite tire/wheel/hub combo, and our shop members could make afew bucks on the set-up process: say $75 plus kit cost. I any caseI'll leave this with you to pass on to the members or try the kitbefore hand, as you see fit.

Don Myers, W. Hartford CT

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Chain Letters

Give us a piece of your mind!Send letters to:

SingleTracks@nemba.orgSingleTracks, PO Box 2221

Acton MA 01720

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T R E A D L I N E S

GB NEMBA Offers Training to bea Patroller or Trail Guide

The Greater Boston Mountain Bike Patrol and Trail Guides will beholding their Clinic for new members on April 6, 2002. Most ofyou are familiar with the Mountain Bike Patrol. They are the peoplewith the Red Jerseys who ride in Lynn Woods, Great Brook and theMiddlesex Fells. They are trained in CPR and First Aid so that theycan deal with emergency situations but they are also there to helppeople who are lost or need help with repairs. Their motto isInform - Educate - Assist.

This year we are adding a new type of patroller: a Trail Guide. TrailGuides will not be trained for Emergency Medical Response but willserve the same function with respect to educating and assisting.Trail Guides will be able to officially ride in more than just the treeparks mentioned above. New Patrol Candidates must attend theannual clinic. At the completion of the clinic they will be inductedinto the Trail Guide program. At the same time, they may chooseto work on the additional req uirements that are needed to becomea patroller. Once those requirements have been met they areinducted into the Patrol. If you are interested in becoming aPatroller or Trail Guide, contact Steve Fuchs. 781-233-1975,Stevenfuchs@msn.com

Chicks on Sticks BackcountrySki Weekend Planned

Hey, gals! If you're into the backcountry (or want to learn) thenjoin White Mountains NEMBA at our backcountry ski/snowboardweekend, April 6-7, in North Conway, NH.

This will be a laid-back weekend, and we'll play things by ear. Thebasic idea is to get our fellow sisters out into the backcountry, butguys are welcome to come along, too. Saturday coincides withWildcat's Telemark Spring Madness day, meaning free tele lessonsand demos with a lift ticket ($52). On Sunday, those of us withintermediate or higher ski/snowboard skills can explore a local clas-sic backcountry ski route. Or whatever! It's up to you. Join usSaturday night for a party!

To sign up, contact Krisztina Holly at zholly@alum.mit.edu or781-862-2062. Leave your email address and I'll send you moredetails. The weekend activities are free, but you're on your own foraccommodations, meals, and any lift tickets. If you need lodging,try the Cranmore Mountain Lodge (under new ownership!) inNorth Conway for cheap bunkhouse or nice rooms: 800-356-3596

Get a Free NEMBA Cap forSigning Up New Members or

Even Win a Singlespeed Bike!We need your help to build our membership. In fact, we want it sobad that we’re willing to swag you! For every five new membersthat you refer to NEMBA, you’ll get a complementary NEMBAbaseball cap. Sign up five, get a free cap; sign up ten, get a couple!

Also, everyone who joins NEMBA (or renews) will be entered towin a Redline Singlespeed mountain bike. Singlespeeds are the ragenow, and you (or the people you sign up) could get one free! Thedrawing will take place on October 20th at our Pedro’s-Harpoonevent at Great Brook Farm.

To get a free cap, have new members write “Referred by....” on theirapplication. If they join online, there will be a “referral” box theycan fill out. This is just our way of saying thanks for spreading theword. Offer ends October 15th. A big thank you to Edward Davisfor donating the new Redline!

2002 Pedro’s-Harpoon MTBAdventure Series

The Pedro's-Harpoon Mountain Bike Adventures Series is all gearedup for another great year of riding and supporting local charities.The kick off will be at Lynn Woods on May 5th, so mark your calen-dar now. Come ride all seven of the events throughout the seasonand win some really great swag. Come help support the series’many good causes and have some fun. Check out www.nemba.orgor call 800-57-NEMBA for details. Currently, the schedule is as fol-lows:

May 5th Lynn Woods, Lynn MAMay 19th Harold Parker, N. Andover MAJune 9th Holyoke Range/Skinner SP, Easthampton MAJuly 21st Connecticut, Location TBDAugust 25 Wompatuck SP, Hingham MASept. 8th White Mtns NH, N. Conway areaOct. 20th Great Brook Farm SP, Carlisle MA

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CT NEMBA OffersNEMBAwear

CT NEMBA has created a nice cotton shirtwith the NEMBA logo. They’re tan in color,soft and comfy, and come in large and extra-large. If you want one sent $35 to CTNEMBA’s John Turchi, 15 Fawn Drive,Granby, CT 06035. Contact John for detailsat turch@snet.net or 860-563-5038.

NEMBA’s Annual Meeting andElections

NEMBA will be electing its Board of Directors on Sunday, March 24that 2pm at its regular business meeting. All members are welcome toattend and vote. In the past, we’ve held our elections in conjunctionwith our annual bash, but this year’s bash will celebrate NEMBA’s15th Birthday in October. As such, our Annual Meeting will simplybe part of our regular business meeting. The annual election will beheld at 2pm at 700 Main Street, Acton MA. For information, pleasecall 800-576-3622.

The slate of candidates for our Board of Directors is as follows:

Berkshire NEMBA: Tom McCrumm, Mary TunnicliffeBlackstone Valley NEMBA: Anne Shepard, Mitch Steinberg Cape Cod NEMBA: Roger Whorton, Victor Saverino CT NEMBA: John Turchi, Alex SokolowGB NEMBA: Tom Grimble, Bob Croston Merrimack Valley NEMBA: Norman Blanchette, Hugh FolsomNorth Shore NEMBA: Hunt Durey, Johan HolmquistPioneer Valley NEMBA: John Dudek, Rich LaBombard SC NH NEMBA : Jean Rubin, Walter MasgulSE MA NEMBA: Carolyn Zepf, Bill BolesRI NEMBA: Tina Hopkins, Jim Grimley Seacoast NEMBA: Len Earnshaw VT NEMBA: Rob Macgregor, TJ Mora White Mountains NEMBA: Rob Adair Wachusett NEMBA: Jim WrightsonAt Large: Krisztina HollyEFTA Liason: Jack Chapman

Free Money for Trails!Last year’s Land Access Raffle was so successful that we’ve got about$5000 to dedicate to our Trail Grant Program. Do you have a favoritetrail which needs some TLC? Want to build a new one? Applying for aNEMBA grant of $100 to $500 is easy.

NEMBA grants provide financial support to enable mountain bikers toperform trail projects on public land where mountain biking isallowed. Preference is given to projects that build or improve trails,but all projects will be considered. Grants may also be awarded toland managers and non-profit organizations.

Postmark your application by March 1st for the first round of grantsor by August 31st for the second round. To apply, send five copies ofthe following:

1) Short description of the project and why it is necessary (i.e. lessthan a page).

2) Letter of support from the land management agency supportingand approving of your project.

3) Budget of how the money is to be spent. (Getting vendor quotesis a good idea).

4) A map of where the project is to take place.

NEMBA GrantsPO Box 2221Acton MA 01720

If the applicant represents an organization, please include the covercopy of your IRS Determination letter. Applicants may also includepictures, diagrams, etc of their proposed project, but they aren'trequired. NEMBA's Trail Grant Program is entirely funded by NEMBA'sannual Land Access Raffle. Questions? Call 800-57-NEMBA.

Register for Spring Trail CareTraining at Lynn, Wompatuck

NEMBA is offering two courses in basic trail maintenance and traildesign this May, and everyone is welcome to sign up. Come learnwhat it takes to keep a trail healthy and fun, and learn the tech-niques necessary to repair and maintain trails. We'll also be teach-ing the basics about how to design a new trail in a way thatmakes it both enjoyable and sustainable.

The first course will be held at the Lynn Woods Reservation, northof Boston, on Saturday, May 11th. The second will be atWompatuck State Park in Hingham, MA. Each course will costonly $10 and will include a complementary lunch and educationalmaterials. To sign up, download the registration form atwww.nemba.org or call 800-576-3622. Both courses are open toall trail users, land managers, and anyone who is interested intrails. We thank Massachusetts' Department of EnviornmentalManagement for a grant funding these two courses.

NEMBA's volunteer party for the Merlin / NEMBA Trail Care Seriesat the Harpoon Brewery was good time. About 50 people (or more)came by to hang out, drink a few delectable Harpoons, get somedecent swag and see if they won one of the two Merlin frames raf-fled off for the 2001 trail care season.

433 people participated in 32 Merlin Series events held inMassachusetts and Rhode Island. That's over a month of trail daysheld over the course of the summer…. not too shabby! We rackedup about 2500 hours of volunteerism and utilized over $8000 in

grant money for the trails. This comes to a total donation to thetrails of about $28,000.

The series wouldn't be possible without the planning and organi-zation done by NEMBA's park coordinators and trail crew leaders.Nor would it be possible without NEMBA's great volunteers—wecan't thank you enough—and this party was just a small tokenway of saying "keep up the good work." Lastly, Merlin's involve-ment over the last six year's has been key in not only providing acool incentive to come out, but also to help publicize and marketthe trail care program. We're pleased to announce that Merlin hasrenewed its sponsorship of the series for next year, and the serieshas already secured more than $23,000 in grant money for projectmaterials and tools (including a second way-cool Trail Care Trailer).

Each year there are certain volunteers who merit above and beyondrecognition, and at the party we presented Mike Tabaczynski ofLexington, Mass., a Trail Mojo Award (guaranteeing him flat freeriding for the next season!) and $50 gift certificate from Silver City

Cycles of Raynham. Mikeattended nine events heldby four different NEMBAchapters, including LynnWoods, Harold Parker, GreatBrook Farm, Belmont,Westboro Charm Bracelet,and Wompatuck SF.Remarkable considering thathe organized his own projectin Lexington to promote trailaccess to a Lexington publicschool.

Also recognized were Mark Lamkin (7 events), Peter Taylor (7events), Paul Peaslee (6 events) and James Vogh (6 events). PaulPeaslee washeavily swaggedsince he alsowas instrumen-tal in gettingSoutheast MassNEMBA our veryfirst Trail CareTrailer, outfittedwith thousandsof dollars oftools and powerequipment.

Bill Humphreys,Merlin's northeast dealer rep, drew the winners of the Merlinframes, and the winners were….

Merlin Echo: James Vogh, Methuen, MAMerlin Mountain: Mark Gibson, Concord, MA

Congratulations! I guess the rest of us will just have to continuedrooling over the bikes at www.merlinbikes.com or come out nextyear for another chance to win!

A last word of thanks to Harpoon Brewery, especially to NicoleTerry and Charlie Storey, for supporting NEMBA in many ways,not the least ofwhich was allow-ing a bunch ofmountain bike rab-ble to come totheir fine pub anddrink their hand-crafted brews. Abunch of theHarpoon folk areinto mountain bik-ing, and two of thebrewers, ChrisLaPierre and JaimeScheir, are NEMBAmembers who participated in the Merlin series! Thanks also toBelmont Wheelworks and Pedal Power (Acton MA) for donatingsome great swag for the volunteers.

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Merlin Series Volunteer Party at Harpoon

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Hit the Road, Jack!Frozen = Good Muddy = Bad Half Frozen = Worse

It's a common reaction: in the middle of February the sun makesa rare appearance for a day. The temperature hits 45 degrees,which in winter feels downright balmy. Everyone wants to goout for a ride! The ground is mostly frozen, so there's noimpact… right?

But wait! Unfortunately, this is the worst time to use the trails,from an impact perspective. Riders know that when it's muddyit's not a good idea to ride. But when the dirt is partially frozen,the soil is even more vulnerable to erosion. This can happen in asunny spot even on a cold, 30-degree day.

Normally, water from rain or melting snow percolates downthrough the earth and into the water table. But when theground is frozen, it creates a layer called "hardpan" that's imper-vious to water. This means that any moisture from meltingsnow (or rain) can't get through. Once the earth begins thethaw on top, the water is concentrated in that super thin layer,making it especially muddy and susceptible to boots and tiresloosening it up.

So, it's best to wait until the ground is truly frozen throughagain, or totally thawed and dry, before we hit the trails.

Will Bikes be allowed on CT’sKelda Lands?

Members of CT NEMBA went into action after hearing that 16,000acres in western Connecticut might restrict bike access. A draft ofthe Natural Resource Management Plan released by CT DEP, TheNature Conservancy and Bridgeport Hydraulic/Aquarion containedlanguage limiting mountain biking to access and service roads andwould ban bikes from all “footpaths,” a biased term seemingly cre-ated by the plan. CT NEMBA’s John Turchi and others commentedagainst these aspects of the plan, and urged the committee to basetheir management plan on more scientific studies and current trailuse patterns, which include biking. The final draft of the plan willbe released in February. For more info, see CT NEMBA’s chapternews.

Winter Riding Restriction inEffect at Some Parks

A number of parks close their trails to mountain biking during thewinter and early spring. Please be respectful of the closureswhether you agree with them or not. The Lynn Woods Reservation,Blue Hills Reservation, Noanet Woodlands, and the Middlesex FellsReservation all ban biking between January 1st and April 15th. Doyour taxes early, then get ready to ride these areas after this date.Also be aware that riding (or hiking or horseback riding) on muddyor thawing trails is extremely detrimental to the trails. We urge alltrail users to use common sense and help protect mother nature,regardless of the trail use policy. See “Hit the Road, Jack” for sug-gestions about spring riding.

The popular trails in Milford and Holliston, commonly known as"Vietnam", are now facing increased threat of trail closure anddevelopment. The issue was suddenly brought to public attentionby articles in the Metrowest Daily News, citing concerns by townofficials about trespassing, illegal parking and liability from resi-dents and the utility which manages the powerlines. The town hasposted new No Parking signs as an initial effort to curtail the prob-lem.

While noise and the behavior of ORV users account for many ofthe complaints, mtb access is also threatened. Much of the land isprivate and even passive trail users do not have permission fromthe landowners. There are a few legal trails on conservation land,mostly in Holliston, but the boundaries are not well marked so it ishard to tell whether you're riding legally or not. The most populartechnical areas are on private land near the powerlines.

Naturally this news resulted in an instant flurry of NEMBA activity.Blackstone Valley NEMBA quickly stepped into action, led byMitch Steinberg, who contacted the Milford Town Manager and theConservation Commission. We are fortunate that a local organiza-tion, the Upper Charles Conservation Inc., has been working formany years to preserve this land as open space for recreationaluse. Last year several NEMBA chapters donated $500 towards thiseffort, and that has helped to initiate a cooperative alliancebetween our organizations.

On January 3rd, we hosted a meeting at the American AthleticClub, to inform concerned riders about the issues and to beginforming our strategy. About 60 people attended including NEMBAand Rage riders, plus a few representatives from the Bay State TrailRiders. Mitch Steinberg and Philip Keyes outlined the situationfrom NEMBA's perspective.

Bob Buckley, of the Milford Conservation Commision and theUpper Charles Conservation Inc. (UCC), brought detailed mapsand gave a very informative report on the landowners, the develop-ment threats, and environmental issues, such as wetlands andendangered species. Thanks to his efforts, one of the two largestparcels of land will most likely be sold for conservation this spring.The 150+ acre Robsham parcel, valued at roughly $3 Million, hasmany trails and is a key acquisition. There are at least 2 developerscurrently bidding, but there is also a study of Spotted Turtle habi-tat, which may restrict the development. In conjunction with theopen space preservation, the UCC is also planning an extensivepaved multi-use rail trail on nearby railbeds, which would connectwith other exisiting and proposed rail trails. They are also planningto create a parking area at the junction of 495 and 85, whichwould serve commuters and trail users.

Our Goals: Obtain Access and Preserve the Land

We will soon begin contacting local landowners seeking permis-sion to use the trails on their land. The MA Recreational UseStatute protects them from liability, provided there is no feecharged, many may not be aware of this fact. Stewardship is one ofthe benefits we can offer, we have long desired to help maintainthese trails, but were daunted by the numerous owners andunclear boundaries and jurisdiction. This gives us the opportunityto demontrate our skills and commitment. Acquiring permissionfor access to the powerlines will be much more difficult, perhapsimpossible. Because of the danger of voltage and the towers, liabil-ity cannot be waived for the utility, and recreational use may notbe allowed in the terms of their lease or easements. We will alsowork closely with the UCC, the Conservation Commission andother agencies, such as the Trustees of Reservations to help pro-tect this open space and ensure access for mountain bikes. We willhave to work quickly because the 495 belt is highly prized bydevelopers.

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A C C E S S A L E R T

Vietnam Under Threatby Anne Shepard, Blackstone Valley NEMBA

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A C C E S S A L E R T

120 Hamilton St.Leominster MA 01453978-534-BIKE(2453)

RRIIDDEE AAllll WWIINNTTEERR!!Power Bars, Water bottles,Socks, Gloves, Tool Kits,Pumps, Gift Certificates.

Gear Works has a new address: 120 Hamilton St., Leominster!

From the east: Rte. 2W to Rte. 13S. Take a left after the Railroad bridge, the shop is a 1/2mile on the right. From the west, take 2E to Rte.12S (exit 31A), and take a left at the light.

Gear Works is 1/2 mile on the right!

What Can You do?

Riders using these trails must keep a very low profileand be responsible in every respect. Do not ride inlarge groups. Engage other riders you meet on thetrails and help spread the word. Park legally and tryto minimize your impact and your visibility, both onthe trails and where you park. If you see severalother riders' cars parked, try an alternative. Carpoolwith your buddies. Patronize local restaurants andbusinesses. If we generate a positive economicimpact on the town, they'll be less eager to excludeus.

Parking

Since parking is a hot issue, one of our first goals isto seek alternatives.

We have obtained permission from the AmericanAthletic Club to park in their large lot. There are sev-eral trail entrances nearby along Rt 16. We encour-age you to thank them by patronizing the restaurantand being respectful. If many riders come in themorning, or early afternoon, that should minimizecrowding. If the lot is crowded (eg sports event) seekalternatives. Another option is the Rosenfield townrecreation field just south on 85 towards MilfordCenter. One of the meeting attendees volunteered tocontact other businesses and develop a list of park-ing alternatives, which will be made available online.

Uphill Climb

Admittedly we are starting from anunusually tenuous position. Sincewe do not yet have the right toaccess much of this land, NEMBAcannot advocate riding illegally. Weusually work to preserve andenhance access in areas alreadyopen to the public. This will bemuch more difficult, but we willcertainly give it our best effort.Riders come from all over NewEngland to enjoy these technicaltrails, so there is strong support forthis challenging task. If these trailsare ultimately lost, that rider pres-sure will have to be dispersed toother areas, which may causeproblems down the road. We willbe planning additional meetings,and are actively seeking volunteers,especially residents of Milford andHolliston. Check the Blackstoneemail list or website for the latestinformation on our efforts. Pleasefeel free to contact myself or MitchSteinberg. Thank you for your sup-port!

I remember the first time I rode "Vietnam,"that unassuming parcel in Milford andHolliston that at first glance almost lookssort of homely, tucked behind those powerlines by the highway. My friend Mark took me there, and I was having a ball followinghim over the crazy lines, over drop-offs and through rock gardens.

Now, about eight years later, it seems that every-one and his mother is riding there - they come fromother states, even - and there is a full-blown accesscrisis. It makes me sad that one of my "secretstashes" now seems to be overrun by people whodon't necessarily even have a clue about the localscene. I can't help but wish that the place hadstayed unpopular.

Just last weekend, a friend of mine showed me asecret stash of his own. It's not actually a moun-tain biking trail. It's a ski trail, a great little powdershot hidden in the woods on a local mountain. Irecall his words clearly: "Whatever you do, don't tellanyone else, or my friends will kill me!" Well, we enjoyed firsttracks in thigh deep powder, more than a week after the last storm.We kept going back for more, our shit-eating grins the only clue to

what we had just been experiencing.

That evening, friends were asking how the skiing was. "Prettygood…" and I'd look skywards and try to bite my tongue. Thetemptation was so great. I wanted to scream out, "We had thebest powder runs you could imagine! It was so awesome!" I wasjumping out of my skin, wanting to spill the beans and describethe glades in every detail. I wanted to take them up there to showthem myself.

Isn't that what it's all about? Sharing trail experi-ences with friends, showing them your favoriteplaces, and they show you theirs. Granted,there's a little bit of pride involved - don't youjust love revealing that new trail, waiting for yourfriends' reactions like you've just cooked up yourfavorite chili recipe and are waiting for the com-pliments to roll in.

Granted, if it weren't for my friend showing me,how would I have ever found this secret trailmyself? But I have to draw the line somewhere.Some people have this burning need to sharethese little gems with everyone - to post these

places to total strangers on Internet chat lists, for example. OK, ifit's a public park not suffering from access issues, no big deal, but asmall piece of conservation land…? Use your brain! Do you reallywant half the Internet community within an hour and a half drivecrowding up your favorite trail?

In any case, there's an irony here. At 'Nam, the real access crisiswill ultimately be development. Much of the current trail systemis on private land about to be sold and developed in the next 6-12months. So this rag-tag piece of land that highbrow organizationslike the TPL, Trustees, or Audubon wouldn't likely waste ink oncould possibly be saved by its popularity by mountain bikes. Itmay be a pipe dream, but if we can get enough people to pitch in,we could actually save some of these trails from development.

Didn't Benjamin Franklin say something like, "Three mountain bik-ers can keep a trail secret… if two of them are dead"? Although wecan all try to avoid publicizing sensitive trails, good trails can't bekept a secret forever. The best thing we can do is for those of uswho care about our trails to start working with the land managersnow to legitimize our use wherever we can. It's not easy, but let'sbe ready, so once the cat's out of the bag, we're organized.

Oh, and don't ask me where that powder stash is, because I'm nottellin'!

—Krisztina Holly

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E D I T O R I A L

From Secret Stash to DisneylandGood, Bad....Inevitable?

"Whatever youdo, don't tellanyone else

about this trail,or my friendswill kill me!"

13

O N P A T R O L

The New England Mountain Bike Patrolhas completed another successful season,and is now preparing for next season. Weare actively looking for people to join thepatrol, and we are also looking for peopleto become Trail Guides, our newest pro-gram to enhance NEMBA's presence in theriding community.

Becoming a Patroller or Trail Guide

NEMBA Patrollers are CPR and First Aidcertified, and are trained in emergencyresponse. Trail Guides are not required tohave this additional training, but weencourage Trail Guides to participate inthe medical training because we hope thatthey will ultimately be inspired to becomePatrollers.

Candidates for Patrollers and Trail Guidesare required to complete the patrol clinic,

which will be held April 6th and 7th. Thefirst day will consist of introductions tothe patrol, the parks, and the park man-agers, as well as training on possible situ-ations that can occur in the parks. All can-didates will learn the key aspects of thepatrol: Educate, Assist, and Inform.Neither the Patrollers nor Trail Guidesenforce park policy, we only inform all parkusers what the policies are when needed.

The second day, the clinic moves on-trail.With special permission from the landmanager, we will ride the trails at one ofthe three parks that the patrol is autho-rized to ride in. During the ride, we willbegin the mentor program, which is wherecandidates are paired with veteranpatrollers to complete a checklist of skillsthat will complete their training. This is avery important part of the training for

both Patrollerand Trail Guidec a n d i d a t e s .Hands-on train-ing is where it'sat. There will beseveral addi-tional ridesscheduled tocomplete thetraining.

So that beingsaid, if you love to ride, meet and helppeople, have the desire to use your ridingability to give back to the sport that lightsyou up, and are at least 18 years old, giveme a call. —Steven Fuchs, GB PatrolDirector, 781-231-1975.

"The NEMBA Patrol? What is that?" This isa response that I often receive when I talkto people who are curious about our orga-nization. I simply explain to them that weare volunteers who are committed tomaintaining the parks, educating its users,and offering assistance to those who are inneed. When people hear the word "patrol",they often think of enforcers. We’re not!We might explain the rules, but we don’tenforce them. We’re just friendly ridersenjoying the scenery, not cops on bikes. Ihave been a patroller for almost two yearsnow, and I have enjoyed every minute ofit. I have had some wonderful experiencesand have met some wonderful people whoare dedicated to their mission of commu-nication, assistance, and education.

When I first joined the Patrol, I admit,there were some boundaries that I neededto overcome. One of these boundarieshappened to be my communication skills.I was extremely shy when it came to talk-ing to others, even if it was as minor asexplaining how a map worked or givingdirections. But, that obstacle was soonovercome with the help of my fellowPatrol members. They would practice withme and when a situation arose, they urgedme to observe and put in my two cents.They gave me the confidence to come outof my shell and to be myself. As the timepassed, I began to feel comfortable

approaching people and giving them ahand.

A part of my requirements for becoming apatroller, I had to ride a point-to-pointride in the Middlesex Fells area with anhour-and-a-half time limit. This part of mytraining was a turning point for me. As Istarted my ride with my nerves woundtight, I didn’t think I would make it. I rodethrough the woods with caution and aftera while, I began to loosen up. I eventuallyapproached a wooden bridge that Iattempted to cross. As I attempted tobring my tire up over the bridge, my tireshifted to the right and I lost my balance.Needless to say, my bike and I went for alittle swim in the creek below. Havingmixed feelings of shame, frustration andembarrassment, I brought my bike out ofthe water and sat down against a treetrunk.

My fellow patrollers saw what happenedand came over to see if I was okay. I feltlike a complete failure—I felt like I had leteveryone down. They then explained tome that everyone experiences "bumps" inthe roads of their journeys. They told methat I had no need to be embarrassed andthat I had not let anyone down. I was try-ing my best and that was all that mat-tered. When they told me that, I felt asmall smile begin to appear on my face. Iknew right then and there that I was going

to make it through and that I had thePatrol right behind me. When I finally fin-ished the point-to-point ride, I was toldthat I finished the ride with time to spare.I breathed a sigh of relief. I had overcomemy toughest obstacle.

After I finished my patrol requirements, Iwaited with excitement for the Board tocertify me as full patroller. It was a greatfeeling when I got an email saying,“Congratulations, Jessica Murray! Yourchecklist has been reviewed and you havebeen given full Patroller status." I wasthrilled!

After all the hard work and training, mydream came true. I had become a patroller.Now as I look back at the past two years, Irealized I could never have done this onmy own. My fellow patrollers are some ofthe greatest people I have ever met. Theyare there for you when you need them andthey will never let you down. I encourageany person that is a member of NEMBAand are interested in joining the Patrol tofollow through and do so. You meet somegreat people and it is a lot of fun. As I saidin the beginning, joining the Patrol wasperhaps one of the best things I have everdone. It gave me confidence as well assome great skills, but more importantly, Ihave met some lifelong friends. —JessicaMurray

The Greater Boston Unit of the New England MTB Patrol Needs You

Riding and Helping People is what the Patrol is all About

We usually don’t do trail maintenance in December, but because ofland management concerns over illegal stunts and trail building,we made an exception. The Director of Public Works, HenryMcCully, and the Town of Wallingford contacted CT NEMBA aboutconcerns they had about some unauthorized artificial structures(ramps, jumps, see-saw, and dirt jumps) that had been construct-ed on the Town-owned land. This unauthorized activity jeopar-dized the future of all mountain biking at Tyler Mill.

The Town is under the process of reviewing this area’s trail usepolicy and the illegal activity wasn’t presenting a very good casefor mountain biking. So, on December 2nd, we held a maintenanceday to remove the artificial structures, perform some minor trailmaintenance and re-route a section of badly designed trail.

This late in the season, I wasn’t expecting a big volunteer turn out,so I was not disappointed when there were only three cars in theparking lot when I arrived. But the cars and trucks kept coming. Atfinal count, 14 adults and two youngsters showed up to lend ahand, including two LBS owners, and Mr. McCully himself. Thecrew divided up, five on the trail re-route, and the rest on thestructure removal. With sledge hammers, prybars, and hammers,the "demolition" crew attacked like a swarm of locusts, dismantlingthe structure in about 15 minutes. Removing the material, howev-er, took more time.

The re-route crew worked on addressing a nearby short down hillthat had been suffering from erosion for several years. At onepoint, in an attempt to control the erosion, someone had placedrocks in the middle of the downslope. This aided the severely erod-ed trail, but also diverted riders alongside the rocks, where newsigns of erosion were already showing. The solution? Re-routeapproximately 100 feet of trail to create a less steep, more stabletrail that traversed the slope. Logs, leaves and branches wereplaced on the old section of trail to help it blend back in to thesurrounding environment. The new section rolled and flowed beau-tifully, and was built to last!

The crews then moved on to install five waterbars at various traillocations, remove a dirt ramp, remove appliances and other junkfrom the trail sides, and divert a muddy section of trail onto anearby dirt road.

At day's end, everyone left with a warm fuzzy feeling inside,gained from the camaraderie and the sense of accomplishment in ajob well done! Thanks go out to all who participated, and especial-ly to Pedal Power for the donation of t-shirts for the event. All par-ticipants will be entered in the 2002 NEMBA/Cannondale TrailMaintenance Series drawing at season's end. Events like this onewill help to ensure the continued use of Tyler Mill by the mountainbiking community, and may even open doors to the future possibil-ity of authorized trail expansion!

Now for the bad news. Within one week of this TM event, someperson or persons removed 4 of the 5 waterbars, and reopened theold section of trail that had been rerouted. If any one knows of theindividual(s) who may have done this, please try to instill in themthe need for stable trail beds that will stand up to erosion, andthat we were NOT "dumbing down" the trail, as some rumors haveit.

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H A P P E N I N G S

CT NEMBA holds December Trail Maintenance Day at Tyler Millby Alex Sokolow, CT NEMBA

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603-431-3023 www.use1.com

Imay never know who wrote the note orbrought the flowers, but I'm sure it's awoman's handwriting, and it does men-

tion the word love and it's written on pink stationery, so you couldsay I am the only mountain biker in history to receive an anony-mous love note, complete with attached flowers on one of myfavorite trails in Fort Rock, NH.

When I told my wife, she smiled and said she's not a bit worriedbecause she knows full well that no normal woman would go nearme. This makes her both happy and sad.

You may ask, why flowers and a love note? Well, it all started onebright sunny day in May during our semi annual trail maintenanceday at Fort Rock. Somehow, I got mixed up on the time andarrived an hour early. So, instead of just waiting around, I decidedto lay down some logs in a 50 foot section of trail that becomes amud pit every year from winter until the dog days of July. With mytrusty handsaw strapped to my camel back, I rode down and start-ed cutting dead wood. After an hour, I only had completed abouteight feet—you can get only so far with a small handsaw. I rodeback to the parking area to meet with the crew. In my absencethey had made plans for building a bridge in a different section ofthe trail that also had become a mud pit. I hated leaving the trailhalf done, so I made a mental note to get back to it someday.

The following weekend, I came back and added a few more logs and

did my normal mountain bikeride. I thought I would do just alittle bit every weekend beforemy ride until it was finished.Unfortunately, during my nextweekend installment, a hungrycloud of mosquitoes accompa-nied me, but, undaunted, I com-pleted 10 more feet.

By July 1st it was completed: asloppy job, but you could nowtraverse that section withoutgetting bogged down in muck.Well, one hot morning in early

August, while taking a short cut back to my car through the sec-tion that I had cleaned up, I spotted a bouquet of colorful flowerswith the nice thank you letter.

It's a miracle that they had been left unmolested until I rode thissection of trail. I must admit that I was touched, and it sure wasnice to know that someone appreciated the effort, mosquitoes andall. During the following fall trail maintenance day, everyonehelped to improve my original project and turn it into a thing ofbeauty by adding drainage and creating a raised area to contain thelogs.

Mountain Bike Love Letterby Richard Cobb, Seacoast NEMBA

15

H A P P E N I N G S

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16

F E A T U R E

You might think that tandems are relegated to beach cruising,but while it's not yet the rage, offroad tandeming is on therise among singletrack junkies, and we can tell you first hand

that it's a total hoot! It's tons of fun and is a great way to share thepassion of mountain biking with your partner in crime.

It's not necessarily a couples thing, but most of the tandem teamswe know tend to be roommates for life. In fact it's the great equal-izer for people of different levels of ability since there's no way to

drop or lose your partner.And even if you and yourloved one are of similarabilities, paired togetheryou'll be even that muchstronger…. and faster!Tandems are the jugger-nauts of the trail.

Tandem TherapyRiding a tandem with theperson you love ischeaper than a psychia-trist. Other people thinkriding tandeming in thewoods might merit avisit to one. Regardless,tandeming builds team-work, communication,understanding, andmaybe even telepathy. Agood tandem team har-monizes their rhythms,

balance and cadence. A bad tandem team doesn't tandem for long!Tandems are called conversely "relationship" or "divorce" bikes,

depending upon the couple's experience. Either it clicks or it does-n't—there is seldomly a middle ground. But I know some coupleswho even rode off on their honeymoon on their tandems!

No question—tandems aren’t for all couples. Because of the sharpdivision of bike labor, the "captain" steers, brakes and sets thepace, in other words, pretty much makes most of the major deci-sions on the bike. The primary role of the "stoker" is to pedal,remain neutral on the bike, and stay in tune with the captain andthe ride. This is tricki-er than you mightthink. Riding as astoker requires a com-pletely different mind-set when you can'tsteer or brake, andsome people simplycan't forgo the con-trol. Trust is basicingredient, and a stok-er must have basicconfidence that thecaptain isn't going tocareen off the trail andinto a tree!

Being a captain also goes against a basic male stereotype—com-munication and empathy are absolute requirements. So, if you'rethe strong silent type, forget it…you better stick to your singlesteed. Tandeming is collaboration, not competition!

I got into tandeming as a way to do what I love—biking—with theperson I love. In my case, my wife and I are somewhat incompati-ble when it came to single bikes. But once fused at the hips, weinstantly click, and while I've got tons of different bikes, if I could

Double Your Pleasureby Random Tandemists: Stig/Claudia Bolgen, Jim Levola, Philip Keyes, Cathy/Mike Rowell and Karen/Bob Workman

Swoosh!Swoosh!It's a sight thatIt's a sight thatyou'll not easilyyou'll not easilyforget—a herd offorget—a herd ofoffroad tandemsoffroad tandemsswooshingswooshingthrough the forthrough the for--est and disapest and disap--pearing around apearing around atight singletracktight singletrackcorner. You rubcorner. You rubyour eyes, getyour eyes, getyour jaw off theyour jaw off theground and quizground and quiz--ically scratchically scratchyour head —your head —"what the heck"what the heckwas that?"was that?"

only have one, itmight very well bethe tandem. Everycouple should atleast give tandem-ing a try.

Getting intoTandemingWe've been offroadtandeming going onfive years, and we'reon our secondmountain tandemand have evenbought a road tan-dem. To be honest,for the first year orso we spent most of

the time riding slick tires on the road, or at the most, riding knob-bies on rail-trails and wood roads. It was just so nice being out rid-ing together that we didn't need to push it offroad. Our riding waseasy, relaxed and epic. We'd pack some sandwiches and drinks, andgo off for three or four hours on a tour. It was great quality time,great exercise and something really fun for just the two of us. Thegreat thing for me was that I could bust my gut and push as hardas I wanted and my wife could sit back and just match my cadencebut not work herself into a frenzy. We both rode how we wanted,and we did it together.

In the last few years, we've discovered the pleasure of riding withother tandem friends. A gaggleof tandems is always a riot.Everyone cheers each other totry new stuff and there is agreat sense of camaraderie indoing something differenttogether. We've gone downthe backside of MountMansfield at 50+ mph andwe've done quite a few all dayepics, covering 60 miles or soof nice singletrack, alwaysending our sojourns withsome hearty food and strongmargaritas!

We hope that others will takethe plunge and get into thetandem fringe. It would evenbe great to see more tandemsat the Pedro's-Harpoon MTB Adventure Series rides.

If you're already experienced, we invite you to the O-SHIT —theOffroad Singletrack Hiatus Involving Tandems. Twice a year wehost this all-day offroad tandem epic not for the slight of heart.We'll ride singletrack for about eight hours, then party on goodfood, good company and plenty of margaritas. Sound appealing?Send us an email at at mkr_designs@hotmail.com and we'll let youknow when we plan the next event. If you don't think you're quiteready, read the rest of this article, then practice up! —Philip Keyes

A Mountain Bike Built for TwoTandem bicycles have been around for ages. Almost as quickly asfolks realized that a bicycle was fun and useful for an individual,

they realized theywere even betterfor a couple.Different forms ofroad and trackracing have longhad specific tan-dem events. Onlyin the pastdecade, though,has true offroadt a n d e m i n gemerged as a rec-ognized ridingcategory of itsown.

People unjustlyassume that realtandeming andtechnical terraincan't mix. Nothingcould be furtherfrom the truth.With the rightequipment, a little skill and a bunch of practice, most peoplewould be amazed at just what an offroad tandem can negotiate.Not just the bike path but real, honest, East Coast roots and rocksingletrack!

There are some neat advantages to riding a tandem. Number one:you and your partner get to staytogether—more getting dropped!That means you can talk with eachother, just be together and enjoysharing each turn and twist that thetrail provides. It's impossible to getseparated or lost!

There are also some subtle advan-tages to riding a tandem. For one,you have two sources of power -cap-tain and stoker. This means you canwork together for a ripping fast ride,or sometimes divide the effort andresponsibilities, especially when youneed to negotiate a really tight tech-nical section. On a hairpin turn ortechnical section of terrain, the stok-er can provide the pedal power whilethe captain focuses on the turn or

17

F E A T U R E

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the drop. Another trick is that the captain can control the stoker'spower via the brakes, much like you would with a motorized bike.This allows for slight variations of power output that can beinvaluable for managing tight turns or rocks sections.

Because of their spacious wheelbase, tandems are inherently sta-ble. Not only do they love to move forward in a straight line whenat speed, they are also nearly impossible to endo or loop out. Thatsaid, I know people who have endo'd a tandem and it isn't pretty.You certainly won't want to try that one at home.

But tandems aren't without handicaps. Their long wheelbase isalso a disadvantage when threading tight and twisty trails. It takesmuch more concentration, finesse and teamwork to get throughthis type of terrain, and steering a tandem is a hefty upper bodyworkout. They are sort of like the tractor-trailers of the mountainbike world. Their long wheelbase also means that you need to becareful not to hook the center of the bike up on a log or rock. Thisis probably their biggest weakness when it comes to technical rid-ing.

Since both sets of cranks work in unison, the captain needs tolearn not only where his cranks are in relation to rocks andstumps, but also his partner's. And since each riders legs are liter-ally chained together, developing a fluid cadence as a team is criti-cal-otherwise both riders will end up fighting each other's effort orworse… just fighting!

The bike industry has a ways to go to engineer “tandem-worthy”components. Two strong riders can easily shred lightweight bikecomponents. Some people have no problem, but my partner and Ihave blown freehubs, mangled cassettes and broken chains. Youlearn to check your equipment frequently since an ounce of pre-vention is better than pushing a tandem home.

Rocking and Rolling Tandem TechniqueYou can talk about technique until you're blue in the face, but itreally comes down to experience. Yes, there are a few differenttechniques, but the majority of them are going to be based onexperience. Individuals are different, teams are different, and youneed to find out what works for you and your partner.

Even such simple things as getting started needs to be coordinatedin unison and can present a challenge, and talking and communi-cating about what's happening on the bike is key. The captain mustalways warn of upcoming obstacles, turns, and dips in the trail.Teamwork and communication are part of what's wonderful abouttandeming, but it's also the source of flared tempers. "Why didn'tyou tell me we were going to hop that log, you chowderhead?" Youneed to remember that the stoker only has peripheral vision andcan't see what’s approaching.

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Once thetandem's inm o t i o n ,you'll wantto practiceyour basicriding skills.Things likes t o p p i n gand turningtake on awhole newmeaning ona bike that

no weighs a few hundred pounds and is about 7 feet long. Yourbalance point, and the bikes center of gravity are all completely dif-ferent. You will need to recognize these facts and compensate forthem. —Mike Rowell

Tandem Technology and What's Right for YouTandems share many of your single bike's attributes but there aresome substantial differences. The first thing that you need is astoker! Without four legs, you aren't going to get very far on a tan-dem. Webster defines "stoker" as "a machine for feeding a fire," andthat's what you get when four competent legs hammer away on anoffroad tandem.

Tandem's fly on fireroads and open singletrack. Though the laws ofphysics catch up with them on technical trails, they rip on flatsand descents. Two riders, a perfect and constant draft for the sec-ond rider, and only two wheels to carry two cyclists - do the math!

Tandem frames have to be bulletproof to handle loads which are atleast twice as big as the stresses which a single bike has to endure.The long wheelbase of a tandem translates into mega-horizontalstress due to the substantial rider weight combined with impactforces. The same frame materials you see on single bikes can befound on tandems. Light and strong titanium tandems are availablefrom Seven Cycles, Santana, and others - just bring a fat wallet.Steel frames are common (usually true temper/ chrome-moly) andyou get the usual steel attributes of strength, durability, ease ofmanufacturing, and affordability. Aluminum is increasingly popularand Cannondale uses it to make tandems that have a reputation asbeing light and strong with a comfortable ride at a very affordableprice.

Dual suspension tandems are becoming more popular and tend tobe uniformly loved by their owners. Ventana makes a popular dualsuspension tandem and stokers - who typically endure a harsherride than the captain- praise them for plush comfort in back. Themain drawbacks to dual suspension are price (you might need ahome equity loan) and weight. Bank on at least another tenpounds for a dualie.

Cannondale tandems are a great value. They come with tandem-specific front suspension, the "Moto," which is super rigid andoffers four inches of plush travel. At the insistence of stokers,many tandem owners are installing Cane Creek "Thudbuster" rearsuspension seatposts. With ample travel and four different sus-pension elastomers available, the Thudbuster is a cost-effectivesolution to never-ending stoker requests for more comfort. Don'tforget, it's important to keep the stoker happy!

Tandems need the most durable components available. Tandemwheelsets have a 40-spoke tandem hubs mated to strong, wide

rims. Expect your drivechain to last no more than half as long asthe chain on your single bike. Ditto for the rear cassette and thechainrings - again it's the four legs thing. The front chain (timingchain) that connects the front and rear cranksets should last muchlonger than the rear since it has no shifting or sideways stressesand only one set of legs is pushing it. Spend the cash for at least aShimano XT or XTR (or its equivalent) if possible.

Lots of tandems come with hydraulic or even disk brakes sinceyou'll need the added power for stopping the 350 pound beast.Simple V-brakes are marginally adequate, but more tandems areusing Magura hydraulic rim brakes or even disk brakes. Disk brakesmay be finicky, but they are king of the hill when it comes to stop-ping power. It's a good idea when shopping for a tandem to makesure that the frame is at least disk-compatible. As for tires, thebigger the better. You'll need that extra rubber contact on theground to slow you down, and you'll want to make sure they'repumped up to about 80 pounds to avoid pinch flats.

There are a lot of offroad tandems on the market and like all biketechnology, each year you get more and pay less. BelmontWheelworks in Belmont, MA is one of the nation's largest tandemdealers, but even they didn't have any offroad models on theshowroom floor. The chances are likely that you and your partnerwill have to be fitted and then the bike will have to be specialordered. Because a tandem is such a major purchase (and one thatyou'll keep for many years), it's important to get the one that is thebest for you. Count on spending at least $3,500 for a new tandem.

Continued on page 20

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Sizing a tandemgets complicatedquickly. Each riderneeds to choosethe proper size,say an XL in frontand a small rear,then the each riderneeds to set thecockpit up to meettheir body exten-sion. Sincetandems are a biginvestment, it'simportant to getthe right frame

that works for both riders. It's probably not too wise to get a tan-dem unless you know that you and your partner will be a "team"for many years to come! For your titanium anniversary, you mightwant to look into a Seven custom tandem ($6,000 for the framealone), but to start off, we recommend Cannondale's aluminumtandem. It's super stiff, light for a tandem, and reasonably econom-ical (about $3500 for the bike). —Stig Bolgen

Buying a Used TandemIf a new tandem isn't in your budget, a used tandem can be a goodalternative. Now that we have the internet, finding a good usedtandem is easier than ever. We've seen some excellent deals onused tandems online, and a few places to look are mtbreview. com,tandemag.com, tandemclub.org, tandemtour.com and even e-Bay.

Tandemlink.comis a great web-site with tons oflinks and infor-mation.

Just rememberwhen buyinganything used oron the 'net, thatyou need to becareful. We rec-ommend thatyou find a usedtandem withindriving distance so that you can check out the bike in person andmake sure it's exactly what you need and want. If you don't feelconfident about evaluating a used bike, find a knowledgeable friendto help, or seriously consider buying a new one from your favoritebike dealer.

Once you have found a bike you are interested in, contact the sell-er and start asking questions about the bike. Most sellers give theire-mail address. As you get closer to making a decision, you shouldtalk to the seller by phone. To help determine if the bike is theright size, begin by asking the seller what his, and the stoker's,height and inseam are. The size for the captain should be close towhat your single bike is. The top tube for the stoker will most like-ly be shorter than ona single bike. Makesure there is room foradjustment. Ask if ithas an adjustablestoker stem. Be sureto ask about framedamage, scratches,dings, etc. Requestpictures, especiallyclose-ups of any dam-age. Other questionsyou might ask are wasit ever crashed?Raced? What type ofriding did they do? Condition of components (wheels, drive train,etc)? You want to be sure of what you are getting so you aren't sur-prised and have to replace components or upgrade right away. —Jim Levola

Pushing your Limits with Tandem RacingJust like anything else, when there is more than one of something,a race is sure to develop. Tandeming is no different. Whether it is across country race, mega mileage endurance race or even a 24 hourrace for that matter, those who have done any type of seriousmountain bike racing, know that it takes a combination of skill,confidence and plain old guts to endure racing's trials and tribula-tions.

Tandem racing is everything that single bike racing is and more.The more depends on what you want it to be. The key to the get-ting the most out of your tandem racing experience is knowing thecourse beforehand. If you are able to pre-ride the course, indeed doso. If not, be sure to check with the race organizer as to the natureof the course. Based on the limited ground clearance of a tandem,and the teams' abilities, the following factors should be consideredwhen making your decision on a course: number of log crossings

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and height; number of steep climbs; distance; and potentially technical rockysections.

Another factor influencing the outcome of any tandem race is the teams'objective. Why are you making the decision to participate in a race? Are youlooking to be competitive; or are you looking to just be active participants?Either way, both teammates should agree on the objec-tive. It is in your best interest that you both know whatyou getting into and what you expect from each otherbeforehand. Racing does not have to mean that you arehammering for first place; it can serve as an opportunityfor teammates to bond. On the other hand it has thepotential to ruin a relationship, hence the term 'divorcebike'.

Unfortunately, tandem racing is still somewhat of a fringesport. This does not mean that there are few opportuni-ties to race. Pretty much any race organizer can becoursed into letting you race. You may have to agree tostart in the back of the pack, but at least you are outthere. Besides, it gives you someone to hunt down (haa,haa!). You may find yourself up against some single bikeriders, but don't be discouraged. You may be surprisedhow well a seasoned tandem team can hold their own. However, there aremany events that host tandem classes. In New England, EFTA has recentlyincluded tandems in their events. Other race events that host tandem classes

include the Leadville 100, Granny Gear's 24 hour race series, The DownievilleClassic, The 24 Hours of Allamuchy and the Sea Otter Classic.

Once you have made the decision to try tandem racing you can be sure thatyou will have the biggest cheering section out of all the racers. SpectatorsLOVE to see tandems racing. Enjoy! —Karen and Bob Woodman

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Ode to the Stokerby Claudia Bolgen / Cathy Rowell

This is a rhyme to explain indeedThe stoker's desire to sit second seed.

What possible virtues can we extolTo praise the loss of all control?

No view to the front, save a sweaty backAlways within reach of a stoker's smack.

Although pedaling is our only role,Unhappy stokers will exact their toll.

No brakes to squeeze, no gears to grind,Yet the stoker does not seem to mind.

With pedaling we must be contentUntil through poetry we can vent.

The captain in front calls out all the bumpsAnd depends on us to sail over the jumps.We can't just sit back to relax or to chat

Unless, of course, we like being yelled at!

"Pedal" yells the captain as you push up a hill"I am" you yell back, though it seems you are still"Push harder" you get in response to your whine

"I'm PUSHING" you argue, but things are far from fine

And if as a stoker we should happen to crashIt is the captain that we lash.

For the fault is never ours, you see,It wasn't the stoker who hit that tree.

And what from a captain did I recently hear?In fact the stoker can actually steer!

Around the corners so twisty and tightWe will make it if the stoker pedals just right.

But for those of us one step from blind,The stoker life can be quite kind.

On our single bikes the trail prevailed,Our scars bear witness to how we failed.

Even those skilled at the single rideHave reasons to join the stoker side.

Where the captain goes you too must followNo more dust must you swallow.

And if your sweetie has never triedThe joys of riding till they're fried,

Then borrow a tandem to take a spin,Who knows, you both might win!

The need for speed is at the coreof why smart stokers beg for more.A tricked-out tandem fits the bill,

For a screaming ride down any hill.

Road or trail, skinny tires or fat,Tandem riding is where its at.

So stokers say join us, be ahead of the curveThat is, if you can find the nerve!

Snow TireSlalom andReggae FestWhen: March 30Where: Mt Snow, VTCost: $20 for sea-son pass holders, $25otherwise

What: Hurl yourselfand your bike downhillthrough a dual slalomcourse on snow. Eachperson gets two runs,best of combined times wins. If you have any energy left, jam tothe sounds of the Reggae Fest or participate in the DummyDownhill, a "big air" contest where creatively built dummies aresent down the hill and over a jump - the most spectacular, crowd-pleasing dummies win prizes.

Why: "It's fun as all get out!" says Paul Adams, one of the eventcoordinators. "It's really a riot. People are laughing at each other,flipping over their handlebars, falling down..." There is a $1000purse and lots of prizes.

Getting Started: This is a fun race for all ages and abilities,with three age categories each for men and women. For pointers,Paul suggests you do whatever it takes to stay on your bike. "It'snot just about speed. Some people get crazy at the beginning, butit doesn't last long!"

Gear: Studs - the bigger the better! Helmets manda-tory. There will be a prize for best costume.

Contact: Mount Snow www.mountsnow.com/ events/index.html802-464-4191

Mt. Washington Valley Ice FestivalWhen: February 21-24, 2002Where: North Conway, NHCost: Clinics start at $95

What: Ice climbing and mountaineering clinics, for thenovice to the Everest-bound. Slide shows and clinicsby luminaries like Conrad Anker and Steven Koch.

"They have an outdoor ice wall that's a crowd pleaser," says NorthConway local Rob Adair, "and they pull in some world-class talent

for the event." Where elsecan you get a climbing les-son from the guy who got iton with Sandy Hill-Pittmanon the flanks of Everest?

Why: "Ice changes year byyear, day by day, hour byhour… it's never the same,"explains Maury McKinneyfrom InternationalMountain Guides, the hostof the event. "You can climba standard route 3 times a

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Get Out There!Ten Wild Winter Pursuits You’ve Gotta Try

by Krisztina Holly

Quick quiz… when snow hits New England, what is your most likely reaction?—Slap on the studded tires and keep riding—Switch to a conventional winter sport,

like skiing or snowboarding—Suffer on the wind trainer or in the gym—Plan a trip to Moab—Plant butt on couch, beer in one hand

and remote in the other

Well, if you're still riding, hats off to you! But if you picked any of the others, we understand - some of us get a bit lazy inwinter, and some of us don't have much of a choice because there's too much snow.

But there's no need to face the same fate this year! We've compiled a list of some of the coolest events and sports you cantry while waiting for the mercury to poke its head above 32. The key is that anyone can try them. Though some of themsound hard, most of them offer a way for even a beginner to have a blast. We'll give you ideas on how to get started.

Once you've found new ways to enjoy the outdoors in winter, you might even be looking forward to winter again next year.(Don't worry,we won't tell!)

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year for 30 years and have 90different experiences." Andtalk about challenge… "Aftera day on the steep blue stuff,your favorite singletrack testpiece will seem mild in com-parison!" claims JackChapman, a mountain bikeadvocate who has beenclimbing since the early eight-ies.

Getting Started? Althoughice climbing seems difficultand dangerous, there are easyclimbs, too, just like in moun-tain biking. In its 9th year,the Ice Festival is a great placeto learn and meet otherclimbers, even if it's your first time.

Gear: Clinics include the rental of all technical gear, such asboots, crampons, ice axe, harness, helmet, ropes, and first aid kit.Bring a daypack with water, food for the day, and appropriateclothing. Count on a 7:30am start to get outfitted and geared up.

Contact: Maury McKinneyInternational Mountain Guideswww.ime-usa.com/ice_festival/icefestival_2001.htmlguides@ime-usa.com, 603-356-7064

Tuckerman Inferno PentathalonWhen: April 19-21, 2002Where: Pinkham Notch, NHCost: $100 per person

What: Team pentathalon race to benefit the Friends of TuckermanRavine: 7 mile run, 6 mile kayak, 18 mile bike up to PinkhamNotch, 3 mile hike to the floor of Tuckerman Ravine… then finishwith a climb up to the eastern snowfields and ski (or snowboard) amodified GS course overthe headwall. If you'rereally ambitious, join fel-low "Tucker-men" that willdo the entire race solo.

Why: To challenge your-self! The first four legs aretiring enough, but thefinal leg is the piece deresistance. "Once Ireached the headwall Iwas already winded, acondition that onlybecame worse during thethousand-foot climb tothe top of the ravine,"describes skiing coach andteam Twin to Win anchor,Jonathan Shefftz. At leastthe gates at the start werefairly easy, "but then . . . YIKES! I've skied plenty of steep terrain,and race plenty of courses, but never seen a course set on suchsteep terrain. I felt as if I was literally looking *down* at the nextgates!" And of course, all proceeds go to a good cause, a new edu-cational program run by the Friends of Tuckerman Ravine.

Getting Started? If this is your first time doing the race, yourbiggest challenge might be getting a spot, since the field is limitedto 30 teams and 20 individuals, and last year's teams get first dibs.However, athletes can get their feet wet with the "Son of Inferno"triathalon. The top 15 teams from each event will be invited toreturn next year in the pentathalon.

Gear: You are responsible for all the gear for your leg of the event- running shoes, kayak, bike, backpack, skis, whatever.

Contact: Friends of Tuckerman Ravinewww.friendsoftuckerman.orginfo@friendsoftuckerman.org603-356-0131

NATO Telemark FestivalWhen: March 16-17, 2002Where: Mad River Glen, VT Cost: $36 per day

What: A weekend of total telemark pandemonium. Join 1200-1400 other pinheads for the oldest and the biggest festival of itskind - this is the 27th annual. Free clinics and demos, expo area,party hosted by Magic Hat, World Championship Berserkebeiner(uphill/downhill) race, Freeheel Bump Buffet, world record attemptgroup telemark turn. "The clinics are really good, and they'reoffered for all different levels," describes David Kleinschmidt, aTele-fest regular. "They bring in a bunch of NATO people from allover. In fact, last year I had a great instructor from South Carolina,

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of all places!" Get ready forsome interesting peoplewatching, too; although tele-marking has gotten moremainstream, you can stillexpect to see your fair share ofweird costumes and the moretraditional woolens and facialhair. A few oblivious alpineskiers show up every year andwonder what the hell is goingon.

Why: If you already tele-mark, this is the place to be.If not, you should considertrying it. Telemark skiing isreally versatile; once youknow how, you can ski any-where - in the backcountry, ata resort, with or without a liftticket. It's so fun, accordingto Dick Hall, founder of NATO(North American TelemarkOrganization), once you learnyou may never go back. "I'vemet 1,000 people that 'usedto' alpine ski, but I've nevermet anyone that 'used to'telemark."

Getting Started? Withfree demos and clinics, thetelemark festival is the bestway to learn with other begin-ners. When you learn to tele-mark, the trick is to put much

of your weight on the inside ski. Keep your feet close together,relax, and you'll be carving it up in no time!

Gear: Your telemark skis should be similar to downhill skis - don'ttry double-camber "backcountry" skis or you'll be frustrated. Samegoes for leather boots - pass them up for full-on plastic boots.Kneepads and a helmet are highly recommended. Demo some hotnew gear for free while you're there, but bring some rentals if youwant to take a class, since most demos are available for about anhour at a time.

Contact: North American Telemark Organizationwww.telemarknato.com info@TelemarkNato.com1-800-835-3404For other local telemark festivals, see www.netelemark.com. Also,check out NEMBA's Chicks on Sticks backcountry ski weekend (seeHappenings).

Stowe DerbyWhen: February 24, 2002Where: Stowe, VTCost: $32-62 to enter, depending on class

What: The oldest cross-country/downhill race in the country.Start at the top of Mt. Mansfield and ski to the village of Stowe.The catch? You can't switch gear when the terrain goes fromdownhill to flat! Most people choose to careen down the toll roadon their skinny skis. Great spectator event; the crashes on thesteeper turns can be spectacular.

Why: Because tradition says so! The race began in 1945 as a per-sonal challenge between two American skiing pioneers, and peoplecan't stop making fools of themselves after so many years. Expectup to 1,000 participants.

Getting Started? It's recommended you're somewhat skilled incross-country skiing to attempt this one! But you can always trythe 6km short course, which avoids the downhill part. Or just jointhe spectators at the critical turns to watch for the crashes.

Gear: Most people use skate or classic skis. Chris Romano,Events Coordinator for the Mount Mansfield Ski Club, recommendsusing whatever you feel comfortable with as long as you start andend on the same pair. "You can use backcountry gear with metaledges - and you'd probably smoke the field on the downhill - butonce you get to bottom you'd be having trouble. That's the wholefun of it!"

Contact: Mount MansfieldSki Club (802) 253 -7704www.mmsc-stowevt.org

Ice SailingNationalsWhen: February 9-10, 2002Where: TBD the week of,for optimal conditionsCost: Free

What: Watch some of thebest ice sailors in the country"windsurf" across the ice in asport called freeskating. It'san informal event - if yousmile and introduce yourself,someone's likely to let you

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try it out for yourself.

Why: It's wicked fast! And central New England is in the "meltbelt," meaning it's ideal for the sport. Conditions are variable fromday to day and pond to pond; check out the New England IceSurfing Association web page (below) to find the best spot.

Getting Started? Unlike windsurfing, freeskating is easy tolearn. "Because the board is so stable, you don't really ever fall. Infact, freeskating is a great way to learn to windsurf," claims NevinSayre, world cup windsurfer and an ice sailing enthusiast. "All youneed to do is sheet in the sail and you're planing. If you have anyclue about wind, you can even teach yourself." According toNevin, the ice sailing community is very friendly, and they're usual-ly eager to let people try out their equipment.

Gear: Because there's practically no resistance, Jack Bushko fromFreeskate USA recommends using the smallest rig you can find."The plain old non-monofilmant ones are the best because theyaren't as fragile in the cold." A sail costs about $125-250. Theboard costs $899, but you can build one yourself with a piece ofplywood, skateboard trucks, and four specialized blades they sellfor $20 each.

For gear and more information on the championships:Jack Bushko Free Skate USAwww.freeskateusa.com 609-494-1244

For the latest conditions in New England:www.cris.com/~Dn4762/

New England Sled Dog Club Skijoring When: Series final is March 2-3, 2002Where: Meredith, NHCost: Race is $20. Minimal cost for clinics ($5-10), free forclub members

What: Partner with your dog in a race on cross-country skis.Skijoring is an old Scandinavian sport that's gaining popularity herein the US. The sprint races are between 4-6 miles long. The Cluboffers clinics after the races to introduce newcomers to the sport.

Why: To share the skiing experience with your best friend. Thedog pretty much pulls you, although you need to assist on thehills. However, Fran Plaisted of the New England Sled Dog Clubwarns, "the downhills can be hairy - you can approach some prettyfast speeds!"

Getting Started? If you're new to the sport, you should try aclinic to learn the basics, but show up with some cross-countryskiing skills and a little practice ahead of time. Start with one ortwo miles the first time, with a friend skiing ahead. An hour ortwo beforehand, make sure the dog drinks about a quart of water -use chicken stock or raw meat to "bait" it if necessary. Use booties

if the snow is clumpy, to avoid ice balls, and if it's really cold(below zero), so the skin between the pads doesn't get abraded.The bigger problem is heat; even above 40 degrees may be too hot,depending on the dog.

Gear: Bring a dog and skis, and your own skijoring equipment ifyou have it. Basic equipment includes a harness for the dog, a belt(a rockclimbing harness or fanny pack will work), and a 8-12 footskijoring line (with some bungee in it and a panic snap / quickrelease). The best dog is an independent thinker who doesn't mindpulling ahead, but well enough trained that he doesn't chase afterthose rabbits!

Contact: New England Sled Dog Clubwww.nesdc.org (603)-353-4601 Hank Plaisted: hank@nesdc.org for racing and clinicsChristine Richardson: Christine@nesdc.org for sled dog trips

DownEast Sled Dog Clubwww.desdc.org(207) 247-3026For gear: www.blackicedogsledding.com or try www.sleddogcentral.com/equip&supplies.htm for links to allthe suppliers

Ice Diving on WinnipesaukeeWhen: February 9, 2002 (or the 23rd in case of bad conditions)Where: Lake Winnipesaukee, NHCost: $45 per diver, $15 per non-diver, includes hot chocolateand BBQ

What: Don yourdry suit andplunge through ahole cut throughthe ice to explorethe "Lady of theLake" wreck in 25feet of water.Because the wateris around 29degrees, don'texpect to staydown more than10-15 minutes ata time. But if you're game, you can get up to four dives in.

Why: Just to say you did it? Or maybe you're such a die-hardSCUBA diver that you'll do anything to extend your season."There's not much aquatic life at this time of year, so that's why weexplore the wreck," explains Heather Knowles, owner of NorthAtlantic Dive Expeditions. "But it is kind of neat to look at the iceformations under the surface of the ice." Apparently, some peoplewhile away their time by taking off their fins, standing upsidedown, and having the "tender" on the surface pull the tether reallyfast so they skid along the underside of the ice.

Getting Started? Ordinarily you need to take a $250-300 classto learn to ice dive, but at this event you can try ice diving withoutthe specialty certification. You'll be taught all the specifics, includ-ing the tug signals on the tether. However, you do need to have anadvanced open water certification.

Gear: You'll need your standard SCUBA gear, plus a dry suit, analternate air source (since there is only one way out!), underwater

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light (the snow filters out most of the light), and very warmclothes for between dives. Tether will be provided, as well as hotwater to unfreeze any of the equipment that might seize becauseof the cold!

Contact: North Atlantic Dive Expeditionshttp://www.northernatlanticdive.com/ice.htmlcharters@northernatlanticdive.com, 617-480-5261

Cave Skating PartyWhen: February 17, 2002Where: Freedleyville Tunnel Quarry, Manchester, VTCost: Free

What: Ice skating in the state's oldest marble quarry. Skateamongst amazing icicles on super clear ice up to 6 feet thick. "Theentrance is huge," describes Rick Pingree from the Vermont CaversAssociation. "It opens up to a series of rooms connected by pillars,averaging at least 50 feet ceiling height, about 150 feet in depth."It's a one mile ski or snowshoe uphill to get there, with a vistaoverlooking Manchester, and you can ski or snowboard back down.

Why: Because it's just cool! "The ice formations were so neat,one of our members spent most of the time just photographing theice," chuckles Rick. Another perk: you won't have to shovel thesnow when you arrive.

Getting Started: This low-key event doesn't require any skillsbeyond ice-skating.

Gear: Bring warm clothes, ice skates, lunch, and some way to getto the quarry (skis, snowshoes, snowmobile). Headlamps option-al.

Contact: Rick Pingree www.caves.org/grotto/vca/events.htm caverrick@yahoo.com802-773-8767

Snow Kiteboarding CampWhen: March 2-3, 2002Where: Burlington, VTCost: $495 for the two-day camp

What: Just when you thought all winter sports had been inventedalready… learn to snowboard across a lake aided by a kite."Imagine wakeboarding behind a boat with a remote control,"describes REAL Kiteboarding co-founder Trip Forman. "Plus, pullthe back line, and you have the added dimension of being air-borne." By the end of the weekend, you could be attaining speedsof 30-40 mph, and leaping 30+ feet above the snow. If you reallycatch on, you can compete in the Snow Rodeo the following week-end.

Why: With this cutting edge sport, you can poach powder allwinter long without paying for $60 lift tickets. You only need asnowy, wide-open space and a 5 mph breeze. "Because you don'tneed a mountain," says Trip, "you'll never fight anyone for thefreshies, and you'll be getting a lot more days in. You can even justgo out on your lunch break."

Getting Started? According to Trip, if you have any snowboard orski skills, you'll be having a blast within a couple of hours. It's wayeasier than regular kiteboarding in the ocean, because you don'tsink, meaning you can stop whenever you want. The kite softensyour landings. A $49 group lesson is also available, which is idealfor families and less serious folks.

Gear: Bring a well-tuned snowboard (or skis). The rest is includ-ed with lessons. A harness costs $100 and a kite will set you backabout $1000. Dress prepared for aerobic activity and bring a hel-met and goggles.

Contact: Trip FormanREAL Kiteboarding Vermonttrip@realkiteboarding.com, 252-995-4740www.realkiteboarding.com

(REAL Kiteboarding)

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S I D E T R A C K S

The first real snow hit the groundmoments ago and bikes suddenly are milesfrom my consciousness. Florida, golf, vaca-tion, snowboards and warm fireplacesspring to mind. Bikes, tires, trails, Gupackets…all gone.

In the time it took for nature to dustgreater Boston with billions of frozenwater granules, I banished biking from mysoul. Luckily, I'm from Hingham and ofhearty psychological stock so Ifound a way to turn this situa-tion around. That's right, I dis-covered how to counteract thebike blahs of winter and resurrectmy bike lust.

If winter white has snatchedaway your yearning for knobbiesand you've resigned yourself tofour months of Friends reruns and WhoseLine is it Anyway?, take a look at my cure.Simple steps anyone can take to quicklyrevive their love for mountain biking inNew England.

First step, get yourself some porn. Youprudes! I'm talking about bike porn. In late2000 I met a great rider named DrewRobertson. He breathed the very essenceof mountain biking. Supremely fit, hecould ride anything at nearly any speedand lived to ride. Riding multiple times aweek (and sometimes two rides a day)made Drew a prime candidate for mtbburnout, BUT he averted this afflictionwith bike porn.

Bike Porn: n. 1. Any type of literature orvisuals that stimulates positive mountainbiking-related thoughts.

So, follow Drew's lead and pull out yourold issues of Bike and look at the gloriousphotos…or better yet, grab any MBA andflip to any page. You've got a better than50% chance of landing on a Supergo,PricePoint or Jenson USA ad. There you'llfind all the gadgets, clothing and acces-sories you need to jumpstart your failingbike soul.

Bike porn didn't work? You've got a severecase. Let's try step two - drinking.

As professed by beer professionals at arecent mountain bike gathering, beer andalcoholic spirits are the foundation onwhich our very civilization was formed.OK, that might be a bit extreme and poeti-cally licensed, but beer has played a largepart in helping people progress. Therefore,by drinking beer you could conceivablyprogress through your bike doldrums into

a state of mind where bikes are again themac daddy plaything in your life.

I suggest starting slow with a bad beer. Goto the singles door at the local packy andgrab two bottles of Glacier Bay. You'll onlybe drinking one, but as you know, there'san indentation on the bottom of GlacierBay bottles that exactly fits the twist-offcap of any bottle of beer. It's a candy and agum! Sorry, got off track.

Gather up several lower level beers andthen work up to quality. At the bottomthrow in some PBR, Schlitz, Matt Manes'Monkey Snot and Bud. Then work up toBlue Moon, Harpoon Winter Warmer, SamAdams and Guinness. Bring the whole col-lection home, bringyour bike into the liv-ing room. Then drinkand stare at yourbike.

I guarantee after adozen or so beersyou'll forget what youwere doing and seri-ously wonder if youwent for a ride. You'llprobably even dredgeup some fake memo-ries of the tough hills,sick drops and majorhammering that youdid. If this happens,you're cured. If youonly get moredepressed and decideto try to remove yourheadset with an applecorer, move to thefinal step.

Cross training. Yeah, Iknow 1988 was along time ago, butcross training still hasits merits in thesporting world.Mtbers ride the roadto perfect spin, foot-ball players take yogaand martial arts for

flexibility, and you can use cross trainingto spark a new-found love for biking.

This approach is a bit unconventional butcross training the mind requires the samesteps as breaking a habit. Your habit ishating bikes. Break that by doing stuff youhate even more. How about eatinggarbage. Don't like that, do you? Well do itand then think of riding in the winter.Better?

Drip some candle wax on the top ofyour foot. Hurts, huh? Biking is startingto seem pleasant, isn't it? Start pluck-ing nose hairs. See if you can pluckyour age before you cry "Give me mybike, I don't care if it's 14 degrees our!"Or lastly, get a manila folder and use itto give yourself a paper cut on yourupper lip. That should do it.

If not, you're helpless. Enjoy the winter byskiing, boarding or eating. I'll see you onthe mud in mid-April. If this article helpedyou vanquish the biking blues, I'll see youon the trails much sooner.

Get Back Your Bike Lustby Jeff Cutler, SE MA

Bike Porn: n. 1. Any type ofliterature or visuals that

stimulates positive mountainbiking-related thoughts

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I'm no mechanic. I like to tinker, keep the rig dialed in as best I can,but when it comes to overhauls or big jobs like servicing the car-tridge on my shock, I leave it to the experts.

That's why I lend a sympathetic ear to the frustrations of shopmechanics everywhere who rail against the injustices foisted uponthem by the modern-day "I want something for nothing" bike shopcustomer. You've seen them. Countless columns and letters spout-ing about how clueless bike owners can be.

The trouble for mechanics, however, is a single inherent flaw intheir tales. I don't want to play dime-store psychologist, but allthese stories and letters have the same unmistakable undercurrentof self-pity. Whether subtle or screaming, they all say: "Look, youclowns just don't understand what a thankless job this is."

Well, I'm here before the congregation to bear witness — I dounderstand, brothers and sisters. And, Lord knows, I do appreciatethe effort.

As fate would have it, just the other day, I'm finishing one of MikeFerrentino's rants in Bike magazine about harboring secret desiresto rip the head off of some cheap cracker when my phone rings.The boys are heading out for a little training spin. Even though I'mracing the next day, I jump on board.

The ride quickly goes from average to bad to worse. I'm suffering,bringing up the rear the better part of the ride. Weird thing is, I'mfeeling good. But I just don't have the engine today. In my effort to

catch up, I manage to clean a tricky little drop off and latch ontothe wheel of one of my compadres. We start hammering again.Suddenly, I hear a loud bang and the shiver runs right up throughmy seatpost. I look down, and know instantly it's big trouble —my rear derailleur is resting against my heel. The same heel that issitting at 3 o'clock on the cranks.

One little twig. That's all. One measly little twig rendered my dri-vetrain a twisted mass of scrap metal. It managed to snake upthrough my derailleur pulleys and into the freewheel, ripping thederailleur off, fraying cables, bending the hanger, twisting the chainand shearing off three spokes. I'm toast. Two rays of hope — theframe looks OK, and it's just past 4 o'clock. The shop, I'm certain,is open until 6. If I can get to a phone, I can get a lift to the shopwith enough time for a quick overhaul of my drivetrain.

Employing the age-old single speed quick fix, I limp out of thewoods and into the driveway of a local gas station. My wife scoopsup my sorry butt, and we head straightaway to the shop. Too late.The sign says "Closed," and I spy the shop scheduled. D'oh.Saturday, 9-5. Monday though Friday, 10-6. Damn. Suddenly, thedoor swings open. The guys are clearing out the last of the cus-tomers, a young kid and his dad.

I walk in, bike in hand, looking like a whupped dog.

My good buddy and trusty mechanic Chris O'Neil looks over, andin his typical easygoing manner, asks "what's up?" I tell Chris I'm ona mission for mercy. He looks at the bike ("Oooooh, not good"),tells me to leave it. He'll have it ready by Monday. I sigh. "No prob-lem, I'll race the old winter rig tomorrow," and hand over the bro-ken steed.

"You're racing tomorrow?" Chris asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Planning on it," I say..

"Come back in an hour," Chris says, with absolutely no trace ofhesitation in his voice. "I'll have it ready for you."

"Nah, Chris, that's OK, I'll just ..."

"Look, you're racing, right? Just leave the bike."

An hour later, my rig is dialed. New derailleur, new hanger, newchain, three new spokes on a newly trued rear wheel. Mint. I'm offto the races.

How'd I do? Doesn't matter, does it? I'm no superstar. Just a happy-go-lucky, middle-of-the-pack Sport Vet. If I'm feeling really strong, Ican hang with the guys on the team training rides. More days thanI'd like to admit, I'm off the back. But that's what made Chris's offerto stay late something special.

See, he knows I'm not going to finish in the money. He knows thatI'll probably do OK with my winter bike. But he also knows I like torace, and he was going to make damn sure I had my best bikeunder me. That's what makes hometown mechanics special. If yougot a good one, be thankful.

Local Mechanic Saves Author’s Sanityby Brion O’Connor, NS NEMBA

S I D E T R A C K S

29

You Know You’re Hardcore When......compiled by Don Jordan, SE MA

....the trunk of your car looks likeyour hop's spare-parts box.—Mundo

....after you crash you, bandageyour bike's scratches withstickers and just let yourbody bleed. —MalcolmNeilson

....you can get 30psi in your tire bymouth. —Don Jordan

....when you have a different bikefor each day of the week...and you ride them all. —Philip Keyes

....you start replacing your boxershorts with bike shorts. —Don Jordan

....you've actually walked into a barin lycra and bike shoes.—JenSecor

....you showed up at 8:45 for thegroup ride on New Year'smorning, still drunk from thenight before, looking andfeeling like death. You real-ized that nobody elseshowed up, so you do twohours in 18 degree weatheranyway. —Jason Pare

...your friends give you a new nick-name...Scabby. —RonMacDonald

...when your bike is worth morethan your car. —PhilipKeyes

....when a set of grips are worndown to the bar before theseason is over. —Christopher Patrick

....your dress socks have logos onthem, and your wingtips

have cleats. —Jeff Cutler

....you use full-fingered riding glovesto shovel snow. —Jeff Cutler

....the only music you seem to lis-ten to anymore can be heardon a MTB video. ....you havea network of mini ridges andteeter-totters all over thecomputer in your cube atwork.......and you play onthem with your finger bikeeveryday ! —Dave Riding

...you care more about your town'strail system than yourtown's school system. —Dan Ibbitson

...you buy your house because of itseasy access to cool trails. —Philip Keyes

R i d e N E M B A ’ s C y b e r - T r a i l s !What are you waiting for? Don’twait for the next SingleTracks to findout what’s happening! NEMBA canhook you up with all the latestnews, rides and happenings on ourmany email lists. Join one, join two,three; it doesn’t matter. Thousandsof other New England mountainbikers are already online sharingtales of their latest crashs, their bestrides, and planning their next epics. Don’t miss out!

Log on to www.nemba.org’s “NEMBA Email Lists”Choose the email lists that fit your mountain bike fancy!:

blackstone@nemba.orgctnemba@nemba.orgmtb-berkshires@nemba.orgmtb-boston@nemba.orgmtb-maine@nemba.orgmtb-new-england@nemba.orgmtb-pioneervalley@nemba.orgmtb-whitemountains@nemba.orgseacoast@nemba.orgsemass@nemba.orgwachusett@nemba.orgwomen@nemba.org

They’re free and they’re fun, so putdown the magazine and subscribe. Hey,

I said, put it down!

S I D E T R A C K S

KELDA Lands - Update: In November, a jointdraft Natural Resources Management Plan wasreleased for public comment by CT DEP, TheNature Conservancy, and BridgeportHydraulic/Aquarion. These are the principleparties involved in the 16,000 acre propertyacquisition and open space preservation deal inwestern Connecticut. Since the draft NRMAreleased on November 26th, two public meet-ings to present and plan and accept public com-ment have been held. NEMBA of course evalu-ated the plan and has issued formal comment,delivered by bicycle messenger, no less.NEMBA's position in our comment was positiveand supportive of the land acquisition and themanner in which the draft plan was presentedbut took issue with specific ambiguous lan-guage. Basically, the plan cites as a principletenant that resource management decisions,including recreational use plans would befounded upon science (we applaud this posi-tion). However later the draft plan proceeds tounjustifiably declare that such recreational pur-suits such as mountain biking would be limitedto access and service roads and restricted from'footpaths' (new lingo as far as the DEP policiesthat we've seen) in recognition of concernsregarding the erosion and sedimentation on thewatershed and aquatic ecosystems. You canimagine that we took immediate and strongissue with this statement. In our formal com-ment we encouraged science-based and man-agement practices but certainly criticized theunsubstantiated statements relating to MTBimpact. We also provided credible publishedstudies which specifically contradict the state-ments made in the draft plan. NEMBA encour-ages that the DEP uniformly apply their relevant

recreational use policy, policy #310 which is inforce throughout the state and promotes theapplication of a broadest range of uses and mul-tiple-use trail systems with the exception of thestatewide Blue-trail and Appalachian trail sys-tems. Further we encouraged the formation ofa recreational user group committee to assistthe land management parties in the develop-ment of specific and comprehensive recreationaluse policies and plans. A final NRMA plan isanticipated in February and we will proceedfrom there.

Holiday Toy Ride: On Friday, November 23rd,60+ riders across five ride venues accumulatedan estimated $280 worth of toys which weredonated to the Connecticut Children's MedicalCenter. Joseph Robles (Wallingford) won a coolbike raffled off amongst all participants and gen-erously donated by Cannondale Corp. (Editor'snote to Brion: It's a 'dale. It's CAAD3. It'srigid. It's way spiff and wicked cool.)

Many thanks to all that participated and donat-ed to this cause, especially Barry Burke, BruceAgli, Paula Burton, Tony Parent, Elise-MaireStaley, Jenna Bashore, Matt Mueller, Mike Dews,and Jeff Zimmermann for making the event thesuccess that it was. A repeat performance nextyear is in order. Bigger and better, of course.

Trail Ambassador Program: 29 reporting TrailAmbassadors logged over 1,200 hours fromMay through September, at 42 locations state-wide. Case MT received the most visits at 91,with Tyler Mill in second with 70 visits. Thereseem to be yellow jerseys sprouting up every-where promoting sensitive and sensible ridingethic. Care to become involved? Check in withAlex Sokolow, asokolow@snet.net, 203-281-0789, as he is forming up plans for a programorientation session in early spring.

Bike Patrol: The West Hartford Reservoir andCTNEMBA detail of the New England Bike Patrolhas been busy as ever this year, coordinatingTM operations and educational outreach at thisfavorite MTB destination. Gene Kulak, patrolco-leader, recently provided this year-end snap-shot of their patrol activities: total hours/1148(61% occurring during peak usage hours), hel-metless rider encounters=328, mechanical fail-ure assistance=39, medical aid=9, giving direc-tions=159. These are just a few of the statis-tics captured by the patrol. The patrol coulduse your help. Contact Brian Smith, bnem-ba@attbi.com, or Gene Kulak,Genekulak@cs.com for information. The patrolwill be organizing training and orientation ses-sions in April.

More on the Res: Brian and Gene also citethat there is growing concern regarding newand unauthorized trail building activity mani-festing itself at the Res. The land manager, theMetropolitan District Commission, is notpleased with these activities. Please do yourpart and discuss this situation with your ridingbuddies and get the word out that although weare sure that there are noble intentions to assistwith enhancing the recreational opportunitiesat the Res, this is unlawful activity, and is doingeveryone a disservice in the long run. It mayjeopardize trail access there. It's just not worthit for a few kicks.

What's on the radar screen for 2002?

CTNEMBA is investigating the feasibility oforganizing a trail maintenance clinic in the Maytimeframe.

The Cannondale / NEMBA Trail MaintenanceSeries is in development. Series schedule willunfortunately will not be presented inSingleTracks until the April issue. Please keepan eye on the chapter website, http://mem-bers.aol.com/joeorto/ for developments as wewill likely see event in April. If you have needsin this area and seek assistance please dropJohn Turchi a line to discuss.

Planning is underway to promote an event aspart of the Mountain Bike Adventure Series.Probable timeframe is mid to late July. Your helpto make this event a real kicker would be appre-ciated. Give Turch a call.

Then there is the chapter's venerable (can wecall it that after its fourth running?) Fall Fiesta.Last years Glastonbury venue was a prettysmashing success. Let's raise the bar. Thechapter needs help in all facets of this gig fromride route planning, route marking, food prepa-ration, and whole bunch more. Check in andhelp. You'll like it.

That's more than enough for now. Got a ques-tion or concern? Feel free to tap on my shoul-der or any chapter officer at anytime. Make adifference. —John Turchi

Cape Cod NEMBA has been busy in the monthsof November and December. In November, wehad our annual meeting and elected two newBoard Of Director representatives, along with anew treasurer and vice president. We alsoplanned two trail maintenance events, as well asscheduled our annual ride/party. Trail mainte-nance was done in West Barnstable Conservationarea/Trail Of Tears.

A few days were spent on the rerouting of twoparts of two trails, which were eroding badly. Atour next day, we had fifteen people help out withputting in almost a mile of new trail. For those ofyou who haven't been to T.O.T. in a while, there

is a new kiosk in the Race Lane parking lot, withan accurate GPS map of the area. There is also a16 mile marked loop that starts and finishes atthis point. Our annual ride/party/watch the Patsplay Miami took place on Saturday December22nd.The temperature was around 40 degrees,sunny and perfect for our 15 mile ride. Althoughwe tried pretty hard, we were not able to finishthe keg of Old Speckled Hen. We also had a YankeeSwap, which was a lot of fun, and saw the resur-gence of "Woody". Charitable donations weregiven to the Mashpee Good Neighbor Fund, fordistribution throughout the year. Stay tuned forupcoming events this winter, and in the spring. —Steve Shakin

C H A P T E R N E W S

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Cape CodPresident: Charlie Genatossio,508-477-

4936, cgenatossio@webtv.net

Vice-President: Mitch McCulloch

Secretary: Ellin Borrus

Treasurer: Margaret Moore

Email List: mtb-capecod@nemba.org

ConnecticutPresident: John Turchi, turch@snet.net

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

asokolow@snet.net, 203-281-0789Secretary: Nancy Martin, fatire@snet.netTreasurer: Mike GnazzoDirectors: Paul Bassett, Paula Burton,

Howie Kargman, Matt Mueller, DonMyers

Email List: ctnemba@nemba.orgCT Web: http://members.aol.com/joeorto/

As I am writing these notes for the chapternews it is just after New Years and my thoughtsare still about resolutions and goals for thecoming year. The Greater Boston chapter hasbeen doing a lot of organizing and planninglately and we think we have a few good resolu-tions.

Top on our list for 2002 (and I hope you allmade the same resolution) is to spend moretime on our bikes this year. For Greater Boston,that means that we intend to focus on rides.We will be hosting two of the Mountain BikeAdventure Series rides this year. In fact wewill be kicking the series off in the spring atLynn Woods and finishing the series in the fallat Great Brook Farm. In addition to this wehope to find ways to make the ride board moreactive in the Greater Boston area. This requireshelp from all our members. Let's all try toeither lead a ride or join a ride on a regularbasis this year.

Our second resolution is to get more organized.Toward this end we have taken a number ofsteps. First of all we have settled on a regularlocation and meeting time for our chaptermeetings. We will be meeting on the firstMonday of every month at Wild WomenOutfitters, 397 Massachusetts Avenue inArlington. During the winter months ourmeetings will start at 7:00pm but after daylightsavings time they will shift to 7:30pm toaccommodate a pre-meeting ride. We hopethat having a regular meeting time and placewill make our meetings more accessible to our

members. Secondly, we have set in motion thecreation of Park Management Groups for eachof the parks in the Greater Boston Area. Thesegroups will be a great way for individuals to getinvolved with what is happening at theirfavorite park and really make a difference.These groups will work closely with the landmanagers to coordinate maintenance, set policyand discuss the status of the trail systems. It isnever too late to get involved with one of thesegroups. If you are interested, get in touch withme and I will give you more information.

Our last resolution is to do more for our com-munity. We have scheduled trail maintenancedays for the spring and fall and will be co-host-ing the trail maintenance school on May11th and 12th. We will be purchasing andoutfitting our very own maintenance trailer thisspring with funding from an NRTA grant. Ourmaintenance days are a great way to donatetime to the parks and a great way to meet othermountain bike riders. Not only will we bemaintaining the trails but this year we expectto add some new trails.

Election of OfficersGreater Boston held an election for officers atits board meeting in December. There are somenew faces and some familiar ones. Some of youmay know these people from rides and eventsand some of you may just know their names.There is nothing particularly special about themembers of the board. Some of them are verygood riders and some struggle with trail justlike most of us do. Some of them are prettyarticulate and well versed in politics but mostare not. They are justpeople who have takenan interest in preserv-ing trail access formountain bikes in ourarea and they show upfor meetings. I think itwould be a good idea toeverybody to get toknow who we are.

President - TomGrimbleVice President ofOperations - Joe LevineSecretary - Dan AlarcoTreasurer - Scott BrierePatrol Director - SteveFuchs

Monthly Meetings at Wild WomenOutfittersWe are very pleased with our new collaborationwith Wild Women Outfitters and feel that thiswill be a good match with NEMBA. When westarted searching for a permanent location forour meeting we had a number of somewhatdemanding criteria. We wanted to be neartrails for a pre-meeting ride, we wanted to beable to bring in food and beverage for the vol-unteers, we needed bike storage for those whorode to the meeting and most importantly wewanted to find a place that was a good matchfor our organization. Wild Women Outfitters isall of that. Their store in Arlington has a largeopen space that is perfect for meetings. Theyare outdoor oriented and community oriented.They hold a regular series of clinics and semi-nars and have begun organizing trips. The storeis geared towards women's outdoor gear andapparel. Much of their merchandise is not gen-der specific though and they carry everythingfrom snowshoes to kayaks. Although they donot carry bikes they do have some accessoriesand apparel. In short this is a very cool storethat everybody should check out, and the per-fect time to do so would be at our next meet-ing. Hope to see you there. —Tom Grimble

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Greater BostonPresident: Tom Grimble,

tgrimble@alum.syracuse.edu, 617-776-1363

Vice-President: Joe LevineSecretary: Daniel AlarcoTreasurer: Scott BrierePatrol Director: Steven Fuchs,

steven.fuchs@ae.ge.comEmail: eastma@nemba.orgEmail List: mtb-boston@nemba.org

Meetings: First Monday of each monthat Wild Women Outfitters, 397 Mass.Ave., Arlington

C H A P T E R N E W S

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Ride Schedule UpdateA quick update here from Merrimack ValleyNEMBA. It's early January and not much in theway of snowfall at this time. With changingweather and conditions it's tough to puttogether a ride schedule that we can assumewon't change. So again I remind people to call

or e-mail to find out about rides or to makesuggestions about new ride locations.

Something New and ExcitingI recently had an opportunity to ride the "pow-erlines" in Salem / Hudson N.H. I was veryimpressed. It was amazing to find a whole newworld of riding opportunities so close to home.I'm in the process of putting together maps andtrying to "learn" these trails so that we can addthese to future NEMBA rides. Not much single-track but miles and miles of doubletrack /fireroads with plenty of loose gravel climbs inboth directions.

Still WaitingI'm still waiting to hear who will be the newsupervisor of the Lowell Dracut TyngsboroState Forest. It's possible the state has made aselection but the information hasn't filtereddown yet. It will be interesting to see what kindof cooperation we may expect down the roadwith future projects.

New Ideas WelcomedMark Bialas, an original BOD member ofMerrimack Valley NEMBA, has recently movedout of the local area and has expressed a desireto withdraw from the Board of Directors ofMerrimack Valley. This leaves a vacancy thatmay be filled by, well, someone like you. If thereis someone out there that feels like they maywant to get involved at the next level thiswould be a great opportunity. Again, thinkabout it and let me know. We’re always lookingfor new blood and new ideas to grow the chap-ter and enhance the riding opportunities for allof us.

Thanks for your continued support. —NormanBlanchette

Now that it's cold outside and thoughts turn toskis, skates and other outdoor activities, wehave begun to plan for the coming season.

Once again the Adventure Series Ride will be

held at the Notch Visitor's Center inAmherst. The Holyoke Range was an excellentvenue for last year's ride and we can only hopethat the weather cooperates this year. Markyour calendars for Sunday, June 9th. We hopeyou come and have some riding fun.

Trail Days Schedule Holyoke Range: May 4, June 1, July 6, August3 (1st Saturday of the month)

D.A.R.: April 27, May 11

The Park Supervisor at Mt. Tom has changedagain (twice in one year)….the reins have beenturned over to Jeanne DeCenzo, who has con-siderable experience with NEMBA at her formerposition at Leominster State Forest. We lookforward to working with her to both improvethe trail system and deal with accessibilityissues at Mt. Tom. A recent issue of Outside

Magazine had a section pertaining to the "TenBest Cities" and Northampton was mentioned -unfortunately Mt. Tom was also mentioned as amountain bike destination. At this time, sometrails are open to bicycles, but most arepresently off-limits.

The proposed trail at the former Mountain Parkproperty has been GPS'ed and topographicalmaps have been forwarded to state officials fortheir review. Hopefully things can progress thisspring. Many thanks go out to Ethan Nedeaufor his assistance and expertise in mapping thetrail.

Our chapter is purchasing tools to prepare forthe new season. So far, we have bought onepulaski and one McCloud and hope to acquiretwo more of each before the ground thaws. —Rich LaBombard

The Great Big Thank YouI would like to use this space to recognize thefolks that volunteered their time in 2001 to helpout our sport and the trails that we ride. Manyindividuals donated their time and sweat tomaintain the trails that we all ride. These arethe people responsible for keeping the trails ingood condition, building bridges and developingnew trails.

Even more important, their efforts demonstrateto land managers that we are involved and care

about the areas that we ride in. Only the landmanagers who identify mountain bikers asrespectful and considerate will work to keep bik-ing open on their property. The efforts of thesevolunteers help to keep riding open in the placesthat we ride and maintain.

The next time you ride in Northwood Meadows,Bear Brook and Pawtuckaway State Parks as wellas Fort Rock in Exeter you will surely comeacross the efforts of the following people thatkeep us in good standing with the land man-agers.

Betty Cox, Bill Blank, Bill Halloran, Bob Dupuis,Brett Bernard, Brian Croteau, Chip Belyea, ChrisKofer, Dale Turcotte, David Heath, Drew Kiefaber,Greg Devinc, Ian McGiluery, Jason Anderson,Jason Record, Jay Vanasse, Jeff Blanchard, JeffTamblyn, Jerry White, Jill Heath, JohnGunterman, John Hillard, Johnathan Melzar, JonWiberg, Kerry Tull, Kevin Cox, Laurel Earnshaw,Lori Wiberg, Mark Desrochers, Mark Lissee, MarkOullette, Mark Pelletier, Mary Cobb, MattMichok, Patrick McNeal, Peter DeSantis, PhilGagnon, Richard Cobb, Robert Waldroup, RogerMoulton, Ron Rloux

I may have accidentally missed a few folks and Isincerely apologize to those individuals. Pleasecontact me with the event you participated in sothat I can add your name to the prize raffle and

also recognize you for your dedication and sup-port.

CrankedFollowing a break through the holidays we willbe resuming the monthly Seacoast Chaptermeetings starting in February. We meet the firstWednesday of each month to discuss rides,maintenance and any concerns with the trails inour area. All are invited, so contact me for direc-tions if you’re interested in seeing what it is wedo in these wild and crazy meetings.

Happy TrailsI hope you have time to enjoy the trails this win-ter, on skis, snowboard, etc. or on the bike whenweather permits! —Len Earnshaw

C H A P T E R N E W S

32

MerrimackVAlleyPresident: Norman Blanchette, 978-957-

0800, nblanchette@mediaone.netVice-President: Mark Bialas, 978-452-

1590, rush7@mediaone.netTreasurer: Hugh Folsom, (978) 244-0633

PioneerValleyPresident: John Dudek, 413-772-0496,

shaysmba@juno.comVice-President: Rich LaBombard, 413-

527-7427, blr@javanet.comTreasurer: George WillardWeb: http://pvnemba.tripod.com/pvnem-

ba.htm

SeacoastPresident: Len Earnshaw,

learnshaw@mediaone.net Vice-President: Jon Wilberg,

radman@ttlc.netSecretary: Jason Record,

jrecord@mediaone.netTreasurer: David HeathEmail List: seacoast@nemba.orgWeb: www.snemba.org

Greetings VT NEMBA membas!

Hope this issue finds you deep in snow! In the "will it ever end?" department, VT Associationof Snow Travelers (VAST) has voiced someconcerns to the Forest Service about the pro-posed IP Road mountain bike trail west ofStratton. They are concerned that designation ofthat road as a mountain bike route could lead tosome possible user conflicts with snowmobilersduring the winter months. Since this is a highspeed area for snowmobilers, VAST feels it maybe unsafe to have other users on the trail. A

meeting between the Forest Service, VAST, TheGreen Mountain Club and VT NEMBA wasscheduled for January 15th. to discuss this andother issues.

It is VT NEMBA's position that, for a number ofreasons, thisshould not be a big problem.

One, there are not that many winter riders tobegin with. Most folks will prefer to ski if condi-tions allow, and if the conditions are too icy forskiing, then the snowmobilers shouldn't begoing that fast either. The road is wide open andallows for long sight lines. Also snowmobilerscan be heard from a long way off by other trailusers in plenty of time to move to the side oftrail. This has not been a problem anywhere elsein the state as far as anyone knows, where otheruser groups are out on a VAST corridor, and if itwas, a compromise policy should be arrived at tobalance the needs of all the users which can alsoinclude skiers, snowshoers and dogsled mushersas well as winter cyclists, since any or all ofthese different users would have similar prob-lems.

Contact Rob Macgregor to find out the results ofthe meeting. We had hoped to have this trail online for summer 2002, so from here on out we'llbe pressing hard for a decision. This has been 10years in the making.

Save the date of June 22nd for a cycling bash atthe newly purchased Harpoon Brewery inWindsor (Catamount, which is still being madethere as well). There will be mountain bike ridesscheduled, and other events as well. The plan-ning process is just getting underway as this isbeing written. I'd still like to get input from youmembers about plans and activities you'd like tosee the chapter pursue, as per my request in theprevious issue of SingleTracks. Haven't heardfrom many of you yet.. In the meantime happyspring riding, skiing or whatever... —RobMacgregor

Winter has finally hit the White Mountains,though lack of significant snowfall permittedsome excellent late season riding. Some of ushave put the studded tires on and are alreadyenjoying the white season between ski days.Even though winter is here, we've been busyconcocting all sorts of plans for the spring.

Chapter Growth: Our tiny chapter has dou-bled in size in the past year, now up to 42members. The success of recent projects hascontributed to the growth, as locals are realiz-ing the lobbying power an organized group canbring. The Pedros/Harpoon Adventure Ride alsohelped boost membership (and changed at leastone guy's beer-buying habits to support thisfine sponsor).

Shedd Woods Trail: After the highly successfulcompletion of the Red Tail Trail project, wereceived approval from the town of ConwayConservation Commission to construct a newtrail in the town's Shedd Woods conservationarea. The existing trail was an old cow path thatwent directly down a steep embankment. Thenew trail, completed in December just beforeour first snowfall, makes a rolling traverseacross the hillside using a full bench cut thatIMBA's Trail Care Crews would be proud of.Although the trail is short in length, it providesa nice link between the swimming holes at FirstBridge and the Memorial Hospital trails thatconnect with Whitaker Woods. TheConservation Commission is exceptionallypleased with our work to date, and we're look-ing forward to working with them on more pro-jects in the future.

Grant Applications: White MountainsNEMBA is applying for TEA-21 RecreationalTrails Program funding to build two long bogbridges on the lower Nanamocomuck Trail,located off the Kancamagus Highway. The pro-ject will require almost $5,000 in materials,plus many hours of volunteer labor. If approved,the puncheon-style bridges will provide respitefrom a couple of perpetually muddy sections onthis popular trail. We are anxious to improveour already solid relationship with the U.S.Forest Service by tackling these projects.

Mavic/Ted Wojcik Bicycles TrailMaintenance Series: The White Mountainschapter was very successful in our first year ofparticipating in this trail maintenance series.We had over 50 workers attending the fourwork days, and got a pile of work completed.We look forward to an expanded series withmore local support and sponsorship this year.

Recreational Access Issues: Three chaptermembers make up the majority of the ConwayRecreational Access Committee. With increas-ing development taking place in this area (andthroughout New England), access to publiclands is in jeopardy in many locations. Ourobjective is to negotiate formal access agree-ments with property owners to maintain publicaccess. We are also in the planning stages ofestablishing a town-wide recreational trail net-work. Although the committee is still in itsinfancy, we are making progress toward meetingsome of these goals.

That's it in a nutshell from this piece of par-adise. Enjoy the winter! —Rob Adair

33

C H A P T E R N E W S

VermontPresident: Rob Macgregor, 802-824-3642,

llmtbacs@webtv.netSecretary: Cyndi Kilday

WhiteMountainsPresident: Mark Jenks, 603-536-0233,

jinxbery@landmarknet.netVice-President: Rob Adair, 603-356-

5214, rob@adair.comTreasurer: Phil Ostroski Secretary: Cathy SteersEmail List:

mtb-whitemountains@nemba.org

Other NEMBA Chapter Contacts:Berkshire NEMBA: Mary Tunnicliffe, mtunn@berkshire.net, 413-298-0073

Blackstone Valley NEMBA: Anne Shepard, estel@mediaone.net, 508-624-7185

North Shore NEMBA: Hunt Durey, 978-921-1062

South Central NH NEMBA: Jean Rubin, jmwr2@juno.com

SE MA NEMBA: Carolyn Zepf, 781-297-5658

Rhode Island NEMBA: Jim Grimely, rinemba@aol.com, 401-782-0162

Wachusett NEMBA: Jim Wrightson, endothebars@aol.com

34

Cape Cod & Islands02/15 Trail of Tears All Mike Dube ZRT800AC@aol.com 508-477-130002/17 Vineyard Intermediate David Whitmon Whitmon@vineyard.net 508-693-490502/17 TBA Beginner/Int. Village Cycles lpkj3@juno.com 508-759-677302/20 Bourne All Mike Dube ZRT800AC@aol.com 508-477-130002/22 Trail of Tears All Mike Dube ZRT800AC@aol.com 508-477-130002/24 Vineyard Intermediate David Whitmon Whitmon@vineyard.net 508-693-490502/24 TBA Beginner/Int. Village Cycles lpkj3@juno.com 508-759-677302/27 Bourne All Mike Dube ZRT800AC@aol.com 508-477-130003/01 Trail of Tears All Mike Dube ZRT800AC@aol.com 508-477-130003/03 Vineyard Intermediate David Whitmon Whitmon@vineyard.net 508-693-490503/03 TBA Beginner/Int. Village Cycles lpkj3@juno.com 508-759-6773

NEMBA RIDE SERIESBill Boles, Ride Coordinator

NEMBA rides are led by individual NEMBA members for other members and prospective members. So if you haven't yet joinedNEMBA, please do. Rides are usually for small numbers of people and vary with the location and the personal style of thehost. Rides have been known to change location or time at the last moment. So be sure to call the ride's leader, both to signup, and to find out more about the ride. **Be sure to contact the ride leader a couple of days before the ride takes place. Thatway you will be sure that the ride is on.

If you commit to a ride, go, since space is limited. That way the rides will stay manageable and be enjoyable for everyone.Helmets are required on all NEMBA rides. Contact the ride leader if the weather looks questionable.

HEY! - Why not lead a NEMBA ride yourself? Contact Bill Boles at 508-583-0067 or nembabill@yahoo.com for more informa-tion.

(MBA) Indicates a NEMBA Mountain Bike Adventure Series Ride(EN) Indicates an EFTA/NEMBA Fun Ride.(D) Indicates a weekday daytime ride.(FBH) Indicates a Friends of the Blue Hills 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.

The following ride categories are only general guidelines. You should ask the ride's leader exactly what type of ride he or she isplanning in terms of distance, pace and technicality. Also, be realistic about your level of riding skills and don't join a ride thatis beyond your present ability or fitness level.

MBA 10-20 miles. A ride on a marked course for all ability levels. Normally includesshort and long loops. Call for more information.

EFTA/NEMBA 10-25 miles. Marked loops for all ability levels. Normally includesmultiple loops. Call for more information.

Kids/Family: 2-10 miles, usually easy pace & terrain. These rides are aimed atparents with young children.

Beginner: 2-7 miles, easy terrain, easy pace. These rides are aimed at riders withlittle or no riding experience.

Novice: 4-9 miles, mellow pace, easy terrain, frequent stops.Advanced Novice: 6-10 miles, mellow pace, either mostly easy terrain, or could be

technical terrain done slowly, frequent stops.Intermediate: 10-20 miles, moderately technical, somewhat faster pace, occasional

stops and bail out points. Intermediate rides are designed for people whoride frequently, and have some skills, but who probably don't enter races.

Advanced Intermediate: The same as intermediate, except faster and harder terrain.Advanced: 20-30 miles, high technical difficulty, fast pace, few stops or chances to

bail out. These rides are intended for advanced riders or, racers whowould like to go for a challenging ride at less than all out race pace.

Women's Rides: Can be any level of difficulty. Call for more information.

03/06 Bourne All Mike Dube ZRT800AC@aol.com 508-477-130003/08 Trail of Tears All Mike Dube ZRT800AC@aol.com 508-477-130003/10 Vineyard Intermediate David Whitmon Whitmon@vineyard.net 508-693-490503/10 TBA Beginner/Int. Village Cycles lpkj3@juno.com 508-759-677303/13 Bourne All Mike Dube ZRT800AC@aol.com 508-477-130003/15 Trail of Tears All Mike Dube ZRT800AC@aol.com 508-477-130003/17 Vineyard Intermediate David Whitmon Whitmon@vineyard.net 508-693-490503/17 TBA Beginner/Int. Village Cycles lpkj3@juno.com 508-759-677303/20 Bourne All Mike Dube ZRT800AC@aol.com 508-477-130003/22 Trail of Tears All Mike Dube ZRT800AC@aol.com 508-477-130003/24 Vineyard Intermediate David Whitmon Whitmon@vineyard.net 508-693-490503/24 TBA Beginner/Int. Village Cycles lpkj3@juno.com 508-759-677303/27 Bourne All Mike Dube ZRT800AC@aol.com 508-477-130003/29 Trail of Tears All Mike Dube ZRT800AC@aol.com 508-477-130003/31 Vineyard Intermediate David Whitmon Whitmon@vineyard.net 508-693-490503/31 TBA Beginner/Int. Village Cycles lpkj3@juno.com 508-759-677304/03 Bourne All Mike Dube ZRT800AC@aol.com 508-477-130004/05 Trail of Tears All Mike Dube ZRT800AC@aol.com 508-477-130004/07 Vineyard Intermediate David Whitmon Whitmon@vineyard.net 508-693-490504/07 TBA Beginner/Int. Village Cycles lpkj3@juno.com 508-759-677304/10 Bourne All Mike Dube ZRT800AC@aol.com 508-477-130004/12 Trail of Tears All Mike Dube ZRT800AC@aol.com 508-477-130004/14 Vineyard Intermediate David Whitmon Whitmon@vineyard.net 508-693-490504/14 TBA Beginner/Int. Village Cycles lpkj3@juno.com 508-759-677304/17 Bourne All Mike Dube ZRT800AC@aol.com 508-477-130004/19 Trail of Tears All Mike Dube ZRT800AC@aol.com 508-477-130004/21 Vineyard Intermediate David Whitmon Whitmon@vineyard.net 508-693-490504/21 TBA Beginner/Int. Village Cycles lpkj3@juno.com 508-759-677304/24 Bourne All Mike Dube ZRT800AC@aol.com 508-477-130004/26 Trail of Tears All Mike Dube ZRT800AC@aol.com 508-477-130004/28 Vineyard Intermediate David Whitmon Whitmon@vineyard.net 508-693-490504/28 TBA Beginner/Int. Village Cycles lpkj3@juno.com 508-759-677305/01 Bourne All Mike Dube ZRT800AC@aol.com 508-477-1300

Maine, New Hampshire & Vermont02/23 N Conway NH Intermediate -Advanced Krisztina Holly z@askjeeves.com 781-862-2062 (Bkcountry Ski)4/6-4/7 N Conway NH Women's Bcktry Ski Krisztina Holly zholly@alum.mit.edu 781-862-2062 (Bkcountry Ski)

Metro Boston, Merrimac & North Shore02/23 N Conway NH Intermediate -Advanced Krisztina Holly z@askjeeves.com 781-862-2062 (Bkcountry Ski)4/6-4/7 N Conway NH Women's Bcktry Ski Krisztina Holly zholly@alum.mit.edu 781-862-2062 (Bkcountry Ski)

Southeastern Mass & Blackstone Valley02/16 Massassoit SP All Silver City Bicycles 508-828-972202/17 TBA Intermediate Don Jordan jordanfamily154@juno.com 781-767-404402/17 TBA Beginner/Int. Village Cycles lpkj3@juno.com 508-759-677302/19 Wompatuck SF Intermediate Paul Peaslee peasleep@mediaone.net 781-925-2512 02/21 Foxboro SF Intermediate Dan Ibbitson dnostibbi@mediaone.net 508-384-066502/24 TBA Intermediate Don Jordan jordanfamily154@juno.com 781-767-404402/24 TBA Beginner/Int. Village Cycles lpkj3@juno.com 508-759-6773

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02/26 Wompatuck SF Intermediate Paul Peaslee peasleep@mediaone.net 781-925-2512 02/28 Foxboro SF Intermediate Dan Ibbitson dnostibbi@mediaone.net 508-384-066503/02 Massassoit SP All Silver City Bicycles 508-828-972203/05 Wompatuck SF Intermediate Paul Peaslee peasleep@mediaone.net 781-925-2512 03/03 TBA Intermediate Don Jordan jordanfamily154@juno.com 781-767-404403/03 TBA Beginner/Int. Village Cycles lpkj3@juno.com 508-759-677303/07 Foxboro SF Intermediate Dan Ibbitson dnostibbi@mediaone.net 508-384-066503/10 TBA Intermediate Don Jordan jordanfamily154@juno.com 781-767-404403/10 TBA Beginner/Int. Village Cycles lpkj3@juno.com 508-759-677303/12 Wompatuck SF Intermediate Paul Peaslee peasleep@mediaone.net 781-925-2512 03/14 Foxboro SF Intermediate Dan Ibbitson dnostibbi@mediaone.net 508-384-066503/16 Massassoit SP All Silver City Bicycles 508-828-972203/17 TBA Intermediate Don Jordan jordanfamily154@juno.com 781-767-404403/17 TBA Beginner/Int. Village Cycles lpkj3@juno.com 508-759-677303/19 Wompatuck SF Intermediate Paul Peaslee peasleep@mediaone.net 781-925-2512 03/21 Foxboro SF Intermediate Dan Ibbitson dnostibbi@mediaone.net 508-384-066503/24 TBA Intermediate Don Jordan jordanfamily154@juno.com 781-767-404403/24 TBA Beginner/Int. Village Cycles lpkj3@juno.com 508-759-677303/26 Wompatuck SF Intermediate Paul Peaslee peasleep@mediaone.net 781-925-2512 03/28 Foxboro SF Intermediate Dan Ibbitson dnostibbi@mediaone.net 508-384-066503/30 Massassoit SP All Silver City Bicycles 508-828-972203/31 TBA Intermediate Don Jordan jordanfamily154@juno.com 781-767-404403/31 TBA Beginner/Int. Village Cycles lpkj3@juno.com 508-759-677304/02 Wompatuck SF Intermediate Paul Peaslee peasleep@mediaone.net 781-925-2512 04/04 Foxboro SF Intermediate Dan Ibbitson dnostibbi@mediaone.net 508-384-066504/07 TBA Intermediate Don Jordan jordanfamily154@juno.com 781-767-404404/07 TBA Beginner/Int. Village Cycles lpkj3@juno.com 508-759-677304/09 Wompatuck SF Intermediate Paul Peaslee peasleep@mediaone.net 781-925-2512 04/11 Foxboro SF Intermediate Dan Ibbitson dnostibbi@mediaone.net 508-384-066504/13 Massassoit SP All Silver City Bicycles 508-828-972204/14 TBA Intermediate Don Jordan jordanfamily154@juno.com 781-767-404404/14 TBA Beginner/Int. Village Cycles lpkj3@juno.com 508-759-677304/16 Wompatuck SF Intermediate Paul Peaslee peasleep@mediaone.net 781-925-2512 04/18 Foxboro SF Intermediate Dan Ibbitson dnostibbi@mediaone.net 508-384-066504/21 TBA Intermediate Don Jordan jordanfamily154@juno.com 781-767-404404/21 TBA Beginner/Int. Village Cycles lpkj3@juno.com 508-759-677304/23 Wompatuck SF Intermediate Paul Peaslee peasleep@mediaone.net 781-925-2512 04/25 Foxboro SF Intermediate Dan Ibbitson dnostibbi@mediaone.net 508-384-066504/27 Massassoit SP All Silver City Bicycles 508-828-972204/28 Upton SF Beginner Obaid Qadri obaid@townisp.com 508-775-765704/28 TBA Intermediate Don Jordan jordanfamily154@juno.com 781-767-404404/28 TBA Beginner/Int. Village Cycles lpkj3@juno.com 508-759-677304/30 Wompatuck SF Intermediate Paul Peaslee peasleep@mediaone.net 781-925-2512 05/02 Foxboro SF Intermediate Dan Ibbitson dnostibbi@mediaone.net 508-384-066505/05 TBA Beginner/Int. Village Cycles lpkj3@juno.com 508-759-677305/05 TBA Intermediate Don Jordan jordanfamily154@juno.com 781-767-404405/07 Wompatuck SF Intermediate Paul Peaslee peasleep@mediaone.net 781-925-2512 05/09 Foxboro SF Intermediate Dan Ibbitson dnostibbi@mediaone.net 508-384-066505/11 Massassoit SP All Silver City Bicycles 508-828-9722

Thanks to all NEMBAvolunteers who

keep the trails aliveand well.

You are allRockShox Heroes!

NEMBA’sOfficialSingletrackBar!

Eat ‘em andRide!

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Keith AbbettRob AdairBruce AgliJeff AingworthDavid & Jean AldenJeffrey AllenKevin AlmeidaJim AmidonMike AndersenRobert AndersonKeith AndreeSusan & Alexis ArapoffJane BarbieriDaniel BarooshianRuth BarraganSam BartlettPaul BassettWilliam BeckJohn BelerRon & Diane BeliveauErica BerlMark BialasChristina BickfordBill BolesStig & Claudia BolgenMichael BorderBill BourqueTim & Sue BoyleDavid BoyntonKrisztina Holly & PeterBrandenburgSandy BraySara BresnickKevin BretonKevin BrosnanCharles BrownTim & Hilary BugbeePaula BurtonDon ButtonDavid CahoonJohn CallanDan CamilleriMark CanfieldTimothy CantwellTed CapronJeffrey ChaplinIan ChristiansonBeth Feeney & Phyllis ClapisEd ClausenColleen ClearyJack CooperRon CorporonLarry CroninChris CrowellBrendan DeeKevin DelaneyRandy DeLizio

Matthew DelMonteAllen DeludeDavid DodgeMichael DonovanMichael & Jason DubeJoan DumasHunt DureyWilliam EisemanMary FarrellJames FeteraJonathan FieldingTed FinnPaul FlaxmanAndrew FlemingChristian FortinBob GagnonGerald GaudetteChris GeaghanAlan GervaisHarris GhausJohn GibbonsPeter GigerMichael & Winnie GnazzoKatie GoldDan GoldbergClyde GourleySteven GrahamDoug GrayMark & Pamela GunsalusTom Hill & Nancy HagensAndrew HallyDan HampsonKarl HannerBob HannerAlex & John HansonDorothy HeldJohn HoffmanCeeCee Mullen & JohanHolmquistHal & Weston HoltJerry White & Linda HoodDan IbbitsonJohn JenkinsScott JohnsonDouglas JordanSteve KahlerHenry KellsBob KellyBrian KentChip KentPhilip & Nanyee KeyesThomas Kiefer Jr.Scott KirschnerAndrew & Leslie KohnkeShelby Cook & DougKornbluthJonathan Kranes

Denis LafailleKyle LafleurJoyce Lockert & Sharon LambMark LamkinHung LeJohn LevyAlbert LewLisa & Jim LewisRichard LuiseEdward MahoneyMichele MahoneyRich MalewickiTom MartinBob McNeishFred MeyerDavid MilesJennifer MillerDavid MitchellMichael MulhernAlison Wald & John MustardPeter NelsonJ. Shefftz & Andrea NewmanAnna OleckaJoe OstrumArt & Lori ParadiceEllen ParsonsJackson PattersonPatrick PedontiMark PiedCliff PierceGary PisanoHarold PoulinJay & Mary Beth ProsnitzJim ProulxJoseph PustizziMatt RealeRuss RecordJoseph ReillyMarian ReynoldsPaul RichardDavid RifkenThomas RiihimakiJoseph RoarkRichard RobbinsIan RobinsonDaniel RosePierre RouzierCathy & Michael RowellConsuelo RuybalCarol RyanJoseph SchaarJeff SchlafferErik & Liz SchoepkeEric SeaversonChristine SebastianSteven ShoreSelwyn Shuman

Dan SloanRenee White & Brad SmithJeff SmithGannan SnowJeff & Kim SollowsWilliam SousaTony SpencerMark SponauerKevin SpragueAndrew StackhouseDan StreeterMike TabaczynskiValdmiro TeixeiraBruce ThomasJohn TravisMichael TrykowskiPeter VangelConrado VellvePeter VerdoneRichard VincinsSeth VinickPeter von AuMichael WalshR. Scott WarrenCaitlin Sheehan & DavidWatsonCarl WeymouthNancy Breen WhitcombScott WilsonDebra WimpeyJohn YoungJamie YoungConan YoungJeremy & Jennifer ZernitskyJoseph Zizlsperger

Thanks to Everyone who SupportedNEMBA’s 2001 Annual Appeal

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S.O.S.: Support Our Sponsors!$1000+Ace Wheelworks, Somerville MABelmont Wheel Works, Belmont MABikebarn, Whitman MADirt Rag Magazine, Pittsburgh PAHarpoon, Boston MAIndependent Fabrication, Somerville MAIMBA, Boulder COMerlin Metalworks, Chattanooga TNRedbones BBQ, Somerville MASanta Cruz, Bicycles Santa Cruz CASeven Cycles, Watertown MATed Wojcik Bicycles, Hampstead NH$500+Gately Associates, Wellesley MAGoodale’s Bike & Ski, Nashua NHLandry’s Bicycles, Framingham MANewington Bicycle, Newington CTRock Shox, Colorado Springs CO$250+Bicycling Magazine, Emmaus PACane Creek, Fletcher NCMavic, Haverill MAUSE Shokpost, Portsmouth NHVOMax, Plainfield MA$150-200+Competitive Edge, Northampton MADon’s Cycles, Fairfield CTInterbike, Laguna Beach CAYarmouth Bicycle & Fitness, Yarmouth MA

$100Bath Cycle & Ski, Woolwich MEBenidorm Bikes & Snowboards, Canton CTBicycle Alley, Worcester MABicycle Bill, Allston MABiker's Edge, Bristol CTBikes Belong Coalition, Brookline MACove Cycle, Hyannis MACycle Works, LLC, Wallingford CTDowneast Bicycle Specialists, Fryeburg MEExeter Cycles, Exeter NHFerris Wheels Bicycle Shop, Jamaica Plain MAHighland Hardware & Bike Shop, Holyoke MAMid-State Bicycles, Leominster MANorth Haven Bike, North Haven CTPig Iron Bicycle Works, Glastonbury CTRiverside Cycles, Newburyport MARock'n Road Cycles, Clinton CTSaybrook Cycle Works, Old Saybrook CTSeaside Cycle, Mancheseter MASound Cyclists Bicycle Club, Milford CTThe Bicycle Shop, Topsfield MAThe Bike Shop, Inc., Manchester CTUnion Cycle, Attleboro MAWallingford Bike & Repair, Wallingford CTYankee Pedaler, Hudson MA$50North Shore Cyclists, Amesbury MANortheast Bicycle Club, Burlington MATeam Bicycle Alley, Worcester MA

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