2021 NE - Flatten That Berm

**Laps** · 07-22-2021, 07:21 AM

It looks like you have the “after/before sunset” part figured out with those lights.

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**Boreas** · 07-22-2021, 08:23 AM

Originally Posted by ticketchecker

^^if he's going to land in Farmington that would be Titcomb and some of the other networks in that CENEMBA link I put in there.

Sounds like I have a much higher tolerance for driving than you do!

I feel like everything is a 40 minute drive in central Maine. Titcomb is cool, but is relatively small, great for a quick burn or two during the work week. Beyond it’s pretty easy (and you’ll probably be shopping there anyways) to expand out to the trails in Lewiston/Auburn and Augusta. Not huge areas but if you are already traveling for errands they are fun.

I like Farmington, if I was to move back to Maine it would probably be to Farmington or the Brunswick/Bath area.

**ticketchecker** · 07-22-2021, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by Boreas

if I was to move back to Maine it would probably be to Farmington or the Brunswick/Bath area.

Now Bath is holding a major hand of old skool singletrack, roots, rocks, reggae all day there!

**Boreas** · 07-22-2021, 06:33 PM

Originally Posted by ticketchecker

Now Bath is holding a major hand of old skool singletrack, roots, rocks, reggae all day there!

Haven’t been on them in a decade plus. Rode around a bit in 2003/4ish, but I was mostly a roadie, climbing, and surfing during that time. Some of the guys I rode with were making trails in the area to offset what they disliked how “portland” Bradbury was becoming. Crazy to think 15 years ago Brunswick/Bath was outside of Portland influence.

**Dhiler17** · 07-24-2021, 11:24 AM

Sounds like the riding will be great, but I’m worried I am over-biked at this point in time. I have a 170/155 29er and will likely have to find something with less oompf. What travel is most commonly used? I come from a DH racing background so the rougher the trail the better. I’d rather ride something more stout that is harder to get up the hill over light and nimble.

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**Dhiler17** · 07-24-2021, 12:00 PM

Sounds like the riding will be great, but I’m worried I am over-biked at this point in time. I have a 170/155 29er and will likely have to find something with less oompf. What travel is most commonly used? I come from a DH racing background so the rougher the trail the better. I’d rather ride something more stout that is harder to get up the hill over light and nimble.

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**jhyatt** · 07-24-2021, 09:22 PM

Originally Posted by Dhiler17

The family and I are burnt out on Idaho and we need a change of scenery. Things are getting way to expensive and it is now to the point where we can’t make a comfortable living and create a proper future for our son. We’ve been doing our research and it looks like Maine is the best destination for us to land in (affordable with mountain biking/skiing/outdoors stuff). I know the conditions out East are different to say the least. Could anyone elaborate just how different things are? The skiing looks rad and skiing less pow won’t be that big of a deal. The real kicker for me would be the mountain biking and I haven’t been able to find much info about it. Currently looking to relocate to the Farmington area, but I do HVAC work and the better half is finishing up school to be a teacher so we could really live anywhere. Is there somewhere better to live with better biking and/or skiing?

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I live in new England and spend as much time as I can in Colorado Idaho and Wyoming. If you like skiing and biking you are moving the wrong way. I am in CO now.
New England is expensive so make sure you are even saving money. But I understand how Californians are making everything crazy out there.
Biking in Maine and new Hampshire is usually a little piece of public land with squiggles of trails. Intersection every mile. No dispersed camping in national forests. The trails are fun but nothing like Idaho.
Skiing? Keep in mind it RAINS about once a month in the winter here, then freezes. We call it the reset. All ice in the woods and then groomers or xc only for a while.
For outdoors stuff Northern new England is fun, but really no comparison to the expanses of open public land and trails in Wyoming.
That said, I grew up in new England and am raising my kids here. Generally speaking, the public education is better and is more "worldly". And no forest fires.
But if you still have family in Idaho you will be back often to enjoy the outdoors.
Also if someone who is not into outdoor recreation and more into cultural activities like the arts, food, etc then new England is great.

**buttahflake** · 07-25-2021, 04:22 AM

Yeah, nothing for you back east, stay west y’all.

**snowday** · 07-27-2021, 06:40 AM

Heading to KT in a couple weekends, anyone been to Victory lately? Website says trails reopened in July but minimal maintenance has been done since the shitshow began.

**WaistDeepGroomers** · 07-27-2021, 07:48 AM

Originally Posted by jhyatt

I live in new England and spend as much time as I can in Colorado Idaho and Wyoming. If you like skiing and biking you are moving the wrong way. I am in CO now.
New England is expensive so make sure you are even saving money. But I understand how Californians are making everything crazy out there.
Biking in Maine and new Hampshire is usually a little piece of public land with squiggles of trails. Intersection every mile. No dispersed camping in national forests. The trails are fun but nothing like Idaho.
Skiing? Keep in mind it RAINS about once a month in the winter here, then freezes. We call it the reset. All ice in the woods and then groomers or xc only for a while.
For outdoors stuff Northern new England is fun, but really no comparison to the expanses of open public land and trails in Wyoming.
That said, I grew up in new England and am raising my kids here. Generally speaking, the public education is better and is more "worldly". And no forest fires.
But if you still have family in Idaho you will be back often to enjoy the outdoors.
Also if someone who is not into outdoor recreation and more into cultural activities like the arts, food, etc then new England is great.

FWIW, New England in general is majorly on the come-up re: mountain biking. Right now I'd say the Stowe/Waterbury/Burlington area has trails that hold up against any major destination out West. That place is all time right now.

NH is a bit behind Vermont, although coming along, and Maine a bit further behind than them both -- the outdoor trends tend to sweep west to east across the region (good trails, # of sprinter vans, # of Tacomas with rooftop tents, backcountry skiing, etc.). But the one cool thing about Farmington area is that Adam Craig is doing a ton of work to build some serious enduro trails at Sugarloaf for the EWS stop next year. Beforehand that area was mostly machine-smoothed beginner XC (cool in its own right) but this work should really improve things I hope for gravity-inclined folks. Ticketchecker would know more (who I also need to harrass for a condo rental for the EWS stop lol).

Moved here (Portland) from SLC, having lived in Jackson, Tahoe, and Colorado previously. There is a really incredible outdoor community here that I have fallen in love with and super motivated folks getting after it in every discipline. Just starting to build some good bike trails locally here in the past few years. The White mountains in NH especially. Skiing is very up and down, and mostly about waiting for spring conditions IMO. This winter was probably the worst I've experienced, six weeks maybe with no snow and just bulletproof refrozen hardpack. Got enough stellar days in February, late March, early April to make up for it but it was a loooong wait for good conditions. I'd usually gone west for most of January which really helped sate the pow fix before scratching out whatever good skiing could be had back East. Different picture up in No. Vermont though where they tend to get twice the snow, at least.

I would expect Maine will continue to become a better bike hub, very slowly, but it's happening.

**HankScorpio** · 07-27-2021, 08:23 AM

Originally Posted by snowday

Heading to KT in a couple weekends, anyone been to Victory lately? Website says trails reopened in July but minimal maintenance has been done since the shitshow began.

Strange. I heard from a couple different people months ago that VH trails were “invite only” and not open to the public but the VH website clearly says otherwise.

Definitely would like some info as I’ll be up that way next week.

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**ticketchecker** · 07-27-2021, 09:07 PM

Anyone have a read on how wet green woodlands might be tomorrow? Planning to take some friends visiting from CO there tomorrow and we had a wicked downpour at Sunapee this afternoon.

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**Ottime** · 07-28-2021, 07:33 AM

Spent yesterday at Highlands. We are not typically bike park folks, but enjoyed the day. Trails in great shape. A bit of a wait for the lift. Fun to get out on a MTB after three weeks of tarmac and gravel riding. Even with the recent rain, very little mud encountered. Some of their machine built flow trails were super fun. Also a blast to get into some of that New England tech I hear so much about. Felt like a bike trail from the east 90s.

**Flounder** · 07-29-2021, 06:32 AM

PSA To any BTV area mags who have woman riders in their life. Terry bicycles tent sale continues through today. The Mrs. went down yesterday and got shorts, capris, saddles, socks, gloves and more. Crazy low prices.

https://community.terrybicycles.com/...sale-july-2021

**geomorph** · 07-29-2021, 06:36 PM

It really needs to stop raining here in NH. I know this is why I have a gravel bike but a foot of rain in a month is just stupid.

**scharny** · 07-30-2021, 10:17 AM

Originally Posted by geomorph

It really needs to stop raining here in NH. I know this is why I have a gravel bike but a foot of rain in a month is just stupid.

Agreed. VT is currently soggier than a beach towel left out in the rain. Even the Class IV roads have deep mud ruts like it’s April.

**buttahflake** · 07-30-2021, 10:29 AM

Rooted is gonna be messy, glad I’m heading to Western Mass for the Greylock Vert Challenge, tomorrow. 105 miles w/ 12,000’ of climbing. Woof

**Bushwacka** · 07-30-2021, 01:54 PM

Originally Posted by scharny

Agreed. VT is currently soggier than a beach towel left out in the rain. Even the Class IV roads have deep mud ruts like it’s April.

Well built single track seems fine. Just got back from Hardwick and the singletrack is nt soft at all. The doubletrack on other hand is about as wet as I have seen it.

**Peruvian** · 07-30-2021, 02:55 PM

So VT got pummeled.

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**ticketchecker** · 07-30-2021, 07:53 PM

Holy fuckballz

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**HankScorpio** · 07-31-2021, 05:28 AM

Yikes, I hope Ascutney trails aren't getting to trashed this weekend after 2-3 in. of rain and the Flow State mtb fest.

**MaineSkiAddict1** · 07-31-2021, 10:15 AM

Any mags ever been to the “Meeting of the grinds” in Poultney?

**biggins** · 07-31-2021, 03:11 PM

Originally Posted by HankScorpio

Yikes, I hope Ascutney trails aren't getting to trashed this weekend after 2-3 in. of rain and the Flow State mtb fest.

Surprisingly, no. Flowstate is a pretty huge success as far as numbers, but ATA is working tirelessly to log-off bad sections and guide rides that stay off lower mtn trails as much as possible. That's as of my ride at 2:00pm today at least. Pretty stoked to see that valley full of riders on such a beautiful day. Also Jeff Lenosky is a rad dude, and REEB frames are purty.

**biggins** · 07-31-2021, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by MaineSkiAddict1

Any mags ever been to the “Meeting of the grinds” in Poultney?

Brand new event as far as I know- but anything SVT does is gold these days- should be awesome. Anyone know how Greg Durso, adaptive rider did?

**surface whore** · 08-01-2021, 02:56 AM

Just when it dries out another round of rain and now being so saturated it’s not drying up as fast anyway took a little ride to Rochester for a change of scenery did my usual ride but wanted more so I crossed the road to a easy trail along the river was about to turn around when I saw fresh trail work I stayed on the trail it started to climb and climb switchbacks up a very steep hill
I could hear rt 100 at a intersection I checked Trailforks to see what this was a new couple of trails one will become the velomont trail towards Killington any way I went right up at the intersection, again switchbacks up I could tell I was going around the backside of this little mountain on the map it dead ends I wanted to go the top it kept going finally I saw an opening and a road that was where it ended I turned around and ripped 1.5 miles of flow I rode 2.5hrs with lots of climbing then it started raining again if your near Che k it out they are becoming a hotspot
Took a few snaps

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