[dfinn]

My 4 year vacation on the west coast is coming to an end in a month. I'll be driving from tahoe to western mass. My plan is to spend a day driving and then take a day off to ride my bike and check stuff out.

Here's where I'm definitely going to stop:
Moab
Fruita
Diablo(NJ)


So, that's a pretty short list. I like to ride both XC and DH, for this trip I think I'm going to be more focused on XC/trail rides. I really like fast flowy single track, techy stuff, being away from crowds and nice views.

I don't have a route picked out yet and I'm pretty open to stopping wherever. I'd like to be able to camp as much as possible so any suggestions on trails with camping near by would be great. Hiking trails or national park suggestions are welcome too, I will probably take a couple of days off from biking to do stuff that the GF will be into.

 

[Nathan Cloud]

Seeing that you are swinging a little to the south of Mass to hit diablo... if you end up coming up through Connecticut, I would be happy to help in fulfilling your request for techy singletrack! We got plenty of it

Just pick a place (<- shameless plug).

 

[mcA896]

Come to Cape Cod, we can go dirtjumping if you're into that. There's "fair" singletrack as well.

 

[dfinn]

Thanks guys. I'm looking more for suggestions outside of new england. Rides that I have never done and may never get to do again.

 

[stephanie]

hit up wendell state forest...my old buddies and nemba built some cool trails out there last year.

where in western mass? are you moving back after college? just curious...i'm w. mass born and raised (though have been out on the west coast for 2 yrs)

 

[dfinn]

I'll be a little bit north of Northampton, not too far from the VT border.

 

[dfinn]

I'll bump this one more time. I'm pretty sure the RM community can do better.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Check out Summit County - around Breck, Keystone, Copper, Vail (not actually Summit Co but close). Early June will be a bit dicey for the high country stuff, but alot of the lower stuff will be open. Drop by a bike shop in Vail or Frisco and get a Summit mt bike guide then have a great time.

Trail recommendation around Breck: Peaks Trail - 10 fun miles of singletrack.

Edit: Hit the Front Range (Jefferson County, CO) too while you're at it. Buffalo Creek should be clear, as well as classics like White Ranch, Golden Gate Canyon, Apex, Dakota Ridge, Mt. Falcon, Deer Creek, and Waterton Canyon.

 

[Cooter Brown]

well man, if you're on I-70 headed east, I'm in Lawrence, KS, there's some good erbun and then there's Manhattan River Trails in Manhattan, KS that are pretty cool too. If you're headed thru, gimme a holler

 

[DNA]

If you do take I-70, then after you ride with Cooter in KS you can stop in Columbia, Mo. We have a couple spots with tight, twisty, singletrack and another with fast, flowy singletrack. We also have a dual slalom course, but I'm not sure what kind of shape it will be in since the college kids are about to leave town. The urban around here on campus is nice too. Drop me a line if you want a tour guide (I can almost always skip out of work for a ride).

 

[kidwoo]

I normally wouldn't suggest the front range riding in CO since the interior stuff is so much better but well........that'll be the last riding you see for a while. You know......Kansas and all. The stuff SS mentioned is worth a visit. White Ranch and Walker more so than Apex. Never ridden Dakota or Waterton.

But western CO has some of the best riding in the country and it's a short drive from moab. Fruita yo. Do it.

Swing through NC and visit pisgah. You won't be disappointed.

 

[BurlyShirley]

Yeah, if you can hit Pisgah, it'd be worth the stop for sure..

 

[SkaredShtles]

I normally wouldn't suggest the front range riding in CO since the interior stuff is so much better but well........that'll be the last riding you see for a while. You know......Kansas and all. The stuff SS mentioned is worth a visit. White Ranch and Walker more so than Apex. Never ridden Dakota or Waterton.

Waterton is not so techy, but the long loop (~30 miles) is a great XC ride. Dakota is nice and techy, but really short. Mustang and Shorthorn at WR kick a$$!

But western CO has some of the best riding in the country and it's a short drive from moab. Fruita yo. Do it.

Be sure to do Moore Fun, The Ribbon, and Holy Cross at a minimum.

 

[LordOpie]

I wouldn't just ride, you're missing some amazing country out there that isn't about riding. Yeah I know.

Zion National Park in SW Utah... OMG! Hike Angel's Landing and a couple miles into The Narrows. You'll be glad you did.

If you do ride in Moab, take some time to hike into Arches or one of the other parks. Take the tour in Arches.

If you cruise along the northern part of the US, there's plenty to see and do in South Dakota, eg. Mount Rushmore. Chicago is a great town with lots of historical and fun sites to see.

If you take I-70, stop in St. Louis to see and go up into the Arch.


I suggest you take some of our suggestions, plan a route with stops you're thinking about and post it all for us to give specific feedback on.

Have fun!

 

[Mike B.]

Stop in State College, PA for the R3 (Rothrock Ride) it's an IMBA epic. Lots of other good riding in that area as well and camping is abundant.

If you come through NY you should get one us western NY types to take you to Letchworth. One of the best xc trails I've ridden in NY.

 

[dfinn]

Thanks guys, that's the kind of info I was looking for.

LordOpie, I didn't think people were allowed up in the arch anymore, I heard they stopped doing that after 9/11.

State College is on my list, we just need to figure out if we are doing the northern route or the southern route.

If I only have time to ride Tsali or Pisgah, which is it?

 

[BurlyShirley]

Thanks guys, that's the kind of info I was looking for.

LordOpie, I didn't think people were allowed up in the arch anymore, I heard they stopped doing that after 9/11.

State College is on my list, we just need to figure out if we are doing the northern route or the southern route.

If I only have time to ride Tsali or Pisgah, which is it?

Depends on what you like. Tsali is smooth and fast. Pisgah is rough and fast....more options tho.

Out of those, Id actually hit Dupont if I only had a day.

 

[DNA]

Thanks guys, that's the kind of info I was looking for.

LordOpie, I didn't think people were allowed up in the arch anymore, I heard they stopped doing that after 9/11.

State College is on my list, we just need to figure out if we are doing the northern route or the southern route.

If I only have time to ride Tsali or Pisgah, which is it?

I am pretty sure that you can still ride to the top. I will vote with BS on Dupont for a one-day ride.

 

[dfinn]

Any sort of local shops for the Dupont/Pisgah area you guys could recommend would be great, a place that won't send me in the opposite direction that I really want to go in.

Or websites with good info for that area.

 

[DNA]

Is Sycamore still there? Does Chris still own it?

 

[LordOpie]

LordOpie, I didn't think people were allowed up in the arch anymore, I heard they stopped doing that after 9/11.

umm, you're missing the point... there's a lot of awesomeness out there that's not related to cycling. I'm suggesting you see some of it

 

[Konabumm]

come to my house in MD, I'll show you a good time

 

[kidwoo]

If I only have time to ride Tsali or Pisgah, which is it?

PISGAH


Tsali is fun on a cyclocross bike though.

Tsali has essentially 4 trails. Pisgah has bizillions. Plus the riding feels like mountain biking. Not hauling ass on a sidewalk in the woods.

 

[dfinn]

Tsali is fun on a cyclocross bike though.

Perfect. You know that's how I roll. CX for life.

 

[JRB]

I feel compelled to invite you to TX to ride with Wumpus and I. It will have to be the weekend most likely, but there is actually some really good techy XC stuff in Austin. It's way out of your way, but Wumpus and I are a hoot to be around.

 

[dfinn]

I feel compelled to invite you to TX to ride with Wumpus and I. It will have to be the weekend most likely, but there is actually some really good techy XC stuff in Austin. It's way out of your way, but Wumpus and I are a hoot to be around.

There's about a 50% chance that I will be in texas. I think it would be the houston area though. Google maps makes it sound like that's kind of far away.

 

[JRB]

There's about a 50% chance that I will be in texas. I think it would be the houston area though. Google maps makes it sound like that's kind of far away.

Houston is about 120 miles from Austin. There is no riding, so to speak, other than urban and some dirt jumps. Trust me, if you are that close, get to Austin. I will do my best to arrange my schedule around yours. If you need a spot to crash, I don't have the best arrangements, but you are welcome to the foldout bed or the floor for sure.

 

[dfinn]

Houston is about 120 miles from Austin. There is no riding, so to speak, other than urban and some dirt jumps. Trust me, if you are that close, get to Austin. I will do my best to arrange my schedule around yours. If you need a spot to crash, I don't have the best arrangements, but you are welcome to the foldout bed or the floor for sure.

thanks for the offer loco. I'll let you know once I have things lined up a little better. Houston would be one of our stops because my GFs brother lives there and she'd be wanting to stay with him for a day or two.

 

[dfinn]

Is porcupine rim the one trail to do in moab if I only have time for 1 ride? Can that be done solo?

 

[narlus]

yes to both, but if you do go solo, don't bomb it like there's no tomorrow; alternatively it's a pretty popular trail so you could likely hook up w/ some riders, or at the very least if you do stack hard, help wouldn't be that far out of the way in the guise of a passing rider.

 

[JRB]

thanks for the offer loco. I'll let you know once I have things lined up a little better. Houston would be one of our stops because my GFs brother lives there and she'd be wanting to stay with him for a day or two.

Cool - it's two hours each way, so it is a doable day trip, but you will have had enough driving by then. Let me know.

 

[SkaredShtles]

There's about a 50% chance that I will be in texas. I think it would be the houston area though. Google maps makes it sound like that's kind of far away.

Please, please, please see my sig...........

 

[blue]

Come ride Deer Valley.

 

[dfinn]

Come ride Deer Valley.

driving straight to moab, unfortunately I can only make so many stops. I wish I had a couple of months and unlimited funds to do this.

 

[blue]

Awww. What part of NV you live in? Tahoe? Are you just going to go straight through SLC on I80 or that lower route?

 

[dfinn]

Awww. What part of NV you live in? Tahoe? Are you just going to go straight through SLC on I80 or that lower route?

Tahoe. We've never driven 50 so we might go that way. It almost looks like it might be faster too.

 

[kidwoo]

Tahoe. We've never driven 50 so we might go that way. It almost looks like it might be faster too.

Pin it.

That highway rules.

Ski the obvious bowl in big basin national park when you pass.

EDIT: needed beer.....it GREAT basin nat park.

 

[stephanie]

I'll be a little bit north of Northampton, not too far from the VT border.

Lol...I used to teach in Hatfield, went to UMass, and used to live in South Hadley. Small world! Make sure to ride Batchelor Street...sweet xc single track!

 

[dfinn]

Lol...I used to teach in Hatfield, went to UMass, and used to live in South Hadley. Small world! Make sure to ride Batchelor Street...sweet xc single track!

Funny stuff. My mom was born and raised in Hatfield, and I spent a big part of my childhood and teenage years in south hadley, at brunelles marina. I also went to Umass.

Batchelor St is high up on my list of priorities for when I get home.

 

[justsomeguy]

We've never driven 50 so we might go that way. It almost looks like it might be faster too.

It's a great drive but not as fast as it used to be. Still faster than 80 or the Southern route, if you're willing to drive fast.

The pavement has deteriorated and the road bed has developed many undulations over the last few years so if you're planning on blasting, be prepared.

Beware of Elk and drive exactly the speed limit through Austin and Eureka. Both towns are well-known speed traps.

Once in Ely marvel at the people working at Arbys who can actually speak english!