Singletracks #149 December 2016
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
NEW ENGLAND MOUNTAIN BIKE ASSOCIATION FebruaryFebruary 20172017 #149#149 www.nemba.orgwww.nemba.org 2 |February 2017 Ride the Trails SSingleingleTTrackS NEMBA, the New England Mountain Bike February 2017, Number 149 Association, is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organi- zation dedicated to promoting trail access, maintaining trails open for mountain bicyclists, and educating mountain bicyclists to use these trails sensitively and responsibly. eMTBs -- Where ©SingleTracks Editor & Publisher: Philip Keyes can they be Contributing Writer: Bill Boles Ridden? Copy Editor: Nanyee Keyes Executive Director: Philip Keyes [email protected] NEMBA offers guidance about where electric mountain bikes can be ridden. Short answer: NEMBA 7 PO Box 2221 anywhere offroad motorized vehicles and go. Acton MA 01720 Board of Directors Adam Glick, President Matt Schulde, Vice-President Anne Shepard, Treasurer Harold Green, Secretary Places to Ride Rob Adair, White Mountains NEMBA Fat Bikes in the John Anders, Midcoast Maine NEMBA Matt Bowser, Central NH NEMBA Aaron Brasslett, Penobscot Region NEMBA Winter David Burnham, Wachusett NEMBA If you’re getting ready to hit the trails on your Paula Burton, FC NEMBA fat bike this winter, check out our compilation Eammon Carleton, BV NEMBA Matt Caron, Southern NH NEMBA of destinations and events. By Bill Boles Steve Cobble, SE MA NEMBA 10 Brian Danz, Greater Portland NEMBA Perry Ermi, Cape Cod NEMBA Chris Gaudet, Southern NH NEMBA Peter Gengler, RI NEMBA Jeremy Hillger, Pemi Valley NEMBA David Hughes, Carrabassett Region NEMBA Stacey Jimenez, Quiet Corner NEMBA Paper Trail John Joy, Central Central CT NEMBA SingleTracks Hey, get creative! We wel- Hank Kells, North Shore NEMBA come submissions, photos and artwork. This is Morgan Laidlaw, Midcoast Maine NEMBA Treadlines — 5 your forum and your magazine. Be nice, and Thom Lamourine, SE CT NEMBA share! Frank Lane, North Shore NEMBA SideTracks — 12 Rob Lavoie, Greater Portland NEMBA On the Cover: Joe DiZazzo doing rock work at Bill Markham, Berkshire NEMBA Basic Biking — 13 Jesse McGowan, Central NH NEMBA Billerica State Forest. Photo by Steve Richardson. Fred Meyers, Wachusett NEMBA Chapter News Barry Moore, Merrimack Valley NEMBA Do you have a photo that would make a good Chris Nicodemus, Franconia Area NEMBA • Connecticut — 14 cover shot? Email it to [email protected] Kevin Orlowski, Central NH NEMBA • Maine — 19 Peter Poanessa, BK NEMBA Want to Underwrite in ST? Eric Pospesil, Franconia Area NEMBA • Massachusetts — 23 Tim Post, Pioneer Valley NEMBA • New Hampshire — 30 SingleTracks offers inexpensive and targeted underwriting which helps us defray the cost of Jon Regan, Northwest CT NEMBA • Rhode Island — 35 Steve Richardson, Merrimack Valley NEMBA producing this cool ‘zine. Call 800-57-NEMBA David Riding, SE MA NEMBA or email [email protected] for our media kit. Chris Riley, Central Maine NEMBA NEMBA Rides — 36 Pete Schrader, BK NEMBA Moving? Maciej Sobieszek, Greater Boston NEMBA Support our Sponsors — 38 Cory Stiff, SE CT NEMBA Don’t miss an issue! Change your address online Joshua Tauses, Carrabassett Valley NEMBA Glenn Tourtellot, Quiet Corner NEMBA at nemba.org or mail it into SingleTracks, PO Box Ryan Tucker, Fairfield County NEMBA 2221, Acton MA 01720 Glenn Vernes, Central CT NEMBA Brian Vibert, Northwest CT NEMBA Save the Trails SingleTrackS No. 149| 3 4 |February 2017 Ride the Trails TREADLINES Pioneer Valley NEMBA & DCR Partner to Open 15-miles Singletrack Network at Dubuque State Forest Massachusett Department of Conservation & Recreation and PV NEMBA announce a partnership to open a 15-mile network of single- track trails at Dubuque State Forest. “Dubuque’s singletrack trails wind through gorgeous and diverse wood- lands and offer a variety of challenges, loops and scenic features that mountain bikers seek,” says Harold Green, President of the PV NEMBA Chapter. “But these trails will also provide new opportunities for cross- country skiers, hikers and trail runners as well.” PV-NEMBA will organize trail maintenance and stewardship of the new trail system, help monitor against illegal trail building and work to edu- cate trail users about etiquette and stewardship. We are very excited about this partnership to expand recreational opportunities at Dubuque,” said DCR Commissioner, Leo P. Roy. “We expect that this new trail network will draw users from both the Pioneer Valley and Berkshire County to Hawley, and we believe that excellent trail networks and recreation can have economic benefits to local com- munities and the region. “ DCR and NEMBA are currently working to install signs, create new on- line maps, and build some additional trail connections. Save the Trails SingleTrackS No. 149| 5 6 |February 2017 Ride the Trails ADVOCACY Electric Mountain Bikes: Where can they be Ridden in New England? Electric mountain bikes (e-MTBs) are now being produced and promoted by the bicycle industry and sold through some bicycle dealers in New England. While there are only a few brands and models currently avail- able, many of the major bicycle com- panies soon plan to introduce them to the US market. There are four classes of e-bikes: • Class 1 e-bikes have a maximum speed of 20 MPH, a motor that is 750 watts or less that is activated by pedaling. • Class 2 e-bikes are the same as the Class 1 but may utilize a throttle such as a regular motorcycle rather than be pedal-actuated. • Class 3 e-bikes may attain speeds up to 28 MPH. • Class 4 e-bikes may have motors greater than miles of motorcycle trails available to e-bikes. The forest is open year- 750 watts and attain speeds faster than 28 MPH. ly except during mud season. Most current electric mountain bikes fall into the category of Class 1. Where can e-MTBs be ridden off-road? It is important for consumers and bicycle dealers in New England to know where e-MTBs can and cannot be ridden on natural surface trails. Pedal-assist electric bikes can give more people the power to go further and to ride more trails, where allowed. To this end, the New England Mountain Bike Association has contacted many of the major land management agencies in New England to determine what the management policy is for e-bikes on trails. The short answer is that all the major state and federal land manage- ment agencies in New England allow e-bikes only on trails which allow motorized recreation. E-bikes may also be ridden on private property and private trail systems with the permission of the landowner. Many local trail systems are managed by town conservation commis- sions or land trusts that have not fully developed policies specific to electric, power-assist vehicles. However, those we've spoken to veri- fy that regardless of the amount of power emitted by the electric motor, they are still by definition motorized and are managed as such. How e-bikes are managed on paved public paths is unclear, and fre- quently state and local regulations have not yet caught up to the technology of e-bikes, and there is no definitive list of where e-bikes are allowed to ride on paved pathways. STATE-BY-STATE GUIDANCE ON E-MTB USE Connecticut The Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) does not specifically call out e-bikes in their regulations but currently manages them as a motorized form of recreation. There are two public motorized trail systems where e-bikes and motorcycles are allowed.Pachaug State Forest (Voluntown CT) has 58 Save the Trails SingleTrackS No. 149| 7 ADVOCACY E-biking is also allowed at the US Army Corps of Engineers' property, Thomaston Dam(Thomaston CT). There is formally designated trail area on the west side of the dam that is open to trail bikes that are open from late-May to September. E-bikes are not allowed on any other trails in the Connecticut state park system. They are also not allowed at any of the other popular mountain bike destinations, such as Rockland Preserve (Madison CT), Pisgah (Durham CT) or Mianus River Park (Stamford CT). e-MTBs may not be ridden on local conservation land or land trust properties that prohibit motorized recreation. Maine Maine's Bureau of Parks and Lands treats e-bikes as motorized vehi- cles and allows them only on trails designated for motorized use. Maine has an extensive network of motorized trails available to e- bikes. Regional Manager, Gary Best, recommends the Androscoggin Riverlands (Turner ME) as an excellent place to ride e-MTBs. The Mt. Agamenticus Conservation Region allows e-MTBs on their multi-use, motorized trails but they are not allowed on any of the hiking or hiking/biking trails. e-MTBs may not be ridden on local conservation land or land trust properties that prohibit motorized recreation. Massachusetts e-MTBs are not allowed on any non-motorized trails in Massachusetts. There are no places to legally ride e-MTBs on public land within the Route 128 beltway and there is only one within Route 495. Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation regards e- bikes as "motorized personal vehicles", (as opposed to a "bicycle") and allows them on trails designated for motorized use. Currently there are eight state parks that offer opportunities for e-bikes: • Beartown State Forest (Monterey MA) • October Mt. State Forest (Lee MA) • Pittsfield State Forest (Pittsfield MA) • Tolland State Forest (Tolland MA) • F. Gilbert Hills State Forest (Foxboro MA) • Franklin State Forest (Franklin MA) • Wrentham State Forest (Wrentham MA) • Freetown State Forest (Freetown MA) The US Army Corps of Engineers does not have a formal e-bike poli- cy but they appear to be allowed on the motorized trails at Hodges Village Dam (Oxford MA), blazed in orange. This is the only USACE property in Massachusetts that allows motorized use.