Singletracks #159 Spring 2019
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NEW ENGLAND MOUNTAIN BIKE ASSOCIATION SPRINGSPRING 20192019 #159#159 www.nemba.orgwww.nemba.org ingleingle rack NEMBA, the New England Mountain Bike SS TT S Association, is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organi- zation dedicated to promoting trail access, Spring 2019, Number 159 maintaining trails open for mountain bicyclists, and educating mountain bicyclists to use these trails sensitively and responsibly. ©SingleTracks Executive Director: Philip Keyes Drink the Kook Aid: [email protected] Contributing Writer: Bill Boles NEMBA Getting your other half PO Box 2221 Acton MA 01720 4 into mountain biking Board of Directors by Disa Fedorowicz Adam Glick, President Matt Schulde, Vice-President Anne Shepard, Treasurer Harold Green, Secretary Burning Off the Winter’s John Anders, Midcoast Maine NEMBA Kim Bradley, SECT NEMBA Malaise Aaron Brasslett, Penobscot Region NEMBA David Burnham, Wachusett NEMBA by Disa Fedorowicz Paula Burton, FC NEMBA Matt Caron, Southern NH NEMBA Steve Cobble, SE MA NEMBA Julie Coleman, Carrabassett Region NEMBA 6 Kevin Delaney, Berkshire NEMBA Grant Drew, Central NH NEMBA Mike Dube, Cape Cod NEMBA Disa Fedorowicz, Central Maine NEMBA Brian Forestal, BV NEMBA Tim Friedmann, SE MA 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 John Joy, Central CT NEMBA Hank Kells, North Shore NEMBA Paper Trail SingleTracks Hey, get creative! We wel- Lawrence Kovacs, Six Rivers NEMBA Morgan Laidlaw, Midcoast Maine NEMBA come submissions, photos and artwork. This is Frank Lane, North Shore NEMBA Features — 6 your forum and your magazine. Be nice, and Rob Lavoie, Greater Portland NEMBA share! Alex Leich, White Mountains NEMBA Basic Biking — 8 Bob Lesmerise, Franconia Area NEMBA On the Cover: Greater Boston NEMBA presi- Craig MacDonald, Penobscot Region NEMBA Kona MTB Adventures — 9 dent, Maciej Sobieszek, riding at Bear Brook Mike Malwitz, Fairfield County NEMBA Jonathan Mauterer, Pioneer Valley NEMBA Chapter News State Park in Allentown, NH. Photo by PK. Alison McGee, Berkshire NEMBA Do you have a photo that would make a good Barry Moore, Merrimack Valley NEMBA • Connecticut — 10 Chris Nicodemus, Franconia Area NEMBA cover shot? Email it to [email protected] Peter Poanessa, BK NEMBA • Maine — 16 Jon Regan, Northwest CT NEMBA • Massachusetts — 22 Want to Underwrite in ST? Steve Richardson, Merrimack Valley NEMBA • New Hampshire — 31 Chris Riley, Central Maine NEMBA SingleTracks offers inexpensive and targeted Brett Russ, Wachusett NEMBA • Rhode Island — 35 underwriting which helps us defray the cost of Pete Schrader, BK NEMBA producing this cool ‘zine. Call 800-57-NEMBA NEMBA Rides — 36 Kris Schreiner, Quiet Corner NEMBA or email [email protected] for our media kit. Maciej Sobieszek, Greater Boston NEMBA Joshua Tauses, Carrabassett Valley NEMBA Support our Sponsors — 38 Moving? Ilse Teeters-Trumpy, Greater Portland Shelly Temple, Central NH NEMBA Don’t miss an issue! Change your address online Glenn Tourtellot, Quiet Corner NEMBA Ryan Tucker, Fairfield County NEMBA at nemba.org or mail it into SingleTracks, PO Box Glenn Vernes, Central CT NEMBA 2221, Acton MA 01720 Brian Vibert, Northwest CT NEMBA 2 |SPRING 2019 Get out and .... RIDE ! SingleTrackS No. 159| 3 ANNOUNCEMENT Annual Meeting Election of NEMBA’s Board of Directors NEMBA members are cordially invited to NEMBA's Annual Meeting and Election of our Board of Directors on May 5, 2019 at Kona Bicycles MTB Adventure event at 12pm at the Middlesex Fells Reservation at 300 Elm St., Medford MA. NEMBA's chapters have nominated who will represent their chapter on NEMBA's Board as a primary voting member and alternate. Now it's time for NEMBA membership to vote. At Large Quiet Corner NEMBA Anne Shepard Central Maine NEMBA Merrimack Valley NEMBA Stacey Jimenez Tom Grimble Chris Riley Barry Moore Heather Merson (Alternate) Disa Fedorowicz (Alternate) Karen Korza (Alternate) Berkshire NEMBA Rhode Island NEMBA Alison McGee Central NH NEMBA Midcoast Maine NEMBA Matt Schulde Kevin Delaney (Alternate) Shelly Temple John Anders Chris Hughes (Alternate) Grant Drew (Alternate) Matt Barrows (Alternate) Blackstone Valley NEMBA Six Rivers NEMBA Brian Forestal Fairfield County NEMBA Pemi Valley NEMBA Lawrence Kovacs Kris Munroe (Alternate) Mike Malwitz Jeremy Hillger Southeast MA NEMBA Brattleboro-Keene NEMBA Franconia Area NEMBA Penobscot Region NEMBA Steve Cobble Peter Poanessa Christopher Nicodemus Craig MacDonald Tim Friedmann (Alternate) Pete Schrader (Alternate) Thomas Shovlin (Alternate) Dustin Moyer (Alternate) Southern NH NEMBA Cape Cod NEMBA Greater Boston NEMBA Pioneer Valley NEMBA Matt Caron Michael Dube Maciej Sobieszek Jonathan Mauterer Chris Gaudet (Alternate) Michael Erickson (Alternate) Adam Glick (Alternate) North Shore NEMBA Southeastern CT NEMBA Carrabassett Region NEMBA Greater Portland NEMBA Frank Lane Kimberly Bradley David Hughes Isle Teeters-Trumpy Hank Kells (Alternate) Janet Andersen (Alternate) Julie Coleman (Alternate) Jamie Nonni (Alternate) Northwest CT NEMBA Wachusett NEMBA Central CT NEMBA Housatonic Valley NEMBA Jonathan Regan David Burnham John Joy Paula Burton Brian Vibert (Alternate) Brett Russ (Alternate) Glenn Vernes (Alternate) Bill Lake (Alternate) 4 |SPRING 2019 Get out and .... June 28-30 RIDE ! SingleTrackS No. 159| 5 FEATURE Drinking the Kool Aid: How to Get Your Other Half into Mountain Biking By Disa Fedorowicz If you've been in a relationship IKEA (minus the spandex). If for a while, then it's natural to you are looking for a true lit- want to do the things you love, mus test for your relationship, with someone you might have then you really can't beat strong feelings for. What better either of these activities. way is there then, than sharing Whether it's religion, politics the beauty of the outdoors, a or a gluten-free lifestyle, no rush of endorphins, and a surge one wants to hear you in adrenaline with the one per- expound the transformational son who gets your pheromones benefits of why they 'should' going? be doing your activity of It's an all too common sight on choice. In general, adults don't the trail; guy with girl. Guy like to be treated like kids. We standing next to girl. Girl is cov- all know that flossing and eat- ered in dirt (possibly even cry- ing kale is good for us, but no ing). Guy telling girl she could one wants to be made to feel have ridden that feature (if she morally inferior just because had just done it differently). Girl, they're not doing it too. angrily retrieving bike from a Straight up evangelism can be nearby bush. You may have wit- one of the most off-putting nessed the same strained body strategies if you are earnestly language (and foul language) in looking to market (and share) the soft furnishings section at your passion. However, if she 6 |SPRING 2019 Get out and .... FEATURE has given you the green light, congratulations, you might have a coach for her. The good news is, there are now a gazillion women's mountain bike unicorn on your hands. There are a few things to try only groups, rides and skills clinics that require nothing more than a and keep in mind if you want there to be a second ride though... 'wanna-do attitude' and/or a valid credit card number. Start simple; put her on the right bike. If you're on the latest model Mountain biking is pretty binary, like cilantro, country music or Game full-suspension, carbon fiber beast, and she's riding your oversized of Thrones, she's either going to love it right away, or...not. You can't hardtail with V brakes and 26 inch wheels that's been collecting dust make her like it. I have some girl friends that I've tried to introduce to in the garage since Boy George first started wearing eye shadow, you mountain biking. They didn't love it. I was bummed. I wanted them are probably going to spend the night on the couch. to love it. They've tried to introduce me to yoga. I didn't love it. For some people, mountain biking (or yoga) really is as distasteful as put- Choose the right trail- if you hope to minimize the risk of tears and/or ting pineapple on a pizza. tantrums. ** Be like Goldilocks in your approach; not too hilly (up or down), not too gnarly, and not too busy. Stay with her and give her Relationships are about compromise, and what works for one couple time and space- just not too much space. Don't wait at the top of a won't always work for others. In the end, not everyone wants (or climb, or bottom of a trail. Ride it with her. Following a more experi- needs) to have their hobbies in common. Thankfully, there are plenty enced rider's line is how most of us learned (are still learning). Adjust of ways to spend time making memorable experiences with each your expectations. "Come on, you can ride that." Not helpful. Instead, other. Instead, maybe start small, and try assembling a Swedish, flat try a simple, "You got this." Finish on a high, while you're both still packed bookshelf together this weekend. having a good time, not because you need to take her to the ER. ————- It's tempting to want to 'peacock' and show off for your lady, and a ** The content of this article in no way implies that all women are mountain bike ride is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate all the prone to tears and tantrums when trying something new. Nor does it cool tricks you learned from YouTube, but realistically she probably suggest that all guys are impatient jerks who just want to show off. already admires you (and is therefore also more intimidated by riding And while this is written from the perspective of trying to get your with you).