River Valley Cycling

Supporting Cycling In and Around Fredericton

Rider Etiquette on Downhill Only Trails

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We’ve recently added three new trails which are marked ‘downhill only’. These trails are purpose-built for descending and have lots of flow features like rollers and berms that allow riders to maintain speed throughout the course. In fact, the size of these features encourage riders to carry as much speed as possible in order to get the most out of the ride. Excellent visibility allows riders to see well down the trail, further encouraging speed. We looked at the times that riders are sharing on Strava for ‘Big Wooly’ and the average speeds of the 10 fastest riders down the trail are ~30 km/h. These riders shared top speeds on those trails of more than 55 km/h. Summary – these trails are fast!

With flow trails like this we have some specific etiquette that kicks in to keep everyone having fun and safe. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Pre-ride, Re-ride, Free-Ride

Inspect jumps, gaps, and landings before you decide to try and send something new. Ride within your limits. Injuries can happen and you are responsible for your own safety. Know exactly what you will be hitting before you have wheels leaving the ground.

Stopping

If you need to stop while on a downhill trail, move yourself and your bike to the side immediately. Sometimes we need a break. Sometimes our chain breaks. Sometimes we crash. It happens. For your safety and for the safety of those behind you move to the side as fast as possible.

Passing
(and Being Passed)

The top 10 fastest riders and the top 10 slowest riders are equally welcome on RVC’s flow trails. Occasionally they meet. Here’s what to do – if you are the faster rider and you see yourself gaining ground fast on someone it’s time to peel off speed. Do not run someone down assuming they’ll give way to you. That’s a jerk move. Be cool. If you are the slow rider – do not panic and put yourself into the rhubarb patch. Keep riding until you find a reasonable and safe place to pull aside for the faster rider. The faster rider should let you know before she/he/they passes you.

Wheels Only

The overwhelming majority of trails that RVC has built and maintained are open for multi-use including hiking and trail running. However, out of concern for the safety of everyone involved, we don’t believe these trails can accommodate walkers or runners (uphill or downhill). The speed differences are just too great.

This etiquette applies to Radical Ledge, Big Wooly, and Mammoth at Woolastook as well as V-Fib, Slash-N-Berm, Pinball, Monkey Business, #Blazing Destruction, DNF, and Hoot N’ Holler at MVP and Bull, Dozer, and Learning To Fly at Penniac. We won’t speak for other destinations that you may travel to which have their own rules… but if you’re unsure… you should ask a local about etiquette.

Have fun and stay safe!

Finding a Balance on Trail Dogs

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Many of us love good trail dogs. Riding is a great way to exercise yourself and your pup and a cool way to spend time together. Most dog owners also understand their responsibilities.

Not everyone is comfortable with riding around trail dogs however, and we need to find a balance for all members. After a recent discussion among the RVC executive (half of whom own trail dogs), we’ve decided we need to clarify a club position.

RVC Trail Dog Policy

Well trained trail dogs are welcome on RVC’s trails with owners who are practicing good etiquette (in full control – respecting signage and local rules – leaving no trace). RVC will post notice when group rides and special events are dog-friendly to let owners and other riders know what to expect.

RVC executive – June 2024

The right way to interpret this statement is that if RVC hasn’t specifically indicated that an event is dog-friendly, pup should stay at home. We’ll try and offer a few social rides that are dog-friendly and when we do, all riders will know to expect pups on trail.

Thanks for your cooperation.

New Woolastook Trail Names

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We’re ready to release the names for the trails in the new section of Woolastook opened up last fall and this spring. We had a lot of fun with the name suggestions that came in from members through our survey, and from names that we’ve heard people throwing around on rides. We get that everyone’s bored of the “T-Whatever” temporary names… so here we go!

Fox Trot (820 m)

This was the first ground to be broken on our massive Woolastook project. Named as a nod to the ‘Fox’s Den’ campground that’s been such a great neighbor.

Missing Link (820 m)

This was the crux of the whole project. The area had been thoroughly scouted over the years looking for a way to break through the wet seeps and springs that seemed to pop out of the ground everywhere. Only after we engaged the real professionals at McElhanney who designed our master plan and walked the land did we see that it was possible to find high ground and open up the Woolastook back-country.

Twenty-one (1.1 km)

Well… because there are twenty-one switchbacks above mountain road to get to the top of the climb. Keep pedaling! While this is intended to be a climb trail we recognize some beginners may want to use this as the easiest way back down the hill after making it to the top.

Radical Ledge (680 m)

This unique trail features riding on exposed bedrock before it turns downhill with some significant berms and drops. Named to give a nod to one of the pillars of our local ridging community. One-way traffic.

Big Wooly (730 m)

A flow trail. This sends the rider down quick towards some big turns, rollers, and jumps (no mandatory air). Just as the trail takes a huge turn to the left near the bottom there is a connector that shoots you towards Mammoth… otherwise follow the line and head back for another climb of Twenty-one. Downhill only.

Mammoth (1.5 km)

A flow trail. A natural extension of Big Wooly with the same speed. Look for more berms and rollers and some optional jumps. Everything is big. This takes you all the way to the lake and a short climb return shoots you to the start of Missing Link for another lap. We think the ‘Wooly Mammoth‘ linkup will be one of the most popular segments in town. Downhill only.

Woolastook mountain biking trails

Refresh of the MVP Enduro Zone Complete!

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Riders,

At the end of 2 weeks of work, the Enduro zone at MVP is ready for business ahead of the long weekend. Go send!

  • #BlazingDestruction and Pinball have been completely redone. Every inch fixed and buffed. Pinball had major drainage issues addressed.
  • A new connector called #COD (for “Cover of Darkness”) is open which splits from #BlazingDestruction and takes the rider to DNF.
  • Over 20 volunteers contributed 325 hours of work over 10 days! Thank you!
  • Dig-In Trail Building and Design were once again great to work with! Highly recommended to other clubs. Next for them is to head over to Woolastook to address a warranty issue on their trail from last year. Quality!
Max G’s ride-through of the new tuned-up #Blazing Destruction!
Jon N’s partial ride-through of Pinball
#COD

Please ride responsibly. These trail have changed. Even if you consider yourself a strong rider you should inspect all features before attempting to send them!

Again, this project would not have been possible with the support of some incredible and generous local businesses. Thank you to Remosft, Corey Insurance Services, Fredericton Family Chiropractic, and Chamberlain Wealth.

Enjoy… and don’t forget to support all of this fantastic trail work by joining RVC!

MVP Enduro Trails Update

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Riders, we’ve got great news… and an important safety heads-up. Read on.

First the good news. This week has seen huge improvements made to #BlazingDestruction. The volunteer turnout to work alongside Dig-In Trail Building and Design has been exactly what this trail needed. Huge thank you to everyone who’s been coming out to rake and shape. There is easily more than 100 hours of volunteer work into this project already and it will continue on next week on other trails. Also huge thanks again to the local businesses that have sponsored this work: Remsoft, Fredericton Family Chiropractic, Corey Insurance, and Chamberlain Wealth.

#BlazingDestruction

We will start to open up certain enduro trails this weekend. Follow our social for updates and pay attention to trails taped closed.

Now the safety news.

Later on this summer the landowner who’s given us generous access to the Flight Deck area will be having some of his timber harvested. The area is generally behind the enduro zone trails and we don’t expect any of our singletrack to be impacted. However, for about 6-8 weeks we could see some heavy traffic on the road that goes through the middle of this area. “Fern Gulley Road” has already been brushed out and it will start to be upgraded in advance of the harvesting and trucking that will occur later on. This is obviously a safety concern for us because riders are not accustomed to any traffic at the bottom of trails like V-Fib, Monkey Business, Slash, and Blazing.

Fern G. Rd.

We are already in touch with the forestry company that will be conducting the operation and we have a good channel of communication. We’ll be developing a safety plan that we’ll share as operations commence. We don’t expect a trail closure… but visibility and caution around intersections will be part of it. Working with landowners to preserve your riding access is part of what RVC does… often unseen.

Be safe. Have fun. Join RVC

Proud Members of: Velo New Brunswick

Canadian Cycling Association

International Mountain Biking Association