News – Page 2

RVC’s Wooly 4 2025

August 7, 2025 By Chris Norfolk

Sunday, September 7, 2025

This long-running favourite event is about having a good time. Race solo, or as a team, at a hammer or chill pace. The Wooly trails have seen epic growth over the last several years, and we’re excited to once again be showcasing a couple of brand new trails in this year’s course! The event will suit a wide range of skill levels. The course will include both hand-built and machine-built trails. Racers complete as many laps as they can in the allotted time, solo (must be 19+) or as relay teams of 2 or 3. Or just do as many laps as you feel like riding, and hang out at the start/finish cheering and socializing. It’s all fun.

As usual, there will be great draw prizes from our amazing community bike shops, Explore Velo and Radical Edge, refreshments and swag from Trailway Brewing, and Willie’s Sausages will be on site serving burgers, sausages, and veggie items.

Race HQ, the start/finish, and parking will be in the Fox’s Den. You won’t find it on Google Maps, as it’s not normally open to camping, but HERE are directions from the 102. Basically you’ll follow the campground road all the way around to the campground loops. You’ll pass a set of gates and then a little garbage trailer and then turn left where it’s signed “Fox’s Den.” Race day, it will be signed from the park entrance on the south side of the highway to the start/finish and parking.

Categories:

Solo Men (must be 19 or older)
Solo Women (must be 19 or older)
Open Team (members may be of any age and gender)
Women’s Team (all members must be women/girls)
Youth Team (all members must be 16 or younger)
Vintage Team (average team member age 50+)
E-bike Participation

*(Solo racers must be 19 or older as of December 31, 2025)

Event Day Schedule:

9:30-10:30 am Registration and plate pickup
11:00 am Race start
3:00 pm cut-off to begin final lap
3:30 pm awards and draw prizes

Race Registration Fees:

$40 until 6pm on Saturday, August 24 or on site race day for $50
If you are not a Velo NB member or UCI license holder, there is an additional fee of $10 for a day license

Trailforks.com

Other important info:

There is no potable water on site. We’ll have some bottled water, but do yourself and the environment a favour and plan ahead
Bathroom facilities are a rustic outhouse and a Port-o-John
There will be space around the start/finish for spectators and team tents
If you prefer to sit somewhere other than on the grass, bring a portable chair
The event runs rain or shine
Parking is in the campground loop near the start/finish. Pull into a site or clearing or pull up on the side of the road where there’s room, don’t block people in or park on any tents
Want to stay at the park? Ask us about unserviced camping at the Fox’s Den loop adjacent to the course

FAQ

Is the course marked for pre-riding?
You can find the course above on Trailforks and here on Strava. “On the ground,” the course is lightly flagged in pink and orange. Meaning, there are flags around turns and intersections. If the flag is on the right, the next turn will be a right turn. The course will be signed and mostly taped Saturday.

Can youth participate?
There’s no minimum age to participate on a team. For youth who wouldn’t be confident completing the course on their own, one option is for a parent to team up and ride with them. Your team will only get credit for relay laps – i.e. if you ride a lap together, the timing system will only register one lap.

How serious are you about the 19+ rule for the solo categories?
Very serious. However, if your kid is a Junior (i.e. 17 or 18 by the end of the calendar year), they can solo with your consent and a recommendation from a coach.

Where can I set up my team tent?
There will be room set aside for team tents near the start/finish and feed zone. Ask our volunteer parking attendants to direct you when you arrive.

Is there an e-bike category?
E-bikes are welcome on a “participation” basis, meaning that no times or ranking will be recorded for e-bike participants. If this works well, we will look at adding a competitive e-bike category for next year.

What is your weather policy?
The Wooly 4 runs rain or shine, but would be suspended or cancelled if there’s lightning. In the event of inclement weather such as poor air quality, extreme heat, or adverse course conditions, the event could be modified.

I have more questions!
No problem. Ask your question in the discussion in the Facebook event, or get us on Facebook messenger, or use the contact us.

2025 RVC Merch!

June 19, 2025 By Chris Norfolk

You asked for it and now River Valley Cycling is happy to launch a merch order for the summer of 2025.

We’re using a new service that should offer a smooth order experience and we’ve set up a small store that’s accepting orders until June 30th. We’re offering a fresh design in 3 bold colour choices. You can choose from a wide range of sizes and they have both women’s and unisex fit. You place your order and the merch is shipped directly to you so no hassle of a central pick up spot. Better yet – bulk discounts!

Here’s how it works:

When you order you are guaranteed a minimum discount of 20% by working through the RVC link
As orders accumulate for each colour, deeper bulk discounts unlock and everyone benefits
You can edit your order right up until the close
When the order closes on June 30th, everyone’s billed according to the best discount reached

Jakroo’s site offers lots of help for getting the sizes right and you get a great sense of what you’re buying… so we’re giving it a try. Some other local clubs have used it with good success.

Go To RVC’s Order Site

Let us know what you think! Remember to support RVC with your 2025 membership if you haven’t already joined!

RVC HopOn 2.0 Youth Skills Series

June 4, 2025 By Chris Norfolk

We are psyched to open registration for a new youth skills series for youth aged 12-16 who are looking to advance their riding. If your child thrived in the HopOn programming offered by Radical Edge but has now aged out this might be what you’ve been looking for.

Read on… or just go right to the registration link!

Here are the details:

Ages: 12-16 (age on December 31, 2025)
Tuesdays from 6:00 – 7:30 weekly
July 8th – August 12th
MVP Trail Network

The objectives are to build confidence, develop skills, and have fun all while riding on singletrack trail maintained by River Valley Cycling volunteers. The coaches will deliver the program through games, drills, and lots of riding practice. Riders will be sorted into Beginner+, Intermediate, and Intermediate+ groups based on previous experience and demonstrated ability at the first session.

Registration: $90 for the program per youth + $8 processing fee (only open to RVC members)

We have 19 spots available. So don’t waste time.

Required Gear:

Mountain bike in good working order (coaches will not allow youth to ride unsafe bikes)
Well fitting bike helmet (mandatory)
Knee and elbow pads (recommended)
Bring water, snacks, and bug spray

RVC is also thrilled to have been selected by Cycling Canada to receive Sport Canada funds to improve access to this program by removing barriers to participation for under-represented youth. This crucial support which will allow RVC to sponsor 8 deserving youth being selected by partnering organizations that understand the need in the community. Our grant will allow us to provide bikes and safety gear to these sponsored youth and provide formal training to all our amazing volunteer coaches! We also want to thank Explore Velo and Velo NB for their support and contributions to make this programming a reality.

Hinterlands Who’s Who – the Trail Gnome

April 27, 2025 By Chris Norfolk

Nature lovers – today we will learn to identify the reclusive Northern Forest Trail Gnome (Sylva nodignoridi). The activities of this species are beneficial to many other forest creatures and learning to identify the signs of these gnomes lets you understand where they are, even if you don’t spot one while out in their habitat.

While it is difficult to directly observe this species, you can positively identify them by their preference to wear rugged, less fashionable clothing. They often appear dirty. Gnomes give off a distinctive odor which has been described as a combination of tree sap and loamy dirt.

Northern Forest Trail Gnomes are known for their high-energy output and active metabolism; needing to consume large quantities of food and sometimes beer in order to maintain their activity levels. Both male and female gnomes are active throughout the year. Most activity occurs during daylight hours, however a rare nocturnal variety preferring the cover of darkness do exist in some habitats. Gnomes display behaviour which can be thought as opposite from beavers. They prefer dry areas, and will work feverishly to drain puddling water. Rather than gathering fallen trees, sticks, and debris, Northern Forest Gnomes will clear their habitat of such litter. They move in a weaving pattern throughout the forest and are suspicious of strait lines. They go to great lengths to avoid going strait up or down a steep slope.

Gnomes do leave some telltale signs of their existence which you can learn to spot. While some myths and legends exist, be certain that these gnomes are real – and they leave evidence behind.

Foraging – Evidence suggests they may eat the lower branches of trees. Gnomes can reach up surprisingly high. Fresh cut stubs can indicate activity in the area.

Scat – It’s often possible to find ‘piles’ of gnome droppings, particularly after windy storms. These droppings resemble sawdust in appearance.

Caches – Gnomes will often distribute caches of equipment throughout the forest much like a squirrel hiding seeds. Often a gnome is behind seemingly random buckets, shovels, and rakes placed carefully in the woods.

Trails – Heavy presence of Northern Forest Gnomes in an area will often result in well worn trails along their normal movement corridors. These trails are then used by other forest species such as mountain bikers (Velos offroadei) and trail runners (Cursus twoleftfeeti).

The Northern Forest Gnome is a species of concern for conservation. Their numbers have fallen in recent years. Fortunately organizations like River Valley Cycling are supporting gnomes by doing what is possible to protect their habitat and provide them with essentials for their activity (tools, insurance, and landowner agreements). What can you do to help?

If you encounter a gnome in their natural habitat treat them with respect. Slow down and say hi.
Offer to assist a trail gnome for a day, educating yourself through total immersion.
Support a local non-profit that supports Northern Forest Gnomes in your area.

Join us this spring and summer as RVC organizes weekly “Maintenance Mondays” trail sessions. We’ll be touring all of the trail networks in the area. It’s your chance to learn from trail gnomes and take direct action to help them!

MVP- April 28th
Penniac- May 5th
Woolastook- May 12th

2025 RVC Membership Drive

April 15, 2025 By Chris Norfolk

Join RVC!

River Valley Cycling is Fredericton’s mountain bike club. Our priorities are cycling-community building, skills development, and sustainable singletrack trails. We are a volunteer driven non-profit organization that relies on the support of your membership, our volunteers, and the support of partner landowners and local businesses.

Your membership for 2025 will help us succeed and it goes a long way towards maintaining and growing singletrack trails in the Fredericton region. Land access and trail maintenance come with costs, and your support ensures that our RVC Trail Crew has the tools, materials, and insurance they need to keep going. You’ll gain access to RVC group rides, social events, and you’ll be able to register for our races and skills development sessions. We know mountain biking isn’t the most accessible sport, but it can be a family sport – so parents / guardians can add riders under 18 to their membership at no extra cost!

Last year about 20% of our members chose to generously give more to RVC through a Gold or Platinum level membership. Thank you! These options provide us the funds we need to take on those ‘extra’ projects that we couldn’t otherwise do. New signage, volunteer appreciation, and better quality tools for the RVC Trail Crew are only possible because of the generosity of our Gold and Platinum members. You benefit too with perks like being able to add all of the adults in your household and advanced opportunities to register for sessions that have limited capacity.

RVC has big plans for 2025

Programming

Expect beginner group rides, e-bike rides, women’s+ rides, social rides, and a big year-ender as always. Expect both beginner and advanced skills sessions delivered by PMBIA coaches. Our highlight Wooly 4 Race and the Enduro Series are coming on!

Trail Upgrades

Our club priority for trails in 2025 is upgrading. We will host a Monday night build series that will rotate around our trailheads. We’re sure that something new will get built but the focus this year is pouring energy into trails you already love.

Growing the Network

Everyone knows we’ve been working with the City of Fredericton to plan an all new trail network at Killarney Lake. This is the year. We’ll take every opportunity to work on your behalf to see this project succeed. Momentum is building.