River Valley Cycling

Supporting Cycling In and Around Fredericton

Help Wanted: Summer Volunteer Trail Work!

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We often get contacted from people who are looking for ways to help out. We have some ideas. These are trail jobs that will really improve the fun-factor of everyone’s ride and make a visible difference. The best part is – these are jobs that anyone can do and they can be done on your own time. No need to be a master trail builder or wait for a trail day. Nevertheless, helping out will make you feel great… and it will get noticed!

See how happy these fine people are! Do trail work and be awesome.

Brushing

Rain and long days mean that the vegetation has kicked into overdrive. Some of our trails are getting very bushy. Brush can really suck the fun out of a flowy ride. Nobody likes getting whacked in the helmet by branches. Vegetation can mean riders can’t see far ahead of them and they can’t see the obstacles on the ground. Well cleared trails are fast trails. Generally, we want a corridor that is 3 feet on either side of the trail tread and 7-8 feet high (low branches drop down in the winter and become an obstacle for grooming). RVC can lend out loppers for pruning back trees and shrubs. We also have heavy duty line-trimmers for grass and bushy stuff like tall ferns and raspberries.

Bunkerama is turning into a bit of a jungle.

We have lots of ground at MVP and Penniac that could use brushing out. Trails under mature forest are not bad but any trails going through sunny areas are sure to need cleaning. It would be amazing to brush out the Mark Bolden Skills Park at MVP.

Raking & Picking Rocks

Loose stones are not pleasant. Over time, riders can dislodge rocks that accumulate in the trail. Anything larger than a golf-ball that is loose should be raked off the trail. On descents they decrease control and get shot up putting dents in your fancy bike’s frame. On climbs they can be frustrating momentum killers. Getting rid of them is easy with a rake (RVC has lots to lend out) and you can cover a lot of ground in an hour.

Loose baseball-sized rocks aren’t a feature. If it isn’t lodged into the ground it should be raked off to the downhill side of the trail.

MVP has lots of trails that could use a pass with a rake. Bunkerama, Velocity, D-Track, Slash-N-Berm and V-Fib would be top of the priority list.

Rooting

Over time hand-built trails can go from being smooth flowy delights to root-packed technical nightmares. This happens as riding compresses and removes the organic part of the soil. While roots are to be expected on a mountain bike, some trails need the occasional root pruning to keep the ride quality that the original builder started with. Loppers are the right tool for the job. Their jaws make short work of tough root-wood but they aren’t big enough to remove large structural roots that hold up the trees. Big roots should be left alone or buried with rocks and soil to smooth the ride. Rooting is especially important for tripper-roots that have become fully exposed creating a loop back into the ground. Overzealous rooting can lead to erosion on steep trails and a change of riding style so if you’d like to try this out just give us a message and let us know where you want to work.

When the roots get too dense riders start going around them widening the trail and accelerating the impact. Better to just prune them and re-establish the trail tread.

Some trails in Odell Park would really benefit from a root-pruning and RVC does have permission from the City to do this work.

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!

Proud Members of: Velo New Brunswick

Canadian Cycling Association

International Mountain Biking Association