River Valley Cycling

Supporting Cycling In and Around Fredericton

Big tune-up at MVP

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Fall is here and it’s an incredible time to be riding around Fredericton. Just in time for the season, RVC’s small but growing enduro-zone at MVP just got a nice tune-up.

A build crew spent the weekend improving and revamping many of the features on two of the city’s most popular progressive trails: Monkey Business and #BlazingDestruction.

In both cases it’s going to be important for riders to get familiar with the layout again – the features have changed. Pre-ride, Re-Ride, Free-Ride! These remain black-diamond trails but there are no mandatory jumps. Everything small can be rolled and the big stuff can be safely avoided. However, when you’re ready we’ve seen some of the new features and they look pretty dialed!

Here’s the report from the crew:

Blazing Destruction:
-Landing of the drop was redone and smoothened.
-Jump out of that drop area was redone and the landing was built up.
-The roller jump before the box was redone.
-The jump to the step up box was reshaped and moved back a foot.

-The landing off the box was push back a foot and steepened/lengthened.
-The hip after the box was touched up and there is an optional side line jump that has a gap.


Monkey Business:
-The second table on the trail was redone.
-The 1 foot drop was removed on one side to allow an easy option to roll down.
-The optional wedge gap jump was roughed up beside the 1 foot drop.
-The take off to the step down was reshaped.
-The area after the step down got a major revamp. This is a totally different section and riders should look first. They are tables but there is a side lip on the second jump that should not be rolled .

Now it’s shout-out time.

Some of you may have noticed that this was no small amount of work. We are lucky to have a crew of builders who invest their time volunteering to make something that we can all enjoy – either today, or when we feel our skills are ready.

So let’s give a big thanks to:
-Chris Furlotte
-Max Guerette
-Justin Leblanc
-Mike Barnhill
-Jase Fitzpatrick, &
-Alex Mctiernan

Oh and one last thing. Do you see that mini-excavator that’s hiding in some of the pictures and video? Yeah – that thing was DONATED to RVC for the weekend free-of-charge by local businessman and owner of JIL Engineering & Construction, Jeff Lenehan. He even dropped it off for the weekend ready to go! We are very lucky to have supporters like this so thank you Mr. Lenehan for helping make this work happen.

Riding Responsibly – Hunting Season

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Hey riders,

Moose season 2024 continues in New Brunswick this week until Saturday Sept. 28th. This means that there will be a lot of excitement in the woods as some hunters can wait for decades to be drawn in the lottery for a license. Beyond moose, it’s deer season until December and hunters can try for smaller game later into the winter.

While it is a hunter’s responsibility to identify his/her target there are a few things that riders can keep in mind:

  • Hunting is legal and expected at several of the trailheads that riders frequent.
  • Odell Park and Deer Park are good choices if you want to stick to areas where hunting isn’t permitted. There’s also the UNB Woodlot which is designated as a wildlife sanctuary and offers some good gravel riding circuits. Take a road trip and check out Rockwood Park!
  • Wear blaze orange and other bright colours.
  • You can wait until after dark. Hunting is legal until dusk. Charge those lights up and go for a night ride!

Although it’s extremely unlikely, riders have been involved in hunting accidents.

Remember that many of the trails we ride on are on private land. That hunter you encounter this week may be the landowner, or may be there with the landowner’s permission.

Stay safe and share the woods.

New Route into Islandivew

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Recently RVC has enjoyed great cooperation from the Provincial Tree Nursery at Islandview. They’ve been very accommodating of our recent trail work by allowing vehicles through the property. Through those discussions we’ve also settled on a more straightforward route through the nursery. It’s a small tweak, but it involves fewer twists and turns.

The new route is all signed up (thank you gnomes!) so it should be easy to follow! Please make sure you stick to this access and don’t stray off into the tree orchards.

Remember, riding at Islandview is open to RVC members only after working hours (5:00 pm) and on weekends. The nursery is in operation at the crack of dawn so no early morning rides here.

Turning Over New Ground

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Hey Riders,
RVC’s major project for 2020 is now underway and we’re turning over new ground in Penniac. This is exciting. Let’s have a look at what’s going on.

For several years now RVC has been developing a positive relationship with several local landowners in Penniac. In fact, some of these landowners are avid supporters of the mountain biking community and riders themselves. The club has recently come to several agreements that will see several new, well built trails that are knit into larger plans for sustainable forestry in the area.

The project includes a gradual climbing trail from the valley to the top of Stone Bridges as well as a new full-length downhill trail that will be machine-built with progressive features that are accessible for riders of all skill levels. This will diversify the trail styles available in Penniac, and open up new possibilities for riding loops.

Builds like this require a significant investment and that’s why RVC is thrilled to report that this project is being supported by 2020 RVC Trail Sponsor – Remsoft. Although they are a company with a global reach, Remsoft have been supporters of local trails for several years now beginning with the build of ‘La Woodstock’ at MVP. The company has provided generous financial assistance to this build as well – thank you Remsoft!

Earlier this month, the machine was delivered to the site and it made the long walk up to the top of the ridge, where it has been humming right along ever since. The machine doesn’t do much on its own though. A dedicated trail build team has been on site and has already invested more than 100 hours of sweat equity on the project. A huge shout-out to:

  • Marie-Eve F.
  • Yves B. 
  • Max G. 
  • Mike B.
  • Alex M.
  • Jase F.
  • Justin L.

  • Mike B.
  • Adam B.
  • Stephanie B. 
  • Matthew G 
  • Chris F.
  • Bev B.

Now… what can you do to make this huge project successful?

  1. Volunteer. The work is far from done. We need volunteers willing to come out and clear slash and brush, shape features behind the machine, and work with hand tools on the climb trail. Contact us through email or Facebook if you’re willing to help and we’ll connect you with work!
  2. Join RVC. That’s right. If you like what you’re reading the club can use your support. Your membership contributes to trail work directly and the behind-the-scenes arrangements with landowners that make it possible.
  3. Respect the worksite. For now, these trails are under construction and closed. If you see the trail build crew testing things out that doesn’t mean they’re open to ride yet. Patience. When they are ready to open RVC will make a splash and let you know… trust us!

Odell Park’s Plan – What does it mean for riders?

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On July 13th Fredericton’s city council unanimously passed the final park plans for Odell park and Killarney Lake park after considerable debate. Both plans contain a future for mountain biking in Fredericton, so long as the trails are designed sustainably and riders consider themselves as responsible partners in park stewardship and use.

This is a remarkable development if you consider where we were as a riding community a few short months ago. Riders approached the consultations on these plans from a vulnerable position. City Councillors were on record calling for a ban on mountain biking in Odell park and organized community groups were actively campaigning to portray the cycling community as reckless vandals in the park responsible for irreversible damage to old growth forests. Mountain biking stories in the local media focused on conflict.

Earlier drafts of the plan called for the immediate and summary decommissioning of all existing single track. For many of us who learned to love riding in Odell park it was an unexpected and hurtful punch that left us wondering how this happened. That narrative flies in the face of what we knew about our fellow riders. You care for the environment, you share the trails, and you benefit the larger community. We had to set the record straight.

Riders were not happy and so RVC set to work on your behalf this spring. You spoke up to the City — and they listened. The door opened for the club to meet with park staff and contribute constructive ideas about how the trail network could transition to sustainable outcomes. We spoke about ways to minimize environmental impact and maximize the benefit to Fredericton’s outdoor community. We worked with staff to improve the draft plan, keeping it focused on conserving Odell park’s forest, while securing access for the next generation of mountain bike riders. We saw our suggestions reflected in the plan passed by City Council.

The hard work of compromise and collaboration is yet to come. We and the City recognize the need for good-faith implementation on all sides as being the key to long-term success. The Park Plans provide a conceptual framework for ongoing collaboration to guide action on the ground.

Our understanding is that a secondary plan will be developed that will address trails in Odell. There will be the opportunity for further dialogue as the secondary plan is developed. RVC expects the city will assemble a multidisciplinary team of ecology experts, trail builders, hikers, runners, and park staff to inform decisions about which existing trails get improved, which get rerouted away from sensitive areas, and which get retired and returned to the forest. The same team will help design new single-track that replaces what is retired. We are excited to see that start. RVC will approach the discussion with an open mind, with an expectation that trails may change but riding will remain a part of the park. We’ll bring evidence and experience to the discussion and we’ll expect no less from the other groups that will participate in the process. We know that the potential impacts of mountain biking can be effectively managed.

It’s not certain what changes will come but we could imagine and support:

  • Better signage, better seasonal debris clean-up, and more visible signs of management.
  • Trails being re-routed out of riparian areas and watercourse crossings installed.
  • Seasonal closures for all user-groups when soils are wet and prone to erosion.
  • Sections of trail being designated for foot traffic only
  • New names for trails that we are familiar with.
  • In some cases, trails with significant conservation issues being decommissioned and returned to the forest to regenerate.
  • New trails, purpose-built, and ready for riding bikes.

If there are trails that need to be decommissioned and regenerated, the plan speaks to a principle that new trail building will follow the same pace.

RVC will need your support for what comes next. We’ll rely on you to supply ideas, and to show up and volunteer when the time comes to move dirt or plant trees. If you’re not already an RVC member we need you to join. Most of all, we all need to act as ambassadors for the sport every time we mount our bikes in Odell park. There will be a lot of expectations to exceed over the next year. The club will be in touch with park staff and we’ll report back with more specifics about the roll-out of this plan.

You provided input and the City listened. This is a win.

Proud Members of: Velo New Brunswick

Canadian Cycling Association

International Mountain Biking Association