River Valley Cycling

Supporting Cycling In and Around Fredericton

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RVC receives support for long-term trail access from JDI

July 19, 2024 By Chris Norfolk

It’s been a busy week for club activity in Penniac. We are very excited about the upcoming race here on July 29th as part of our RVC 2024 Enduro Race Series. This will be the first big race at this trail network since construction for Highway 8 cut the area apart in 2014 and ended the long-time ‘Hadley Challenge‘. Events like these aren’t possible without the support of local land owners.

Classic shots of classic trails during one of Fredericton’s classic events!

Last year we approached several private landowners in Penniac with the idea that we’d like to formalize rider access to important historical trails. One of these landowners was J.D. Irving, Limited (JDI), who own a property that captures classic trails including ‘the Numbers’, ‘Mom’s N’ Tots’, ‘Rock Bottom’, ‘High Road’, ‘Bull’, and ‘Dozer’. Over the course of several months the conversations progressed and today we’re happy to let members know that RVC has secured a 10-year trail access agreement with JDI covering these trails, and setting the stage for additional future expansion.

The agreement is built around the principle of respecting the land.

For riders, this is as simple as living by the ‘leave-no-trace’ ethic while you are out. For the club, it means we will practice sustainable trail techniques when we perform maintenance and new building. For JDI it was important that the trails support only non-motorized use but we reached an agreement that class 1 e-bikes commonly sold at our awesome local bike shops are good to go!

We understand that JDI is considering the area for inclusion as part of their “Conservation Program“, which would mean that they’ll consider the special character and community value of the area when they plan their future forest management activity.

The beauty that is ‘the Numbers’ on a crisp fall day.

With this agreement, the support of the Penniac Rec Center, and the support of other adjacent landowners, RVC will feel more confident than ever in hosting events and investing energy in the area. We hope to improve the signage in Penniac over the next year and it’s possible more improvements will follow.

Thanks to JDI for supporting our cycling community!

Filed Under: Announcements, News Tagged With: Access, jdi, responsibly

Riding Responsibly – Aggressive Wildlife

October 21, 2020 By Chris Norfolk

Hey Riders,

Many of you would have heard by now about a scary situation which took place yesterday in Woolastook Park involving a small pack of coyotes aggressively approaching a woman walking her dog. We can’t imagine what this may have been like and RVC is relieved to hear that she made it out safely.

Clearly, whatever she did to react was right.

Since then we’ve received some questions about riding safety. This incident in Woolastook involving coyotes was rare, but there are wildlife present in many of our riding areas, and in addition to coyotes there are risks posed by black bears, white tail deer, and moose (we don’t have cougars – we don’t care what you’ve seen online). We thought we’d highlight some of the strategies that you can take to increase your safety in the woods.

This excellent illustration was proudly lifted from www.bicycling.com. We could not have done any better.

First – RVC isn’t an organization that is the authority on human/wildlife encounters. What we are providing here for ideas are picked from reputable Fish & Wildlife Agencies across North America, with a little bit of focus for riders in our local neck of the woods (we expect most of you don’t carry pistols or bear-spray cannisters on the average ride). These are tips you will probably never need to rely on.

  1. Ride in a group. If you must ride alone make sure you have a cellphone that works and that someone knows where you are. Better yet though… ride in a group! Animals are skilled at math and most will run when outnumbered.

  2. Be loud. Carry a whistle. Models which weigh only a few grams can produce a blast which can frighten and startle an aggressive animal. A whistle buckle on the chest-strap of your riding pack is right where you need it. If you don’t have a whistle you can yell firmly. Everyone has lungs.

  3. Remain calm. If you encounter an animal that advances on you keep eye contact, and do not turn your back on it to run. Dismount the bike and lift it up to make yourself look big. Start to put distance between yourself and the animal by walking back carefully (to not loose footing) and identify an escape route such as a climbable tree if you need it. You cannot outpace any animal on a single-track trail. Make sure the animal also has an escape route.

  4. If the animal charges – fight. Your bike can be used as an effective shield so put it in front of you. Be loud and aggressive and you will win.

Animal attacks such as the one that occurred yesterday are exceptionally rare, but they do happen. Knowing how to respond may just save your life.

More info:

https://www.bicycling.com/news/a20034489/animal-attack-bike/

https://www2.gnb.ca/content/dam/gnb/Departments/nr-rn/pdf/en/Wildlife/Coyotes.pdf

https://www2.gnb.ca/content/dam/gnb/Departments/nr-rn/pdf/en/Wildlife/BewareBlackBears.pdf

Filed Under: Announcements, News Tagged With: responsibly

Riding Responsibly – Hunting Season

September 22, 2020 By Chris Norfolk

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.

Filed Under: Announcements, News Tagged With: responsibly

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