River Valley Cycling

Supporting Cycling In and Around Fredericton

RVC’s “Wooly 4” Presented by Trailway for 2025

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Sunday, September 7, 2025

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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, and refreshments and swag from Trailway Brewing, and food on site.

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+)

*(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, 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.

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?
Sorry, e-bikes are not permitted this year.

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.

Register Now!

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

Post Storm Clean-up Update: Woolastook

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While this post is about Woolastook that’s only because it was the hardest hit trail system. We know that volunteers have been out cleaning up at MVP and Penniac and we want to send a huge thanks for that! We see you!

We now know that this unnamed storm from December 18th caused a bigger impact than 2014’s Arthur; making the worst storm in RVC’s history. Over the last two days the crew of rider/volunteers have logged 123 person hours (we’re trying to keep track) of extremely hard work in difficult conditions. It’s been heroic!

After such devastation it’s amazing to see what the cycling community can do! The pics speak for themselves.

Before vs after slider!

Woolastook is on it’s way to being reborn in a lot of places. Things are going to feel different. However, some things have thankfully weathered the storm pretty well.

There is still plenty of work left. Above all else we want everyone to be safe. Wear protective gear. Have a plan. Don’t work alone. The eastern end of Woolastook still hasn’t been explored and we expect a lot of impact to our new climber and flow trails to the look-out that still haven’t opened. The map shows what has already been cleared at the point of this update. Thanks to every last man, woman, and dog who has put sweat into giving this place a second life.

Orange has been cleared. Red can be left for the forest to regrow.

Post-storm Update: Woolastook

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The unnamed storm that crossed the region on December 18th brought significant rain and winds recorded at ~100 km/h. It has impacted the trails at Woolastook significantly. It has been almost 10 years since post-tropical storm Arthur caused damage on this scale.

River Valley Cycling volunteers began to scope out the situation today. Here’s what they found.

  • The Woolastook Park Campground owner has blocked the parking lot at the highway due to concerns over power lines down on the ground.
  • There is heavy damage to Split Rail. In spots the trail is difficult to find under the trees. The reports we got today only went as far as the intersection with ‘Rough Start’ because it was very difficult walking.
  • Fortunately the impact to the ‘Shoreline’ trail seems to be less intense.
  • No reports yet on interior areas like Bev’s Knoll, Kelly’s Creek, or any of our new flow trails.

For now, riders should not expect to find anything passable. It will take a huge volunteer effort to establish the trails again. We hope to open up enough at Woolastook to have a grooming effort for the winter. That’s an achievable goal. Let us know if you would like to help (at Woolastook, or at any other trail system).

We’ll post more as we know more. Some preliminary reports are coming in from MVP and Penniac but we don’t have a clear picture yet.

RVC Welcomes Kodiak Trail Works to Woolastook

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Great news today – while we are hearing that Hurricane Lee did down trees across Fredericton’s singletrack it doesn’t seem as bad as Arthur was in 2014. Phew.

The other fantastic news is that after a long wait and a lot of planning – Kodiak Trail Works has arrived in Woolastook and has begun construction of ‘T-24’ a climb trail that will be the main conduit for accessing the Woolastook backcountry by taking riders to the top of the ridge behind Mountain Road.

Kodiak will be working at Woolastook all fall and our master plan for the area includes a lot more than just this climb trail. We have reached an agreement that will see Kodiak build almost 7 km of new singletrack for us. Stay connected for updates and volunteer opportunities as we get going. This company brings an impressive resume with work in places including Wentworth, McIntosh Run, and Poley Mountain. We’re psyched!

We want to send a huge thanks to the Radical Edge who’s generous financial backing of this project made it possible for us to take advantage of our huge Canada Community Building Fund grant. The Radical Edge has always been a top supporter of this club!

So check out the conceptual location of the T-24 trail and please respect any barriers and signage around the job-site. Stay connected to our social feeds and watch out for more exciting stuff this fall.

T-24

Proud Members of: Velo New Brunswick

Canadian Cycling Association

International Mountain Biking Association