Portland, Maine Fat Bike Snow Ride
Date & Time: Saturday, February 7, 10am start
Location: Bradbury Mountain, near Portland, Maine
Ride Type: Snowy groomed trails appropriate for fat bikes, unlikely to be around snowmachines
Distance: 10 miles then extra riding and some exploring for those who want to go longer, 3-4 hours of riding
Price: Free; please sign a waiver and RSVP so we know who all to expect!
Details
This is a fat bike fun ride on great groomed trails at Bradbury State Park, very close to Portland, Maine! Come out and enjoy this beautiful area, ride with other fat bike riders who are coming up from the Boston area and who live in the Portland, Maine area! All who RSVP will receive a route, though trail conditions when we’re there may dictate route updates during the ride.
Pace
This ride is suitable for people with good fitness to push your fat tires! The group will ride fast enough to stay warm but it won’t be fast considering the conditions (snow on trails)! It’ll be good fun. It will be properly cold.
Start Time
9:55am - Be ready to ride in the parking lot - find the big, red van! That’s where everyone will meet up.
10:00am - Safety talk starts, then everyone rolls out
Distance & Estimated Ride Time
However far we can ride in 4 hours is approximately the distance.
Parking
Parking is $6 in the Bradbury State park lot for out-of-state license plates. Exact parking location will be emailed to all who RSVP. Bring cash for parking. Mainers pay less for parking.
Route
The route(s), starting location, and more information will be emailed to all who RSVP no later than 7pm the night before the ride.
Route Notes
Dress appropriately for the weather since it will be cold out. It will be easy to overheat if you overdress (overheating/sweating leads to freezing). Wear layers so that it’s possible to start warm and then take some off as the ride start moving. Bring chemical hand & foot warmers if your gloves/boots are thin.
With this cold, bringing extra of everything is smart. Goggles and hand warmers are really good to have no matter what.
Any mechanical issue that will take more than just a couple of minutes will mean that a rider will need to walk back to the car and the group will need to proceed or else everyone could be at risk with the cold. Please understand that the group will need to continue moving and be ready for any issues with all of the right tools/tube.
After the Ride
We’ll bring a camp stove and boil water for hot chocolates together. Practicing boiling water in the winter is important since it’s how to stay safe in winter expeditions! It takes some time; if you want to bring your camp stove to practice, this is a great opportunity to learn in a supportive environment!
Optional - Sunday Ride Option & Saturday overnight camping
On Sunday, we’re headed north to York Hill Farm, another wonderful place to fat bike! If you’re interested in being kept in the loop for this ride, please email us connect@newenglandexpeditionriders.com. It’s about an hour north of Bradbury.
Saturday night we’ll be finding a nice place to camp outside at a state park or public lands. If you’re interested in joining in on this aspect, email us! connect@newenglandexpeditionriders.com
Last-Minute Information
We will email all participants with any critical late-breaking news.
Contact Information
Email - connect@newenglandexpeditionriders.com with questions about this ride anytime 1 hour or more prior to the start of the ride.
CALL US if you need us to know anything just before the ride start or during the ride at 413-461-7433.
Don’t txt if you need an immediate response, all txt msgs go to our email that we aren’t checking if we’re in front of people at the ride or on our bikes.
Riding Rules
All riders are required to read and are expected to abide by These Rules. RSVP’ing to this ride indicates you have read and accept all of the rules. These make the ride safer and more fun for all.
Waiver
NEER requires a signed waiver before your first ride. Please fill it out online prior to your first ride.
If this is your second or more ride with us, our insurance requires that you become a member of NEER.
Proper bike & Equipment
3.8” knobby tires bare minimum OR BIGGER - 4.6” are ideal. Wider tires at lower pressures are nicer! Narrower tires won’t be welcome on groomed trails for the foreseeable future since they rut up the hard work groomers do.
Clipless pedals and shoes. These are important elements of bike control. If you are an experienced cyclist who has used platform pedals and sticky shoes extensively, this is acceptable. Note that mountain-style pedals/cleats are significantly better than road-style. We strongly discourage road pedals/cleats on a mixed terrain ride. You can possibly get away with road pedals/cleats on a gravel (dirt road) ride, but not a mixed terrain ride.
A bike that’s in safe working order that is properly lubed and tuned.
Be sure you have supplies necessary for all common mechanicals including extra derailleur hangers, a multi-tool, quick chain links, tubes, CO2 or hand pump, etc. You are responsible for you and your bike.
RSVP to tell us you’d like to be on this ride!
Please RSVP with your interest in being on this ride. We’ll confirm the plan once the weather and trail conditions are known. If the weather is too cold for you and your gear, there is no pressure to attend. Do be sure to ask since we often have extra gear that we may be able to lend to you for the ride.
Be sure to email us if you can’t attend after RSVP’ing: connect@newenglandexpeditionriders.com.
