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MTB Destinations

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Erik Timmerman

Erik Timmerman

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MTB on Mt Desert Island would be really cool. Let us know if you find any.
 

Tom K.

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I found Downeville more to my taste.

I came so close to doing the downieville race three separate times when I lived in OR. Now that we're in MT probably not going to happen.

But the place I really wanted to ride in that neck of the woods is called Graeagle. Apparently a lot of ground-level tech challenge, which at least used to be my jam! ;)
 

Lauren

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I asked and searched around about mtb in Bar Harbor but if there are good trails, and there must be, they are top secret.
I don’t think there is much up that way. Sounds like you’re from MA based on the suggestions you gave? If you are…Black Strap in Portland could be worth a stop on your way home. As could Bond Brook in Augusta (I haven’t personally been there in 10 years, but know it was pretty awesome then, and they’ve done a lot of work since).
 

Crank

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My avatar pic is from Arcadia/ Bar Harbor. But in it I'm riding around on a granite ledge that we found on a short hundred yard or so trail off of a carriage road. Views to rival the left coast. We found no trails but had a great ride on a mix of pavement and gravel. Sections of the park don't allow bikes as to not spook buggy pulling horses I believe. We did some fun riding near Portland guided by @Tony S on our way north.
 

crosscountry

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My avatar pic is from Arcadia/ Bar Harbor. But in it I'm riding around on a granite ledge that we found on a short hundred yard or so trail off of a carriage road. Views to rival the left coast.
Not ON Mount Desert Island, but across the water on Schoodic peninsula, part of the Acadia National Park. Or shall I say the "forgotten part of the Park"?

Not exactly "mountain" biking but a mix of road, dirt road and jeep trails that are legal for bikes. View is just as good, if not better, than from Mt Desert Island. Little traffic, no crowd whatsoever. Another of those "wheeled assisted sightseeing" kind of mtbing.
 

Wilhelmson

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I don’t think there is much up that way. Sounds like you’re from MA based on the suggestions you gave? If you are…Black Strap in Portland could be worth a stop on your way home. As could Bond Brook in Augusta (I haven’t personally been there in 10 years, but know it was pretty awesome then, and they’ve done a lot of work since).
Yes and since MA was included I threw a few in in case it was on the itinerary. I mtb in Bethel ME area.and sometimes Southern Maine U on the way home if I meet my brother in law. Bethel is good but Carabasset might be more of a mtb destination, although we like Mt Abram too and hiked it this morning. For mixed skill Bethel is great. I saw some little kids covered in mud. The kid on the 24” looked a little burnt out.
 

Tony S

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I don’t think there is much up that way. Sounds like you’re from MA based on the suggestions you gave? If you are…Black Strap in Portland could be worth a stop on your way home. As could Bond Brook in Augusta (I haven’t personally been there in 10 years, but know it was pretty awesome then, and they’ve done a lot of work since).

My avatar pic is from Arcadia/ Bar Harbor. But in it I'm riding around on a granite ledge that we found on a short hundred yard or so trail off of a carriage road. Views to rival the left coast. We found no trails but had a great ride on a mix of pavement and gravel. Sections of the park don't allow bikes as to not spook buggy pulling horses I believe. We did some fun riding near Portland guided by @Tony S on our way north.

The trail network in Gorham (ME) is ever expanding and ever improving. Will worth a detour to sample. As with so many MTB locales, having a local along is helpful.
 

Tricia

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Having live both east and west coast, it's pretty obvious to me the view is better out west by a huge margin.

The only time the east beat the west is during fall color season. And even then, it needs good sunny days which is not guaranteed in the east.

The Flume trail I would considered a "must do once" for anyone who mountain bikes. But it's a bit on the crowded side for my taste (on weekends at least) as far as the biking part goes. I think of it more as a "wheel assisted sightseeing". :)

There're a lot of other mountain biking trails in California (where I used to live) that has just as spectacular view and similar trail characteristic. Plus many others with less or more technical challenges to choose from for those who have different preference. For just riding, I found Downeville more to my taste. Also in the Grass Valley area there're a lot of easy trail for families of mixed ability. Very good scenery too. (doesn't hurt for us from the SF bay area the drive is shorter).

The coastal range up and down the state of California has so many trails with amazing scenery to choose from, it's mind boggling! Despite the year round riding opportunity, I didn't feel like I scratched the surface during my short stay of 3-5 years (part time some of those years). As a destination for trips? How much vacation time do you have? ;)
Downeville is extremely technical. It's not for the faint of heart.
While I have not ridden it, @Philpug and our friend CJ has ( @DeAnn Sloan's husband) and I trust Phil when he says....Not for you Tricia.
 

Tricia

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I came so close to doing the downieville race three separate times when I lived in OR. Now that we're in MT probably not going to happen.

But the place I really wanted to ride in that neck of the woods is called Graeagle. Apparently a lot of ground-level tech challenge, which at least used to be my jam! ;)
I haven't been to Graeagle but so many people tell me about all the amazing stuff to do there.
Hike, Bike, Golf, ....its known for so much amazing outdoor activity
 

crosscountry

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Downeville is extremely technical. It's not for the faint of heart.
While I have not ridden it, @Philpug and our friend CJ has ( @DeAnn Sloan's husband) and I trust Phil when he says....Not for you Tricia.
It's been over 10 years since I last rode it. So my recollection maybe a bit fuzzy...

I didn't find it super technical, though the exposure makes it feel more daunting than it really is. The only notable part I recall was the 1/2/3 divide which is on the hill side with steep drop off on one side or the other. For those who don't have the stomach to do them, there's a dirt road to bypass one or more (or all) of them. If taking the dirt road bypass, I'd rate it as medium technical. (doing all the "divides" would probably put it in the "advance" league,)

I did it on my old school cross country rig. I would think modern freeride geometry should mellow out the ride a bit too.
 
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Lauren

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Yes and since MA was included I threw a few in in case it was on the itinerary. I mtb in Bethel ME area.and sometimes Southern Maine U on the way home if I meet my brother in law. Bethel is good but Carabasset might be more of a mtb destination, although we like Mt Abram too and hiked it this morning. For mixed skill Bethel is great. I saw some little kids covered in mud. The kid on the 24” looked a little burnt out.
I ride in Bethel fairly often...lots of great "1-3 hour" rides...not too much linked together into long full-day excursions though. I really enjoy Abram, they've done an amazing job with their trails. For longer days, I generally venture over to Gorham, NH from Bethel...another incredible up-and-coming location.

We're currently leaning towards Stowe or Carrabassett for our ladies weekend (yea...two pretty opposite locations, ha).

The trail network in Gorham (ME) is ever expanding and ever improving. Will worth a detour to sample. As with so many MTB locales, having a local along is helpful.
I've ridden there twice now, one time with a local, one time without...needless to say, we hit better trails, in better directions with the local :)
 

tball

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MTB on Mt Desert Island would be really cool. Let us know if you find any.
Consider a trip to Porto Santo, Portugal.

Porto Santo is a small island in the middle of the Atlantic near Maderia. A trip to Maderia and Poro Santo would be amazing in itself, even without the great mounting biking. Maderia is a beautiful lush island full, and Porto Santo is a small desert Island with a perfect seven-mile-long beach:

1689350326307.png


Long ago, I was lucky enough to spend two months working on Porto Santo. Instead of paying for rental cars, we justified the government buying us mountain bikes to save money. I rode many laps around the island on my government-issued Specialized Rockhopper. Porto Santo's trails are super fun, and the scenery is just spectacular.

Here's a great video of a group that took the ferry from Madera to Porto Santo for a day of mountain biking:



It looks like there are direct flights from JFK to Maderia for great prices. So much better than my trips that required flying through Lisbon and took like 28 hours to get there. Seeing these flights, I need to get back!

1689350025780.png
 
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