Hilltop Grasshopper Kid's Bike Race, Look Ahead

overbrook

Active Member
Yeah, the Hilltop Grasshopper Kid's Bike Race was canceled in 2018

Heavier rain, the kind that hurts, those big blueberry size drops that aren't stopped by tree cover

Lightning and thunder and witches on broomsticks

It was a monsoon on the course just after we had everything set up and ready to start on site registration

Flood water flowed across the center of the course and now that it's drying up, the rail trail segment has to be completely re worked by ???? to fix massive scouring

But it's not all doom and gloom, the Kid's Korse is rideable and still totally marked and getting out there with the kids is the right thing to do, the kid's korse is actually very resilient and drains dries quickly due to proper design and soil type, show them that sometimes a ride just get's postponed....scroll down just a little to see the strava segment for the Kid's Korse, get your kid's on strava with a screen name and let them compete whenever they want and work towards their own personal improvement

We are already looking ahead to 2019, the 10th annual hilltop grasshopper, date expected to be August 10, more as plans develop

Thanks for all the rider support for the last 9 years, thanks to Cycle Craft and the parks department too, this is a community event that receives gracious quiet help from so many

For the kids in Grade 6 thru 12 who want to really get busy with more riding and maybe some racing, check out NICA, this is the best thing that ever happened to kid's mountainbike racing, not just in NJ but across the country, there's likely a team near you that is stacked with kids and parents who like to ride for fun


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Get the little ones on the trainer

The Hilltop Grasshopper is going to happen after all. Here's the JORBA sponsored site for the 2018 Grasshopper.

Saturday August 11, first race @ 0900 for K-1 boys and girls.

The old location is no more, the new location is in Cedar Grove off the rail trail below the new Cedar Grove Community Center, literally down the hill thru the park below the community center. The map link shows the West Essex rail trail. Parking on race day is also available at Alaris Health on Keeney Street, back parking lot, right next to the course!

The loop is a sweet bit of much smoother single track and a chunk of rail trail, all easily accessible and perfect for viewing little rippers. Thanks for this link to the strava segment for the Kid's Korse.

Here's a link to bike reg, http://www.bikereg.com/hilltop-grasshopper-kids-bike-race-9th-annual

Sign up online and help us better plan for the day, $10.00 covers it. Of course there's paper work to actually sign on the day of the event but if you sign up online, the waiver form will be printed and waiting for your signature.

The race flyer is attached, pass it around!

This is, as always, a grassroots race heavily dependent on riders and families to promote and otherwise build a good vibe and get the kids out to race.

Thanks to CycleCraft and the cycling community for 8 years of successful kid racing in Essex County.
 

Attachments

  • Flyer final Hilltop Grasshopper Mountain Bike Race for Kids 2018.pdf
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Delish

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Awesome! So glad you found a way to keep this going. We will be there this year for sure.

Will it be held on the section of trail known to local hikers as Boogaloo?
 

overbrook

Active Member
Location is correct, a good chunk of that one w start line and return on rail trail, way less technical than original kid’s korse but still not patty cake
 

overbrook

Active Member
Who’s got racin? All those little kids who had to be satisfied watching older NICA kids race now have their own race (don’t forget, grade 6 - 8 students are invited to the grasshopper)

The new kid’s korse will be fully marked shortly, meanwhile most know Boogaloo and the rail trail, tie those together to make a lap and you’ll basically be good.

I do still need to set up bike reg but really, it’s coming, and when it is open I’m asking for riders to share that news and help promote this year’s grasshopper in its new location.
 

Delish

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I took our almost-5 y/o and almost-7 y/o to ride the course this weekend and it is great! The older guy was able to ride nearly all of it by himself. Much excite!

What’s the plan for parking? Now that the road is closed the only parking near there is the back side of the nursing home, which very is spacious
 

taylor185

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
The new kid’s korse will be fully marked shortly, meanwhile most know Boogaloo and the rail trail, tie those together to make a lap and you’ll basically be good.
let me know if you need volunteers to mark or prep course. I'm in Montclair and happy to help.
 

overbrook

Active Member
Parking is easy, the assisted care facility is permitting parking on the day of the race! Of course many will likely also park by the community center because of the big play area for kids and bathrooms and easy access from Fairview Ave

Thanks for asking about this at the new race location
 

Delish

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Excellent, likewise. Do you have a PDF flyer to help promote the race? I'm sure we can help spread the word locally.
 

overbrook

Active Member
race flyer now in the very first post, thanks for spreading it around! that edit feature in this forum is awesome!
 

overbrook

Active Member
your help and help from so many others that i will never know about is why this event is successful, safe and fun for all the kids who come out

thanks for supporting kid racing
 

overbrook

Active Member
the kid's korse, new one off the rail trail in cedar grove, is going to get some attention tonite so the young rippers can run the actual course, (maybe a few more tweaks between now and august 11 race day).....also a chance for the og's to check it out, expect that there will be an og 4-5x hot lap session on race day.....for those not familiar with this quick event, pray that nica hot shots don't show up
 

overbrook

Active Member
The new kid’s korse is open w a need for traffic on the new bits that make boogaloo into a short loop

It rides clockwise, note orientation of new markers on the brand new chunks

No complaining about the new south end connector and center off shoot, a couple logs to be cut out / moved and a need for a weed whacker to tune it, a forest elf will hopefully read this and take care of the two just blown out new bits on new official kid’s korse
 

Delish

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
The new kid’s korse is open w a need for traffic on the new bits that make boogaloo into a short loop

It rides clockwise, note orientation of new markers on the brand new chunks

No complaining about the new south end connector and center off shoot, a couple logs to be cut out / moved and a need for a weed whacker to tune it, a forest elf will hopefully read this and take care of the two just blown out new bits on new official kid’s korse

We will try to get some little wheels on it this weekend! Don't have a whacker or blower but will do our best to clean up some of the trash and other bits. Thanks for your hard work.
 

overbrook

Active Member
The trail dog got all the yellow marker tape up and cut out weed whacked as necessary, bring it on, new bits are kid perfect and ready for all traffic to burn it in

Kid’s Korse is clockwise, just follow the yellow tape
Happy trails
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