NJ MTB fest give me some pointers

Wolfjon

Active Member
Hey guys I plan on attending the NJ MTB in Ringwood on the 30th other then the obvious of get there early. What are some of the must check outs..
Also my son want to demo some better trail bike then his old fuel.. what ones should we take a good demo on first vs later in the day it may impossible to try. FYI all of our riding is North jersey but my son would definitely prefer something more DH capable but still jumpy and poppy on local stuff... Not that I am buying but any chance to try stuff we would not normally have the opportunity to would be welcome.
 

shrpshtr325

Infinite Source of Sarcasm
Team MTBNJ Halter's
the guys at the demo trucks know their line of bikes and how they behave, i dont have any specific models to recommend, but talk to the guys working the demo tent, they can point you to different bikes that fit with your riding style/what you are looking for. thats how i did it last year when i was in the market.
 

qclabrat

Well-Known Member
Trying to find a bike to do all will have comprises on both ends of the spectrum. However, the new 29" enduro bikes might fit his bill. He'll want something that will climb well, light and still have about 150mm rear travel. There's lots out there. Maybe even consider a bike which can swap tire sizes. Bikes which come to mind are the SC Hightower LT, Spesh Stumpy Pro, Orbea Rallon, lots out there. Make sure the bike has the ability to slacken the geo for when he goes to the parks.
 

JimN

Captain Wildcat
Team MTBNJ Halter's
If your goal of the festival is for your son to demo a bunch of bikes to find one he wants, then I suggest you take him up there to ride his current bike before the festival. Get familiar with some of the trails there (obviously not necessary if you guys are already familiar with the trails), and then take the demo bikes on those trails for comparison. There will also be a ton of group rides, some great food vendors, and lots of likeminded people. Stop by the MTBNJ tent at some point and say hi.
 

Wolfjon

Active Member
If your goal of the festival is for your son to demo a bunch of bikes to find one he wants, then I suggest you take him up there to ride his current bike before the festival. Get familiar with some of the trails there (obviously not necessary if you guys are already familiar with the trails), and then take the demo bikes on those trails for comparison. There will also be a ton of group rides, some great food vendors, and lots of likeminded people. Stop by the MTBNJ tent at some point and say hi.
Good point I may make it a point to head there next week after work and run there marked demo course a run or two... I think it would be great to hit up a group ride as well I do know that 9-4:30 will go fast though.
 

pooriggy

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
FYI all of our riding is North jersey but my son would definitely prefer something more DH capable but still jumpy and poppy on local stuff... Not that I am buying but any chance to try stuff we would not normally have the opportunity to would be welcome.
Ideally look at bikes that a shop near you carries, especially if you don't work on bikes, other then to mount tires and lube chain. There are some cool bikes on the demo list, when it comes time to buy, it's nice to know there is a shop less then 30 minutes away that sells it.
Also Bike fest is a great way to meet other mtbers and possibly find riding buddy's for you and son.
 

V-Dub

Well-Known Member
Check out the Fest's web site there's a list of all confirmed vendors, we are trying to list all of the models that will be available for demo. Demo bikes shouldn't go out on the group rides though. We are updating our site almost daily with ride schedules and vendor info.
 

Wolfjon

Active Member
Check out the Fest's web site there's a list of all confirmed vendors, we are trying to list all of the models that will be available for demo. Demo bikes shouldn't go out on the group rides though. We are updating our site almost daily with ride schedules and vendor info.
Yes I have been on the fests site and looking at all the different demos so far. I agree the demos do not go on a group ride. When we went to the SC demo a few riders took out a couple of bikes for a LONG..... time so you ended up just waiting.
 

Wolfjon

Active Member
Ideally look at bikes that a shop near you carries, especially if you don't work on bikes, other then to mount tires and lube chain. There are some cool bikes on the demo list, when it comes time to buy, it's nice to know there is a shop less then 30 minutes away that sells it.
Also Bike fest is a great way to meet other mtbers and possibly find riding buddy's for you and son.
I do have the capacity to work on all my own bikes which does make it a plus for buying something that may not be local. This is why my son has had about 6 bikes so far and he is just 12.. its pretty easy to pick up a bike overhaul it, use it then sell it for something else... My problem is so far on my own bikes I have a tendency to become attached LOL...Kids bike not so much just a temporary investment in time spent before its no long cool to hang with Dad..
 

Mr.Moto

Well-Known Member
Check the fest website regarding the demo route they are planning. I think they will have a route layed out so that demo bikes don't go out for hours at a time. It doesn't really mean you couldn't take it on any other trails.
 

Mtbdog

Well-Known Member
The demo loop is 2.5 miles long and 2/3 is fire road. Shepherd Lake road to Old Morris road to the singletrack marked race loop back to Shepherd Lake road. it has some good punchy climbs, a fast downhill and some techy singletrack. Round about a 20 min. ride for a lap. Should be able to shake down a bike pretty good. Have fun!
 

Dajerseyrat

Well-Known Member
Demoing a bike is a great idea. I would never buy a bike again without doing a real demo ride, not a parking lot ride. I had an Intense ACV for a week, and did a Bronson for 3 days. Wound up doing a Santa Cruz High tower which has similar geometry to the Bronson but climbs a lot better due to the less travel and lock out options. I d believe Santa Cruz is not offering the HT in a 27 plus this year, only a 29er, but I could be wrong.
 

Wolfjon

Active Member
I bought my SC Tallboy 27.5+ after demoing that at Mahlon then parking lot testing a few other bikes. This is more just to see what else is out there and see what my son gravitates to since he may need to move up in frame size next year... of course with him its going to be whatever I can find used since he is still growing.
I did make it over to Ringwood last week around 6:30 at night so I was only able to run the demo loop once just to get an idea what it was. We were slow at 27 minute for the 2.44 miles but my wife and daughter also rode up the fire road the 1st mile along the lake. They turned around at the intersection and then my son and I did that climb then the singletrack back down... Looking forward to Sunday just to have some fun..
 

jmanic

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
Staff member
JORBA.ORG
Team MTBNJ Halter's

kidzach

Well-Known Member
I highly recommend giving the Yeti stead a ride or 4. After demoing a bunch of bikes @ Killington, I purchased a 4.5. Great bikes. I was leaning towards the Giant Trance until demoing these , game over.
 
Top Bottom