Beginner headed to Allaire

[Stix217]

Hey all...I'm getting back into mountain biking for the first time in 20+ years (when I was a teen) in order to try and get some physical activity (other than yard work) back into my life. I live less than 5 mins from Allaire, so I figured that will be a good place to start trying to build up some skills and endurance. A couple of questions I have before I head out there:

-Any idea when the Tuesday beginner rides start?
-What are some basic minimum and recommended accessories I should have with me? (I know helmet is a must...but how much water?, repair kits? tools? etc.)
-Is there a certain trail I should try to stay on as a beginner?
-How long should I expect it will take me to complete a loop around a given trail (assuming a slow/medium pace and no significant stops)?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Jmann]

Allaire is really fun, but it’s not the best marked park. I would download Trailforks to help not getting lost.
I wouldn’t stress it, wear a helmet, bring some water and just ride around and explore. Allaire is pretty tame on the danger level. I would recommend having a spare tube, pump, and mini tool but its pretty hard to get a flat at Allaire.

 

[pooriggy]

How long should I expect it will take me to complete a loop around a given trail (assuming a slow/medium pace and no significant stops)?

Welcome.

With linking some trails together plan on being out for at least an hour. It's up to you how long you want to be out, there are a lot of intersections that you can take to get back to the lot, so it's not like you are ever really that far from parking lot.

Download Trail forks app, it is a good tool to help navigate parks. It is fun to ride with people and have help with directions and putting a loop together but the best way to learn trails is going out solo and figuring out the trail.

 

[Anthony_M]

Hey,

I am also a new rider that will be hitting Allaire a lot. I was planning on heading out there on Sunday. Give me s shout if you'd like to meet up.

 

[gpTron]

Trailforks is a must. There are a lot of trails that aren't on the map so if you have time constraints it's probably best to stick to the trails that are on TF so you can make your way back in a timely fashion. I learned the hard way with that one... Anyway, it's a really fun trail system; especially the trails that I'm not even sure are trails? I like sneaking out of work around noon on Fridays (when the time and workload permits) and riding for a couple hours. Park is pretty empty around that time. I might even do that tomorrow if the weather holds out.

 

[bergsnj]

Here's my advise: Don't over think it, just go out and act like a kid on a bike and ride. Allaire is not all that big and not too easy to get lost in (you can always just pop out onto a road if you get really disorientated). The trails are very smooth so you probably wont need to any repairs but carrying a tube, pump & multi tool is always a good idea. If you have a camel back just fill it with water or bring a bottle of water with you. Just pretend you are a kid again and go ride your bike!

 

[Stix217]

Thanks for the great advise so far....it’s very helpful.

Anthony...I may try and get out Sunday as well. I’ll send you a message with my phone number. Sheet me a text and we can try to coordinate.
Thanks!