Got directed to this site as a good place to get the low down on the North New Jersey scene. Older guy with around 20 years of MTB racing as a racer and currently a USAC Race Director in Missouri with putting on about dozen MTB and XTERRA events (including the Missouri State MTB Champs one year) I did these with my old college teammate who owns a bike shop in St. Louis (Mike Barro Owner: Swim Bike Run O'fallon) with him having a great race team (40K Racing) connected to the shop. Moving there due to an opportunity within my work. As much as I hate to leave a good batch of teammates, a great co-director and race sponsor with Barro, and two great Off-Road events Mike Barro and I have been building over the years (The Heartbreaker and XTERRA-St. Louis), I have to find new trails, new teams, new shops, and new races. I have researched some of the trails and Strava segments (if it isn't on Strava it didn't happen). I have the following area I am looking for feedback on with the local scene in North New Jersey.
-Best Trails close to Randolph, NJ (Area I will be living)?
-Thoughts on Allamuchy Trails? I like to periodically take a long MTB rides (think 25-30 miles without doing laps), this trail system on paper looks like a potential area for 3-4 hour rides.
-Good Fall Endurance Races? We have the BTEPIC in October in Missouri and it sells out in about three hours (about 500 racers) and is a 50 mile race mostly on singletrack with only about 2 miles of gravel road repeated, everything else on a massive area of the Mark Twain National Forest and over 5,000 feet of climbing. I was truly spoiled with this one.
-Good Bike shops? My buddy stocks Specialized and BMC, so I ride Specialized by default (not a bad group of bikes though), but if they don't stock Specialized it isn't a deal breaker. I will be buying one last bike from SBR before I leave and the wife has started to ask about how many bikes I have and need (N+1), so I may not be buying a new bike for a while. But I do periodically break things and need a source for tires/tubes (also bike commute in the St. Louis area). I can do some wrenching, but periodically may need a bike wrench who does it daily and has tools I might not have.
-Speaking of New Bikes. I am looking at the latest Stumpy lineup with getting a ST version. How will that hold up with the local North New Jersey trails? I am not a freerider type with no hucking off big drops, more of a 50 mile racer and lean toward comfortable 29inch setup.
-Best Tire around NJ? Online videos show a lot of rock garden action.
-Regular Group Rides? Until I learn the local trails, I would rather not get lost. If you blind fold me, drive me to any trail within 100 miles of my Missouri home and turn me loose, I will know where I am at within 400 to 800 meters. It has been a very long time since I have truly been lost and would rather not revisit that feeling. Plus I haven't be riding as much this spring and gained weight, lost fitness. Looking for a group ride with at least a couple of fat old guys. Not because I want to bond with you. I just need someone I can outsprint in case of bears.
-Beer Question. One thing St. Louis can do well is beer, and I am not talking about A-B Budweiser old world headquarters, plenty of great small breweries. What is the local beers and pubs to hit around Morris County.
-MTB teams? As noted before I ride for St. Louis team, but the local MTB teams really make the vibe for the race scenes.
-Best Trails close to Randolph, NJ (Area I will be living)?
-Thoughts on Allamuchy Trails? I like to periodically take a long MTB rides (think 25-30 miles without doing laps), this trail system on paper looks like a potential area for 3-4 hour rides.
-Good Fall Endurance Races? We have the BTEPIC in October in Missouri and it sells out in about three hours (about 500 racers) and is a 50 mile race mostly on singletrack with only about 2 miles of gravel road repeated, everything else on a massive area of the Mark Twain National Forest and over 5,000 feet of climbing. I was truly spoiled with this one.
-Good Bike shops? My buddy stocks Specialized and BMC, so I ride Specialized by default (not a bad group of bikes though), but if they don't stock Specialized it isn't a deal breaker. I will be buying one last bike from SBR before I leave and the wife has started to ask about how many bikes I have and need (N+1), so I may not be buying a new bike for a while. But I do periodically break things and need a source for tires/tubes (also bike commute in the St. Louis area). I can do some wrenching, but periodically may need a bike wrench who does it daily and has tools I might not have.
-Speaking of New Bikes. I am looking at the latest Stumpy lineup with getting a ST version. How will that hold up with the local North New Jersey trails? I am not a freerider type with no hucking off big drops, more of a 50 mile racer and lean toward comfortable 29inch setup.
-Best Tire around NJ? Online videos show a lot of rock garden action.
-Regular Group Rides? Until I learn the local trails, I would rather not get lost. If you blind fold me, drive me to any trail within 100 miles of my Missouri home and turn me loose, I will know where I am at within 400 to 800 meters. It has been a very long time since I have truly been lost and would rather not revisit that feeling. Plus I haven't be riding as much this spring and gained weight, lost fitness. Looking for a group ride with at least a couple of fat old guys. Not because I want to bond with you. I just need someone I can outsprint in case of bears.
-Beer Question. One thing St. Louis can do well is beer, and I am not talking about A-B Budweiser old world headquarters, plenty of great small breweries. What is the local beers and pubs to hit around Morris County.
-MTB teams? As noted before I ride for St. Louis team, but the local MTB teams really make the vibe for the race scenes.
