Hello bikers!

M

mukkrakker

New Member
Really not sure if mtbNJ is the right place for me but let me give you a few details and we'll see what the response is.

I've been out of cycling for about twenty years, prior to that I was never off a bike - drop handle road racer which I took off road as often as possible. (I rode in the UK before coming here fifteen years ago). Man I used to have HUGE legs!
Now I'm an old man with a little too much weight and no hair - I figured a few trips out on the bike would help bring down the weight and give me a bit more pep - I don't know what it will do for the hair.
I'm not a thunder down the mountain type of rider, I'm more a ride along a wooded trail (e.g. trails along Pennypacker Park, Hopkins Pond [39.910, -75.026]) type of guy - in fact until I came to the US I'd never been on a "mountain bike" - oh yeah, let's get that out the way too - I'm riding a Mongoose Maneuver (the pre-1998 without the shocks) and twist shift - I know, but money is tight and it gets the job done. (mtbNJ reviewed it! - www.mtbr.com/cat/older-categories-bikes/bike/mongoose/maneuver/prd_349049_91crx.aspx)

I just did my second twenty five mile ride this weekend - down White Horse Pike through Clementon and back to Collingswood via the Blackwood Railroad Trail and John Balis Bikeway (www.traillink.com/trail/blackwood-railroad-trail.aspx, www.traillink.com/trail/john-n-balis-bikeway.aspx) and then Black Horse Pike - www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/106242999 or maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=
207027156198299611395.0004c33c72f780577110e.
No glamorous hills - a nice "short cut" across a earth embankment (39.833, -75.070) over grown with brambles if you don't mind getting cut up... (When I walked this I took a few more liberties with fences and trespass signs along the pylon lines and old railroad and crossing the Turnpike and 295!).

The UK has so many non-road routes (public rights of way etc) that I never really considered them to be "off-road" it was just the way to get from A to B without having to battle other road users. So that's what I like to do here - finding a bike friendly off road alternative route of a more traditional bike route from google maps... (frankly motorists here are a lot less considerate of any other road user, car or bike, so the less I'm on the road the better).

Next up is a trip to the Blue Hole (swimming with the devil optional) - (http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=
207027156198299611395.0004c33c7dfb6ad312231 - I'll probably need my wife to rescue me from this one as riding those long sandy tracks through the Pineys is pretty exhausting!

If you made it this far, I'd be really interested in any other "off road routes" around Central/South NJ anyone has "discovered".

Regards to all
Mukk
 
Welcome

When pressed for time, I ride to the Pennpacker Park/Hopkins Pond trails as well.

Other trails in your area: the Kresson Trails in Cherry Hill, Camden County College in Blackwood, Gloucester County College in Sewell, and Ceres Park in Mantua. That order would also somewhat represent the level of difficulty for the trails, from easiest to hardest, but all would rideable on your bike.

If you're in the market for a new bike, Danzeisen & Quigley in Cherry Hill is having a bike swap on June 30 & July 1.
http://www.dandq.com/page.cfm/DQ-Info-and-Events/BikeSwap.html

JD
 
Goods points JD. But I feel that Ceres is an easier place to ride than GCC. Definately better flow and way less roots.
 
I don't live around there so can't offer much advice as to roads and routes, but there are dirt roads (that are not single/double track trails) to be found in the rural parts of NJ and PA. Cars travel through these roads as well, so they just wide enough where 1-2 cars can pass through, but you don't see them very often. Around where I live (near NYC), there are none, but I've done some roubaix type loops in Western/Central NJ on my road bike.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/75244467

In terms of ancient right of way thing, in the US, you really don't want to be riding anything that is not for public consumption. It's good invitation for someone with a big shotgun to come chasing you down the road. Don't worry, you'll see no trespassing signs everywhere before you get to that point, hopefully :D

You'd be surprised how much rough terrain you can ride on those old steel bikes. I used to ride my rigid Mongoose Iboc everywhere.
 
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Welcome to site and back to your bike! Link up with some folks here and I'm sure you'll find some trails/routes you'll enjoy.
 
mukkrakker said:
If you made it this far, I'd be really interested in any other "off road routes" around Central/South NJ anyone has "discovered".
Mukk
Click to expand...

If you're looking to go backwoods, keep Wharton and Belleplain Forests in mind this autumn and winter. Both are large forests that have dedicated mtb trail loops. You can easily loop off the marked trails onto the fire roads and explore, if you're equiped with GPS. You can ride 10 to 100 miles in either forest, Meandering to scenic locations or even down the pave to a deli.
 
slingblade_uhhuh said:
...keep Wharton and Bellplain Forests in mind this autumn
Click to expand...

Hey thanks Kurt, I will - I was just down Wharton way at the weekend scaring the wife in the Subaru looking for Blue Hole - Man those flies down there are like science fiction monsters, I was twenty yards away from finding it, on foot, when those buggers chased me back to the car!
 
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