anyone have any suggestions to good places for single track in pa. looking for a place with a decent climb for the early morning and a decent ride for the afternoon. something with technical terrain ?
thanks
thanks
trying to find some good riding in pa?
- Thread starter TheBikeGuy1
- Start date
MikeP
Well-Known Member
Where in Pa? Near Philly, Allentown, Pittsburgh, etc?
For a day trip from NJ, the Lehigh Valley (Allentown) area has a few great trails.
wwwbikevmb.com
I've heard good things about Moosic Mountain and Hubbard which is up in the NE of the state.
Raystown and the State College area are great too but they're out further west.
wwwbikevmb.com
I've heard good things about Moosic Mountain and Hubbard which is up in the NE of the state.
Raystown and the State College area are great too but they're out further west.
HeavyMetaLance
Well-Known Member
Raystown is epic, but too far for a day trip.
HeavyMetaLance
Well-Known Member
Ok, it's doable.
But it would be one long ass day.
But it would be one long ass day.
syadasti
Wet Rag
Carbondale/Scranton area is my favorite. I go at least a half dozen times a year and meet people from Ithaca, NY.
The Nature Conservancy's Moosic Mountain Preserve:
Moosic MTB - YouTube
Fell/Merli:
Mountain Bike Ride Merli-Sarnoski Park 5-15-10 - YouTube
Prompton Dam:
Mountain bike ride prompton state park part 1 - YouTube
The Nature Conservancy's Moosic Mountain Preserve:
Moosic MTB - YouTube
Fell/Merli:
Mountain Bike Ride Merli-Sarnoski Park 5-15-10 - YouTube
Prompton Dam:
Mountain bike ride prompton state park part 1 - YouTube
Bear Creek is only 20min over the border on Rt 78, is super techy, a lot of climbing(it is a ski resort), and is the site of the XC Nationals this year and next year. They even ask that you sign a waiver at the kiosk at trailhead saying that you won't sue if you get hurt
Brian
Brian
MikeP
Well-Known Member
Bear Creek is only 20min over the border on Rt 78, is super techy, a lot of climbing(it is a ski resort), and is the site of the XC Nationals this year and next year. They even ask that you sign a waiver at the kiosk at trailhead saying that you won't sue if you get hurt
Brian
The funny thing is Bear Creek is a pimple of a ski resort so I underestimated how tech it would be on a bike. If you like rocks that's the place for you. I felt beat up after 13 miles on my FS bike.
Rocks & Water
Active Member
Two places not far apart
Stop at High Rocks then up rt. 611 to Nocks about 15 mins. Not that tech of a ride but a neat place but at this time it is mud and asking everyone not to ride at this time.
Stop at High Rocks then up rt. 611 to Nocks about 15 mins. Not that tech of a ride but a neat place but at this time it is mud and asking everyone not to ride at this time.
Off The Road Again
Well-Known Member
Three good places to ride nearby in PA, in no particular order:
1. Lehigh Valley, right near the college.
2. French Creek - near Douglassville,
3. Mt. Penn - in Reading.
1. Lehigh Valley, right near the college.
2. French Creek - near Douglassville,
3. Mt. Penn - in Reading.
Are you thinking of Lehigh for #1?
http://app.strava.com/activities/44049081
http://app.strava.com/activities/44049081
1speed
Incredibly profound yet fantastically flawed
What kind of miles are you looking to do? You can get everything you list above in a few different places. A few choices:
(1) Blue Marsh Lake & French Creek: Ride Blue Marsh in the morning -- if you go to the area where they do the October Cyclemania race, you could get a seven mile loop that includes a massive climb up the back of the old Blue Marsh Ski Mountain. The trail is very easy to follow, but for the shorter ride you would want to stay on the north side of Old Church Road (you'd have to ride along the road for a bit to pick up the inbound section of trail.) I wouldn't do the full loop there if you want to ride tech in the afternoon, though, because the full loop is 30 miles.
In the afternoon, head south on Route 422 to French Creek in Birdsboro for a very techy, rocky singletrack ride which can be as long or short as you want it to be. Basically, anywhere you go off of the Shed Road parking lot will give you a rgeat technical ride.
(2) Rattling Creek: Northwest of Harrisburg, this is an IMBA epic, and you can ride up to 55 miles if you hit every trail. Very techy in quite a few sections and there are two big fir road climbs for early in the day -- one of them pops out at a hang-glider launch with a great view. I love this place -- challenging enough but still with tons of flowy trails.
(3) Wissahickon: Philly's best has a 20 mile loop (plus add-ons) with lots of climbing. It doesn't get the press a lot of more remote places get, but it's been growing for years and it'll give anyone a challenge. Not as many rocks as some other places in the region, but there are definitely some very technical areas. You could link it with Belmont Plateau, but it's better if you have someone with you who knows it because you have to ride along the road for a bit to link them.
(4) Michaux: Incredibly techy in some sections, and just tons and tons of miles. It's easy to get lost, though, so be careful if you go -- it's a massive forest and if you get too far out in it on your own, you can get lost and stay lost for a long time. Kind of a longer drive, but probably about as far as Rattling Creek -- you could do it in a day. Michaux is hard-core, though -- it's one of the tougher places to ride a bike in the east with huge climbs and rock gardens on both climbs and descents alike.
