I'm not a super duper mountain bike rider - can I do the ride?
Yes! Both the short course and the intermediate course use the old roads (the intermediate about 50%), which are gravelly in spots, but easy to navigate. And the trails on the Stewart State Forest lands are typically wider and faster, which makes them a little easier to navigate, than many other trails. So come on out!I am a super duper mountain biker - should I do the ride?
Of course! These are great trails, with some technical sections that you'll have fun with. (For everyone's safety, we encourage saving your gonzo riding for a different day! ) SSF is often used for ATB races - so you know it's good! You can also help us put on a great ride by volunteering as a marshal -- and you ride for free. E-mail us if you're interested.What should I expect at the different ride levels?
Beginner/Family: Ride on old gravel roads, wide with gradual hills, good for kids and people who want an easy sightseeing ride through the forest. Marked green.
Intermediate: Ride on gravel roads and well worn single track including
moderate climbs and rocky areas. Marked yellow.
Advanced: A longer ride along the intermediate route with some more
difficult side routes along the way. It includes some tighter single track
with forest debris, mud, roots and rocks. Marked blue.
All routes will be marked with arrows, and every rider will receive a route map.
I'm coming to the ride solo but want to ride with other folks - can you help?
Sure, we can help connect riders of similar abilities who would like to ride the course together. Just because you're one person on one bike doesn't mean you can't be social! Look for signage at the start to join up with fellow riders.
I want to ride with my family, can my kids do the ride?
Yes! Choose the short course, which relies on old roads through the lands for most of the ride. These don't present the challenges of forest trails, and thus are great for kids who are comfortable on their bikes off-road, and their parents, of course!I'm supporting my favorite rider - can I come if I'm not riding?
Sure, you can come and enjoy the Forest, and take a mini-tour with our nature experts too. If you'd like lunch or ice cream, that will be $10 so we can cover our costs. Tour riders will have ID to indicate they are registered riders; only paid riders get lunch of course!What kind of bicycle do I need?
For the Stewart State Forest Bike Tour you'll need a mountain bike, aka ATB (all terrain bike).. unless you're doing the beginner/9-mile, for which a hybrid bike or cruiser is OK; BMX is fine for the short course too. Off-road riding (even on the old roads on the lands) is definitely not for skinny tires, so save your road bike for another day!Will you feed me?
Yes, we will! We'll have breakfast items like coffee, bagels and donuts... lots of fruit and trail mix for out on the trail, and then a great lunch with yummy (local!) burgers and hot dogs. Something for the vegetarians as well. Gilded Otter is providing their famous beer too! And if you don't want a meal, how 'bout just dessert? Maybe some homemade pie...and ice cream!What cool stuff will there be to do?
Besides the super fun ride (don't worry, it will be well-marked and we'll provide maps), and a great lunch, we'll be offering brief walking tours, and this year Beacon Cycles will be on hand with demo bikes - try out a new mountain or hybrid bike from a shop that loves off-road! They'll even lead out some other short trail rides if you haven't gotten enough riding in! Thinking about racing? Beacon Cycles can field your questions there too, as they sponsor a semi-pro team. We'll have some picnic tables, but feel free to bring a camping chair to hang out for lunch.What cool stuff can I win?
All pre-registered riders get into a prize drawing automatically! So pre-register now! Bring a couple bucks to buy more raffle tickets to better your chances of winning. All proceeds benefit SPARC, which is all-volunteer! Cool stuff you can win will be posted shortly...What should I bring?
Bring your bike, your helmet (required!), a water bottle/CamelBak & water, sunscreen, a few bucks for the raffle, and anything else you like to have with you on a ride (it never hurts to have a tube/tools & mini-pump!). We'll have an en-route rest stop but you may want to bring a PowerBar or something depending on the distance you're doing.Also consider bringing/wearing insect repellent - ticks are a fact of life in this area of NY now. With the unpredictable weather of late, you might want to bring layers to be ready for whatever Mother Nature throws at us. We can hold bags if need be at the start/finish.
There are lots of great photo ops, so bring a camera if you feel comfortable carrying it. (And if you get some shots you want to share, send 'em our way and we'll post 'em!)
If you haven't pre-registered, bring a check or cash for the entry fee. We probably won't have enough seating for everyone hanging out post-ride, so feel free to bring a camping chair for hanging out after the ride. (P.S. plan to enjoy the sounds of the Forest - leave your iPod at home!) And some sneakers for a walking tour with our SSF experts!
What should I NOT bring?
While SSF is a great place for you and your dog, it's not the best idea to bring you, your dog and your bike! So leave FIDO at home, unless someone is coming with you to hang onto the pup while you ride.Where's the start?
The start is off Weed Road, in the Stewart State Forest. Park at the DEC entrance just off Rt. 207, in Rock Tavern (Town of New Windsor). Take I-84 Exit 5A south (747/Int’l Blvd., toward the airport), turn right onto Rt. 207 west; the Weed Road entrance is two miles ahead on the right. See the ride page for a small map. Please carpool if you can.If you want to make parking easier, and don't mind a little warm up ride, you can park at the Ridge Road entrance (on the north side of the Forest, off Rt 17K) and then ride Ridge Road down to Weed Road for the start (abt. 2.5 miles)
Transit-bike directions for those folks sans auto - would be Hoboken (or Penn to Secaucus) to Salisbury Mills or Grand Central/125th to Beacon. Salisbury Mills is closer, but the earliest train gets in at 10:41, a tad late. There are trains to Beacon arriving at 8:05 and 9:10am; a trip to Beacon requires a ride over the Newburgh Beacon Bridge bike path, then a quick jump south and then west on 17K through the city a bit, then onto 207. If we have enough interest, I'll look into shuttles, but right now you're on your own to get you and your bike from train to the start.
When should I get there?
Event check in starts at 9am. As soon as you're checked in (and had your coffee and bagel or donut, of course) you can go ride! We will work to have everything set up before 9, but please don't come before 8:30! If you're doing the short/beginner course, come a little later so you'll be ready for lunch when you get back from riding.What if the weather is perfect?
We ride!What if the weather is less than perfect?
We ride!Since SPARC is all-volunteer we really can't swing a rain date, so do your sunny dance early and often!
What are rules of the trail?
The lands will be open, as usual, to all users. So you may encounter horse riders, cyclists in pre-race training, walkers and their dogs, etc... . IMBA, the International Mountain Bike Association, says:- Ride Open Trails Only
- Leave No Trace
- Control Your Bicycle
- Always Yield Trail
- Never Scare Animals
- Plan Ahead