Beartown Ride Signup

[TTD]

To try and simplify this a little...

Post up below which day you want to or can ride...
Then we'll try to figure out a plan that fits the most people.

Please limit this ONLY to riding at BEARTOWN (in LEE, MA)
If someone wants to ride elsewhere... then start a new topic please. (I've added a couple from previous posts)



Tony - Fri, Sat or Sun
Renee - Fri, Sat or Sun
Ken C. - Fri or Sun
Wayne - Sat
Mark T. - ?
Chris - ?
Paige - ?
Others.... - ?

[iillyyaa]

Hi, Tony. Ilya here (LRRS #760). Never been to Beartown. What are the trails like?
--
Ilya

[GMAN226]

What date and how good do I need to be?? I kinda suck...

G-man

[TTD]

The trails are wide enough for a quad... fair amount of rocks and roots.

I would say I'm a "medium level" rider and I get through without much difficulty... although not that fast.




A beginner level rider... someone that has trouble getting over the occasional 10 inch rock or root... will have some difficulty on some sections.

Hopefully, we'll get a good variety of new and "experienced" riders... and can split into two groups.

But I might also have a separate "beginner ride" on Friday

[Ken C]

My daughter is 15 and she gets through most of the Beartown trails on her XR100 without too much trouble.

I consider myself a beginner/intermediate rider and I enjoy Beartown a lot.

Here is a link to the Beartown site.

[Wayne-o]

Originally posted by iillyyaa
Hi, Tony. Ilya here (LRRS #760). Never been to Beartown. What are the trails like?
--
Ilya

Hi Ilya. Maybe you can teach a noob some stuff.

Wayne-o

[Ken C]

Here are directions to Beartown from the Pike.

Basically, exit the pike at the Lee exit and get on RT 102 west toward Stockbridge. Follow that for a few miles. There's a gas station on the right (Mobil, I think) and a little farther on the left is a small road with a sign for the Oak n Spruce resort on Meadow Street. Once you take the left off of 102, take your next right. follow that through the little neighborhood and stay left at the fork in the road. That's the road that goes through the forest. Follow that for a couple miles and eventually, you'll see the ORV parking area on the right. You'll know it's the right one if you see a lot of gravel.

MAP

[GMAN226]

I would be up for Friday.. Anyone from SE MA or RI going? Pete

G-man

[TTD]

Word is that Friday is going to be a bit chilly.... Sat and Sunday are looking best.

[R7]

Tony - Fri, Sat or Sun
Renee - Fri, Sat or Sun
Ken C. - Fri or Sun
Wayne - Sat
Mark T. - Friday or Saturday
Chris - ?
Paige - ?

[OreoGaborio]

[TTD]

Sorry Pete...

[Wayne-o]

Originally posted by R7
Tony - Fri, Sat or Sun
Renee - Fri, Sat or Sun
Ken C. - Fri or Sun
Wayne - Sat or Sun
Mark T. - Friday or Saturday
Chris - ?
Paige - ?

Wayne-o

[oreo_n2]

Originally posted by OreoGaborio

hey pete... buy ashley from me... then you can go dirt riding any time you want... add some motard wheels and you got a good track bike too.

[TTD]

OK folks.

Right now, it looks like there will be two rides.

The one on Saturday will have all levels... and the one on Sunday will be an intermediate and above.

On Saturday, I will be going with Renee and will lead the "RED" group around.

The more advanced riders on Saturday will have their own group.

This lets the better riders have a good time without having to stop every 1/4 mile or so to get the group back together.

So once again... if you're a "newbie" dirt rider... Saturday is the best day to go and you can ride with Renee and myself.

If you're more advanced... you have your choice of days.

For each day, we are starting the ride at 11 AM, so show up no later than 10:30 to get prepped.

[iillyyaa]

Thanks for the info. See all y'alls there on Sunday!
--
Ilya

P.S.: Actually, someone reminded me that I did in fact ride in Beartown - on my BMW R1150GS in the rain. We took the wrong turn off the route sheet down some muddy and rocky singletrack, and got bogged down going up a steep hill. Pushing 600lbs of a bike up the hill was not my idea of a good ride, so we turned around then. But I was thinking that those trails would be fun on the ATK.

[TTD]

Wow!!!

I can't imagine doing some of the trails at beartown on a 600lb dual sport.

Glad you made it out!

[iillyyaa]

It's a dualsport in the sense that it's both riding and weight lifting.


--
Ilya

[TTD]

[gmdboston]

I've raced enduros out there for years. The local club like to send every one home with square wheels and gauze pads... If you stay on the double track roads you'll have a great time. Watch out for the single track, I love it, but beginners will kill Tony and then dump their dirt bikes into the river on the way home...

[TTD]

There are definitely some "hero" sections, but we've taken Ken's daughter there twice now and you don't get more "beginner" than her.

She had some trouble with a few sections, but we got her through it.

The trick is to stay on certain trails.

[gmdboston]

It's a great place to ride, nice wide double track, great views of the Bershires, and a nice change from teh congestion of Metro West. Right here in Franklin there is a State forest that is perfect for riding, Flat smooth single track, my 7 yr old son Alex rides on his PW 50. If you guys have time you should do a beginner ride. You'll have to plan fast, the forest closes the end of November and you need an OHV plate or a street reg.

[TTD]

Is it only good for beginners or is there a mix?

I'm thinking maybe next weekend we can head out there?

[gmdboston]

I practice there all the time, there are no big hills or cliffs, just miles of tight, fun single track. I have to ride stupid fast to stay on a 24mph enduro pace. There are a few rock gardens, one or two nice 2-5 foot drop offs (or step ups if go the other way) no stoppers and fast fun bermed single track through the pine trees. I have a 12 mile loop that covers the perimeter and there are dozens of connector trails in between. If I can make it I can show you a lot of trail out side the forest, we have up to 60-70 miles of trails with very little road work.

[TTD]

Sounds like a plan!

Hopefully you'll slow down the pace so we can keep up... AND maybe even remember which way the trails go.




I find that if I'm only concentrating on staying alive... not much left for making mental notes of trail direction.