Durham Mountain Biking Association

Membership Has Its Privileges!

Tom Hawks — Thu, 10 May 2012 21:03:47 +0000

DMBA Members and Durham Mountain Bikers - May News

They say “Membership has its privileges.” Here are a few special privileges available only to our 2012 Members. If you have renewed for 2012 - thank you for your continued support. If you haven’t renewed yet - thanks for your support last year and please click here now to renew your support of the advocacy, trail building and special programs we do on your behalf. We need your membership to represent you effectively.

Ride Woodnewton This Week - Thursday & Friday 4-8pm and Saturday 12th noon-6pm.

Woodnewton is a private network of purpose-built mountain bike trails just around the corner from Durham Forest open for riding only a few days a year. Its a fun, flowy set of trails built by Sean Ruppel and Chico Racing, one of our Corporate Members, specifically for Ontario Cup x-c mtn bike races. The race is this Sunday and the trails are open between now and then for pre-riding. New and renewing 2012 DMBA members, whether racing or not, are welcome to ride Woodnewton this week for FREE! If you haven’t renewed yet this year, you’ll be able to do so at Woodnewton. Come ride the trails and maybe try an O-Cup, if you haven’t yet.

A special DMBA thanks goes out to Erin Bennett, a DMBA supporter and one of the Woodnewton owners, for this generous opportunity.

Location: On Uxbridge 6th Concession, east side about 1 km N of Goodwood Rd (Durham #21) map link

5-Peaks Trail Running Race at Durham Forest this Saturday - Steer clear or join in for free!

Durham Forest single track trails will be full of trail runners this Saturday morning so you’d be advised to ride elsewhere, like EDH Towers or 3 Rocks, if you’re planning a Saturday morning ride this weekend.

In recognition of the trail work that we have done in DF, the 5 Peaks Race organization has donated $200 to the DMBA trail building fund and has offered DMBA members 10 FREE ENTRIES to the sold-out race this weekend. If you would like to claim one of these entries send a note to mailto:david@5peaks.com with your name and he will arrange for your race day registration. Another membership privilege! Thanks to Dave and the 5 Peaks Team for their generous support of the DMBA.

DMBA Women’s Trek Store Skills Clinic - Monday May 14th, 6:30pm at Durham Forest

Eric Orshel of BikeNXS and Barry Near of the Trek Store are teaming up to bring a cadre of coaches, including some of the Trek Team’s best women riders, to put on a free (there is is again) mountain biking skills clinic exclusively for our women next Monday night. This will be an opportunity for our women riders of all abilities to get some tips from the pros to build their skills and confidence on the trails. There are just a few spots left so contact Kim mailto:kimpagliaro@gmail.com to enroll.

Don’t worry men, there’s one on Wednesday June 6th for you. Mark your calendar now and stay tuned for details.

These free clinics are open only to current 2012 members, so make sure you’ve renewed for 2012. Click here to renew.

Brock Lands and Greenwood CA Master Plan - Public Consultation

The DMBA has had a team, led by Jason Murray, working with the TRCA representing the mountain biking community and our interests to ensure cycling is include in the plan for the new Brock Lands and is returned to a sanctioned use in Greenwood CA. We are excited to announce that we have had good success in this mission and have been asked to develop a single track mtb trail plan for these areas! We have also convinced the TRCA to include a Bike Park in the Brock Lands plan. The TRCA will be holding Open Houses in Pickering May 10th and Ajax May 17th to introduce the lands and the draft Recreational and Trail Plan. This is an opportunity to see what is coming and show your support for cycling in these areas by attending and voicing your support. Details here.

Thanks for your support by being a DMBA member in 2012.

Tom Hawks President, DMBA

Pancakes & Kids in the Forest: Sat May 5 10am-1pm

Tom Hawks — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:29:39 +0000

You’re invited to: Pancakes & Kids in the Forest!

Come for breakfast and a fun family trail ride.

– Saturday May 5, 10am – 1pm
– at Durham Forest Main Tract: 3789 - Uxbridge 7th Concession, just south of Goodwood Rd.

The Durham Mountain Biking Association will be serving pancakes in the forest and offering guided family trail rides to celebrate mountain biking in the spring.
Pancakes in the Forest - $2: Load up on carbs before or after your ride at the griddle in the forest! We’ll be cooking up delicious hot pancakes and serving them with syrup and juice for just $2 a plate.
Family Trail Rides - Free: This will be a fun day for parents and kids of all ages and riding abilities. We’re taking our kids out of the city and into the forest - off of the side walks and onto a real mountain bike trail! They will experience the thrill of riding along rolling dirt trails in small groups for about an hour. Experienced guides for each group will offer tips and techniques on how to safely handle the new challenges of trail riding. Rides will be leaving about every 15 minutes and groups will be organized according to the kids’ ages and riding abilities so everyone will have an enjoyable trail riding experience.
So parents bring your kids, and kids bring your bikes and helmets, for a fun, spring mountain bike ride in Durham Forest. Learn about the trails, the forest and mountain bike riding. Enjoy the spring weekend in a healthy, active way. Bring your family, friends and relatives for a fun ride in the forest. All are welcome.
Questions? (905) 706-1211 or info@durhammountainbiking.ca

Durham Forest Trail Build

Terry Sinclair — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 05:21:40 +0000

Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (land manager for Durham Forest) has granted the DMBA permission to build another km of sweet single track. The new trail will allow users to access the Bowes Trail by another route right from the north end of the parking lot.
Come and put in some sweat equity and earn a feeling of pride every time you ride this new trail.

-all tools will be provided
-wear long pants, long sleeves and work gloves in case of contact with poison ivy
-bring water
-BBQ lunch provided

Date: Saturday April 28
Time: 9:00 – 12:00
Meet at Durham Forest Main Parking Lot

If you are relatively new to trail building we will be offering a pre- build workshop starting at 8:30 sharp.
During this time we will provide instruction on:
-how to bench cut
-proper use of the Pulaski, McLeod and Fire Rake

Important: Please RSVP if participating in the trail build so that we can purchase appropriate amounts of food.

DMBA REPAIRS GLEN MAJOR AND WALKER WOODS TRAILS AND A REMINDER

admin — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 05:29:33 +0000

On Saturday March 31, 2012 DMBA organized a group of 18 wonderful volunteers to repair the Glen Major and Walker Woods trails. We met at the 3 Rocks parking lot and broke into 3 groups. One group started north of Chalk Lake Rd and worked south along the Trans Canada Trail, another started at the Gravel Pit parking lot and worked north, while the third group started at the 3 Rocks parking lot and worked its way north. After about 3 hours the job was done. The 3 crews did an amazing job and repaired most of the damaged areas. Adam and David at the TRCA expressed their thanks and gratitude for all of the hard work. They were surprised by how fast we were able to organize and fix the problem on such short notice. The trails were initially damaged by a few equestrians riding the trails before they had dried out and the trails were unable to handle the load of a horse. This resulted in hoof sized potholes 6″ deep in many places, especially up/down hills, and in many places the trails looked like someone took a roto-tiller to them (see attached picture, click to enlarge).

Every spring DMBA lets everyone know when the trails are dry enough to ride so that we are able to keep the trails in great shape. The equestrians do the same, but not all users (bikers included) have the same respect for the trails. This is just a friendly reminder that if you encounter a wet and muddy trail that will be damaged if ridden on, please do the right thing by turning around and choosing an alternate trail. This will ensure that the trails remain in excellent condition. Again, a BIG thank you to all of the great volunteers who came out to repair the trails. Your hard work is greatly appreciated!

Ontario Trails Council Trail Course

admin — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 05:58:30 +0000

The OTC is putting on an education program with trail specific courses aimed at both volunteers and professionals. Everything from design and construction to wilderness survival and nutrition. Hope to see you there!

http://www.ontariotrails.on.ca/courses

Courses | Ontario Trails Council
Find trails in Ontario for walking, hiking, cycling, skiing, snowmobiling, ATVing or horseback riding. The Ontario Trails Council site is your place to start for trails throughout Ontario.

2012 Planning Session

Tom Hawks — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:18:49 +0000

You’re invited Sunday February 12, 9:15am-noon at Uxpool, 1 Parkside Dr. at Franklin St. in Uxbridge.

Your Directors have been working on several projects this winter - developing new trail opportunities in Durham Forest, East Duffins Headwaters, Dagmar and York Region; mtb skills programs for the spring; and a new website, among many others. But we want your input and need your help to plan and organize 2012 to be the best DMBA season yet.

We’ll update you on the opportunities and work under way, preview the new website and ride scheduler system; and unveil the full survey results and analysis. We need your help brainstorming on how to address the key conclusions and suggestions from the survey. Things like: refining women’s programs and rides; adding more skills clinics; developing our youths’ skills and rides; refining weekend rides and road trips; improving our apparel; and working with our Corporate Partners. Afterwards we’re planning a fun X-C Ski and Snowshoe tour of Walker Woods from the Towers lot at 1pm - if real winter ever arrives.

So please mark you calendars now and come out to reconnect with your riding mates and contribute your ideas to DMBA 2012.

Tom Hawks — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:33:10 +0000

2011 Annual General Meeting

Nov. 13, 9:30-11:30am, Uxbridge Uxpool Meeting Room

You are invited! Mark you calendars and come out to our 2011 Annual General Meeting on Sunday Nov. 13th, at 9:30am at Uxpool, 1 Parkside Dr. in Uxbridge. Map: http://maps.google.com/?q=1 Parkside Dr, Uxbridge, Ontario

Breakfast option 8am: For those hungry, early-birds - you’re invited to join the directors for breakfast chow and chat at 8am at Scrambles Restaurant at Foxbridge Golf at 274 Reach St., Uxbridge Here’s a map.

Meeting obligatory 9:30-11:30am: We’re getting together to celebrate our successes, update you on the highlights of this year, get your feedback and input, refresh our Board of Directors, give you a glimpse into 2012 directions, and then go for a ride in EDH on some new, rarely ridden trails.

Ride option 12:30pm: After the AGM, bring your bike, a quick lunch to munch and meet at the EDH Towers parking lot on Uxbridge 7th Concession at 12:30pm for a tour of some of the trails-less-traveled in the EDH. Tom Hanrahan will lead us on a little adventure to discover the new trails in Wilder Woods, Pleasure Valley and the Brock Tract. There will be shorter and longer options to the ride so no one is left behind.

The Annual General Meeting is your chance to get a first hand update from your directors on all the financial, advocacy, trail building, family programs, skills development and riding activities we are involved in, elect your 2012 Board of Directors and hear some of the plans we have for 2012. You’ll also have opportunities to give us feedback on 2011 and suggest additions to our 2012 objectives/activities. And we’re planning the world premiere screening of a cool movie of the recent Bowes-Too trail build and a preview our new website (with new member functions and a new ride-scheduler - yea!)

Re. 2012 Board of Directors Elections:

Returning Directors serving the remaining year of their 2 year term: J-P DeCouvrier, Tom Hanrhan, Mike Danilko.

This year we have to elect 4 directors to serve a 2 year term (2012-2013). Nominees so far are: Tom Hawks, Terry Sinclair & Steve Snodden (each standing for a second term) and Gord Parr (new nominee).

Nominations welcome: It is healthy to regularly add new, enthusiastic blood to our Board so if you are interested in taking on a regular, active role in the management and direction of the DMBA by serving on the Board please let me know asap. We’d love to have a younger person and a woman on the Board - if you can put up with the rest of us old men. All adult members are eligible to serve and you are welcome to self-nominate. Don’t worry that the slate appears full - we’ll find a way to make room for a keen volunteer.

If you want to have input and be involved, but aren’t keen on a Board position, don’t worry, your opinions, ideas and energy are always welcome. We will continue to consult with our full membership regularly and we will rely heavily on our Core Members for your ideas and energy to make 2012 an interesting and exciting ride.

Your questions, suggestions, feedback and input are always welcome. Looking forward to seeing you, hearing from you and riding with you on Nov. 13.

Ride long, live longer,

Tom Hawks

President, DMBA

Speak, Build, Respect, Ride!

Cell: 905-706-1211

Ravenshoe Boardwalk Build

admin — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 22:47:25 +0000

“Big Meanie’s 72 Big Foot Boardwalk”

Ravenshoe Forest (Brownhill Tract) – Sunday, October 30

This past Sunday was a “Big” day for DMBA and York Region. It was DMBA’s first opportunity to put a stamp on York Regional soil. And what a “Big” stamp that was!

It was a bright and frosty morning when 15 DMBA volunteers gathered to construct a 72 foot boardwalk. With the help of many screw guns, a couple saws, and a pile of lumber (provided by York Region) the crew managed to construct nine 8 foot boardwalk sections in under 2 hours. Thanks to one of the locals, the crew had a place to work off-site before transporting the sections into the forest.

After carrying the giant 8 foot sections, by hand, deep into the forest, the boardwalk installation commenced on the infamous “Big Meanie” trail. York Region was kind enough to provide two forest technicians to help clear the old structure from the site.

The volunteers worked tirelessly and craftily to install this beautiful boardwalk. What an experience. This is the first of many structures to come. The Big Foot Boardwalk lives!

Thanks DMBA! Thanks York Region!

Ravenshoe Boardwalk Build

admin — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 05:07:28 +0000

Sunday, October 30th, 2011

You are invited to help with the construction and/or installation of a brand spanking new boardwalk in Ravenshoe Forest (Brownhill Tract) on the “Big Meanie” trail.

Important!

If you wish to help with the construction of the boardwalk sections, please go to 22843 McCowan road (just north of Ravenshoe road) between 8-9am, which is where we will build the boardwalk in 9 - 8′ long sections.

Any time after 9am we will start to make our way over to the site on the “Big Meanie Trail”.

8am: -boardwalk construction

9am: -removal of the old ladder bridge/double teeter-totter on-site in “Big Meanie” trail.

-transportation of boardwalk sections to the site.

-installation of new boardwalk on site.

We should be finished by around noon.

Please RSVP if you plan on attending and let me know if you have any questions.

Erich Baumhard
baumhard at hotmail.com

Autumn Trail Build - SUCCESS

admin — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 05:00:54 +0000

Almost overwhelming, but a nice problem to have; those are some of the words that could be used to describe Saturday’s turnout for DMBA’s latest trail build. Terry S. put out the call and you showed up in numbers. A record number in fact. Something like 80 people. More people than tools it seems and that’s the nice problem to have. A problem we can solve and will solve with an order for more McCleods please.

Brodie Bartlett attended the build, this time as a filmmaker and we look forward to those results. The limited edition DMBA hats were almost all distributed in one shot. What will we think of next?

Mike Sweet will be updating the Durham Forest map in due course and we’re thinking we’ll just carry over the Bowes name at this point.

I rode the trail on Sunday and ran into alot of smiling riders with the same idea. The enthusiasm was noticeable. People with a sweat invested in the trail are happy riders.

When you combine all the positive elements of Durham Forest, we do have a gem. And to think we’re in a position to have a positive impact on this rare asset.

See you at the Spring Build! I wonder where that one will take us?