liznotter
December 4th, 2006, 05:00 PM
Ride Like a Girl Rides into Winter
This Saturday (12/9) Becky Bafford will be leading a cold-weather ride for women only (sorry guys) at Gambrill State Park. This ride is not for beginners! We've had quite a few beginner-level rides lately, so this week we're taking on an intermediate to advanced-level trail.
Gambrill State park is located in Frederick County. We will be riding the yellow loop. The best way to describe this ride is ROCKS. Lots and lots of rocks, steep rocky climbs, and some very technical rocky downhills. In order to enjoy this ride, you need to have both a moderate level of fitness AND intermediate technical ability. To give you an idea, here's how the ride starts: out of the parking lot, ride along a beautiful, leave-strewn trail. This is the garden path to the gates of hell. Turn a corner and the trail goes straight up as far as you can see. It's very rocky and there are little drainage ditches across the trail, with boards to "help" you over. Get to the top of the hill and stop to catch your breath. Next, follow a 1/4 mile long rock garden. The rocks along this section are large, closely-spaced and many have sharp edges.
This is just the first half mile of an approximately 8 mile loop. Normally I say, I'm not trying to discourage anyone from making this ride, but this time, I am. You WILL NOT have fun if you do not have at least some experience with technical climbs and descents and with riding thru LONG rock gardens. But, if you are able to ride at a Fountainhead/Patapsco(Cascade) level and have never tried Gambrill, this is a good ride to do it. We will ride at a casual pace, no one gets dropped, and we will help you thru the hard parts.
If you have any question about your ability to make this ride, please don't hesitate to email me or Becky (rbafford AT howardcc DOT edu). And we will be doing another beginner to intermediate-level ride some time in January.
The specifics:
Where: Gambrill State Park, lower gravel lot http://www.more-mtb.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1208
When: Saturday, December 9, 10:30 am (NEW TIME)
Terrain: See above
Pace: Casual. We won't drop anyone, and there are bail-outs at several points on the ride.
Contact: Liz or Becky
This Saturday (12/9) Becky Bafford will be leading a cold-weather ride for women only (sorry guys) at Gambrill State Park. This ride is not for beginners! We've had quite a few beginner-level rides lately, so this week we're taking on an intermediate to advanced-level trail.
Gambrill State park is located in Frederick County. We will be riding the yellow loop. The best way to describe this ride is ROCKS. Lots and lots of rocks, steep rocky climbs, and some very technical rocky downhills. In order to enjoy this ride, you need to have both a moderate level of fitness AND intermediate technical ability. To give you an idea, here's how the ride starts: out of the parking lot, ride along a beautiful, leave-strewn trail. This is the garden path to the gates of hell. Turn a corner and the trail goes straight up as far as you can see. It's very rocky and there are little drainage ditches across the trail, with boards to "help" you over. Get to the top of the hill and stop to catch your breath. Next, follow a 1/4 mile long rock garden. The rocks along this section are large, closely-spaced and many have sharp edges.
This is just the first half mile of an approximately 8 mile loop. Normally I say, I'm not trying to discourage anyone from making this ride, but this time, I am. You WILL NOT have fun if you do not have at least some experience with technical climbs and descents and with riding thru LONG rock gardens. But, if you are able to ride at a Fountainhead/Patapsco(Cascade) level and have never tried Gambrill, this is a good ride to do it. We will ride at a casual pace, no one gets dropped, and we will help you thru the hard parts.
If you have any question about your ability to make this ride, please don't hesitate to email me or Becky (rbafford AT howardcc DOT edu). And we will be doing another beginner to intermediate-level ride some time in January.
The specifics:
Where: Gambrill State Park, lower gravel lot http://www.more-mtb.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1208
When: Saturday, December 9, 10:30 am (NEW TIME)
Terrain: See above
Pace: Casual. We won't drop anyone, and there are bail-outs at several points on the ride.
Contact: Liz or Becky