Jen descends a log-embedded trail on one of Long Island's mountain biking gems.
A log pile adds a nice technical challenge to an otherwise buff trail.

Trail Care Crew Visits Long Island

Local Trails And CLIMB Get The Thumbs Up From IMBA

Long Island is blessed with over 200 miles of public trails. The local IMBA-affiliated mountain bike club, Concerned Long Island Mountain Bikers (CLIMB) are responsible for much of this mileage being open to bikes. They have constructed trails in several L.I. parks and have developed excellent relationships with the land managers.

The trails we visited in Stillwell, Rocky Point, and Cathedral Pines are a blast. The hills of Long Island are small and sandy, but CLIMB has used the terrain effectively to create fantastic trails for mountain biking. Twisty and full of dips and rises, these trails keep you off your saddle. They invite you stand up and dance on your pedals as your bike leans into corners, dives into dips, and launches off logs and moguls. While these trails are not super-technical and have no lung-busting climbs or gnarly rock gardens, they provided us with some of the most fun riding we've had all summer - bumping, jumping, and carving our way to singletrack bliss.

The nature of the sandy soils quickly showed the CLIMB trailbuilders that fall-line construction is a quick route to a gully and a sandtrap. The Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew visited with CLIMB two years ago and we saw plenty of evidence that the advice on contour trail design had been taken to heart.

Many of the original fall-line descents had been re-routed onto the sidehill and are holding up very well. The original routes had been closed and are re-vegetating nicely. We took note of several unique trail hardening techniques and will be sharing them with other trailbuilders in sandy areas.

A huge thank-you to CLIMB, Kevin Moriarty, and the Woodchuck for the great trails and sweet riding.

Jennifer and Richard Edwards, TCC3