As mountain bikers, getting through the ups and downs of the Vermont fifth season aka "mud season" can be challenging. One week, trails are dry and open - and the next week, they are closed due to rain (or even snow).
To get through this difficult time, we have come up with 5 things you can do instead of biking on the trails.
Keep up-to-date on trail status, find your Vermont Mountain Bike Association chapter and learn more about mud season at: vmba.org).
1. Hit up a dirt road:
Riding dirt roads is a great option during mud season. They are much wider than trails or sidewalks, have fewer cars than most roads and can have incredible Vermont scenery.
Do you need a gravel specific bike? Not necessarily. You can still pedal your mountain bike on a dirt road. However, on a gravel bike your pace will be faster because the drop handlebars and larger volume tires provide more efficiency, allowing you to ride further or to the dirt road of choice. If you are interested in browsing our gravel bike selection, click here.
2. Learn a thing or two about bike maintenance:
There are so many resources available to learn bike maintenance - online tutorials, books and video chatting with a knowledgeable friend. A good start is learning how to clean your bike and change a tire. Once you tackle those, keep going! Of course, if you have any major service needed or have questions, let us know.
3. Host a Zwift indoor group bike ride via “Meetup”:
The Zwift app allows you to ride your bike on a trainer and still enjoy the social aspect of riding with your friends. Here's a blog post on how to get started, click here to read.
4. Joining or renewing as a Vermont Mountain Bike Association (VMBA) member:
Even when the trails are closed, VMBA still needs your help to prep for opening the trails in the near future. Being a member allows VMBA to:
- Support the trail maintenance/building of your local chapter.
- Support a strong platform of administrative services that every chapter utilizes.
- Support the critical advocacy needed to protect your riding.
Learn more at vmba.org
5. Practice some backyard skills:
Vermonter Phil Metz aka “Skills with Phil” recently released a video (below), showcasing 5 simple bike skills for your backyard. When you’re done, create your own and share them with us!
Michelle Peters, Skirack Marketing
