Howdy,
I’m planning a trip to Vermont this summer and I’m looking for a recommendation for a place to do some gravel and mountain biking from. I’ve had great trips to the NorthEast Kingdom to explore the mtb scene up there but I’m looking for a change of pace. Rochester, VT seems like they’ve enjoyed a boom in trail building recently–anybody have experience riding in this neck of the woods?
I don’t have a good answer to your question but check the NEMBA chapters in VT. If you want gravel, bikepacking.com has routes you can follow or use as a start for planning. Analog Cycles in Poultney seems like a cool shop and they run events. Finally, Killington has lift serviced riding as well as a bunch of regular MTB trails in the area.
There’s so much good riding in VT that it gets hard to narrow down. It’s easy to unlock the mountain bike stuff since you can just go to the VMBA page for whatever chapter’s area you’re in and you see it all. Gravel routing is a bit more challenging but a little detective work on Strava pays dividends.
The Rochester trails are great but town is a little sleepy. Depending on what you’re looking for outside of riding and how long you’re staying, that might be a factor.
We’re in Woodstock, which has great gravel and mountain biking. There are 3 trail networks that you can easily ride to from the center of town. It’s actually a thing to ride them all in one day. Mt Peg gets all the press, deservedly so, but Saskadena and Aqueduct are awesome as well. Our local VMBA chapter does a superb job of keeping the trails in shape and updating them as needed. There’s a good mix of tech, flow etc. throughout.
Ranch Camp opened a location in town last year which has been a huge plus. Not quite the same vibe as hanging at the Tiki Bar or Wildflower in NEK after a day of riding, but really really good.
The gravel riding in the area could keep you busy for weeks. Here are 2 of my favorite loops - north of town and south of town.
Housing/hotel options can be a little pricey.
From Woodstock, you’re within very easy reach of Killington Bike Park, Sherburne, and Ascutney.
No matter what you’ll be doing a lot of climbing but you already know that.
A Ripmo (which is what I ride) or similar will cover anything on the mtb side, while any gravel bike is going to be fine as long as you’ve got 1:1 or better gearing for the really steep parts.
As David said , there’s a lot of great gravel. This is an event with fun routes out of Tunbridge a bit east of Rochester: The Ranger - Vermont’s Gravel Enduro
I do a lot of rides out of the Norwich area and would be happy to help with routes if you end up near there.
(David – here’s my favorite for south of Woodstock Woodstock - Brownsville (Ansel loop) | 35.1 mi Cycling Route on Strava)
Hey Mike, I am in the Burlington area and would be happy to connect about riding. Rochester is indeed a wonderful place for MTB and gravel (our roads are dirt roads, they will by and large feel very smooth compared to the midwest and mountain west). Randolph on the other side of the mountain has one of the best trails in the state and some really fun mixed-terrain xc/heavy-duty gravel routes - Look up The Circus Ride for example. I would plan a BIG pedally day and do the “Heart of the Greens” loop as a fun one day ride. Hit the Randolph zone to ride the trail Sap Side and then pull the drops out for the Circus Ride (or some variation of it. Hit me up when you are getting here and ill join ya for any or all of that!
Circus Ride: Ride with GPS | Bike Route Planner and Cycling Navigation App
Heart of the Greens: Heart of the Greens Loop – Ridgeline Outdoor Collective
Randolph MTB Sap Side!: https://www.trailforks.com/trails/sap-side/
Thanks all!
Your responses are much appreciated. I grew up in Hanover NH, right across the river from Norwich, and did tons of road riding in the Upper Valley, but I hadn’t turned my gaze to the dirt until recently. Reading your messages made me wistful and left me second-guessing living in Maine!
We may end up in Rochester as it will leave us with a bunch of options for members of our family who track their FTP, those who don’t care, and those in Kindergarten.
Thanks again for the information, and for the reminder how great the EC community is!!!
There’s a lot of great gravel riding out of the Norwich area! I’d be happy to help with route ideas. This is a mixed-surface loop to South Royalton: Norwich -SoRo - Downer | 65.0 mi Cycling Route on Strava
To Strafford and Sharon: Norwich - Downer - Fay Brook | 38.2 mi Cycling Route on Strava
If you’re in the Upper Valley, there’s also Green Woodlands on the NH side: Mountain Biking | Green Woodlands
The UVCC is another resource: Home | UVCC
My brother has a friend who lives in Stowe, so we had a personal tour of the area this past September.
I used to do the Rooted VT race in Richmond, loved both the short (50 miles?) and long (85 miles) routes and the town is very cute too. I’ve heard there’s good mountain biking around there too, but haven’t done it yet. Bonus: you might get a Ted King sighting!
It’s not Vermont but you could cross the border and head to Bromont QC. There’s infinite gravel in the area and Bromont is a mountain biking destination.
VMBA just published a pretty comprehensive guide for folks visiting from yonder (and locals looking to explore more of their own backyard) - https://www.vtmtbguide.com
Could be helpful!
Follow Ian Boswell on Strava he’s based in Peacham. Ted King’s Strava would probably garner routes too.