News/Events

Hello, EVMA Members!

Here's what's happening this week in the wild world of local mountain biking:

EVMA Membership

Membership lapsed?  Our inexpensive membership dues are an important source of revenue used for trail maintenance and improvements. In the coming year we'll be working on plans to extend the trail network at Harwood Mills, make bridge improvements at Wahrani and York River State Park, general trail repair at New Quarter Park, and extend rock gardens on the Marl Ravine Trail, to name a few. It's fast and easy to renew your membership online at the EVMA website, and help keep mountain bike trail access advocacy rolling for all of us. Renew Now.

Refer a Newbie

Do you know someone who's bike-curious? Reassure them that they're not alone, and that they can find an understanding and supportive environment at our EVMA beginner rides. These no-drop, leader based rides are held the first Saturday of most months, and are a great introduction to the manna that is mountain biking, and the ridiculously awesome riders of the EVMA. See the details, and forward to a friend!

Summer Group Rides 

• Saturday, August 1st 9am - Freedom Park*  (EVMA Meeting at Noon) Also Dirt Divas and Beginner Ride.
• Sunday, August 2nd 9am - York River State Park
• Saturday, August 15th - Buttermilk Road Trip, details TBA
• Sunday, August 16th 9am - York River State Park

* YRSP is the default back-up in the event Freedom Park trails are closed

Trails

• Wet trails Enough with the rain, already! As always, please allow trails to dry before riding, and call the Freedom Park interpretive center for trail status before you head to the park. (757)259-4022
• Trail Work - Members who do any trail work, please see an email to president@evma.org with details: date, trail, number of volunteers, hours, scope of work. 

Upcoming Events

• Saturday, August 1st 12 noon - Club Meeting & Lunch at Freedom Park
• September 18th-19th -  Fall Douthat Camping Trip - Registration is open on the website, and spaces are still available. Space is limited so Register now.
• Late April/ Early May, 2016 Raystown Lake Spring Camping Trip

Other News & Events

• Colonial Revolution A new composite NICA interscholastic mountain bike team has formed and started pre-season practice. Interested middle school and high school students can learn more at the Colonial Revolution website  or Facebook Page.
  
• Bryce All Mountain Fest is August 1st & 2nd. Information and Registration Link

Keep the rubber side down, & enjoy your week!

Hello, EVMA Members!

Here's what's happening this week in the awesome world of local mountain biking:

Volunteers Needed Saturday

Boy Scout Troop 300's Cason Kerrick will be working on his Eagle Scout project at Freedom Park. Cason will be installing a second bridge at the D trail intersection. The completion of this bridge will allow for future races to be held using all of trail D, since it will be one direction traffic flow on each bridge.

Volunteers are needed to come and give a hand with hauling the material and installation of the bridge. Meet at the Hornsby Middle School parking lot on the back side of the park, this Saturday, July 18th, at 8am. Cason has worked very hard on this project for the past year. He also has it completely funded, and is having Chick-fil-A lunch served for volunteers. Anyone that can lend a hand should bring work gloves and water. RSVP for a lunch count.

Summer Group Rides 

• Saturday, July 18th 9am - Pocahontas Road Trip. Meet at 7:45 to car pool from exit 231 (I64 Norge exit) Park-N-Ride lot, or meet at 9am in the Heritage parking lot. Follow the conversation on the EVMA Chatter page.
• Sunday, July 19th 9am - Freedom Park* 
• Saturday, August 1st 9am - Freedom Park*  (EVMA Meeting at Noon)
• Sunday, August 2nd 9am - York River State Park
• Saturday, August 15th - Buttermilk Road Trip, details TBA
• Sunday, August 16th 9am - York River State Park

* YRSP is the default back-up in the event Freedom Park trails are closed

Trails

• Wet trails just keep happening. As always, please allow trails to dry before riding, and call the Freedom Park interpretive center for trail status before you head to the park. (757)259-4022
• Trail Work - Members who do any trail work, please see an email to president@evma.org with details: date, trail, number of volunteers, hours, scope of work. 

Upcoming Events

• Saturday, August 1st 12 noon - Club Meeting & Lunch at Freedom Park
• September 18th-19th -  Fall Douthat Camping Trip - Registration is open on the website. Space is limited so Register now
• Late April/ Early May, 2016 Raystown Lake Spring Camping Trip

Other News & Events

• Colonial Revolution A new composite NICA interscholastic mountain bike team has formed and started pre-season practice. Interested middle school and high school students can learn more at the Colonial Revolution website  or Facebook Page.
  
• Bryce All Mountain Fest is August 1st & 2nd. Information and Registration Link

Stay cool and/or dry, & enjoy your week!

Hello, EVMA Members!

Here's what's happening this week in the wild world of local mountain biking:

Summer Group Rides 

• Saturday, July 18th 9am - Pocahontas Road Trip, details TBA
• Sunday, July 19th 9am - Freedom Park* 
• Saturday, August 1st 9am - Freedom Park*  (EVMA Meeting at Noon)
• Sunday, August 2nd 9am - York River State Park
• Saturday, August 15th - Buttermilk Road Trip, details TBA
• Sunday, August 16th 9am - York River State Park

* YRSP is the default back-up in the event Freedom Park trails are closed

Trails

• Wet trails just keep happening. As always, please allow trails to dry before riding, and call the Freedom Park interpretive center for trail status before you head to the park. (757)259-4022
• Trail Work - Members who do any trail work, please see an email to president@evma.org with details: date, trail, number of volunteers, hours, scope of work. 

Upcoming Events

• Saturday, August 1st 12 noon - Club Meeting & Lunch at Freedom Park
• September 18th-19th -  Fall Douthat Camping Trip - Registration is open on the website. Space is limited so Register now
• Late April/ Early May, 2016 Raystown Lake Spring Camping Trip

Other News & Events

• Colonial Revolution A new composite NICA interscholastic mountain bike team has formed and started pre-season practice. Interested middle school and high school students can learn more at the Colonial Revolution website  or Facebook Page.
  
• Bryce All Mountain Fest is August 1st & 2nd. Information and Registration Link

Stay cool and/or dry, & enjoy your week!

Hello, EVMA Members!

Here's what's happening this week in the crazy world of local mountain biking:

Summer Group Rides 

• July 4th  no ride, Sunday, July 5th 9am Wahrani Nature Trail
• Saturday, July 18th 9am - Pocahontas Road Trip, details TBA
• Sunday, July 19th 9am - Freedom Park* 
• Saturday, August 1st 9am - Freedom Park*  
• Sunday, August 2nd 9am - York River State Park
• Saturday, August 15th - Buttermilk Road Trip, details TBA
• Sunday, August 16th 9am - York River State Park

* YRSP is the default back-up in the event Freedom Park trails are closed

Trails

• Wet trails just keep happening. As always, please allow trails to dry before riding, and call the Freedom Park interpretive center for trail status before you head to the park. (757)259-4022
• Trail Work - Members who do any trail work, please see an email to president@evma.org with details: date, trail, number of volunteers, hours, scope of work. 
• New Quarter Park needs trimming. Watch for a trail work day to be scheduled.

Upcoming Events

• Sunday, July 5th 1:00 - 3:00 Colonial Revolution Youth Mountain Bike Team Skills clinic & team practice ride New Quarter Park. Interested middle school & high school students are welcome to come out and meet the team members and coaches of this new NICA team. Learn more at the Colonial Revolution website or Facebook Page.
• Saturday, August 1st 12 noon - Club Meeting & Lunch at Freedom Park
• September 18th-19th -  Fall Douthat Camping Trip - Registration is open on the website. Space is limited so Register now
  
• Late April/ Early May, 2016 Raystown Lake Spring Camping Trip

Stay cool and/or dry, & enjoy your week!

Hello, EVMA Members!

Here's what's happening this week in the rad world of local mountain biking:

Bryce Park Road Trip June 28th!

Join the EVMA at Bryce Park Sunday, June 28th. Bryce is approximately 3.5 hours from the Norge Park & Ride. Those wishing to carpool can meet there. See details and join the event on the Facebook event page.

Summer Group Rides 

• July 4th  no ride, Sunday, July 5th 9am Wahrani Nature Trail
• Saturday, July 18th 9am - Pocahontas Road Trip, details TBA
• Sunday, July 19th 9am - Freedom Park* 
• Saturday, August 1st 9am - Freedom Park*  
• Sunday, August 2nd 9am - York River State Park
• Saturday, August 15th - Buttermilk Road Trip, details TBA
• Sunday, August 16th 9am - York River State Park

* YRSP is the default back-up in the event Freedom Park trails are closed

Trails

• Wet trails just keep happening. As always, please allow trails to dry before riding, and call the Freedom Park interpretive center for trail status before you head to the park. (757)259-4022
• Trail Inspections - Trail Captains, please log your inspections and any work for the month of June. You may also email president@evma.org with details.
• Trail Work - Members who do any trail work, please see an email to president@evma.org with details: date, trail, number of volunteers, hours, scope of work. 
• New Quarter Park needs trimming. Watch for a trail work day to be scheduled.

Upcoming Events

• Bryce Road Trip June 28th - See item #1 above, and join on Facebook for updates.
• Saturday, August 1st 12 noon - Club Meeting & Lunch at Freedom Park
• September 18th-19th -  Fall Douthat Camping Trip - Registration is open on the website. Space is limited so Register now
  
• Late April/ Early May, 2016 Raystown Lake Spring Camping Trip

Stay cool and/or dry, & enjoy your week!

Hello, EVMA Members!

Here's what's happening this week in the fabulous world of local mountain biking:

Bryce Park Road Trip June 28th!

Join the EVMA at Bryce Park Sunday, June 28th. Bryce is approximately 3.5 hours from the Norge Park & Ride. Those wishing to carpool can meet there. See details and join the event on the Facebook event page.

Summer Group Rides 

• Saturday, June 20th 9am New Quarter Park
• Sunday, June 21st 9am Freedom Park* 
• July 4th  no ride, Sunday, July 5th 9am Wahrani Nature Trail
• Saturday, July 18th 9am - Pocahontas Road Trip, details TBA
• Sunday, July 19th 9am - Freedom Park* 
• Saturday, August 1st 9am - Freedom Park*  
• Sunday, August 2nd 9am - York River State Park
• Saturday, August 15th - Buttermilk Road Trip, details TBA
• Sunday, August 16th 9am - York River State Park

* YRSP is the default back-up in the event Freedom Park trails are closed

Trails

• Trail Inspections - Trail Captains, please log your inspections and any work for the month of June. You may also email president@evma.org with details.

• Trail Work - Members who do any trail work, please see an email to president@evma.org with details: date, trail, number of volunteers, hours, scope of work.

• New Quarter Park needs trimming. Watch for a trail work day to be scheduled.

Upcoming Events

• Bryce Road Trip June 28th - See item #1 above
• New Quarter Park needs trimming. Watch for a trail work day to be scheduled.
• Saturday, August 1st 12 noon - Club Meeting & Lunch at Freedom Park
• September 18th-19th -  Fall Douthat Camping Trip twelve campsites have been reserved. Eric Van Duessen volunteered to be the event coordinator. Thanks Eric!
  
• Late April/ Early May, 2016 Raystown Lake Spring Camping Trip

Stay cool & enjoy your week!

Hello, EVMA Members!

The EVMA club meeting was held Saturday, June 6th  Here's what we discussed:

Treasurer's Report

Our treasurer, Crystal Richardson, was absent and sent the report to Jim Irby, who did not bring it to the meeting. In short, we have money! Seriously though, in the interest of transparency, the report is available to anyone who would like to see it. Email Jim Irby if you are among the financially curious.

Insurance

Insurance has been renewed with K & K for one year. We are considering and implementing additional measures to help limit liability including:

• Safety rules 
• Renewed MOUs
• Stricter enforcement of procedures (Freedom Park)
• Registration as volunteer organization with State Parks (YRSP)
• Background checks for leaders of children’s events (required by NQP, JCC)

Individuals can register as State Park volunteers also, and earn perks for their volunteer work. Visit Virginia State Park's Website to learn more.

IMBA Membership

The club is evaluating costs & benefits of becoming an IMBA Chapter.

Youth Activities

The idea of sponsoring a kids group was brought up and is under consideration. We are working with New Quarter Park & Freedom Park as venues for youth activities.  James City County requires background checks for ride leaders. 

Trails

• Wahrani 10 volunteers worked for 6.5 hours to install new signage and trim trails. We still need to GPS the trails, Steve Maxey is working with the park management to complete this task.
  
• Upper County Boundary dispute still ongoing. 
  
• New Quarter Park needs trimming. Watch for a trail work day to be scheduled.
• York River  we will be installing mileage markers every 1/2 mile on Marl Ravine. Mike Gross is heading up this project.

Summer Group Rides 

• Saturday, June 20th 9am New Quarter Park
• Sunday, June 21st 9am Freedom Park* 
• July 4th  no ride, Sunday, July 5th 9am Wahrani Nature Trail
• Saturday, July 18th 9am - Pocahontas Road Trip, details TBA
• Sunday, July 19th 9am - Freedom Park* 
• Saturday, August 1st 9am - Freedom Park*  
• Sunday, August 2nd 9am - York River State Park
• Saturday, August 15th - Buttermilk Road Trip, details TBA
• Sunday, August 16th 9am - York River State Park

* YRSP is the default back-up in the event Freedom Park trails are closed

Upcoming Events

• Saturday, August 1st 12 noon - Club Meeting & Lunch at Freedom Park
• September 18th-19th -  Fall Douthat Camping Trip twelve campsites have been reserved. Eric Van Duessen volunteered to be the event coordinator. Thanks Eric!
  
• Late April/ Early May, 2016 Raystown Lake Spring Camping Trip

Stay cool & enjoy your week!

Good Afternoon, EVMA Members!

Here's what's happening this week in the fascinating world of local mountain biking:

EVMA Club Meeting Saturday, June 6th, Noon at Freedom Park. We'll be grilling burgers. Lunch will be at noon, followed by the meeting. We'll be grilling and meeting in the new picnic shelter by the playground. 

• Women's T-Shirts: We will have women's cut tee shirt samples at the club meeting. We would like some input as to sizing and colors.
• Summer Group Ride Planning: We would like to schedule group rides for the summer both local and day trips. Please come to the meeting with suggestions and to volunteer.
• Fall Trip Planning: We need a volunteer organizer for the fall trip.

Wahrani Update

• A big "Thank You!" goes out to everyone who worked at the Wahrani trail work day: Steve Maxey, Kirk Moore, Mike Benton, Mike Gross, Eric Van Dusen, Dave Barker, Robert Maye, Harry Caraway, and Jim Irby. Also, Rob, a local rider, gave us several hours of assistance and planned on joining the club. Kim Turner, New Kent County Parks and Rec. Director,  spent several hours helping and was very grateful for all of the work. Most of the signs were put in place. Many decals still need to be installed, and some old markers need to be removed. Ride with caution.

Group Rides 

• June 6th 9:00 am Freedom Park* - Dirt Divas & Beginner Mountain Bike Rides *There is a high probability these rides will cancel based on the current forecast. Check Facebook or the website for updates.

Trails  

• Trails are currently very wet at all parks, and Freedom Park trails are closed today. Please give the trails a chance to dry out before you ride.

Stay dry & enjoy your week!

Good Afternoon, EVMA Members!

Here's what's happening this week in the wonderful world of local mountain biking:

Trail Work Day This Sunday!

• Sunday May 31st 9am - Wahrani Trail Work Day Join us at Wahrani Nature trail at 9am for a trail work day. We'll be removing the old trail markers and replacing them with new trail signage, and trimming a few sections of trail.
  

Upcoming Events

• June 6th EVMA Club Meeting Noon at Freedom Park. We'll be grilling burgers. Lunch will be at noon, followed by the meeting. 
  
• Dirt Divas & Beginner Mountain Bike Rides June 6th at Freedom Park, 9:00 AM

Fall Trip Planning 

It is time to make a reservation for the fall trip to Douthat State Park. We are considering the weekends of Sept 11th or 18th.  If you haven't done so already, please check the top post on our Facebook page to offer an opinion on which is better and if you might attend. Remember the UCI World Championships are in Richmond Sept 19th through 27th. Several people will be attending.

Group Rides 

• June 6th 9:00 am Freedom Park - Dirt Divas & Beginner Ride

Trails  

• Snakes -N- bugs  The ticks and biting flies are out, and the first copperheads of the year have been sighted at NQP, YRSP & Freedom. Recent rains have made great conditions for ground-dwelling wasps to dig also. Keep a sharp eye out for hazardous critters, and use precautions against ticks. See our Facebook post on ticks and Lyme disease. Remember most snakes are harmless, but all of our trails are in Copperhead habitat.  Learn friend from foe at the Virginia Herpetological Society website, but please don't harm any snakes.

Volunteer!

• Be a ride leader  Bring a clip board with a sign-in page & collect the signatures of riders participating in the EVMA group ride. Contact Penny Rich to volunteer.

• Cooks Needed to grill and volunteers to provide a side dish or dessert for the EVMA Club Meeting, Saturday, June 6th. We'll be providing the burgers. A veggie option will be available.

• Events Coordinator needed contact Jim Irby  for more info, or to volunteer.

• Fall Trip Organizer needed. Mostly involves showing up at  the park and guiding parking, etc. . .  Once again, email Jim Irby to volunteer.

Keep the rubber side down, & enjoy your week!

Good Afternoon, EVMA Members!

Here's what's happening this week in the wild world of local mountain biking:

Fall Trip Planning: It is time to make a reservation for the fall trip to Douthat State Park. We are considering the weekends of Sept 11th or 18th.  If you haven't done so already, please check the top post on our Facebook page to offer an opinion on which is better and if you might attend. Remember the UCI World Championships are in Richmond Sept 19th through 27th. Several people will be attending.

Group Rides 

• Memorial Day Weekend - No rides planned.  Post on EVMA Chatter if you're looking for ride buddies!
• June 6th 9:00 am Freedom Park - Dirt Divas & Beginner Rides

Trails  

• Trail Captains, monthly detail reports are due to the land managers! Please log your inspections and trail work or email Jim Irby and he will log them for you.

• Protect yourself - The ticks and biting flies are out, and the first copperheads of the year have been sighted at NQP, YRSP & Freedom. Recent rains have made great conditions for ground-dwelling wasps to dig also. Keep a sharp eye out for hazardous critters, and use precautions against ticks.  Remember most snakes are harmless, but all of our trails are in Copperhead habitat.  Learn friend from foe at the Virginia Herpetological Society website, but please don't harm any snakes.

Upcoming Events

• Sunday May 31st 9am - Wahrani Trail Work Day Join us at Wahrani Nature trail at 9am for a trail work day. We'll be removing the old trail markers and replacing them with new trail signage, and trimming a few sections of trail.

• June 6th EVMA Club Meeting Noon at Freedom Park. We'll be grilling burgers. Lunch will be at noon, followed by the meeting. 

• Dirt Divas & Beginner Mountain Bike Rides June 6th at Freedom Park, 9:00 AM

Volunteer!

• Be a ride leader  Bring a clip board with a sign-in page & collect the signatures of riders participating in the EVMA group ride. Contact Penny Rich to volunteer.

• Cooks Needed to grill and volunteers to provide a side dish or dessert for the EVMA Club Meeting, Saturday, June 6th. We'll be providing the burgers. A veggie option will be available.

• Events Coordinator needed contact Jim Irby  for more info, or to volunteer.

• Fall Trip Organizer needed. Mostly involves showing up at  the park and guiding parking, etc. . .  Once again, email Jim Irby to volunteer.
  

Enjoy your week!