NMBA Group Rides
Ride with Us!
Our rides are announced through our website, email list, and Facebook. If you wish to receive ride-related emails, please consider joining NMBA. The most up-to-date announcements about group rides can be found on NMBA’s Facebook page. We always recommend checking this page before heading out to a group ride in case there have been any last minute changes such as a weather-related cancellation or change of location due to trail conditions or road closures.
Thursday Rides
Come one, come all! This is a weekly, no-drop ride with lots of encouragement! All levels of riders are welcome – group rides will be broken up based on skill level whenever possible. Not sure you’re ready for our rides? Check out Happy Valley Women’s Cycling Beginner Rides and Kid’s Camps and the Rothrock Regulators.
Please bring:
- A Mountain Bike (front suspension recommended)
- Water
- Helmet
- Close-toed Shoes
Typical Routes – Evening Ride
Tussey Ridge Loop (Intermediate) – 10 miles, 902 ft.
Bald Knob Ridge Loop – (Intermediate) – 9 miles, 1,210 ft.
Lonberger Beginner Loop (Beginner) – 5 miles, 471 ft.
See our event calendar for dates, times, and details. Occasional changes to the location are announced via NMBA’s email distribution and on NMBA’s Facebook page. Contact weeklygrouprides@nittanymba.org with any questions.
Weekend Rides
NMBA also hosts Saturday group rides with a potluck picnic three times a year – spring, summer, and fall. The NMBA calendar is updated regularly to include these ride dates. Check our calendar or Facebook for any updates!
Typical Routes – Weekend Ride
Cooper’s Gap Intermediate Loop – 18 miles, 1,821 ft.
Cooper’s Gap Long Loop – 27 miles, 3,511 ft.
Trail Mix Short Course – 19 miles, 2,749 ft
* Weekend rides always have a short option as well
Interested in volunteering to lead or sweep a ride?
These rides couldn’t happen without the support of a dedicated group of volunteers to lead and sweep rides. You don’t have to be an expert rider to do this! You just need to be willing to meet riders in the parking lot, get people moving, know the basic routes well enough to not get everyone lost, and keep the group together (unless people choose to break off, which they are always welcome to do.) Ride leaders also make the call regarding cancellations due to weather (i.e., if you wouldn’t ride in it, we don’t expect you to take others out to do so).
Directions
This year, most rides will depart from the Tussey Mountain Ski Resort parking lot on Bear Meadows Road in Rothrock State Forest. To get to the parking lot, turn right (coming from Boalsburg/State College) on Bear Meadows Road and go 0.8 miles. Park on the right side of the lot (facing the resort buildings) near the Ski Patrol building.
When rides depart from other locations, directions will be provided via NMBA’s email distribution, the calendar post, and/or NMBA’s Facebook page.
Kids Day
We love mountain biking and are always excited to welcome the next generation of riders to Rothrock. In previous years we’ve celebrated National Take A Kid Mountain Biking Day with organized family fun activities, introducing kids to trail riding, how to navigate novice log crossings and rock gardens, and so much more.
Want to see if your kid loves biking?
We encourage you to take them to Harvest Fields Community Trails. It’s great way to experience trail riding and overcome obstacles before venturing into rothrock. And it’s fun for ALL ages.
MTB Skills workshops
Periodically we’ll hold a Skills Workshop to help riders improve bike handling, rock and log crossings and their overall mental confidence. Ruckus MTB Skills Camps are also a great way to better your riding skills to prepare you for the log crossings and rock gardens you’ll find in Rothrock State Forest.
Happy Valley Women’s Cycling holds weekly beginner rides and similar skills events and retreats for women throughout the year. These can be found on our calendar, but we encourage you to visit their website for more information.
Check our Calendar for scheduled events.