RINEMBA Mission Statement:
Rhode Island NEMBA’s mission is to create a positive and inclusive mountain biking culture in Rhode Island. We are dedicated to developing and maintaining access to sustainable, environmentally-friendly mountain bike trails, supporting our members, linking communities, supporting local businesses, and promoting the general health of our local population and the protection of open spaces.
Meet the Board
President: Mark Savage
1. Occupation: Engineering manager
2. What are your favorite activities off the bike?: Kayaking and hiking
3. Riding in RI means to me…: Immersing myself in beautiful nature while exploring the woods and appreciating the changing seasons
4. What bike are you currently riding and what is your dream bike?: Riding: Niner Sir9 Dream: Spot Rocker SS
5. What are your Favorite Trails in RI?: Diamond Hill - The best riding in RI
6. Where is the best place (anywhere) you have ever ridden?: National parks surrounding Phoenix AZ
7. What is your after ride tradition?: A cold beer and conversation with good friends
Vice President: Dennis Wilson
1. Occupation: Solution Engineer and Technology Procurement
2. What are your favorite activities off the bike?: Cooking, tinkering on projects in the garage, playing guitar, hiking, and recently trail building.
3. Riding in RI means to me…: It’s the best way to shut off my brain. Can’t think about the gremlins of work/life when you are bombing a rock filled downhill. It’s also proven to be a great way to share nature with the love of my life and meet so many great people.
4. What bike are you currently riding and what is your dream bike?: Currently an Orbea Occam and a Canfield Nimble 9 Single Speed. Dream bike? Skyway TA with Mag Wheels!
5. What are your Favorite Trails in RI?: Colleens Playground, Roll Into It, Middlegate, Orange Dot, Hop Boogie, Pinewarp, Breakheart, Bob’s. I like every trail.
6. Where is the best place (anywhere) you have ever ridden?: Tour Du Mont Blanc - 7 days from Chamonix France through mountains of Switzerland into Italy and back to France. Chocolate, cheese, wine, and 3000 ft elevation per day. “It’s all rideable”
7. What is your after ride tradition?: Double IPA and a few laughs
Treasurer: Shannon Lonardo
1. Occupation: Registered Nurse in the emergency room
2. Favorite Activity off the bike: Hiking, kayaking, skiing, snowshoe
3. Riding in RI means to me: Getting out to enjoy the beauty of nature and what she has to offer.
4. Current bike: I have several bikes. Most currently I am riding an Ibis Ripmo. I also enjoy trekking through the snow on my Salsa Mukluk. Dream bike: A carbon Trek Stache. But since they no longer make them, I haven't picked a new favorite.
5. Favorite Trails in RI: I really don’t have a favorite but I like Big River. Never the same ride twice.
6. Best Place ever ridden: Melbourne Australia
7. After ride tradition: Cold beer and conversation with friends.
Regional BOD: Wayne Asselin
1. Occupation: Insurance agent.
2. What are your favorite activities off the bike?: hiking, antiquing, reading.
3. Riding in RI means to me: Every time on a bike feels like I'm on a mini-vacation.
4. What bike are you currently riding and what is your dream bike?: Trek X-caliber 8. Pretty pleased with it so no dream bike for now.
5. What are your Favorite Trails in RI?: I am happy on any off-road trail, gravel, road or bike path, they are all favs for me. A crappy day on a bike beats a great day at the office anytime.
6. Where is the best place (anywhere) you have ever ridden?: Kingdom trails.
7. What is your post ride tradition? Having dinner and adult beverages with friends.
8. Why do you volunteer with NEMBA?: I love mtn biking and this group supports riding and advocacy. This is a great group of people, no one has an agenda they want to have fun riding and are willing to help others do the same.
Woody Hill Ride Rep : Paul Kintz
Occupation: Software Engineer, currently working on AI solutions for detecting cancer.
What are your favorite activities off the bike?: Trail building, music, and hiking the 4000 footers in NH.
What does riding in RI mean to me?: It's a relaxing way to get outside with friends, a way to challenge myself both physically and mentally, and a way to build something great for the community.
Current bike: I'm riding a 2018 Cube Stereo SL, but will be riding a custom built Norco Sight once the rest of the parts come in off backorder!
Favorite trail in RI?: Pour Judgement in Woody Hill. It's a challenge every time and the ending descent is always a good rush.
What's my home trail system?: Woody Hill is my home turf and also where I do most of my trail work as the local steward of the mtb trails there.
After ride tradition: Wanting to go out for another ride.
Lincoln Woods ride area rep: Jason Shuford
1. Occupation: Sales/service at NBX, contractor at the Providence VA hospital
2. Riding in RI means to me: Riding means getting off the couch, enjoying the many trail networks we have in RI, bike park party laps with the crew!
3. What bike are you currently riding and what is your dream bike?: Trek Slash, Scott strike e ride, (coming soon) Santa Cruz Hightower
5. What are your Favorite Trails in RI?: Lincoln Woods, Big River
6. Where is the best place (anywhere) you have ever ridden?: Whistler BC!
Big River Ride Rep: Alan Winsor
1.Occupation: Archaic technology systems expert at Citizen Bank. Only certified abacus repair technician in Rhode Island.
2. What are your favorite activities off the bike? Going to Toastmaster meetings. Public speaking is my passion. And my dog, who is really the only one who listens to me.
3. Riding in RI means to me: I’m famous, I own Alan’s overlook, and put up signs there, beat that DEM.
4. What bike are you currently riding and what is your dream bike?
5. A Wright Brothers Van Cleve I bought new in 1896. My dream bike would be one without wooden rims.
6. What are your Favorite Trails in RI? Alan’s Ave, because it’s mine, I built it, it’s on my land, it has an overlook named after me and it’s more famous than me. In fact, I wouldn't be famous without it.
7. Where is the best place (anywhere) you have ever ridden? The drop at 36.016328, -114.737272. Wicked Fast.
8. What is your after-ride tradition? Sitting on the Overlook eating candy and drinking beer.
Secretary : Charles Picard
Occupation : Engineer at Tesla and Licensed Master Electrician.
What are your favorite activities off the bike?: There are off-bike activities? Hmmm, does working on my bike count?
Riding in RI means to me: Meeting other people that understand we need to protect what little greenspace we have left in RI.
What bike are you currently riding and what is your dream bike?: I have my dream bike, and it's what I currently ride - 2021 Kona Process X. So. Sick.
What are your Favorite Trails in RI?: Fav trail? That's like asking me to pick a favorite kid. Maybe Ripcord at Lincoln Woods? Or is it "Not Ripcord"? (TF admin edit: It’s “Apparently Not Ripcord”)
Best place to ride? Church parking lot full of pallets.
What is your post ride tradition? Getting X-rays, maybe an MRI or two.
Communications Director:
Tabitha Wilson
1. Occupation: Manager of Parks and Open Spaces, Town of Groton, CT
2. What are your favorite activities off the bike? Making art, gardening, travel.
3. Riding in RI means to me: A community where I run into my friends on the trails and it feels like family
4. What bike are you currently riding?: Yeti SB140, my “little shark”.
5. What are your Favorite Trails in RI?: Naughty Nurse, Hobbit Juice, Flying Jenny (Woody Hill)
Board Member: Chris Hughes
1. Occupation: Retired, Spent 40 years working for the same company in the offshore oil business, Kurt Russel would have played my part.
2. What are your favorite activities off the bike?: Shooting Sporting Clays, Making things
3. Riding in RI means to me…: Having to pay a toll to get over a bridge to MTB.
4. What bike are you currently riding and what is your dream bike?: Devinci Django, I don’t dream about bikes.
5. What are your Favorite Trails in RI?: The Breakheart Loop I do there, my first great ride and still love it.
6. Where is the best place (anywhere) you have ever ridden?: Abati, Ghana because nobody was complaining about trail signs
7. What is your after ride tradition?: Going back across the bridge and paying another toll.
Directives:
We will advocate for sustainable mountain bike trails throughout the state. We will work with appropriate agencies to maintain and increase legal trail access to sustainable, multi-use trail systems. We will work to maintain these trails in a safe and sanctioned way with approval from the appropriate agencies.
We will work closely with our members, land managers, local governments, and other recreational organizations to:
Preserve access to trail systems
Sponsor events that promote wellness through outdoor recreation
Attract and engage with new riders
Help to educate the mountain bike community.
Promote riding sensitively and responsibly in order to preserve the environment and the experience of other trail users.
Our goal through fundraising and the sale of merchandise is to:
Support trail maintenance and building projects either through our own organization or supporting other trail-related organizations.
Philanthropic endeavors such as bike-centric organizations and the Rhode Island Food Bank.