June 2024

Written By Charles Picard

 Rhode Island Chapter

New England Mountain Bike Association


June 2024 Meeting Agenda


RINEMBA Meeting: 7:00 p.m. Tavern on the Hill, 809 Nooseneck Hill Rd, West Greenwich, RI


  1. Roll Call

    1. Tabitha, Dennis, Wayne, Shannon, Mark, Charles

  2. Welcome to any newcomers. None today

  3. Comments/requests/concerns/questions/complaints from newcomers?

  4. Administration

  1. Membership numbers – 275 @ Feb-2024

  2. Financial summary – May 2024

Opening balance: $4,032.60

Income: $1,330.00 (Big chunk from Gray Sail event)

Expenses: ($217.11)

  1. Closing balance: $5,145.49

  2. Next meeting – July 9th. Charles to reach out to NBX to have a pump track session and meeting.

  1. RI NEMBA President update

    1. Mark relocating to Chicago in August - Dennis to assume responsibility for balance of year. Congratulations on the promotion, Mark!

    2. Mark and Dennis to coordinate a smooth transition

  2. DEM – Snow grooming

    1. Potential opportunity with onsite storage at Glocester Land Trust - Park for next winter

    2. Trek’s snow dog – Trek will store until Oct-2024 – needs to decide if RI NEMBA will take ownership and storage - Park for next Fall.

    3. Explore snow grooming MOU modeled on winter night riding with specific days and locations? - Park for next Fall.

  3. DEM – Trail maintenance

    1. Explore establishing a trail maintenance MOU.

  4. DEM – Burlingame

    1. AMC approached NEMBA for joint trail maintenance on Vin Gormley trail.  Extent of work is much less than reported.  AMC will address with their resources.

  5. DEM – Arcadia

    1. Trail maintenance targeting June 22

      1. Trailforks notifications of issues

      2. DEM is supportive.  OK with chain saws and hand tools.  No powered weed whackers/hedgers.

    2. Sand trail has severe erosion – needs dedicated trail day

      1. Discussion needed with Jeff Arnold regarding alternatives

  6. DEM – Echo Lake

    1. New property DEM has purchased.

    2. Originally planned to develop into a camp site – cost prohibitive.

    3. Interested in developing a professionally built trail network. 3-5 year plan.

    4. Location is not far from Sprague Farm (~ 5 miles)

    5. Mark to reach out to AMC and DEM to coordinate a site visit

  7. Rhody Rovers event June 9

    1. Preride complete with Rhody Rovers June1

      1. 3 groups, hit all the usual wet spots and documented

      2. Generally a good excercise

    2. Rhody Rovers plan to repair trails June 10

    3. Post ride to be scheduled around June 15 [was 22nd in  minutes, corrected]

  8. Joint trail build RINEMBA/Rhody Rovers

    1. Revisit after their next enduro event (June)

  9. Beginner Clinic (Saturday May18)

    1. Ride debrief - “wet but good” - Shannon 🙂

    2. Good feedback - interest in more beginner rides for the women’s group

  10. PK Memorial ride (Saturday May18)

    1. Ride debrief

  11. RINEMBA 2024 Fun ride planning

    1. Adventure series ride for Woody Hill – July 14, 2024 – Planning needed

      1. Registration page – when to go live? NOW

      2. Catering alternatives – any updates? Keen Woodfire

        1. Event price went up by $12, meal included

      3. Updates on getting an airbag - complicated. insurance, etc

      4. Carpooling incentives for 2025 WH events – how do we manage this? For now we can just make a statement to encourage this.

      5. Dynamic Cycling adventures also having a for-profit skills session same day as Woody Hill fun ride. Paul has worked out an agreement with them that he’s happy with

    2. September 8th possible date for Glocester Land Trust beginner event

    3. Wayne suggested email list serve  to blast out invites. Great idea, we just don’t currently have the resources to maintain this.

    4. Wayne suggests same caterer for Big River, same model for payment but we forward proceeds to Keen

  12. NEMBA Corporate

    1. 2024 Q1 chapter donation summary available: $130 (4 donations – send thank you notes) @Tabitha to send

    2. Conflict of interest acknowledgement for BOD’s (Adam - Complete?) no update

    3. Trail school – Registration open.  Jun-29/30 at Middlesex Fells, Medford, MA.  CJ Scott, formerly of KT,  joins NEMBA Trail School Team!

    4. Quebec NEMBA Friends and Family Weekend - Aug 8-12

    5. Elevate Mountain Bike Festival - June 14-16, 2024 in East Burke, VT

      1. Women and gender expansive cyclists

      2. Group Rides, Workshops, Clinics

      3. Coaches & Volunteers Needed

  13. Arcadia Bridge Build

    1. Left over wood from old bridge available for re-purposing.

  14. Glocester Land Trust Meeting

    1. Glocester Land Trust approved a motion to move forward on a partnership with RINEMBA to build a professionally designed mountain bike trail in Sprague Farm

    2. We need to contact professional trail builders and create a first steps action plan before the next meeting

      1. Pinnacle Trail Builders

      2. Mike Leblanc as a backup (of Mike’s Trail fame)

    3. NEMBA trail grant part 2 submitted

    4. Grant proposal is in! A few minor concerns but decided to submit as-is.

      1. we’ll need to pursue other grants

  15. Cumberland Town pump track - no updates

    1. Groundbreaking scheduled for May-2024 has been delayed

    2. NEMBA contribution $1000 approved, $300 remaining.

    3. NEMBA Trail Grant application - Dennis/Willem

    4. Bike stand with Dennis

  16. NBX pump track

    1. June 15 – demo day

    2. looking to have our next meeting there

  17. Regularly Scheduled Group Rides

    1. Some ride leaders are kinda burnt out, rides have been in flux, frequent changes and not well advertised

    2. Woody Hill – 6 pm Mondays - has been fluid and changing, not currently an official NEMBA ride

    3. Arcadia – 6 pm Tuesdays

    4. Woody Hill – 6 pm Wednesdays

    5. Big River – 6 pm Thursdays

    6. Group sizes 10 or more need to split into groups less than 10

  18. Trailforks

    1. Pat Dowling is our Trailforks champion – any help/guidance needed? Nope, all good

    2. Mark interested in looking at flags an building a trail day around them

    3. Adaptive Trails- Speak to adaptive riders–any feedback from Chris Quirk?

  19. Ride area reps

    1. Updates from the riding areas

  20. Any news from corporate? (Wayne)

    1. Met in Framingham at Public Lands

    2. Process moving along, general sentiment is that it’s being simplified in a good way


  1. Insurance - all good for now

  2. New Business from the board?

    1. Fun ride leadership

      1. Big River - Wayne

      2. Lincoln Woods - Charles




Appendix A – Finances


Opening balance:

$4,032.60

Income:

Grey Sales Event

$1330.00

Expenses:

Zoom

Grey Sales Event

($17.11)

($200.00)

Closing balance:

$5,145.49


Appendix B – Event Dates


Arcadia trail maintenance: June 22,2024

Woody Hill MBAS: July 14, 2024, rain date July 21, 2024,

Big River: Sep 15, 2024, rain date Sep 29, 2024,

Lincoln Woods: Nov 10, 2024, rain date Nov 17, 2024





Charles Picard
Previous

August 2024

Next

May 2024