The week ahead - and a great big "Junior" thank you!

• A huge, gigantic, ginormous, big, squishy THANK YOU to everyone who came out to race or help out for Juniors in the Jungle this past Saturday!!! You guys are the best! From BJ with his always excellent MC skills, to Angela for taking such great photos, to Heather for the most welcome egg sandwiches and kielbasa (it was worth the trip right there!), to all 3 Toms, the Dave's, Steve, Vicki, Sherri, Norm, Chris, Dave, Ted, Kevin, Mike, Nick, Ethan, Rick, James, and all the other people we are forgetting. Most importantly, thanks to all the racers and their parents who came out and took a lap or more! No one got hurt, we cleaned up and were out of there in record time, and most important - we got some more kids psyched about cycling! So thank you again to everyone who came out, and to everyone who helped spread the word!
• TTC's BJ will be leading a night ride on Thursday, April 30. Wheels down at 8 p.m. at Jungle Habitat. Plug in your lights - we're looking for Bigfoot! Nothing racy about this ride - just a nice moonlit roll through JH. 
• Don't forget - this Friday, May 1 - the debut of the 2015 Friday Night Clinton Road rides! It's been a long winter - we are beyond glad to get this particular party started! Meet us at the United Methodist Church at 65 LaRue Road, Newfoundland. Please remember - we are guests of the church. Let's be considerate and park near the road, not by the church buildings. Wheels down at 6 p.m. Ladies rides start on Wednesday, May 6.
• Local MTB racing this weekend - the 2nd H2H race of the season is at Wawayanda! All info on www.bikereg.com. 

Have a great week everyone! 

Juniors in the Jungle is TOMORROW - April 25!!

24 hours from now, we'll be deep in the action of racing at the 7th Annual Juniors in the Jungle K-12 MTB race at Jungle Habitat! The weather forecast is perfect - sunny and 60! Corral the kids and bring them on over!

Got a kid who doesn't want to race, just ride? Join Kathi Krause from Dirt, Rock N Root Training at 11:30 a.m. as she takes our kids grades 6-12 out on a fundamentals ride in Jungle Habitat. You don't need to race to join the ride - just a bike and a helmet! 

All details in the flyers to the left, and any questions - info@teamtowncycle.com . See everyone mañana !!!

Kids MTB Skills ride, and Clinton Road rides are back!

• Next Saturday, April 25, Kathi Krause of Dirt, Rock and Root Training will be holding a free middle school/high school kids fundamentals ride after the Juniors in the Jungle MS/HS race at Jungle Habitat. Your child does NOT have to have raced to join in! Meet at the race registration area at 11:30 a.m., and Kathi, who is committed to helping MTB'ers of all ages and ability levels gain confidence and skills, will lead them on an approximately 1 hour ride through Jungle Habitat. A great chance for kids to ride with other kids!
• You've been asking - no, begging for them - and they're back! The first Friday Night Clinton Road ride for 2015 will be on Friday, May 1. We are once again so fortunate to be able to park at the United Methodist Church, 65 LaRue Road, Newfoundland, NJ. Please be considerate of our hosts and park closest to the road, and away from the buildings! We'll be wheels down at 6 p.m. This ride is a great way to learn about road riding in a group, pace line basics, and just unwind from a long week! Ladies Wednesday night Clinton Road rides will start on May 6. 

So excited that the weather has finally come to its' senses - let's get out and ride! 

Any questions? info@teamtowncycle.com, of course! 

Prepping the 2015 Juniors in the Jungle race course!

We're counting the days until the best race of the year! , and it's less than 2 weeks away - the always most excellent Juniors in the Jungle K-12 MTB race! We're doing some course prep work this week, and it'd be awesome to have some helping hands! We'll be there Saturday afternoon April 18 at 2 p.m., cutting back face slappers, moving any rogue logs, etc., as well as on Monday, April 20th at 5 p.m., doing more of the same. And we'll be marking and taping the course on Friday afternoon, April 24 - we'll narrow down the time a little more next week. 

Meet us at the gate, bring your gloves, and we'll bring the tools - and probably snacks too! 

Drop us a line at info@teamtowncycle.com with any questions! 

7th Annual Juniors in the Jungle Kids MTB race is on April 25!!

Save the date, and spread the word! The perennial favorite event of the K-12 crowd, Juniors in the Jungle, is ON!! Join us on April 25, 2015 in Jungle Habitat for one of the most fun days of racing you will ever see!!  The 7th Annual Juniors in the Jungle K-12 Mountain Bike Race is set for Sat., April 25, 2015 at everyone's fave - Jungle Habitat. We're changing things up a bit for 2015 with a slightly different, more condensed schedule - and we're teaming up with Team Bulldog​ and Marty's Reliable Cycle​ to make a 3 race Jersey Juniors series, with races in Chester on May 2 and 9th! More details are coming, but in the meantime, check out our fliers for the Juniors in the Jungle grades K-5  - http://goo.gl/WMHhg4 , and for grades 6-12 http://goo.gl/OJJidQ. 

Please - tell your neighbors, friends - stop people on the street - and share it online! It's a great way to get kids out on their bikes, riding with other kids - and that's what we are all about. 

As always, any questions, drop us a line - info@teamtowncycle.com

Save these April dates!

The snow is finally melted, and it's time to ramp things up around here!

• Saturday, April 5 - Mountain bike ride at Wawayanda. TTC's Mike M. will be leading a moderate paced 2 hour ride from the boat launch parking lot. Wheels down at 10 a.m., so don't be late!
• Friday, April 11 - it's back, and better than ever! The 2014 debut of Friday Night Clinton Road rides! We're still fighting for daylight this time of year, so our wheels down time is 5:30 p.m. We'll meet at the parking lot across from the soon-to-be opening Grasshoppers, 2891 Route 23, Newfoundland. For those of you unfamiliar with our Friday night rides, it's a great way to learn to ride with a group, learn about pacelines, and generally unwind from a long week and start the weekend out on a high note! All levels and abilities welcome - we'll split into groups, and make sure no one is left behind! Rain will cancel, so stay tuned to our blog, Facebook and Twitter pages for updates.
• Giant Mountain Bike demo at Wawayanda on April 19, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Come try out the latest Giant mountain bike models on the awesome Wawayanda trails. More info here.
• Don't forget, the 6th annual Juniors in the Jungle K-12 Mountain Bike race will be held at Jungle Habitat on April 26th. Definitely one of the most fun events of the year! Flyers can be found on our blog, website, and BikeReg.com. 

As always, any questions - info@teamtowncycle.com. 

Have a great weekend, everyone!! 

Juniors in the Jungle - Done!

What a day! Perfect weather, great turnout, fantastic racers - another Juniors in the Jungle Mountain Bike race is in the books. We had over 100 racers come out to try their hand at some of Jungle Habitat's friendly trails, and they had a blast! From the great race in the Middle School Men's A class that was undecided until the very end of the last lap to the 21 racers that battled it out in the Grade 2-3 Boys race, our young racers had a great time, and showed great sportsmanship.

Photo by Steve Boshart

Photo by Steve Boshart

Special thanks go to our prize sponsors - John Florey of Highland Sports Group and Shimano, Mountain Creek and Hugh Reynolds, Jeff Lenosky and Clif, Dana DeLaRosa of Giant Bicycles, Sneaky Pete's Beverage and Town Cycle. And of course, we couldn't do it without all of our volunteers - special thanks to Tom Hennigan and Tim Warchol for once again being our favorite bike patrollers!

Don't forget to check out www.teambulldog.com for details about their race on May 11, 2013 at Kittatinny State Park in Andover, NJ - great race at a great venue!






Don't forget - Juniors in the Jungle is this Saturday, April 27th! Giant Demo and more!

Don't forget that Saturday, April 27th is our 5th annual Juniors in the Jungle K-12 Mountain bike race at Jungle Habitat. Details for all the racing can be found on our left sidebar, or on our events page. The weather looks beautiful, the trails are getting their final prep, and we're excited to see our favorite event of the year get underway!

In addition, we will be hosting the Ride Life, Ride Giant demo trailer - bring your helmet and shoes, and try out the latest road and mountain bikes from Giant!

We'll also be having Stan's No Tubes demos, samples from Sneaky Pete's Beverages, and more, so come on out!

Any questions, please let us know - info@teamtowncycle.com . See you in the Jungle!

Juniors in the Jungle News - Giant Bicycle Demo Day!

As you know, our 5th annual Juniors in the Jungle kids race is on April 27th at Jungle Habitat - we're very excited to once again host this fun event! We have a race for everyone from kindergarten to high school seniors - see the links to the flyer on our side bar or Events page on our website for more info.

As if that wasn't enough excitement for one day, we're also happy to host a Giant Bicycle "Ride Life Ride Giant" demo day as well! The Giant demo trailer will be there from starting at 9 a.m., with the last ride out by 2 p.m., with both road and mountain bikes for everyone to demo. A great way to try out a new bike on familiar trails and roads - we're psyched to have them be part of our day.

We'll also be holding Stan's No Tubes demos throughout the day, for those of you who are thinking of going tubeless - we'll show you how easy it is to convert to tubeless!

So please mark your calendar for April 27 - it'll be a great way to spend a Saturday!

Questions? Email us at info@teamtowncycle.com .

Juniors in the Jungle is April 27th!

Yes, it's hard to think about anything but the snow falling outside right now, but before you know it, it will be spring - promise! And that means our 5th Annual Juniors in the Jungle K-12 Mountain Bike race can't be far away! This year, it will be on Saturday, April 27th, at our own Jungle Habitat, and we couldn't be more excited!

There is a class for everyone from kindergarten through 12th grade, so bring your own kids, your neighbors kids, your nieces, nephews - everyone is welcome.  Participation gift for our K-5 racers, as always, and great swag for the top 3 in all the classes.

Information about the kindergarten through 5th grade races can be found here, and for our 6-12th grade races here. Stay tuned for more details about the race as we get closer!

Juniors in the Jungle 2012 Edition!

We neglected to post about our fabulous Juniors in the Jungle race we had on April 28 - our apologies! The weather was a little chilly early in the day, but the kids didn't seem to care - they had a great time!

Thanks so much to everyone who came out - for those who are interested, there is a link on the left sidebar for results and some more pictures. And for some really terrific shots, please check out the pictures taken by Ryan of Rysight Studios - they are great!

Much thanks to our Team Town Cycle volunteers who came out, as well as the NJ Mountain Bike Patrol -as usual, Tom and Tim took great care of us! Thanks also to the West Milford First Aid Squad, for being on standby, just in case. A special thank you to those who donated some of our great prizes - Town Cycle, Giant Bicycles, Dairy Queen of West Milford, Jeff Lenosky and Native Eyewear, Oury Grips, and many more!

If you and your kids had fun at our race, don't forget that Team Bulldog is hosting their own kids race this weekend, as well as the NJ Middle School/High School State Championships! All the fun will be happening on Saturday, May 12 at Kittatinny State Park in Andover, NJ - come hang out and have some fun with us!

Quick weekend updates!

Quick reminder of this weekends plans!

1. If it's Friday, then it is time for Friday night road ride on Clinton Road. Meet at 5:30 p.m. at the old Village Square Inn on Rt. 23 in Newfoundland. 
2. Our 4th Annual Juniors in the Jungle K-12 Kids Mountain Bike race is Saturday, April 28! The weather looks great, we have great prizes lined up for our racers, and we're putting the finishing touches on the course this afternoon. Please spread the word, bring the kids, and come out and have a great time! And if you have a few hours free on Saturday, we can always use a hand!
3. BMX racing starts on Saturday - good luck to our BMX contingent as they start the 2012 season!
4. Sunday, April 29, there is a JORBA ride and trail work day at Jungle Habitat. Meet at the gate at 9 a.m. for a good social paced ride around JH, take a break for lunch, and then spend a few hours doing trail work from 12:30-3:00 p.m. Only free part of the day? No problem, join us for what you can!
5. Good luck to our TTC members who are racing at Singlespeed-a-palooza at Stewart on Sunday - and it actually might not rain on them, for a change! 
6. Finally, don't forget Tuesday mountain bike rides hosted by TTC's James and Vicki - meeting at 22 Crag Place in Ringwood, 6 p.m. Social pace around some of Ringwood's easier trails. Rain cancels. 

Enjoy the weather, and have a great weekend, everyone!

Catching up

It's been so busy, we haven't had time to talk about a few events that have been happening here. So let's catch up!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, the 3rd annual Juniors in the Jungle bike race was even more successful than the two previous races, if that is possible! We had 95 racers participate in classes from kindergarten through high school, and they all did a great job! From experienced racers to first timers, a good time was had by all.

For more pictures of our day, check the link on our sidebar to the left! Finish results will be on the sidebar shortly as well.


Thanks to everyone who came out and raced, cheered, and showed our young racers such great support. A big part of our club's mission is to promote youth cycling, and the great turnout showed that the message is getting out there!


The biggest thanks goes to all of our volunteers and sponsors. Town Cycle, Trek, and Giant Bicycles - thanks for all you do to help us put on this event every year! Also much thanks for the West Milford First Aid Squad and the New Jersey Mountain Bike Patrol. We're always so very grateful for your support of all our events - and for the band-aids! And of course - we couldn't do it without our Team Town Cycle volunteers. Whether you were there for two hours or the whole day, we truly appreciate all the time you donate to us. This event happens because people like you care about the future of cycling, and we couldn't imagine pulling off an event like this without your help! 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Speaking of the kids, Team Town Cycle represented very well the Team Bulldog Kids Race and New Jersey MS/HS State Championships at Kittatinny State Park in Andover on May 7. Austin, Klae, Titus, Delia, Ethan, Dillon, Justin, and all of the TTC kids did a great job there and made us all proud. Way to go juniors! 


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


A few of the TTC ladies recently took a road trip to Vermont for some RR and R - Road Riding and Relaxing!

Looks like it was an awesome trip ladies! For a few more pictures of their adventures, check them out on our Flickr page! And for a nice summary of their trip, read a recap from TTC friend Alyssa here!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


OK, that's some of the excitement taking place lately here at TTC! Stay tuned later today for news about kits and rides and field trips - oh my!

Spring weekend plans!

It looks like we have one day of rain to get through, then we should have a nice stretch of weather to get out and enjoy the spring! So here's a quick rundown of what we've got going on for the rest of the week.

• Ladies Road Ride, Clinton Road, tonight, April 27. Please be ready to ride, at the old Village Square Inn, Rt. 23, Newfoundland at 6 p.m.
• Mountain Bike Ride tonight, April 27. We're doing a race pre-ride at Waywayanda. Meet us at the boat launch parking lot as we head out at 5:30 p.m. We're going to do at least 2 laps of the course, so we'll be moving at pretty good pace - hopefully you ate your Wheaties! 
• Friday, April 29 - our usual shindig on Clinton Road. Next week we'll move back our start time, but for this week, meet us at 5 p.m. at the old Village Square Inn Parking lot on Rt. 23 in Newfoundland.  
• For anyone who is interested, we'll be out marking the kids race course for Juniors in the Jungle on Friday afternoon. If you have some time to help, or if you want to bring your junior racer by and check out the course, just head into the woods by the upper left hand corner of the parking lot - we'll be there!
• Saturday, April 30 - Juniors in the Jungle! Bring your kids, bring yourself - it's a ton of fun to watch and cheer and be inspired by the youngest of us! 
• Sunday, May 1 - Because we got rained out last week, we're doing our roadside clean-up on Clinton Road this Sunday! Help us give back to our community and clean up one of our favorite riding routes! Meet us at the Village Square Inn Parking lot at 8:30 a.m. We'll have garbage bags and some gloves - if you have some work gloves and bug spray - bring 'em!
• Sunday, May 1 - good luck to all of our TTC racers who will be racing at the first Campmor H2H race of the year at Waywayanda - let's show them how fast that plaid can go! 

A little something for everyone this week - hope you get a chance to get out and enjoy what promises to be a wonderful spring weekend! As always, drop us a line at info@teamtowncycle.com if you have any questions!

Rides and reminders

Quick reminder - Juniors in the Jungle is this Saturday, April 30! Bring your kids, nieces, nephews, neighbors - whoever! A bike with knobby tires and a helmet is all that is required! We have a race for everyone from kindergarten to grade 12! More info can be found through the links on the left sidebar.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, April 26 - I Dig Tuesdays trail maintenance nights return to Jungle Habitat. Meet us at the gate at 6 p.m. - bring some gloves, water, snack, maybe bug spray - we'll provide the tools. Super excited to get back to work at the Hab!


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Wednesday, April 27 - Mountain bike ride at Waywayanda, 5:30 p.m. Meet us at the boat launch as we pre-ride the race course for Sunday's race. Of course, you don't have to race to join us, but we're going to push the pace so we can fit in 2 laps of the course before dark, so be prepared!


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Wednesday, April 27 - Ladies night road ride on Clinton Road. Please be ready to ride at 6 p.m. at the old Village Square Inn parking lot on Rt. 23 in Newfoundland. Rain will cancel our ride. If it does rain, we'll do potluck and yoga at the Kahl's. In case of rain, RSVP to Heather and let her know if you are coming and what you can bring!


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


That's it for today - stay tuned for more weekend announcements!

Weekend reminders

Just a few quick reminders of all the activities we've got up for grabs this weekend!

• Friday, April 22 - we're doing a kids race pre-ride at Jungle Habitat. We'll be clearing the course from 12:00-2:30, and we'll meet at the gate for our ride at 3 p.m. Remember, the gate will not be open, so your junior will have to climb the big hill! 
• Friday night road ride is on! Meet us at 5:00 at the old Village Square Inn parking lot on Rt. 23 in Newfoundland. Join the group and see what all the buzz is about! 
• Saturday, April 23 - we're doing roadside clean-up on Clinton Road! Meet us at the old Village Square Inn on Route 23 in Newfoundland at 8:30 a.m. We've got some gloves (if you have a favorite pair, bring 'em!) and garbage bags. We'll work in a light drizzle/rain, but real rain will cancel - we'll plan a rain date of May 1. 

As always, drop us a line if you have any questions - info@teamtowncycle.com . For those who celebrate - have a safe and happy Easter! And happy Spring to us all! 

It's all about the kids!

The weather is looking sketchy for the weekend, so with the kids (and a lot of grown-ups!) off from work on Friday, we're going to do a Juniors in the Jungle kids pre-ride on Friday, April 22. We'll meet at the gate at Jungle Habitat at 3 p.m. Please note: the gate will NOT be opened for this ride, so be prepared to shepherd your junior up and down the hill! We'll break up into a few small groups and check out what's in store for our Juniors in the Jungle race next weekend! Even if you are not going to race next week, you are welcome to join us.


If you are available earlier in the day, we could use your help as we rake off some of the trails and check for any rogue face slappers on the race course! If you are interested and available, drop us a note at info@teamtowncycle.com, and we'll hook you up with our group.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


A quick note about one of our favorite kids, Marty. Next week, Marty will be traveling to Beth Israel Hospital to have a gastric feeding tube inserted. This will make it easier for him to get the nutrition he needs, but which his body has a hard time processing. Please keep Marty, Pete and Kelly in your thoughts next week. We'll update you on his progress soon! 


Speaking of Marty, we're working on another fundraiser for Marty's Fund! Mark this date on your calendar - June 7th, 6:30 p.m. We're going to be holding a wine tasting event to benefit Marty's Fund at the wonderful Endless Vine in Franklin Lakes. Laura and her amazing staff are ironing out the details, and we'll update you soon on the all the nitty gritty! 

Weekend plans - for this weekend and next!

More calendar notes! Here's what's in store so far ....


Weekend of April 15-17

• April 15 - Friday night ride - Meet us at 5 p.m. at the old Village Square Inn parking lot for our weekly foray down Clinton Road. Great place to learn about riding in a group on the road! 
• April 17 - For those of you looking for weekend trail maintenance opportunities or a jump on PayDirt hours, Black Bear Cycling is doing trail maintenance at Waywayanda on Sunday. Meet up at the boathouse at 8 a.m., and bring gloves, water, food, etc. Tools provided. They'll be working on armoring the stream crossing off of Livingston Trail, among other things. RSVP to Jeff Stickle if you are interested!
• Our own BJ Kisch will be leading a mountain bike ride at Tourne Park on Sunday, wheels down at 12:30 p.m. Meet up at the first parking lot when you enter at the East Park Entrance (off Powerville Road, onto McCaffrey). Ride will be two hours maximum, plenty of opportunities to punch out early, not overly technical. In his words - "Climbs? Sure, steep, long, short , punchy whatever you want. Rocks? A couple. Swoopy flowy stuff? A bit. Think forest moon of Endor on speeders from Empire Strikes Back." So pack your light saber or blaster, watch out for small, furry Ewoks, and come on out! 

Weekend of April 22-24

• April 22 - Ditto on the Friday night ride - same as above! 
• April 23 - Save the date! Join some of our TTC members as we help keep West Milford clean and celebrate Earth Day! More details to follow very shortly!
• April 23 - Weather permitting, we will be organizing a Juniors in the Jungle Kids/Middle School/High School race pre-ride! We'll post the nitty gritty on it soon, so stay tuned! 

There will undoubtedly be more rides and fun for all, so check back in here, or check our calendar for all of the latest details! 

Juniors in the Jungle Volunteers needed!

It's hard to believe with the snow that is on the ground, but four weeks from tomorrow - on April 30 - it's our 3rd Annual Juniors in the Jungle Race! This is not your normal mountain bike race. Trust us - this day couldn't be more fun! The kids are so excited, they can barely stand still long enough to put their number plates on! Their enthusiasm will make you want to grab your bike and get out and ride that day!

We will need volunteers to help with registration, as course marshals (and to help with the occasional "push" as necessary!), scorers, and general "cat herders" for the younger crowd! We'll be onsite from 7:00 a.m. until approximately 2 p.m. - but whatever time you have available would be greatly appreciated. The atmosphere is much more casual than your regular mountain bike race - we just want to have a fun day and introduce the next generation to the world of mountain bike racing. 

Know a kid who might be interested in racing? The flyer with all the information for the K-5 race is here - and the information for the 6-12 grade race can be found here . Tell your family, friends and neighbors - we'd love to see everyone come out!  

If you can help us out on race day, please RSVP to info@teamtowncycle.com - and thanks in advance! 

Save the Date - Juniors in the Jungle is April 30th!

Well, you know spring really must be on the way when we start talking about our kids race at Jungle Habitat! This year will be the 3rd Annual Juniors in the Jungle race, and we're even more excited than ever to get our younger riders out in the woods! As in years past, we will have a race for everyone from kindergarten through 12th grade. For racers in grades K-5, here is your flyer with all the necessary info, and for grades 6-12, your details can be found here. All flyer links are also posted here on the left sidebar - for future reference! 

We're all about having fun with the kids, so we will try to get a pre-ride day in earlier in April. Stay tuned for more info!