# Creature of Habit?



## Greg (Jul 21, 2009)

Are you a creature of habit? I totally admit that I am. Do you tend to ride the same area over and over or do you insist upon spreading around and trying new places?

I ride Burlington mostly. The primary reasons are that the network is HUGE, I know most of it by now, and it's the closest good riding to me. It's actually a lot of fun to ride trails that you know well since you can ride them faster since you already know the changes in terrain. When I'm on an unfamiliar trail, I tend to be conservative and ride slower which is probably a smart thing.

I know I should spread myself around, but I rarely feel cheated riding at the beloved Nass. I guess I take the same approach in the winter by skiing at Sundown so much. Proximity is a big selling point for me at this point in my life.

Signed,

A Nass-aholic


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## awf170 (Jul 21, 2009)

I have about 80 days just on the north side of Lynn Woods.  If you include the south side I'm probably over a hundred.  I know every single rock roller, climb, rock garden, etc.  I could probably draw a map of the place featuring every roller, drop, and technical feature on the north side.  So yes, I would say that I am.


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## rueler (Jul 21, 2009)

I guess I am a creature of habit...or convenience. I also primarily ride Nassahegan due to its close proximity to my home. I live less than 10 minutes from any of the trailheads at Nass. The other reason I ride there so frequently is due to the community of riders that also enjoy the place. If I am solo, I always end up hooking up with someone to ride with at Scoville. 

There are still some spots that I have never been to, that I must visit this year. Middlesex, West Rock, Mesh, Cockaponset and Grayville. 

Also want to make return visits to Nepaug and Millers soon.


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## mondeo (Jul 21, 2009)

I'm sorta bounded by Hartford on the north, 5/15 on the west, and the river to the east. If I choose to go beyond those, I'm forced onto certain roads and limited in flexibility for the ride. Plus the southern part of the triangle created by I-91, I-95, and the river is very nice riding territory, I know roads ok enough by now that when I inevitably get lost due to the lack of road signs or have to back track because of a gravel road I can still get back home.

At some point it becomes hard to squeeze a ride into that amount of area, but up to 100 miles should be fine. But I need more climbing. It's hard to find even a 500ft climb in that area (granted, 500ft still gives me enough trouble currently.)


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## JD (Jul 21, 2009)

I like variety.  I like the improvizational aspects of riding trail for the first time.  You can't match that excitment on trails you know well.  I do appreciate riding old favorites where you know every rock and route, have your line dialed in to the most minute detail and riding it perfectly w/o missing a single root, or rock hop, but new trail is the most fun to me.


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## bvibert (Jul 21, 2009)

Greg said:


> Are you a creature of habit? I totally admit that I am. Do you tend to ride the same area over and over or do you insist upon spreading around and trying new places?



Yes and Yes.

It's funny I was just thinking about this very subject today before I saw this post.  I'm a creature of habit in most parts of my life I guess, and I'm ok with that.

I consider myself lucky to have such good riding close by, and I like to take advantage of that when I can.


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## gorgonzola (Jul 21, 2009)

variety is the spice of life - i like checking out new trails and am lucky that there's alot of decent spots close by. even when riding the same place i'll do it in different directions in order to mix it up. same with skiing, like to ski gates one day, than moguls, terrain park, cruisers etc.


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## Marc (Jul 21, 2009)

I always feeled compelled to return to boobies.  So.  Yeah.


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## deadheadskier (Jul 21, 2009)

How many miles of terrain are in NASS?


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## Grassi21 (Jul 21, 2009)

Marc said:


> I always feeled compelled to return to boobies.  So.  Yeah.



+1


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## Greg (Jul 21, 2009)

deadheadskier said:


> How many miles of terrain are in NASS?



It would be interesting to know. I'm sure reuler has a guess. I would say somewhere in the range of 50-100+ miles of singletrack. I'm pretty sure the Crankfire mafia hit 40-ish miles without much duplication when they do their "Tour de Nassty" and I can't imagine they hit _everything_. Regardless of what it actually is, it's a lot:

http://crankfire.com/map/index.php?tid=7


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## deadheadskier (Jul 21, 2009)

I was mainly interested as there's a fairly popular place nearby here in Exeter, NH called Fort Rock.  I've read that Fort Rock has 20 miles of terrain, so I was curious to see if that's big, small, how it compares to other areas people go.


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## Greg (Jul 21, 2009)

I'd love to have a 20 mile network that's closer than I am to Nass (25 minutes).


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## MR. evil (Jul 21, 2009)

Greg said:


> I'd love to have a 20 mile network that's closer than I am to Nass (25 minutes).



I have 14 miles at Robinson St park, 5 minutes from my house

The Metacomet trail is a 2 minute bike ride from my house and that can be ridden all the way to the Rez

Penwood is 25 minutes away

Granville Gorge is 10 minutes away

And the mother of all, the Holyoke range (60 plus miles of ubber sweet trails) is 25 minutes from my door.

There are also several other cool spots with in 15 to 20 minutes you guys have never heard of, but fun to ride. I guess I am kind of spoiled:-D


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## Trekchick (Jul 21, 2009)

I tent to ride the same 2 trails regularly, mostly because they're close to my house and I can squeak a ride in any time.
But...
I LOVE exploring and getting out to new, and sometimes more challenging, trail.


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## gmcunni (Jul 21, 2009)

Greg said:


> Are you a creature of habit?


Yes, in all aspects of my life i am, to the point where i consider it a negative.  I made a point years ago to change myself. I have to push to try new things/places. i know i'm being lazy when i find myself reverting back to "the usual".


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## deadheadskier (Jul 21, 2009)

Robinson in Feeding Hills?  One of my very good friends and former ski bumming partner in crime owns the little farm house right across the street from the entrance.

If you ever have an epiphany while riding concerning your retirement savings, feel free to knock on his door.  He's a heluva a financial adviser. :lol:


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## abc (Jul 24, 2009)

Anyone who knows me would NOT call me a creature of habit. I admit I'm easily bored. 

Having said all that, there're two exceptions to that rule: mountain biking technical single tracks and skiing in trees! 

Within the same trail or same patch of trees, there're quite often multiple lines. It's almost like having a whole different trails/runs inches apart from each other! More over, often times the same terrain rides/skis differently each day due to condition of the day.  

I enjoy going to different places. But at the same time, I ride/ski the same place over and over again. It has nothing to do with "habit". It's a whole new place to ride/ski each day!


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## deadheadskier (Jul 24, 2009)

abc said:


> Anyone who knows me would NOT call me a creature of habit. I admit I'm easily bored.
> 
> Having said all that, there're two exceptions to that rule: mountain biking technical single tracks and skiing in trees!
> 
> ...



nice

I agree


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## rueler (Jul 24, 2009)

Greg said:


> It would be interesting to know. I'm sure reuler has a guess. I would say somewhere in the range of 50-100+ miles of singletrack. I'm pretty sure the Crankfire mafia hit 40-ish miles without much duplication when they do their "Tour de Nassty" and I can't imagine they hit _everything_. Regardless of what it actually is, it's a lot:
> 
> http://crankfire.com/map/index.php?tid=7



I always say that Nass. is 40+ miles from the miles that I have definitely logged there...I would venture to guess that all said and done it's between 50-60 miles easy if you do EVERY little bit of trail here and there! I know the place well and I am still seeing new stuff for the first time. There are old trails lurking in Sessions, top of J-Cake and between Stone and the Soccer Fields that many people rarely ride or even know of. That's part of the problem with such a large network...a lot of it doesn't get ridden enough and there aren't enough hands to keep ALL of the trails clean. Lately, there has been a big movement towards "new" trails. I love new routes like anyone and have facilitated some of this...But, I kind of feel that this trend needs to die down a bit and more attention needs to be paid to keeping the existing trails good. 

I did the Tour De Nassty twice last year. The first one we did logged 30 miles. The funny part is that we didn't do the Cornwall downhill or ANY of the easy Sessions miles. The only thing on that side we did was Truck Trail to the Blue trail on our way out to JohnnyCake the "old way". Remember another thing...we didn't have the 69er or the newer J-Cake trails to add into the mix or the 4 mile long "Hessian" which none of you have yet to ride in its entirety. Brian and Woodcore did the top section of it a while back. The second tour I only got 26 miles or so because I had to bail early...the boys that did the whole loop that was planned ended around 33 miles. This year, the talk is for a solid 40. The problem that I can see arising is where to put the really technical sections in the mix of the loop so that people don't bonk out too early...


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