Hi all, just moved back to NS from PE. Got into Mountain Biking about 2 years ago and am pretty terrible at it. We just moved this fall to Aldershot and I have been exploring the “unregistered” trails in around my home and behind Camp Aldershot (no worries, I obey the limits of the Fence and No Trespassing signs). I have been to the Gorge at the very end of the season and am looking forward to exploring it this year. I have a Large Norco Storm 7.4 that I purchased in 2019 from McQueens in Charlottetown, but it doesn’t seem to match the specs of a Norco 7.4 so I am thinking it was used and upgraded, It has an 8 speed cassette and not a 7. I added wider bars, a larger range cassette, a bike pump, and am looking to convert it to a 10 or 11 speed 1x.
I’m use to riding at Brookvale Nordic Trails in PE and am looking for a similar spot where I can ride flowy trails with banked turns. I was just getting into Blue trails in PE but when I tried a Blue trail in NS it was a bit more technical than what I am use to. Are trail ratings the same from Province to Province or variable?
I would like to try bike packing with longer trips and group rides to new places as well.
I am also looking for MTB couching and courses in the area because I don’t know what I am doing lol.
Ay advice on good bike shops would be appreciated.
Welcome to NS! We (ride east) are BICP and PMBIA certified and hold clinics from spring to fall. Shoot us an email at info@rideeast.ca or check out our insta/facebook @ rideeast.ca
I would love to meet up with a group on Tuesdays; Where\When on Tuesdays do you meet up? During the School year I have some Tuesday responsibilities I need plan around but all summer I should be good to go.
Meet to ride for 6:30pm start. Location usually changes from week to week unless otherwise notified. Weekly ride info is usually posted every Monday and weather dépendant on Tuesday morning. Just gotta check the forum.
Welcome! When I visit PEI I usually ride Brookvale exclusively because it’s so unique. That’s not to say there aren’t great trails around, but you’re unlikely to find another Brookvale. But if you do, let me know!
A lot of NS trails are a bit more tech than PEI - more roots, rocks, and thinner soil cover than the Island. In the Valley, the Bird Sanctuary trail (on the outskirts of Kentville toward Coldbrook) has more flow than the Gorge, IMO. There’s a short, but sweet flowy trail called “Bottle Rocket” on the hill beside the indoor soccer stadium in Kentville. Reservoir Park in Wolfville is also fairly close to Aldershot, and has some decent flow, but also being on a hill has some climbing, descending, and tricky switchback corners.
I help maintain the Nine Mile River Trail outside Halifax, just past the airport. It’s a bit of a drive from the Valley, but it’s a good trail for newbies (except for the Hemlock Cathedral section at the back of the trail system) and has some nice flow.
I did get a chance to try bottle rocket last Friday, but it was still really wet so I didn’t push it for fear of causing damage. The wet spots didn’t make themselves apparent until I got into it. I can see it being a good spot when it dries up a bit.
It’s good that you mention “technical trails” with more rocks and roots. Brookvale does have good flowing trails but it isn’t without the rutted rooted with rocks kind either; and the Bonshaw and Strathgartney trails, of which I also frequented, were very much of the rough and rooted variety; so I am up for those kind of trails as well. What I get into trouble with is drops, obstacles that require the bunny hop, skinny platforms, jumps (I have not gotten to a point where I am comfortable trying that skill). I can manage most things that can be tackled by slowing down a picking a line but not so good at “think fast!” kinda obstacles yet. My old riding partner did have me on select black trails at both Bonshaw, Brookvale, and Strathgartney, but their focus was roots, rocks, and uneven terrain and I still managed to get close and personal with a few trees trying to turn tight up\down narrow steep woop-de-woops. Not sure what the technical term is there…
To answer your questions about trail ratings, as it looks like nobody else has, they are relative to the surrounding trails, although they are supposed to be based off what I think are Whistler or IMBA standards. People end up rating them based on what they experience here so ratings are a bit skewed to being more technical in NS than other places.
