May 2023: First TNR of the season, the Bonanza Bluffquest, is canceled due to too much snow on trails.
Feel free to submit photos and ride reports for posting to FCC’s blog and Facebook Page by emailing pres@fairbankscycleclub.org.
These rides will take place every Tuesday evening throughout the summer, rain or shine. Be ready to ride at 6:00PM. Rides are cancelled only for air quality issues, owing to forest fires (or really bad group body odor).
WHO: Any moderately able, fit mountain biker. Does riding trails to the top of Ester Dome and back down scare you? These rides aren’t for you. Disappointed we won’t do that 5 times in one night? These rides might not be for you either. All riders must be Fairbanks Cycle Club members. (Anyone can join one FCC ride as a guest. After that membership is required. One-day memberships are available.)
WHAT: These are rides, NOT races. They are for socializing and trying new trails while having fun mountain biking and getting exercise. We are not highly organized, but we try to keep the group together. Advice, riding hints, and mechanical help are in abundance. (Some of it is even helpful!)
WHEN: Tuesday summer evenings, START RIDING AT 6PM!!! If conditions are good, we might do a ride or two earlier in May. Keep an eye on FCC Facebook page and sign up for the FCC listserv (under the News dropdown menu).
HOW MUCH: Free, but you must be a member of the Fairbanks Cycle Club: www.fairbankscycleclub.org/membership/
SKILL RATING: Refers to bike handling ability. Rides not technically difficult receive a low skill rating. Trails that are almost impossible to ride without coming off the pedals receive a high skill rating.
DIFFICULTY RATING: Refers to total energy, effort, and skill required. We’ve tried to schedule easier rides early in the season. A difficulty level of 1 would be equivalent to riding your bike on a gravel road with rolling hills for half an hour. A level of 10 would be like riding trails from Anne’s Greenhouse to the top of Ester Dome and back – three times.
CONTACT: Ride leaders Eric or Dave.
(When viewing the calendar on your phone, turn your phone sideways. For a printed schedule with a more complete description of each ride you can download a PDF file here.)
| Date | Ride Name | Approx Miles | Approx Hours | Elev gain | Skill rating | Overall rating | Ride meet | Skill notes (rocky, rooty, steep ascents/descents) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5/16/2023 | Bonanza Bluffquest (Canceled due to too much snow on forestry road) | 16 | 2.5 | 1600 | 1 Low | 5 | First left after mile 339 Parks Highway. | All forest service roads |
| 5/23/2023 | Rosie Creek Ramble | 18 | 2.5 - 3 | 2200 | 1 Low | 6 | First pullout on left after Mile 343 Parks Hwy. | All forest service roads |
| 5/30/2023 | Skyline Ridge Skedaddle | 12 | 3 | 2000 | 3 Med+ | 7 | Pearl Creek Elementary School (first prkg lot). | Some longer rooty singletrack; short steep sections |
| 6/6/2023 | Skarland 12-Mile | 12 | 2.5 | 1600 | 2 Med | 5 | Ski Hut by Geophysical Bldg, UAF. | Some long, rooty singletrack sections |
| 6/13/2023 | Eva Creek Event | 12 | 2 | 2000 | 3 Med+ | 7 | Ester Community Park. | One short rooty section, steep sections |
| 6/20/2023 | Birch Hill Bombing | 12 | 2 | 1600 | 2 Med | 5 | Birch Hill Rec Area (far end, upper parking lot) | All good singletrack |
| 6/27/2023 | UAF Hidden Trails Trot | 12 | 2.5 | 1200 | 3 Med+ | 6 | Ski Hut by Geophysical Bldg, UAF. | Long rooty sections |
| 7/4/2023 | Circle-Fairbanks Trail Tramp | 14 | 3 | 2000 | 3 Med+ | 7 | Circle-Fbx Trailhead. | Longer rocky sections, steep sections |
| 7/11/2023 | Ester Dome Singletrack Plus | 12 | 2.5 | 2000 | 3 Med+ | 7 | Pullout next to Ann’s Greenhouse on Sheep Creek Rd. | Good singletrack, possibly some tricky stuff |
| 7/18/2023 | Ester Mine Mingle | 10.5 | 3 | 3000 | 4 High | 8 | Ester Community Park. | Rooty sections, rocky eroded downhill, steep descents, steep ascents |
| 7/25/2023 | Alder Creek Alibi | 15 | 3 | 1900 | 2 Med | 6 | Pullout at Parks and Cripple Creek Rd. | A few short, steep climbs; swamp |
| 8/1/2023 | Pedro Dome Pedal Pusher | 11.5 | 2.5 | 1650 | 3 Med+ | 7 | Old Murphy Dome Rd, at intersection with Elliott Hwy. | Steep eroded ascent/descents; mostly climbing at first, then descending |
| 8/8/2023 | Cache Creek Cranking (NEW RIDE!) | 18 | 3.5 | 2100 | 3 Med | 8 | Parking area at Murphy Dome and Cache Creek roads intersection. | One two-track ascent and one descent but nothing too tricky |
| 8/15/2023 | Pandora Pounding | 18 | 3.5 | 3000 | 4 High | 9 | Eldorado Creek Trailhead, Mile 5.5 Goldstream Road. | Long rooty section |
| 8/22/2023 | Moose Mountain Motoring | 12 | 2.5 | 2000 | 4 High | 8 | Gated entrance to the Moose Mt Ski Lodge. Park to the side. | Long climb to start; long tricky, rooty section |
| 8/29/2023 | Murphy Dome Scenic Scoot (NEW RIDE!) | 13 | 2.5 | 1670 | 3 Med | 6 | End of Murphy Dome Road at the top of Murphy Dome | Some rooty trail, but mostly gravel road and two track |
| 9/5/2023 | Waterford Trail Plus | 14 | 2.5 | 1900 | 2 Med | 6 | Pullout off Molly just past intersection with Waterford, off Goldstream Rd. | Rooty sections but not too bad |
It’s not over yet!
Each Tuesday until the snow is a few inches deep, we go for a “Post Season Tuesday Ride”. We set the meeting place/time each prior Tuesday. So, if you aren’t ready to hang it all up just yet, do these rides. These can be some of the best rides of the season!
Many thanks to Father Doug Burnside (our “creator”). Doug created these rides so long ago even Doug can’t remember! He knows the first was as early as 1995, if not before.
