From Where We Stand Episode 4: Newark, DE

Jan 13, 2014
by Brice Shirbach  
Views: 14,927    Faves: 24    Comments: 0


For our 4th and final installment, we find ourselves at the end of our journey and in Newark, Delware. Why, of all places, would we choose to film a mountain bike segment in one of the flattest states in the union? Because trail love exists everywhere; sometimes ya have mountains and sometimes ya don't. What Delaware lacks in vertical diversity it more than makes up for with delicious and flowy trail systems. White Clay Creek State Park and Middle Run County Park adjoin to create some of the fastest and most scenic trail networks in the mid-Atlantic. This setting would prove to be perfect for our homage to the east coast community as we invited a number of riders to be a part of our final day of production and the final episode of the series.

Seamus Powell, Cam Nyguist, Gerry Creighton, several of the Trail Spinners showed up to shred as well as return visits from Paul Dotsenko, Matt Miller and Brice Shirbach. Episode 4 starts in Delaware and finishes with a bit of everything; all of the sunsets, final rides and high-fives from throughout the series. There's a prevailing message throughout and it's at it's most poignant here. Bikes are awesome and regardless of your skill-set or the terrain you're on, they're best enjoyed in the company of others. And like any good day on a bike with friends, we cap things off around a fire pit with some tacos, a few beers and plenty of stories. Now go ride your bike...and don't forget to smile.

photo



Posted In:
Videos


Author Info:
briceshirbach avatar

Member since Dec 5, 2013
126 articles

66 Comments
  • 14 1
 I think there should be another installment with just riding and the music. That's where the connection is. I love living and riding in the Northeast. I admire the hell out of these riders, especially what the Reading guys created. But every rider I've met from elsewhere is cool as hell and never puts the Northeast down. So, there's nothing to defend. I'm pretty sure we all want to ride every trail we can in every location that we can.
  • 5 0
 I love living and riding in Pennsylvania. The best parts of the video are when the riding and terrain is speaking for itself. No need to persuade people how awesome it is when you can just show them.
  • 2 2
 I agree, shut up have fun make friends and ride! I grew up on the east coast and have a bunch of friends that ride. Great community! I live in CO. now and have a bunch of friends that ride and another great community! There's sweet trails and people all over this world so why defend your area?
  • 2 1
 but the trails have "character"

agreed, the fire intro scene is really the worst thing. Rocky, techy riding in the east is unique, but watching some guy do 4mph around jungle on his 29er is going to look ghey on film.

I'll probably check out these newark trails just bc my gf's parents live kind of near there and it'll be an excuse to sneak out.
  • 1 0
 It's fun to blow your own horn every now and then.
  • 15 6
 honestly what is the point of these videos? its just people talking about their riding up north how about you show more riding and less talking! 6 mins of my life wasted...
  • 5 4
 I'm with you on this one. I live 20 minutes from this place and its cool but this video was a waste of time.
  • 6 3
 The video makes the trails look pretty boring, in my opinion.
  • 5 1
 A lot of videos have these lame footage driving there, putting their helmet and goggles on or a leaf blowing off a rock.....give us the location, music, and trail footage
  • 4 1
 I have to agree, I liked the mountain creek one because I ride there and it was fun to see the trails that I ride, but all I really want to see if the trail footage not them talking about how great the East is.
  • 5 1
 I'm sorry, but as fun as Mountain Creek Bike Park is, it's not truly representative of the riding in the area. What about Ringwood State Park, Waywayonda, and Blue Mountain? Unless its flowy manicured BS, no one is interested. Apparently technical riding on natural trails aint cool anymore.
  • 2 0
 And don't forget about the Jungle!
  • 10 1
 Yeah, I live on the East Coast. I think we've got some good riding here....and I really wanted to like these videos. I watched all 4.. each time I kept thinking maybe the next one will show some riding. The one from Oneonta at least showed some guys catching air and a few different sections of trail. Seriously, less talking, more riding. If you want to show East Coast riding, show it. Don't talk about it. The third one (can't remember location) just showed the same section of trail over and over again, barely even changing camera angle. I like the riding here, but these videos almost made me want to move west. Hopefully the guys can take this as constructive criticism and come back with some bad ass videos that really exhibit some east coast gnar.
  • 2 1
 I kno what the hell. Not one mention of the gnarliest trails in north jersey. I was really hoping to see ringwood and jungle
  • 3 1
 Hell ya where's Ringwood? About a thousand times gnarlier than all four of these vids. I think their goal was more about showing the community of riders out east and in that respect this was a great video. There should be a different video showcasing the burly spots around though. They had some serious equipment for this shoot, nice red cams.
  • 3 3
 Wow, more slo mo footage of nothing. And they had other areas, not all Delaware. The only inspiration I had was to write this.
  • 2 2
 SaltyBK@ they just don't look boring, they are boring if you are comparing them to DH type trails. I live there. I'm 15-20min from every trail head. It's great TRAIL riding with miles and miles of loops. Very easy to get lost, but techy, exciting, it's not. Whitman Farm I think has the downhillyest section or a monster to climb; a real lung buster for the unconditioned or anyone riding one of those 6in 30lb FS bikes in the vid. All of the trails are up down up down up, great for conditioning.
The funny things about this vid is that quite a bit of the footage is not even of the trail system in Newark. The more I write the more disappointed I become. This vid does not do the trail system justice.
  • 1 1
 Yea I live literally right down the road from the trail head and I gotta agree, it's not very technical but it is very flowy and very nearby. It's great to have next door and so close but if you want something more extreme go elsewhere. This is just a good place to relax and have fun. Brandywine has more technicality and Iron Hill is a better place to play around at with its bowl area. I usually don't even ride around here much anymore. I generally am busy during the weeks then on weekends I head up to Launch Bike Park for downhill. They should've had that place in the series. DrthVadr is right too. Most of the footage in this episode is from other episodes.
  • 7 0
 We all dream of going west and riding the famous terrain there, but what these guys are saying is there are good trails here too.
Locally there is almost nothing, and 45 minutes away there is good flow, but the Man tears down or nerfs all the features. I was pretty down on the local scene until I saw what there is in Oneonta just an hour away. Instead of riding the pitiful local stuff all season and wishing i could make a big trip west, I should make a lot of small trips. Maybe a 2 day trip to DE, or Reading.
We east coasters could stand to visit each other and ride each other's terrain now and then.

You guys who feel threatened don't get it. No one is ragging on the west. We know our trails don't compare. There is no such thing as an hour of straight descent here. We don't have the altitude change for it. These videos don't focus on terrain. If they did there would be more stuff from Highland, Skytop (syracuse), and a bunch of other places. Plus they would have shown the bigger stuff in Reading and Mountain Creek. No, this video is about encouraging us in the Northeast to get together and enjoy each other's trails.
Out west it is normal to take long trips. Your commute to work is often over an hour. Here 45 minutes is considered a long commute. We don't get around as much so a video encouraging us to enjoy what we have is not slight on you, but some encouragement for us. You have a vibrant bicycle community out west. This series tries to build the same in the northeast.
  • 4 0
 ^ Nail: Head ^
  • 3 0
 Some of us have been traveling lunatics all over the east and vibrating for decades.
  • 1 0
 Grossed out, but kudos all the same on travelling! I am lucky to get more than one trip per year. Plattekill, Diablo (before the change) Swain, and highland are the limits of my travels, with one trip to skytop mixed in.
  • 3 0
 Plattekill is all you need to focus on. All other riding is uncivilized.
  • 2 0
 having been to Plattekill several times including for a couple weekends of racing, I must say that it is just about as far from civilization as you can get this side of Deliverance [cue "Dueling Banjos"]
  • 1 0
 Nice keep going to Plattekill.
  • 10 0
 Newark in America is loads better to Newark in the UK where I live
  • 14 0
 Newark, New Jersey, USA is hell on earth... Newark, Delaware not so much Wink
  • 2 0
 Just wish we had more bike parks in the UK so many good places but just no parks
  • 5 0
 The only thing I'm disappointed in is the comments. This has nothing to do with east / west, DH or XC, Suspension or not and it sure isn't the last of the videos. These are short clips to help spread the word that cycling is strong on the east coast. Due to time and funding they were only able to capture a few spots. With more funding they will continue to cover all of the places you all have mentiined. Its the first of the series. They are learning and growing as we all do. As an East Coast rider I can say yes we do have some amazing trails here. We all have trails we cherish and ride like we can call out ever speck of dirt and they are all perfect in their own way. I think PB did a fantastic job at running with this and caring enough about the cycling community as a whole not just one type of crew. Instead of bashing the videos because you didn't see your location, shoot them a message and invite them to your land and share the love you created on two wheels. Seriously, reach out and show support. It pretty amazing what can come it. Ride in yall ! Enjoy what you have and what you've created.
  • 1 3
 from what I've seen they don't need more funding.. just better editing and more riding less blah blah blah
  • 10 2
 After seeing all 4 videos waiting for the next to come out, I'm proud to be an East Coast rider. Well done guys...
  • 11 3
 I like being an east coast rider too...but I'd rather be somewhere out west. These videos were good but I'd rather them just show off the riding, not "one-upping" over everyone else.
  • 4 0
 They are just saying people never think of the northeast when they think of biking, but we have a good scene too.
  • 4 0
 I think overall it was nice to see videos that were not all about BC and since I live in Central PA I can hit any of those places in either a day trip and or weekend get-a-way with the wife. For me it was nice to hear some people vocalize the East Coast scene.
  • 7 0
 Flew about some trails in the Brandywine forest in Delaware on holidays, good times!
  • 4 0
 Awesome video guys great to see communities getting together and organizing people imput. I wish governments and councils in Auzzie would invest more time and money in these kinds of projects to incourage kids to get off there playstations and ebox's and get on there bikes and ride the wilderness that exists everywhere in the world and in this lucky case, right in your backyard. Cheers and bravo guys.... Dan, Melbourne.
  • 3 0
 What a wonderful love letter to the east coast communities at large. These short documentaries are a thing of beauty indeed. The imagery was euphoric and elegant. I enjoyed hearing the points of view of the various passionate mountain bikers. It makes me want to buy a mountain bike and go flying down through the woods, just to hear the crackling leaves beneath my wheels, to smell the earth around me, to feel my heart beat in exhilaration. Thank you for sewing the seeds of inspiration in me. Ut sementem feceris ita metes.
  • 6 1
 Final installment? You guys stopped before hitting MD/VA/WV and NC. So much good riding to be had! Well, hopefully there will be a "season 2".
  • 5 1
 And what about Highland and the Kingdom Trails?
  • 4 1
 Great job, Brice! I think we can call this a success now! Four videos, four locations, lots of riders and lots of relations with locals to each area! Whatever anyone says, it was a huge undertaking, a great success, and I'm stoked to have been a part of it. Can't wait to see what next year brings (I'm guessing that's why you were polling for our favorite breweries....) and hopefully get in on the next round of shooting. Now go get some rest!
  • 3 0
 The population on the east coast is huge, so all trails have to be approved because of liabilities and people getting hurt etc. So basically all the legal trails are xc tame trails. But there are some serious trails that are kept secret locally, i wish it wasnt that way but it is. Some of the freeride trails in md are no joke, full on dh shuttle trails that have jumps where the take off and landings are basically rock gardens and i am not talking about little log drops or mini dirt booters, im talkin full blown senders. Dirt is hard over here also so we really gota put in work and use a lot of natural stuff to build features.
  • 5 0
 Final installment?! I hope in the future a few more might come down the pipe line
  • 6 1
 Middle run / white clay are shit loads of fun
Climbs , jumps , super flowy sections , it really is an all in one place
  • 2 0
 Damn right!!
  • 5 0
 Except rocks of any size or shape. Brandywine ftw!
  • 5 3
 thanks pinkbike for trying to represent a cross cultural perspective, by allowing these on your main thread. it was a gamble. the idea is cool and everything, but each time i watched one of these episodes, i cringed. these videos are lame. it is not necessarily an east coast vs west coast type thing, but at the same time, if pb headquarters were in deleware, no one would follow this sight.
  • 3 1
 I don't care where they edit their articles. . .
  • 4 2
 DANG IT! I really wanted to like this series! Seriously, I did. I've lived an biked on the east coast all my life an this series didn't do it any justice. We don't need 1 minute intros of people talking it up, or the same clips in every video.. trying to stay positive here, but I feel like I could make a better series about east coast spots with my gopro and laptop.. just show the riding people! "If you build it, they will come".... not, if you talk about it...
  • 4 0
 could make a better series with a gopro and a laptop?

.....who's stopping you?
  • 1 2
 I would seriously love to.. when I get out riding I just get too excited and don't bother turning on the camera, and pov footage gets old. It just seems like this project had some serious backing and I'm just disappointed. I've lived and rode bikes out here my whole life so I had high expectations for a vid that reps the east..
  • 4 0
 Love that town. Makes me miss the college days. Newark is a fun place, off and on the bike! Go Blue hens
  • 5 0
 keep them coming, more video, more place please
  • 3 0
 i honestly think if your trying to promote East Coast riding pick spots like Copper Harbour MI or anywhere in Quebec those two spots are amazing for riding
  • 4 0
 there is another, much more 'bike-porny' project in the making...stay tuned!
  • 2 0
 Since when has michigan been part of the northeast? PA and NJ are barely northeast. Actually I don't even consider them northeast. Northeast is NY, CT, RI, MA, VT, NH and Maine.
  • 1 0
 well what would you consider them... there no where near West Coast maybe central USA? yeah maybe but still there East and the riding there looks and is exceptional... really the trails showed in the series look sub par compared to some of the other stuff you can find on what you can consider the "East Coast"
  • 4 1
 The first 7 seconds with the XC riders "killing it" to the sounds of metal... Priceless!
  • 2 2
 White Clay and the surrounding trails are really an amazing network. Too bad this video didn't show that. Where is all the riding footage?
  • 1 3
 those trails did not look world class at all your typical East Coast rolling xc trails with a features that are filled with desgin flaws
  • 3 2
 This is not really representative of the East Coast. Most of the trails are very rocky, rooty, technical, and natural. A lot less flowy and contrived than what they're representing here. The flow apparently attracts tourists though, since every video on PB more or less features guys ripping whips on manicured trails, which is now what most people expect.
  • 1 2
 well from my experience East Coast dont get me wrong has great riding but i dont know ive riding in New York and that was really rocky but trails in Ontario (unless on the escarpment but even then are not incorporated into the trail) are flat rolling trails that accommodate the lack of elevation we have here. I have also done Reading PA if im not mistaken EP 3. was on it and the trails were essentially the same maybe a bit more freeride orientated than here. With that being said im sure that there some of those great technical rocky terrain trails on the East Coast that you have rode, but for me..... im still searching for one
  • 3 4
 East coasters seem to be a bit up tight. Try growing your hair long and smoke some herb. Chill bro.
  • 1 3
 Haha not really seeing the need for full suspension bikes...
  • 3 0
 Are you sure you know what suspension is for? The smoothest trails I've ever ridden were post canyon Oregon. Seaotter's DH was won on an xc bike! Out here the trails are all off-camber root systems. Small bump absorption is the name of the game. Big travel comes into play whenever you cross a stream bed (which happens a lot since we have as much rain as seattle pretty much everywhere here.) Try out the rough side of Mountain Creak, or Plattekill. It blows out forks now and then, believe me.
  • 1 1
 Oh I have no idea what it's for, Just appears by this video the trails are relatively smooth and not very technical with little altitude descent.
  • 3 0
 I guess they could have shown more technical stuff.







Copyright © 2000 - 2024. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv65 0.055470
Mobile Version of Website