Hunterdon County Mountain Biking Progression Pt. 1

Do you have a loved one that you want to get into mountain biking? Maybe you want them to experience nature or just to have a new riding buddy. No matter who it is that you want to get into the sport, see below for the story of how I slowly introduced my Dad to mountain biking and the trails of Hunterdon County.

When my Dad recently got a mountain bike, I knew I would have to get him into the trails that I love in our area. I knew that it would be perfect to slowly introduce him to more difficult trails as he got used to them. I wanted to make sure that I could get him to see all the fun spots you can ride around Hunterdon while not pushing him too hard all at once. Whether you’re trying to get a spouse, parent, child, or friend to start mountain biking, here’s how you should go about it for mountain biking beginner progression for Hunterdon County.

Getting a Bike

Luckily, even during the global-pandemic-fueled bike shortage, I got lucky at my local bike shop in Clinton and was able to get my Dad a Fuji Nevada 29er in his size. It’s a fairly budget-minded hardtail, but it hits most of the marks with its decent Suntour fork, light frame, and WTB tires. This was the first bike my father had bought for himself in twenty years, so you could say he was pretty excited. I can also say first hand that this bike is capable, even though it's a little big for me, the geometry is quite confidence-inspiring and those big wheels roll over the rocks and roots with ease.

The Columbia Trail- High Bridge, NJ

So once my father had a solid bike, the first place to go was obvious, at least for me, the Columbia Trail in High Bridge. It was a solid outing since the Columbia trail is nice and flat with great scenery. We had a nice 10-mile ride that was helpful to ease my Dad back into the world of biking.

The Capoolong Trail- Pittstown, NJ Next up was something which I would consider to be the first real singletrack to expose a new biker to, the Capoolong trail. My father is now a big fan of it and we ride it together about once a week. It’s a 3.7-mile trail that follows an old railroad that used to transport peaches between Clinton and Pittstown. It was perfect for the two of us since it has a lot more interest in it than most rail trails but wasn’t too hilly, rocky, or long for my Dad. Once your new mountain biker is used to riding a bike, this is the perfect place for them to get a taste of “real” mountain biking. My Dad took very fast to riding the singletrack at the Capoolong trail, so I knew it was time to take him to something harder (and more fun).

The Nassau Trail- High Bridge, NJ

Once your burgeoning mountain biker feels comfortable on the previous two trails, I recommend you take them to the Springside of the Nassau trail system in High Bridge just like I did. Springside is generally flatter and less rocky than the rest of the system on the other side of Nassau road.

The best trails for beginners are up on the hill of Springside such as Springside Loop, Rich Woods, and the Greenway Loop. I’d also recommend that you go up the field path that you can access from Nassau road if you ride from the main parking lot. If you’re not ready to climb yet, this is a shorter climb and gets you right next to some of the easier, smoother trails mentioned before. Check out the map below, for a bigger image click here.

Once we got to the level where my Dad was comfortable hitting the trails on Nassau's Springside, the winter came and mountain biking decreased with it. Look out for part two this spring for where to go next with your new mountain biker.