Mellow Trails in NJ or PA

[usgpru27]

Hey everyone.. New here and new to Dirtbikes. Been Roadracing for 13 years but want to try my skills on a CR125. I am looking to just get used to this bike. I would like to just do some real good trail riding to start. I used to be able to mountain bike before shattering my knee and looking to just get out and hit the woods. I see Paragon is popular however I see that they don't let you ride alone. If you go is it an issue to hook up with someone?

I see that state parks require insurance and such. Anyone have a good source. Are state parks any good? I just put an FMF Turbine Core Q on just in case I ride at one.

Sorry for the basic questions. Thanks for any advice.

Bill

 

[CRguyStan]

Check out TRAXX as Jack Frost Big Boulder in the Poconos, they have all levels of MX tracks and a trails section. $30/day to ride. Also Chatsworth near you in NJ, search for NJORV park, I think they are $50/day in attempts to get annual memberships.
Stan

 

[usgpru27]

Thanks Stan, Appriciate the input.

Bill

 

[Trigger1911]

Here is a little about Paragon. It is all trails at this point with a MX track to be coming along sometime. By trails I mean 20,000 acres of trails! As for hooking up with someone, it is no problem. We are bikers and we take care of our own. Everone is friendly. It cost $25 a day (last year price) and you need to watch their video before you ride(20 minutes). You must have your safety gear and a silence spark arrestor is not needed because it is private property. It is very rocky in some points and an enduro type skid plate is recomended. I have ridden there for hours and never seen another person! Thats how big it is. The trails are rated from easy to hard and marked accordingly. I highly recomend this place. It cant be beat. Its the only place I have ridden in the last 3 years and still havent seen some of the trails. They add more each year.. last of all, NEVER be afraid to ask questions, thats why we are bikers! Keep an eye out in this forum for the annual spring ride. We camp for 2 days and ride, eat, swap stories (AKA------ Llie thru our teeth!)....etc. Anything else, just ask!

 

[usgpru27]

Trigger, Man thanks for all that great info, and it is exactly what I was hoping to hear. I am 42 and really want to ride where it is legal and do not need any problems. That is what I heard about Paragon.. Now I cannot wait till it is warmer. Your comments are consistant with our 2 stroke roadcacing community. I could race in any class and have had everything from a 125GP to an 1100cc superbike. However, I choose the 125/250 GP because the people are just so DAM cool.. I guess my fear is that I am new to MX riding and want to hold my own when riding with someone. Dont want to hold anyone up.. I am sure I will get the hang of it quickly. And it seems like many will help me get there. I will certainly be looking for the spring ride. That is actually what I am looking for. No sence day tripping.

One question.. How long will by bike run (01 CR125) with its tank full. 2 gal. Again sorry for these questions as I can only relate my baseline from my Road Race bike. 2 gallons only good for about 45min at WFO. With 20,000 acres that could make for a LONG walk... or push..

Thank you again!!!

 

[sick 96 250]

Trigger makes an excellent point. I use to go to traxx all the time before i found out about paragon and i dont think i will go back to traxx again. Traxx may have a few tracks but they get crowded and dusty. Paragon it just a great ride no matter how you look at it.

As for a tank of gas, it should last you a pretty long time, when we went riding last it lasted my buddys 125 about 4hrs, but that was stopping every so often and etc.

 

[scooter1130]

theres no need to worry about gas since most people will be running low on gas around the same time. And if you join us for our Spring ride, theres no need to worry about slowwing anyone down, since some of us will probably be slowwing you down. We usually break into different groups depending on what people want to ride.
Heres an idea of whos group you might want to be in if you go......
If you wnat to learn to turn your CR into a submarine, you can follow either Trigger or Treejumper......
If you want to learn to tackle huge boulders, follow Eugene....
If you want to learn how to get a trail named after you by not being able to climb a little hill, follow RMguy.....
and if you want to learn your way around the park and find the easiest way around....well you are with the wrong group :laugh:




Now lets go riding :ride:

Oh and click the link for my pictures below if you want to get some ideas of Paragons terrain

 

[usgpru27]

LOL.. Well done.. Seems like I have to choose my poison.. Well I hope to tackle all the noted items, and contribute my soon to be experiances, so that I can also be included in what seem to be some great stories. Those pictures are GREAT!! Paragon seems to be exactly what I am looking for.. Looks like a great diverse group.. Is it warm yet??

 

[scooter1130]

I am a guide at Paragon so I will be there almost every weekend once the weather warms up. So you dont need to wait for a group ride if you wanted to head out sooner, just let me know opr post here and I'm sure someone will join you. Although the group ride shouldnt be too far off...usually the beginning of May

 

[usgpru27]

Scooter you can count on it.. Thanks.. This really getting very exciting.. When I bought this bike I figured there is no place to ride and since none of my friends have one, I would be selling it out of board with it.. Seems nothing is farther from the truth.. And I see some old guys in those pictures.. Things are really looking up... But I am now pissed it is winter.. !!!!

 

[scooter1130]

unfortunately when winter hits at Paragon its about over the bikes. Treejumper and I were up there last year the beginning of January, but we rode mostly ATVs and ended the day with a short ride on the bikes. But they just had all the ice melted at Paragon from the storms last week and then got about 6 inches of snow to take its place. I am hoping they get a little more snow so I can head up with the snow mobile, but am really waiting for it to melt so I can get the bike back out.

 

[usgpru27]

Yea as a new guy I am thinking that the ice in the ruts and such would not be good.. Spring is on its way soon enough.

One other question.. Do I... or should I.... get liability insurance? Do most have this?

 

[scooter1130]

on a cr it would be very hard to get liabiliuty ins. in NJ. most do not have it, and is not needed unless you plan on riding/racing enduros I have liability on mine only because I wanted to register them to be able to get from my house to the local trails without trailering the bike. That is why I have a KTM and a Cannondale, they are much easier to register and insure in NJ than the japanese bikes are.

 

[usgpru27]

Interesting thanks.. I can see that some state parks.. (not really interested as Paragon is what I am looking for) require your bike to be registered and to have liability (property damage) insurance. Or maybe not.. Just hate to go somewhere and not have what I need.. That would not be good..

Everything is a pain in NJ.. But I love it..

Listen I appriciate your time in explaining all this elementry stuff to me.. Really..

Bill

 

[scooter1130]

you will find many peopel in here willing to answer your questions, reguardless of how small or simple the answer may seem. I'm sure if many of us were to consider road racing, we would have a lot of questions that may very simple to you. everybody has to start somewhere, and you have found the best place to start and ask anything you arent sure about. somebody here will always answer.

 

[RM_guy]

Cool, someone else to name a hill after :p

I'll be posting info on the spring ride soon. This year I'm going to try harder to work around enduros, etc. You'll have a good time for sure:)

BTW guys I'm sitting here with some good drugs after a hernia operation this past Friday so don't hold me to too much that I might post ;)

 

[CaptainObvious]

The trails at Traxx are nothing short of awful. The MX tracks kind of suck too.

Paragon has everything from a smooth and simple "sand pit" to some of the best single track you can/will find. And thanks to Scooter1130, the trails change all of the time...or he seems to add about 20 miles of new trails every month. The owners of Paragon have been promising some MX tracks for a while, and I know they are under construction, but it seems to be on the back burner. Maybe this year.

The trails at Rausch Creek are similar to Paragon (same mountain) but they do have an operating MX track.

I found a great way to ride some of the private trails in NJ...go harescramble racing. A word of caution about these trails...none are easy, and some can make a grown man cry.

 

[usgpru27]

Scooter, Thank you!! And yes if anyone has any Roadracing questions (especially 2 stroke) I may be your man. I also experiance the other side of the coin. I have been having a great run at Roadracing and have been an instructor just to help some new guys. It is a great feeling.. Thanks for your patients. I am a fast learner I think!!

RM.. Cannot wait for my hill, water hole or any other place I do a bonehead move to get such a honor..

Captain, Good old Rausch Creek.. they have been promising us a Roadrace track for some time.. May have to check it out on the QT via some trail riding. I think Paragon is the way to go by far..

You guys are great!! Cannot wait to meet all of you..

 

[CRguyStan]

RM_Guy,
About when are you thinking for the Paragon ride? I missed out last time due to schedule conflict and would love to finally ride with some DRN regulars.

usgpru27, Maybe we could truckpool or something, I'm outside Vineland and guessing you are near Cherry Hill or so.

I'll go wax up the CR to get ready!
Stan

 

[usgpru27]

Stan, I am actually a bit north of that.. I am about 20 minutes north of Princeton in the Bridgewater area. However, I do have a big ass trailer if you want to make a serious road trip. I am actually in Cherry Hill often. Our road race team is in that area.

 

[RM_guy]

RM_Guy,
About when are you thinking for the Paragon ride? I missed out last time due to schedule conflict and would love to finally ride with some DRN regulars....

Not quite sure yet. It's usually the first weekend in May but all of the schedules are pointing to the 2nd weekend in June. I hate to wait that long but I aslo want the see that everyone that wants to come has a chance.

 

[sick 96 250]

Not quite sure yet. It's usually the first weekend in May but all of the schedules are pointing to the 2nd weekend in June. I hate to wait that long but I aslo want the see that everyone that wants to come has a chance.

The way the weather been goin in Pa its goin to be 75 at the end of march :laugh:

If the weather warms up early i will go with whoever wants earlier than that. I would like to know that place a little better before i go tracking through the woods again like last time when i was there and not having a clue where i was

 

[scooter1130]

knowing where you are takes all the fun out of it

 

[Treejumper]

I've been there alot and still dont remember what trail i'm on half the time. Only way i remember things is like, "hey i was in that puddle" or "hey Trigger belly flopped the XT in that pond" or "Dave cheated on that hill and went around it but told everyone he did but i have his confession on video tape" :moon: Oh yeah, newbie gets me riding behind them with me wearing the helmet camera so all your silly moves gets recorded. :) Thats why Nathan wont ride in front of me. :laugh:

 

[NRB]

Thats not why and you know it, every time I let you get behind me I forget that you're there and the next thing I know is you come blasting by in the middle of a huge water puddle and I get soaked.