What we’re about
We are a group of friends that met through mountain biking. We hope we have a chance to meet you too. We mainly do mountain bike rides, but trails tend to get messy and we hit the roads at times. We try our best to host fun events in safe manner, but we know accidents happens so please make sure to read our full waiver located in the link below. By joining this meetup page and any of our events, you are agreeing to our waiver located here: MVD Mountain Bikers Waiver.
With that being said, the trails are waiting for you! Let's ride!
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Tour De Patapsco - Day 1 - Avalon / Orange GrovePatapsco Bicycles, Elkridge, MD
Ride 1: Avalon / Orange Grove
We will be starting near the Rathskeller/Patapsco Bikes on Main Street in Elkridge for this “Avalon” ride, and will head over to the Howard county side of Patapsco Avalon, hitting most of the easier trails, but will also have some of the infamous log trails in the mix. We will have a short one mile flat road peddle into the park, and then one big climb out of the park, but then it gets a bit easier, and flowier, with the exception of some logs later in the ride.Waiver: Mountain biking is a risky sport, By signing up for this meetup you are agreeing to our MVD Mountain Bikers waiver located here: Link to MVD Waiver, as well as you will need to sign the standard MORE waiver (link to follow).
What’s the schedule? I will give a brief overview of the ride around 9:00 / 9:15, with the plan to roll at 9:15.
What’s the Terrain? Easy to intermediate, with some technical spots / big logs thrown in that are all walkable, or have ride arounds. Expect mostly flow this day, but there are definitely some large logs and some pretty treacherous root sections. Also, expect wet feet as there are multiple stream crossings.
I will be stopping a lot, as there are multiple turns on this route and want to keep everyone together. Just be forewarned.
Mileage / Speed? Day one will be 18.0 miles and 1,811’ feet of climbing. Due to the terrain, the front of the pack will be moving pretty good on this ride (i.e. 8 to 9 mph). Don’t be scared of the pace, as we will stop a lot, give people a chance to breathe, and keep this super casual. Also, there is about 2 miles of flat road (at the beginning / end) on this route, so only 16 miles of trail.
So, what’s the route? It’s a lot of looping / figure eighting of trails on the Howard County side, but we will hit water bars, Purple/Rockburn Loop, Belmont Trail, Morning Choice, portions of Cascade and Garrett’s Pass, Lewis and Clark, Barley and Hops, the old track loop, Nacho, another part of Morning Choice as well as Valley View, ending with Ridge extension.
Here is the Strava Route. There is a button under the title to “Export GPX” for those who want to pull this down for their mapping devices: https://www.strava.com/routes/3309656410877431030
Tour De Patapsco Overview
What is the Tour De Patapsco?
It is 8 days worth of rides throughout just about every part of the Patapsco Valley State Park trail system, where we have minimized trail overlap in an effort to showcase the entire park. We have made the routes available for you to do on your own, or if a group setting is what you are looking for, Craig will be leading a ride just about every Saturday from 4/19/25 to 6/28/25. The only saturdays we will not ride will be trail days and the 6 hours at Woodstock weekend. If you do all 8 days you will get around 116 miles and 13,485’ of climbing.Could this all be done in one day? Sure, but we wanted this to be more accessible to everyone, so each day will be between 10.5 and 18 miles and will have between 1350’ and 2150’ feet of climbing, but for the crazies, we even have a 93 mile route posted.
It’s just Patapsco. Won’t it all be the same? That’s a big nope! Some may be familiar, some new to you, but each ride will definitely have it’s own feel, as the different parts of the park have different terrain, and trails are definitely built differently in each part of the park. Most people don’t realize that we have a little of everything here, from fast and flowing, to some decent hills, and definitely some more technical stuff.
Okay. What parts of the park are we hitting and when? Well, we will be hitting Avalon, Orange Grove, Glen Artney, HIlton, Rockhaven, Pickall, Hollofield, Alberton, Daniels, Woodstock, and McKeldin, so just about every area where we have rideable terrain. Also throwing in Banneker Park into the mix.
Are the start / finish in the same spot? Each ride will loop us back to our start spot, but we will be starting in many different locations throughout the 8 days. For the most part the routes take us in big loops, where I tried to minimize hitting the same trail twice. In some areas this is harder to do then others, but in most cases when we do double up it will be in opposite directions giving you a different feel of the trail
Will the courses be marked? That’s a no. Again, the logistics of marking 116 miles of trails, and making sure they stay in place over the duration of the tour would be impossible. Instead we have posted these as strava routes and group rides. There will be a lead, a sweep, and probably some people in the middle that will know the route, and help guide / take care of any on trail issues. Not sure how big each ride will be, but if we get too big, we may need to split into groups, and the rides could be extremely slow, so stay patient.
Can we go ride by ourselves? Absolutely. This event is all about exploring the park.
Are the routes available for download (i.e. GPX files)? Yup. I’ve created them all in Strava as routes, and the GPX file can be pulled down from there. I have created separate rides for each day to describe the mileages / terrain, and will have a link to the strava route for that day there.
What happens if it rains? Well, we don’t ride if it’s muddy, so stay tuned to our MVD Facebook, and Meetup events, which is where I will post if I need to cancel a day or two.
- Fairland Intermediate Ride (Parking @ The Ice House)The Gardens Ice House, Laurel, MD
Come join us for a 11-12 mile ride at a Fairland. We normally average 9-10mph.
You must also sign up via Golden volunteer and accept the waiver there in order to participate. Sign up and agree to the waiver here.
Wheels rolling at 6pm unless someone texts me they're running a little late.
The days are getting longer, so a light is not really necessary, but it's a good idea to bring one in case we get delayed.
We normally do 10-12 miles, and average 9-10mph. This ride is more for Intermediate riders due to the pace. We wait up at intersections to let all riders catch up. If you have a good amount of rides under your belt and can average 8mph or better on singletrack trails, and take small brakes, then you will probably will be able to hang but it will be a challenge.
About Fairland: 90% non-technical ride with few major climbs and no mandatory obstacles (they all have ride-arounds). Promise, no rocks. None! (there is one section of busted-up concrete, but it's not rocks, and it's only 10-15 feet long). Anyway, there are a couple good places to stop and practice log-overs, and balance on the boardwalks, and some good flow trails. We will visit the skills pit but be advised, there are drops, jumps, skinnies, and overall technical features that will require the appropriate experience. Always take caution and know your technical ability limits.
Video of our ride at Fairland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1-b0EDVb08
What to bring: Plenty of water, helmet (no helmet no ride), your mtb of course!, multi-tool (although you can borrow mine), patch kit, extra tube (make sure it has the same valve you need for your wheel), a snack if you're doing both loops. Here at MVD MTB'ers meetup page, we always appreciate any feedback, write a group review!( Here (https://www.meetup.com/MVDMountainBikers/about/comments/?op=all)
- MVD/PAD Hump Day in Patapsco (The Faster/Further Ride)Rockburn Elementary School, Elkridge, MD
Looking for a fun ride on Wednesday nights at a quick pace in Avalon/different parts of Patapsco? This is your ride! Are we the fastest people in the park? Nope. Are we the fast group ride? I'll still yes. Is this ride advanced pace over 17 miles in everything the park can throw at you? Yup. It's that.
Waiver: Mountain biking is a risky sport, By signing up for this meetup you are agreeing to our MVD Mountain Bikers waiver located here: Link to MVD Waiver, as well as you will need to sign the standard MORE waiver prior to leaving on the ride, as we will be legally riding in the park at night and this is a requirement.
Required MORE Waiver to be signed, please go to this link: https://x.gldn.io/3IV3G966Lob
Where/Directions: Rockburn Elementary School, but may change so stay tuned.
What time: Meet between 5:45 and 6:00 at parking lot. Wheels rolling by 6:00. We will not wait past 6:00.
Pace: Pace will be advanced, approx. 8.5 to 9.5 mph. Appropriate for advanced riders, but not for beginners, or people who are not riding at least twice a week. Attitude is laid-back and friendly, but please ensure you can handle the pace and length of this ride before committing. This is a no-drop ride, i.e., we wait up for everyone at intersections. Please note Ptap rides tend to be about 1 mph slower than Rosy, or Fairland, due terrain.
Terrain: Ranges from Easy to Difficult. Most trails are in great shape, but plan on some mud spots. There are a few very steep climbs, rocks and technical sections, log overs (up to 10" logs, and 3' stacks), tight single track (12" wide in spots), and a stream crossing or two. A strong/advanced rider will be able to clean most sections, others will need to get off of their bikes in spots. This is a friendly ride, so we will wait up for everyone, just be advised that the terrain can be somewhat difficult in places. This is a video edit I made of a ride this year. We won't hit all of this terrain, but gives you a feel for Patapsco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwi7H68iljI&t=664s
Distance: Ranges depending on time of year (around 12 miles mid winter/dark, to about 19 during mid summer / long days). Exact route will change depending on group dynamics, trail conditions, daylight, etc. I will typically have route planned in my head at the beginning of the ride, but will modify as needed to get us back at a reasonable time. Distance will grow/shrink with the daylight.
Duration: I shoot to have us back around 8:30, so around 2 1/2 hours. This can change with mechanical issues, and group dynamics though. As this is a weekday ride, the stops will be just long enough for the last rider to catch their breath.
Bring: Helmet (required), water (as much as you can carry), spare tube/patch kit, pump/CO2, multi-tool, I.D., emergency contact info where it can be easily located on your person, and a good attitude, as this ride is as much about camaraderie as it is about riding. Take a look at your bike and make sure it is in good working condition (Ptap will take its toll on the bike). Bring a light, as you will need it with the days starting off shorter, and the eventual start in the dark. There are ton of acceptable lights under $20 on Amazon right now. Just look for a T6 Cree LED Bike light, with minimially 1000 lumens.
Weather: Shine Only (there will undoubtedly be some mud, but no ride if it’s raining or the trails are too muddy). Protect our trails and don’t ride them when they’re fragile. There may be days where I make a last minute call, so watch our MVD Mountainbikers meetup event, our Facebook group, as well as the Patapsco After Dark Facebook page, as I will cancel and cross post on all three.
Ride Organizer(s): Craig P, 4four3-5zero9-zero8one1; skibum616 at yahoo dot com
- Intermediate MVD/PAD Hump Day in PatapscoRockburn Elementary School, Elkridge, MD
With both Laura and Jeff out for a little while, and me still really just coming back, I'm going to take on the lead of the intermediate ride again. We will be rolling at an intermediate pace of around 8 mph and stopping more than the fast guys. Honestly this will be a little slower than the past few months of intermediate rides because they started rolling pretty fast themselves!
Waiver: Mountain biking is a risky sport, By signing up for this meetup you are agreeing to our MVD Mountain Bikers waiver located here: Link to MVD Waiver, as well as you will need to sign the standard MORE waiver prior to leaving on the ride, as we will be legally riding in the park at night and this is a requirement.
Required MORE Waiver to be signed, please go to this link: https://x.gldn.io/3IV3G966Lob
Where/Directions: Rockburn Elementary School, but may change so stay tuned.
What time: Meet between 5:45 and 6:00 at parking lot. Wheels rolling by 6:00. We will not wait past 6:00.
Pace: Pace will be intermediate, approx. 7.5 to 8.5 mph. Appropriate for intermediate riders, but not for beginners. This will NOT be a hammer fest / drop ride. Attitude is laid-back and friendly, but please ensure you can handle the pace and length of this ride before committing. This is a no-drop ride, i.e., we wait up for everyone at intersections. Please note Ptap rides tend to be about 1 mph slower than Rosy, or Fairland, due terrain.
Terrain: Ranges from Easy to Difficult. Most trails are in great shape, but plan on some mud spots. There are a few very steep climbs, rocks and technical sections, log overs (up to 10" logs, and 3' stacks), tight single track (12" wide in spots), and a stream crossing or two. A strong/advanced rider will be able to clean most sections, others will need to get off of their bikes in spots. This is a friendly ride, so we will wait up for everyone, just be advised that the terrain can be somewhat difficult in places. This is a video edit I made of a ride this year. We won't hit all of this terrain, but gives you a feel for Patapsco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwi7H68iljI&t=664s
Distance: Ranges depending on time of year (around 12 miles mid winter/dark, to about 19 during mid summer / long days). Exact route will change depending on group dynamics, trail conditions, daylight, etc. I will typically have route planned in my head at the beginning of the ride, but will modify as needed to get us back at a reasonable time. Distance will grow/shrink with the daylight.
Duration: I shoot to have us back around 8:30, so around 2 1/2 hours. This can change with mechanical issues, and group dynamics though. As this is a weekday ride, the stops will be just long enough for the last rider to catch their breath.
Bring: Helmet (required), water (as much as you can carry), spare tube/patch kit, pump/CO2, multi-tool, I.D., emergency contact info where it can be easily located on your person, and a good attitude, as this ride is as much about camaraderie as it is about riding. Take a look at your bike and make sure it is in good working condition (Ptap will take its toll on the bike). Bring a light, as you will need it with the days starting off shorter, and the eventual start in the dark. There are ton of acceptable lights under $20 on Amazon right now. Just look for a T6 Cree LED Bike light, with minimally 1000 lumens.
Weather: Shine Only (there will undoubtedly be some mud, but no ride if it’s raining or the trails are too muddy). Protect our trails and don’t ride them when they’re fragile. There may be days where I make a last minute call, so watch our MVD Mountainbikers meetup event, our Facebook group, as well as the Patapsco After Dark Facebook page, as I will cancel and cross post on all three.
Ride Organizer(s): Craig P, 4four3-5zero9-zero8one1; skibum616 at yahoo dot com
