In our zeal to continually blast the Facebook world with relevant content this blog has become neglected. I do, however, think we found a way to revive this media channel going forward. How? By adding product reviews, and simply posting more of the happenings in our local cycling community. This post will focus on the news and sale side of things with parts reviews to come..   Alright, with that covered here's all the news that's fit to invade your eyeballs! First on the agenda is the annual RI NEMBA Lincoln Woods Fun Ride! I think this is the 5th, or 6th, year we've been doing this ride? I'm a little fuzzy on that one, but who cares? It's a great ride for a good cause, the trails are leaf blown and there's hot dogs, burgers and chili! This year's price of admission is either non perishable food items for the RI Community Food Bank or a toy for the Children's Friend Holiday Drive . Cash in lieu of the above works as well. Oh, yeah, we're hosti...

Hey all, If you, or someone you know, is new to mountain biking and would like to improve their skills then you're in luck! Every Saturday morning, with the exception of 4/20, RI NEMBA is hosting a beginner skills ride. This week the ride is taking place in Big River at 9:00 AM. The meeting location is at the corner of Division St. and New London Turnpike. To get there take Exit 7 from Route 95. Head east off the exit (that's left if coming from the north, and a right if coming from the south) and go to the end of the road and cross over to the dirt parking lot in front of the fire gate. Don't block the fire gate. This is easy button stuff kids, you can get there from here! All you need to bring is yourself, a helmet and a working bicycle! Oh, and a positive attitude won't hurt either. So, go get your practice in and become a seasoned trail rider faster and avoid being this guy...

September 1st kicks off the Cumberland Youth Mountain Biking program in Cumberland, RI! Instructor Chris Nichols will teach beginner riders how to ride a trail bike with gears, trail riding skills such as proper braking, cornering and descending as well climbing and maneuvering over and around trail obstacles. Bike maintenance, trail stewardship and proper bike and helmet fit will be covered as well. Classes are $50 dollars for five classes and payment can be made to the Cumberland Parks and Rec office at 1495 Diamond Hill Rd Cumberland,or at the start of classes. *Bike rentals should be made in advance by emailing chrisnichols416@gmail.com.  Riders should know how to ride a bike and be between the ages of 7 and 14 years old. Helmets and bikes are required!  Some bikes and helmets are available for rent at an additional one time charge of $15. The start date is Sept 1st at 11:30 am and classes will run through Oct 6th with no class on Sept 29th . Program Dates...

Howdy, After some serious number crunchin' and deliberatin' we done decided to be closed on Sundays and open Mondays from 12-6. Sundays have mostly consisted of us staring at the walls, catching up on busy work and changing a few flats. That, and the fact that we have been busier on Mondays when we were supposed to be closed, prompted the change. Also, in case you were looking for something fun to do on your mountain bike tomorrow, the 2nd annual RI NEMBA Tour de Big River is taking place this Sunday, September 26th. There will be arrowed loops for all ability levels, demo bikes courtesy of Rocky Mountain Bicycles and Niner bikes as well as post ride burgers, dogs and wings. Registration runs from 9-11 AM, click on the link above for more info like directions and ride distances, etc. Hope to see you out on the trails!

Be sure to head over to Foxboro, MA this Sunday for round number eight of the 2010 NEMBA MBAS ride series. We're going to be there helping out with the Rocky Mountain demos and of course riding some of the trails in the forest. It looks like there will be a few Altitude 29ers, Altitude 50s (26er), the Element 50 we have in the shop and a couple of road bikes as well. This ride was a blast last year and if you have never been to Foxboro you need to go and check it out. It's a great place to ride roughly 30 minutes north of Providence. The SE MA NEMBA gang did a great job plannign the loops last year, and the BBQ courtesy of Harpoon brewer Jamie Schier (and family + friends) is excellent and not to be missed. In case anyone out there is wondering, our Tuesday night NEMBA ride at Lincoln Woods is still happening. We're now meeting at the park at 5:30, be ready to ride as close to 5:30 as possible! Call the shop for details regarding parking if needed but we are meeting in t...

We just received the below transmission from planet Burlingame, direct from the Czar of Burlingame ... Lennon Schroeder: Hi all, If you haven't responded and think you are able, please come out! It is a great day and we do a great deal to help the park. It also goes a long way in keeping good relations with the AMC. If you want to come at an odd time, take my cell phone # and call me on your way in, so I can direct you to one of our work sites: 401-212-6694. There is free camping for helpers Friday and Saturday night, but please tell me if you are camping so I can let the park know. Along with the camping, there is a pot luck dinner with the AMC Saturday evening at 5:00. Myself and a couple of others plan on camping and attending the Pot Luck. We are going to try to put together a ride after the work, so bring a bike, if you are interested in that. No tools are needed, but if you have a cordless drill or hammer, you might toss them in the car, just in case. WE MEET AT SIT...

Thanks to the Boys and Girls Club of Cumberland and Lincoln , and RI NEMBA 's Chris Nichols, we now have a local mountain biking program for kids in our area. Needless to say we're pretty psyched to see this come about and we're more than happy to lend a hand. Getting more kids outside, away from TV land, and into the woods is always a great idea and it's nice to see some local folks working together to make it happen. More info on the program from the Boys and Girls Club site: Summer Mountain Biking Program Action sports are a great alternative to the typical recreation program. It is our hope that the Summer Mountain Biking Program will be the first of many of its kind. In association with Chris Nichols (Vice President of the Cumberland chapter of the New England Mountain Biking Association ) we will offer both intermediate and advanced levels. Participants will receive instruction in bike maintenance, trail blazing and safe riding habits all in an environment b...

A lot transpired in the last week or so since the last transmission from planet Blackstone. One half of the shop made the trip "all the way" up to the Redbones Bike Party in Somerville . This event was a blast with a ton of bike minded people of every ilk and vice imaginable making an appearance. It was great to see so many familiar NEMBA folks and a host of others in attendance. The raffle prizes were ridiculous; an ANT bikes complete bike, a $500 gift certificate from Geekhouse bikes , Highland Mountain Bike Park prize packs and a whole lot more. The good folks at Harpoon were there to compliment the super awesome Redbones BBQ . Check out the pics from the event, you might see a few people you know here and there. Consider heading up to this event next year as it is a great time, and it is one of the few events where all kinds of cyclists come together in one spot for a few good causes (Massbike and NEMBA). Now on to the Big River segment of this report... Mike Iafrate...