Club Name: Nevada County Wood Riders

Year Founded: 1977

Who Founded: Pete Pritchard, Stan Stanton, Doug Hammes, Dennis Edie, George Fertig, Bob Rhodes, Don Dwire to name a few. There were about 15 or so original members

Number of Members: 60+

Home city: Grass Valley, Ca.

Website: www.Woodsriders.org

Club Email: info@woodsriders.org

Member dues: $30.00 per year or $20.00 per year with min. 8 hour trail work or other volunteer work for the club.

1. Nevada County Wood Riders is a charter member of AMA District 36 - how old is the club?

The origins of the club date back to the 70's when a number of competition cross country and enduro riders in the area, as well as riders that were developing our local trails system, decided they should be more than a bunch of friends and acquaintances and form an off road riders club.

2. How does a combination off-road and dual sport club work?

Some members still participate in competition enduros, cross country, hare scrambles and motocross but also desire to ride and maintain our local trails to keep up and maintain their riding skills. Others are riders that used to ride competitively but now enjoy riding just for fun and entertainment. Still, others have either just purchased a bike or are new to the area or have lived in the area for a while but just found out about us, and desire to learn the local trails and surrounding areas and interact with like minded riders.

3. Do members ride both or do some prefer one type?

Most members own multiple bikes that allow them to participate in many different types of off-road riding. It is not unusual for a member to own a trials bike to develop riding skills and techniques, a smaller two stroke bike, i.e. a 200 or 300 for single track riding, and a larger four stroke bike for dual sport riding. Some also own adventure bikes for longer, less technical, destination type rides.

4. You're in a unique area of the country - what are all the different terrain styles you get to ride?

We're very fortunate in where we live. Our primary local riding areas consist of tight woods along the canyons and ridgelines of the Sierra Nevada foothills. Dual sport rides often head into higher altitude terrain along the picturesque granite peaks of the high Sierra. We are also day-trip distance to many local motocross tracks in the San Joaquin Valley (to the west) as well as some pretty amazing open desert terrain (to the east) in the areas surrounding Reno, Nevada.

5. Is there a favorite ride or trail run most members try to join?

We try to get out to our local trail system every weekend. We also have a monthly dual sport ride that leaves from Grass Valley and tours the surrounding roads and trails with a different route each month.

6. What's the big event you have coming up in September?

Our annual project is the Downieville Dual Sport and Adventure Ride. This is an event we put on every September that's open to anyone. This year it's September 28th. There's a typical entry fee and a 100 rider limit. We take some of the best single track we know of (and we know all of it) and make an awesome 100+ mile one-day dual sport route. We also create a less technical, but just as scenic route, for adventure touring riders. It's really just a fun day for everyone in unique mountain terrain that not many people know about. There's a great barbeque lunch too!

7. Does the club get involved in issues outside just organizing rides?

As a club we are very involved in access issues locally. We have a great relationship with the local mountain bike and equestrian clubs, and we all do our best to respect each others' rights to the land. Each year all three clubs get together and have a huge work party on the local trail system. We get a ton of trail work done and it's a great way for people from all different backgrounds to meet each other and bond. The event really helps us all understand each others' needs so we can work together to keep the trails properly managed and open for everyone to enjoy. We also help with the Hangtown MX National each year.

8. Why join the Nevada County Wood Riders?

The biggest reason to join the club is the sense of camaraderie. Everyone has a common love for motorcycles. At the same time, everyone likes a different flavor of riding, so it's a great way to meet new people, get exposed to new styles of riding, and learn the local trails. It seems like someone is always planning an epic trip somewhere, whether it's Baja or Moab, UT so it's also a great way to get yourself on the adventure of a lifetime.