Marine Corps Base Quantico -- Marine Corps Base Quantico might not seem like a mountainous area, but there are more than 21 miles of mountain bike-ready trails crisscrossing the base, says Becky Barkett, events coordinator for the Quantico Mountain Bike Club (QMTB).
“There really are more mountain bike trails than you would realize,” Barkett explained. “The White Course, for example, on base, has a 1,200 foot elevation gain.”
On her app she keeps track of her rides, the White Course’s peaks and valleys read like a heart rate monitor.
QMTB will hold a Trail Demo Day on Saturday, Sept. 19, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., behind Barber Gym. Local area bike shops will provide demo bikes for testing, and the club will lead beginner- and intermediate-level guided rides on Quantico’s trails. There will also be classes on the basics of mountain bike maintenance, fixing a flat and cleaning and lubing a bike.
The demo will be sponsored by QMTB, Marine Corps Community Services, and the Single Marine Program.
The Single Marine Program offers six mountain bikes and helmets for Marines in the program to check out for their use.
QMTB is an official 501(c)3 nonprofit organization registered with the MCBQ Business Performance Office. The club has 55 members, and is made up of Marines, members of the other armed services, dependents, and civilians. There is a one-time membership fee of $15, which goes towards the club’s insurance policy.
“Our goal is to promote health and fitness and the great system of trails here on the base,” Barkett said. “It’s all about getting out there and working on your endurance.”
QMTB conducts rides on the Quantico trails on Monday and Wednesday evenings. The rides are eight to 10 miles long and take about an hour.
“Monday night is family ride,” Barkett said. “We see who shows up and fit the course to the ages and abilities of the participants.”
Barkett said mountain biking is a great activity for families.
“We really want to get kids involved because this is an activity they can do their whole life,” she said.
All of QMTB’s rides are known as No Drop Rides, meaning that bikers will wait at the top of each hill to ensure all members of the group are still with them.
“It’s a great sense of camaraderie – really like family,” Barkett explained.
QMTB also does the bulk of the maintenance on Quantico’s decades-old trails. They clear debris when out riding and coordinate the removal of fallen trees. Recently, they shored up a section of trail with telephone poles donated by the Marine Corps Marathon and wood planks left over from a member’s deck refinishing project. QMTB is always looking for donations of building materials so that they can continue improving the trails.
“We really just encourage people to come out to the Demo Day and to see what we’re about and at least give mountain biking a shot!” Barkett said.
— Writer: auphausconner@quanticosentryonline.com