Olivia Bernard and Kevin Smith sat down (virtually) to talk about Catskills Cycling on Thursday, August 20th. If you couldn’t make it for the Q&A, read below for some excerpts from the interview, and then scroll to the bottom of the page to listen to the full conversation!

Olivia works for the Catskills Visitor Center (CVC) in Mt. Tremper as a Visitor Experience Coordinator. The CVC assists visitors looking for things to do in the area, whether they’re seeking outdoor opportunities and recreation or cultural activities and attractions. CVC staff talk to people about responsible recreation and state regulations for using Catskill Park land. 

Kevin is the Board Chair of the Woodstock Land Conservancy, a land trust in Ulster County. He is currently Chair of the Ulster County Trails Advisory Committee (to the County Legislature), a volunteer steward with the Ashokan Rail Trail Stewards program, a member of Fats in the Cats Mountain Bike Club and Team Overlook Mountain Bikes in Woodstock. He is co-chair of the grassroots advocacy group Friends of the Catskill Mountain Rail Trail.

OB: To start let’s define what some of the big cycling terms are for our viewers. What do we mean when we talk about road biking? What about hybrid biking? Mountain bike? Fat tire biking?

KS: Cycling: “people on bikes” — dads or moms riding 5 blocks to the market; a family putting bike on the car to go ride at the local rail trail; technicolor spandex-clad “road cyclists” or “sporty cyclists” as they’re called in Holland; single-track mountain-bikers; kids, teachers, staff riding to school; people riding to work; daytripper cyclo-tourists & long-distance multi-day cycle tourists; people riding fat bikes in winter on trails.

OB: What are some of the other categories of bikes and kinds of riding people can do?

KS: Hybrid, racing or road, gravel or adventure, trail or mountain, touring bikes, e-bikes, commuter, upright or comfort, “townie” bikes, fat bikes, “cumbys” or recumbent, folding, tandem, cargo bike-share i.e. “Citibike” in New York City, and plenty of others.

OB: What suggestions do you have for people getting started riding again after many years? 

KS: A great way to start is to put your bike on the car and go to one of our rail trails or shared-use trails. Another option: quiet neighborhood streets with low and slow traffic, and secluded low traffic backroads.

OB: Are there things people should look out for if they’re thinking about riding on a road in the Catskills? 

KS: Motor vehicles! Edges of the pavement.

OB: Are you from the Catskills Region? 

 KB: I was born and raised in Northern Illinois, 60 miles west of Chicago, where it’s about as flat as it is hilly here! 

OB: Do you have a favorite app that you use for logging your rides or for viewing other bike routes? 

KS: Strava to log rides and share with friends, Ride with GPS to plan, ride and share new and unfamiliar routes. 

A starting list of places to ride in the Catskills

Catskill Scenic Trail: 19 miles from Roxbury to Bloomville, owned by Catskill Revitalization Corp: Varied surface - dirt, gravel, cinder of varying conditions. Mountain bike or fat bike recommended, especially for the western section. 

(Kevin note: The Catskill Revitalization Corp also owns, operates the Delaware and Ulster tourist railroad between Arkville and Roxbury with future plans to extend from Arkville to Highmount by agreement with Ulster County).

Kaaterskill Rail Trail: 2 miles on Catskill Mountain Branch of Ulster and Delaware Railroad from Haines Falls to top of Kaaterskill Falls; concrete, dirt, grass, gravel; Mountain bike with suspension, fat bikes ideal

Ashokan Rail Trail - 11.5 miles, proprietary crushed stone aggregate “hard-pack”, zero intersections/cross streets, very family-friendly

Ashokan Promenade Path: 5.4 miles paved shared—use facility closed to motor vehicles along south shore of Ashokan Reservoir. (Note DEP plans to build pedestrian/bike facility on new dividing weir bridge to connect ART & Promenade).

(Note: There are upcoming weekday closures by NYCDEP at the Olive Dam (Aug/Sept on weekdays) and Glenford Dike on the Ashokan Rail Trail (planned for November))

Primary Roads and Highways (Route 28), Local road riding on Route 28A (South side of Ashokan Reservoir)

Wild Forest land for mountain biking/fat bikes: Bluestone Wild Forest (Onteora Lake off Route 28 and Jockey Hill Road in the Town of Kingston, maintained by NYSDEC and Fats in the Cats) 

Elm Ridge (Windham) 

Lippmann Park (Town of Wawarsing-owned, maintained by Renegades Bike Club) with connections to double-track trail/gravel roads in Vernooy Kill State Forest/Sundown Wild Forest

Reidlbauer’s Round Top Resort and Winter Clove Resort (privately owned connected trail system open to public in Roundtop NY at the eastern edge of the Catskill Park, maintained by agreement with the Roundtop Mountain Bike Association)

Walnut Mountain (Town-owned trail system in Liberty NY, maintained by Renegades Bike Club)

Tannersville-Hathaway Trail System in Greene County

Wallkill Valley Rail Trail: 22 plus miles (currently) travels from Kingston to Rosendale, New Paltz and Gardiner. Surface: asphalt, cinder, dirt, gravel

O&W Rail Trail in Ulster County (D&H Canal Heritage Corridor: 16 plus miles in 3-4 segments: Hurley Rail Trail, Marbletown Rail Trail, Rochester, Wawarsing Lippman Park), 

O&W Rail Trail in Sullivan County: 9 miles in 6 sections 

Empire State Trail - Soon to be completed 750 total miles - statewide bike & pedestrian Trail between New York City and Albany/Plattsburgh, and Albany to Buffalo via Erie Canal Path Trail (completion by end of 2020). Enters Ulster County over the Walkway Over the Hudson (former Maybrook RR Bridge), Hudson Valley Rail Trail to New Paltz, Wallkill Valley Rail Trail to Kingston (Kingston Greenline), Kingston Point Rail Trail to Rondout District, Hudson River Brickyard Trail to Route 32 and the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge (separated pedestrian path) to Dutchess County.

Local bike shops in the Catskills and Mid-Hudson Valley

Overlook Mountain Bikes in Woodstock, NY

Revolution Bikes in Kingston, NY

Utility Bicycle Works in Kingston, NY

Kingston Cyclery in Kingston, NY

Hunter Mountain Outfitters in Hunter, NY

Woodland Cycles in Milford, NY

Windham Mountain Outfitters in Windham, NY

Catskill Cycles in Catskill, NY

TRT Bicycles in Rosendale, NY