This Old Timers Page is an attempt to capture some of the 

Good-Ole-Days of Mountain Biking here in Eastern Mass. 

Focus is on the 1990's up to 2005


The first series of Old-Timer photos below are from the Starting days of the New England Mountain Bike Association.  A large group of dedicated folks attended monthly meetings for years to help form the rules and regulations of mountain bike etiquette for the parks in and around Boston.


My part in this effort was attending monthly board meetings for the Greater Boston Chapter. NEMBA was founded on the idea that other park users such as Mountain Bikers to be allowed to use the Middlesex Fells Reservation. At the time, there were other park user groups that pushed back against equal access to the park. Working with the Park Management and performing trail maintainace the other park users were Not-Providing, NEMBA was allowed to create the Mountain Bike Loop that is now in existence.


In the following 10 years we helped form most of the current activities that NEMBA performs today.  Trail Work was scheduled in the 4 Greater Boston's major parks, 4 times a year. Great Brook Farm, Middlesex Fells, The Blue Hills Reservation, and the Lynn Woods. These parks were the focus of over 150 trail maintenance days in a 10 year period from 1996 to 2005 organized and executed by Greater Boston NEMBA


NOTE to All Readers:  Send us your Old-Timer Photos and a Good Story Line, we will get you published here on this page:

1995 - 1999 NEMBP / New England Mountain Bike Patrol

In Park - User Interactions

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Great Brook Farm in Carlisle  offered us class room space and trails to practice the training. This Patroller was helping a hiker find his way out of the park.

In Park - Rescue Scenarios

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Trail Field Fist Aid certified included many different scenarios.  In this instance the Patrollers came across an unconscious  person on the trail, and explained how to handle that.

Class Room Training Sessions.

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Many hours of class room time included trail rescue scenarios, basics of on-trail bike repair, knowing and sharing the rules of the parks, knowledge of Maps and the trail systems to help lost folks.

IMBA National MTB Patrol Team

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We had the International Mountain Bike Association come to our classes every year to teach us the latest in Trail Rescue techniques. 

(IMBA Team in Yellow/Green)

NEMBP Greater Boston Chapter

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As a group, we had a lot of fun. Had all the latest gear, and the best Patroller uniforms.  

Our Red-Shirts were well known at NEMBA Events for many years.

CPR Classes and Field First Aid

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Every year we had to do Chest Compressions and Breaths.  I think it was 5 breaths for every chest compression. Over time it evolved to almost all Breaths, and almost no chest compressions.