Author: Doug Heady (Page 1 of 5)

Hope everyone has had a great riding season! We have been busy this past year with a few projects out on the trails and wanted to give a quick update on this as well as upcoming events.

Poto Revitalization

If you have not been out to the Potawatomi trail lately, there are several new sections to check out. We’ve been working with Spectrum Trail Design out of Indianapolis on some in-corridor improvements and six reroutes that were approved last year by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Five reroutes have been completed. The sixth is roughed in and open to riders and hikers. We hope to get the last reroute completed in early December, weather permitting. More in-corridor improvements are yet to come!

Pavilion at DTE Foundation Trail

The pavilion at the DTE Foundation Trail Cassidy Road parking lot is moving along, albeit quite a bit slower than we had hoped. The pavilion is pending permitting from the State of Michigan, which should be finalized soon. We will plan a grand opening event in the spring upon completion.

Trail maintenance refresh at DTE

Next year we are hoping to have Spectrum refresh a few sections of the DTE trail. While closing the trail down during freeze/thaw periods helps a lot to preserve the trail, as the trail ages, it naturally tends to melt, simply from weather and use. Stay tuned!

Black Friday Ride- this Friday!

Join us this Friday, November 28 at 10am for our 17th Annual Black Friday MTB and Gravel Ride at Rolling Hills in Ypsilanti Township. The weather forecast is looking good – cool but sunny. Great weather for that first fat bike ride of the season, a gravel ride or a mountain bike ride! 

This event is a fun, casual, no-drop group ride and is a great chance for novice MTBer’s to get exposure to single track & gravel riding, meet new riders and burn off some Thanksgiving calories. After the ride, we’ll enjoy pizza and brews sponsored by Wheels in Motion. Please register in advance free-of-charge here so we have an idea of headcount for food and drinks.

Check out the event on Facebook for more information about the ride options and agenda for the day. This is a free event at Rolling Hills Park, but as Rolling Hills is a Washtenaw County Park you may need to pay a gate fee to enter the park.

Plan ahead for January 2026 – the Abominable Snowman Ride

Join us for the 2026 Abominable Snowman Ride on Saturday, January 17th at the Glenbrook Yurt on the Potawatomi Trail in Pinckney Recreation Area. Weather permitting, we will groom the Gosling loop. This is a cold weather winter ride so dress appropriately! No official start time, generally folks meet and head out around noon. Ride your bike on as much or as little trail as you would like. There are many ride options!

Interested in making a financial donation to Poto MBA? 

This is the perfect time to support your Trails!  We are still fundraising for the Potawatomi Revitalization project, the DTE Pavilion and DTE Refresh. Contribute here. PotoMBA is a 501c3 non-profit organization. All or part of your gift may be tax deductible as a charitable contribution. Please check with your tax advisor.       

Volunteer Opportunities

We continue to look for volunteers for trail maintenance and adoption, trail coordination and board membership. See the presentation for more on these opportunities.

Additionally, we are looking to evolve our social media outreach – if you have ideas or want to help, let us know by emailing volunteer@potomba.org! 

Record your Volunteer Hours

Did you volunteer for Poto chapter activities this year? Whether it is trail work, prepping/preparing/transporting equipment, advocacy, fundraising, map making, volunteering at TTC or other events, administrative work… we would like to capture that time.

Don’t wait until the end of the year, submit your volunteer hours throughout the year here. This information is important as the DNR land managers use this to understand the support received for the trails. Poto MBA also uses this to be able to recognize our contributors. Thank you for your time in supporting our chapter and trails!

2025 and 2026 Poto MBA Events – Save the Dates* 

November 28 – Black Friday Ride @ Rolling Hills County Park in Ypsilanti

January 17, 2026 – Abominable Snowman Ride @ Pinckney Rec Area

*Additional events and links to Facebook events will be posted as finalized

Stay Connected:

PotoMBA Website

PotoMBA Facebook Page

PotoMBA Group Discussion

DTE Energy Foundation Trail Website

SE Michigan Trail Conditions

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Join or renew your membership with the Potawatomi Mountain Biking Association today. We build and maintain the local trails that we all love to ride. Click here to join Poto MBA. 

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Join us for the 17th Annual Black Friday Ride

Black Friday Ride at Rolling Hills

What a ride! The 2025 Triple Trail Challenge was a huge success. We’re thrilled to announce that we raised a whopping $25,000 which will be invested right back into our trails! This event is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and we couldn’t have done it without the amazing support of our community.

A massive thank you to our main sponsors:

– Tree Fort Bikes: They are the backbone of the TTC, helping with everything from managing registration & emails, to event setup & teardown, to cooking up that classic TTC chili.

– The Kitchen at Jolly Pumpkin & North Peak Brewing Company: For providing a new home venue for the PotoMBA, hosting TTC packet pickup and supplying the awesome beer. They are true champions of the local cycling community.

 Shoutouts also go to our key contributors:

– Dan Clark for designing another legendary TTC logo.

– VGKIDS for printing all our awesome shirts.

– Joshua Tree Skin Care (JTree) for hooking us up with the speaker rig.

– Dante Lasalle for keeping the energy high with his DJ set.

– BermSnap for capturing the amazing photos.

And of course, a huge thank you to all the volunteers. From those who spent hours mowing and trimming miles of trails to those who helped at the event itself, your hard work made all the difference.

Photos are available for viewing and purchase here:

https://www.bermsnap.com/Triple-Trail-Challenge-2025/Race-Photos

Thank you again for being part of it.

Hello!

We have some exciting news and updates for you regarding the Triple Trail Challenge and other projects.

More Triple Trail Challenge Shirts
Due to popular demand, we’ve added more sizes to our men’s and women’s TTC shirts. You can now find the full range of sizes available for pre-order on Tree Fort Bikes website: https://www.treefortbikes.com/cat/1592/TripleTrailChallenge

*Just a friendly reminder that these shirts are only available through this pre-order, and we will not have any shirts for sale at the event.

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Poto Jersey Update

Thank you to everyone who ordered a Poto Jersey! We’ve received your orders and are working with Castelli to get them made and shipped. You can expect to receive an email from Castelli with a FedEx tracking number in about six weeks when your jersey is ready to ship out.

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DTE Pavilion Update

Great news! We’ve started building a new pavilion at the Cassidy parking lot. Site preparation is already underway, and we’ll be pouring the cement slab soon. The pavilion is scheduled for delivery and construction this November.

Your support helps make projects like this possible. If you’d like to contribute, you can donate here: https://givebutter.com/DTE-Pavilion

Thank you for your continued support!

Hey there,

Get ready for an epic ride! Registration is now officially open for the all-new Triple Trail Challenge 2025 Figure 8 edition. Don’t miss out – you’ve got until September 11th to sign up.

Looking to snag some awesome TTC merchandise? Remember, it’s pre-order only! Make sure you get your order in by August 21st to guarantee you get yours.

You can find all Triple Trail Challenge registration and merchandise details here: https://www.treefortbikes.com/cat/1592/TripleTrailChallenge

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Show Your Poto Pride and Support the Trail!

Love the recent improvements on the Potawatomi Trail? Here’s a fantastic way to give back! We’ve got brand-new Potawatomi Trail jerseys available.

For every jersey sold, $15 will go directly back into updating and maintaining the trail. These are custom-made just for you and will ship right to your door.

Important: You’ll need to place your order for a Poto jersey by July 27th here: http://teamorder.serviziocorse.com/index.aspx?pc=E11B17C4-A6E9-473B-A069-D4435084D8B7

Poto Revitalization Update

The Potawatomi Revitalization Project continues this year. This spring we completed re-route #2, coming into the Hills of Hell. With a stunning creek overlook, a new boardwalk/bridge and some incredible stonework, this new section of trail is a welcome replacement of a washed-out section of plastic geomesh.   

Work will continue in July on re-route #3 and the approach into the Blind Lake campground as well as the completion of re-route #4!

Register today for Triple Trail Challenge 2025! 

Tree Fort Bikes and the Potawatomi Mountain Biking Association are proud to present the 2025 Triple Trail Challenge!  Riders will experience nearly 50 miles of SE Michigan’s premier single-track combined with scenic gravel roads, all nestled in the heart of the Waterloo-Pinckney State Recreation Area. Ride it all or try a shorter loop and experience some of the latest Poto Revitalization updates.

Get ready for an epic shake-up! The Triple Trail Challenge 2025 Figure 8 is here, bringing a whole new experience to your favorite ride. This year, we’re totally transforming the route and adding exciting new features, all while continuing our tradition of supporting the trails you love.

Since 2020, Triple Trail Challenge has raised an incredible $100,000 for the Potawatomi Trail’s Poto Revitalization Project, and for 2025, we’re shifting our fundraising focus to the DTE Energy Foundation Trails. Every single penny of profit goes directly back into maintaining and improving these incredible trails. 

What’s New for 2025:

• Totally Revamped Route: Prepare for a thrilling new course that includes never-before-ridden sections and a complete overhaul of the DTE Energy Foundation Trail portion
• Prospect Hill: Be among the first to conquer this brand-new, 1.3-mile section of singletrack, featuring one of the biggest climbs on the route! This exciting addition is exclusively open to bikes for the Triple Trail Challenge event only and is closed to bikes before and after the event. Make sure you experience it while you can!
• The Full Poto: Explore the Potawatomi Trail like never before! Our 2025 route incorporates all seven new sections and improvements from the ongoing Poto Revitalization Project
• Jolly Pumpkin Packet Pickup: Join the PotoMBA crew at Jolly Pumpkin in Dexter for packet pickup. Then check out their delicious pizza and great beers
• New Beer Sponsors: Quench your thirst with fantastic brews from our new sponsors, Jolly Pumpkin and North Peak Brewing Company
• DTE Projects: We’re investing in the DTE trails! Additionally, get ready for a new pavilion at the Cassidy Parking Lot, providing a much-needed community hub for rides, events, and gatherings

Triple Trail Challenge is a 2-day, pre-register only event. You can ride on Friday, September 12 or Saturday, September 13 or both days.  The rain date is September 14. This non-competitive ride is capped at 1000 riders, so register early (registration opening soon) at http://www.tripletrail.com/reg.php

Your $40 registration includes the ride, a course map, an aid station with light food, hydration and mechanical support, AND an entry to the after party. The aid station and after party with post ride food and entertainment will take place on Saturday only (rain date Sunday the 14th) and are provided by Tree Fort Bikes.  

Packet pickup

There will be no day-of registration. Be sure to pick up your number plate, wristband, map, and any purchased gear at one of these convenient locations:

• Tree Fort Bikes (1866 Whittaker Rd, Ypsilanti): September 8th – September 12th
• Jolly Pumpkin Dexter (2319 Bishop Cir E, Dexter): Thursday, September 11th, 7 – 9pm
• Morning of the event: Limited pickup available if you can’t make the other times.

T-shirts and beer glasses are available for pre-order only and the order link will be available soon.

The Route

The route will be changed up this year! Beginning and ending at Silver Lake as usual but departing the Poto AFTER the Blind Lake campground, gravel roads to Prospect Hill (yikes!), more gravel roads to DTE, entering DTE at M-52 lot, a bit of green then onto Big Kame, Winn and Sugar. Exit DTE at McClure Rd then onto the Waterloo Pinckney trail in the REVERSE direction from all past TTC events! Look for the aid station to be located near the Tunnel under M-52 and the entry onto the Poto-DTE connector. We then take the connector trail BACK to Poto, entering at the beginning or Re-route #4, the Blind Lake climb and overlook, finish the Poto then you are done! (in more ways than one most likely!) 

Pay attention to the new signage, particularly in the area of Blind Lake. We will NOT be jumping onto the Poto-DTE connector trail at marker post #12 this year- instead going through the campground and onto Crescent Rd, Goodband Rd. and Bartell to get to Prospect Hill. When we return from DTE on the connector trail, we will take a section of Goodband to Crescent and back to the Poto. Crescent Rd. will see 2-way traffic. Thus the Figure Eight! 

Note: The Prospect Hill section will be very lightly maintained! Not what you are used to, be assured. It is very old school but only about 1.3 miles long. 

Be aware that trails may run through areas open to hunting, so orange or bright colors are recommended.

The after party is held on the picturesque shore of the Silver Lake swimming area. You can take a refreshing dip in the lake and hang out! Each trail has a unique character. Poto is known for its “old school”, technical climbs and descents, and that big loop trail design that makes you feel like you’re far away from everything. Then roll on to the flow, berms, rollers, jumps and rock piles of the DTE Energy Foundation Trail.

Triple Trail Challenge is the single largest fund-raiser for the Poto MBA, so register today! More info about Triple Trail Challenge, including a map, can be found here: http://www.tripletrail.com/about.php.

Membership promotion – Join or renew your IMBA membership with auto renew at 2025 TTC and you will receive a free limited edition Poto pint glass. 

Triple Trail Volunteers Needed!

We need your help! For this event to run smoothly, we need many volunteers during TTC and beforehand. A little of your time can go a long way! You can volunteer and still do the ride. Sign up for one of the many flexible volunteer options on Sept. 13 here or to help with handing out merchandise and registration packets at Jolly Pumpkin Dexter on Sept. 11th here. 

Get the new Poto Jersey! – order by July 27

Two styles in two color options are available in Men’s or Women’s sizing and feature:

• Relaxed-fit, v-neck trail tee
• Quick-drying polyester allows airflow to keep you cool
• Shaped longer rear hem for full coverage when in riding position

• $80 – Trail Jersey Short Sleeve 
• $85 – Trail Jersey Long Sleeve

$15 of every jersey sold will come back to the Poto MBA.

These are custom made to order and will ship directly to you. We will not have extra jerseys for sale or exchange. ***The standard quote time for custom orders is 8 weeks.*** 

All orders must be placed by July 27. Order your Poto Jersey here (Note: You will need to create an account to view the jersey page.)

Volunteer Opportunities

We continue to look for volunteers for trail maintenance and adoption, trail coordination and board membership. See the presentation for more on these opportunities.

Additionally, we are looking to evolve our social media outreach – if you have ideas or want to help, let us know by emailing volunteer@potomba.org! 

Record your Volunteer Hours

Don’t wait until the end of the year, submit your volunteer hours throughout the year here. This information is important as the DNR land managers use this to understand the support received for the trails. Poto MBA also uses this to be able to recognize our contributors.

2025 Poto MBA Events – Save the Dates* 

September 12 and 13 – Triple Trail Challenge

October 11-12 – MISCA race @ Heritage Park

October 25 – Batman Ride @ Pinckney Recreation Area

November 28 – Black Friday Ride @ Rolling Hills County Park in Ypsilanti

*Additional events and links to Facebook events will be posted as finalized

Interested in making a financial donation to Poto MBA? Contribute here. PotoMBA is a 501c3 non-profit organization. All or part of your gift may be tax deductible as a charitable contribution. Please check with your tax advisor.        

Stay Connected:

PotoMBA Website

PotoMBA Facebook Page

PotoMBA Group Discussion

DTE Energy Foundation Trail Website

SE Michigan Trail Conditions

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Join or renew your membership with the Potawatomi Mountain Biking Association today. We build and maintain the local trails that we all love to ride. Click here to join Poto MBA. 

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We are excited to announce our partnership with Jolly Pumpkin-North Peak
Artisan Ales and Kitchen 

https://www.jollypumpkinartisanalesandkitchen.com

Annual Membership Meeting – Recap

Thank you to all those able to join our annual membership meeting in person this year!

We met on Thursday, March 13th at Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales + Kitchen in Dexter to talk about what we’ve accomplished in 2024 and what’s coming for 2025. We had a nice turnout and enjoyed time to meet face to face. Click here to view the presentation that was shared. 

Volunteer Opportunities

We continue to look for volunteers for trail maintenance and adoption, trail coordination and board membership. See the presentation for more on these opportunities.

Additionally, we are looking to evolve our social media outreach – if you have ideas or want to help, let us know by emailing volunteer@potomba.org! 

Trail Work Days

Interested in getting involved in trail days at… 

DTE: Look for events on the DTE Trailwork Society Facebook page. These events are largely weather-dependent and will be scheduled in the days leading up to the work day. 

Brighton Rec: Look for events on the Brighton Rec Mountain Bike Trails Facebook page. Two days have already been posted.

2025 Poto MBA Events – Save the Dates* 

May 17 – J Tree Skillz Clinic @ DTE

May 31 – Poto MBA Skills Clinic @ Brighton Rec (sign up on BikeReg coming soon) 

September 12 and 13 – Triple Trail Challenge

October 11-12 – MISCA race @ Heritage Park

October 25 – Batman Ride @ Pinckney Recreation Area

November 28 – Black Friday Ride @ Rolling Hills County Park in Ypsilanti

*Additional events and links to Facebook events will be posted as finalized

Interested in making a financial donation to Poto MBA? Contribute here. PotoMBA is a 501c3 non-profit organization. All or part of your gift may be tax deductible as a charitable contribution. Please check with your tax advisor.        

Stay Connected:

PotoMBA Website

PotoMBA Facebook Page

PotoMBA Group Discussion

DTE Energy Foundation Trail Website

SE Michigan Trail Conditions

---

Join or renew your membership with the Potawatomi Mountain Biking Association today. We build and maintain the local trails that we all love to ride. Click here to join Poto MBA. 

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We are excited to host our annual membership meeting in person this year!

Join us on Thursday, March 13th from 7:00 – 9:00 pm at Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales + Kitchen in Dexter.

We have a lot of great things happening with mountain biking in the Poto chapter. Come hear about key highlights of our trails including 2024 accomplishments and where we are headed in 2025 including completion of Phase 1 of the Poto Revitalization Project. Enjoy the opportunity to meet and connect face to face with fellow Poto MBA members.

The membership meeting will take place in the backroom of Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales + Kitchen in Dexter Michigan (2319 Bishop Cir E, Dexter, MI 48130).

2025 Poto MBA Events – Save the Dates* 

March 13 – Poto Membership meeting – In person at Jolly Pumpkin (Dexter) 7-9pm

May 17 – J Tree Skillz Clinic @ DTE

May 31 – Poto MBA Skills Clinic @ Brighton Rec (sign up on BikeReg) 

September 12 and 13 – Triple Trail Challenge

October 11-12 – MISCA race @ Heritage Park

October 25 – Batman Ride @ Pinckney Recreation Area

November 28 – Black Friday Ride @ Rolling Hills County Park in Ypsilanti

*Additional events and links to Facebook events will be posted as finalized
Interested in making a financial donation to Poto MBA? Contribute here. PotoMBA is a 501c3 non-profit organization. All or part of your gift may be tax deductible as a charitable contribution. Please check with your tax advisor.   

We are excited to host our annual membership meeting in person this year!

Join us on Thursday, March 13th from 7:00 – 9:00 pm at Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales + Kitchen in Dexter.

We have a lot of great things happening with mountain biking in the Poto chapter. Come hear about key highlights of our trails including 2024 accomplishments and where we are headed in 2025 including completion of Phase 1 of the Poto Revitalization Project. Enjoy the opportunity to meet and connect face to face with fellow Poto MBA members.

The event will take place in the backroom of Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales + Kitchen in Dexter Michigan (2319 Bishop Cir E, Dexter, MI 48130).

2025 Poto MBA Events – Save the Dates* 

March 13 – Poto Membership meeting – In person at Jolly Pumpkin (Dexter) 7-9pm

September 12 and 13 – Triple Trail Challenge

October 25 – Batman Ride

November 28 – Black Friday Ride

*Additional events and links to Facebook events will be posted as finalized