If you are looking to get out of the 'Valley for a new riding experience, Woodstock, NY is just over 3 hours away and is home to some incredible riding. There are three general areas to go to, and each is rocky/rooty/flowy fun. The place has a mellow welcoming vibe, and the trails have that rugged remote feel that you only get deep in the mountains. Don't go there looking for super-buff smoothies, rather expect a really good technical workout with some sick vistas after your 45min. climb, then more rolling swooping techie fun sections all the way back to the center of town for great food, coffee and music. You can climb to the firetower on Overlook Mountain, which looks out over the vast Catskill Mountain Region, and there is great singletrack all around it.
If you are interested, check out Overlook Mountain Bikes on the main drag in town. The shop has been these since the origins of the sport, and owner Billy Denter is a passionate rider and a total ripper, and the organizer of the NY State MTB Race Series. Mid-week he'll show you around (Tuesdays are best). Weekly rides go off almost daily, and the locals are really cool. Check it out.
Shop: www.overlookmountainbikes.com
Firetower: www.catskillcenter.org/towers/olooktower.html
Billy from Overlook Mountain Bikes, cool rock gap
