‘Fall Ripper’ attracts more than 150 riders

Hours after returning home from this year’s Fall Ripper, Kevin Herbert was still feeling the excitement of the day.

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“I think I’m having a bit of an adrenaline rush,” Herbert said after mountain biking on 26-kilometers of trail in Norfolk County on Sunday. “I got home and I’m still excited about it.

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“It was a wonderful day.”

Asked how he was feeling physically, Herbert declined to answer.

But admitted that he might be feeling a little bit older when he woke up Monday morning.

A London resident, Herbert was one of more than 150 mountain bike riders to participate in the event organized by the Turkey Point Mountain Bike Club.

Herbert said it was a great day, and that included the drive through Tillsonburg and Delhi to get to the event that began and ended at Long Point Eco-Adventures.

“The COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns have left so many people angry, bitter and selfish,” Herbert said. “But when I showed up Sunday morning, I had so many people that I’ve never met walk by me and say hello and good morning.

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“My age, gender, level of experience didn’t matter, they were happy to see me and I had to wonder for a second if I was in the real world.”

Herbert rode with a group of riders led by club president Brian Pond.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for the club,” Herbert said.

“They groom the trails, they’re the people out there who move branches and other obstacles,” he said. “They keep the riders, the hikers, birdwatchers and even the deer happy.”

Herbert said the trails are amazing.

“The beauty of the trails is that you could ride the same trail two days in a row and have an entirely different experience the second day,” Herbert, a self-described intermediate mountain bike rider, said. “Where else in Ontario could you do that?

“There are absolutely gorgeous sight lines, so gorgeous they are almost hypnotizing.”

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The Fall Ripper is one of the club’s signature events and attracts riders from many nearby communities including London, Woodstock, Hamilton and St. Catharines. Riders were divided by skill level and led on a trail by a club member.

“It was kind of cool to see some of the people who were riding together,” Herbert said. “We had two father and son combinations and I also came across a dad riding with three daughters.

“Unlike a lot of other organized sports, this is the kind of event that parents and their kids can do together.”

Herbert figures the event was also good for local businesses.

“I’m sure there are restaurants and gas stations in the area that would have benefited,” Herbert said.

The event also featured food trucks and displays from bike shops.

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