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Topic created by sfmones on Wed Mar 4, 2026 at 12:34 pm
Saturday, March 14, 2026
Mountain Bike Orienteering at White Clay Creek State Park
Course setter Glen Lewis has designed three courses for mountain bike orienteering at White Clay Creek State Park in Delaware. There will be short, medium, and long courses to provide bike orienteers of all skill and endurance levels with appropriate challenges. The course specifications are as follows:
Course
Length
Controls
Short
4.8 km
9
Medium
18.2 km
10
Long
30.0 km
17
Start and finish will be near the park’s main parking lot located off Route 896, just north of Newark, Delaware. All courses will be on trails, tracks, and/or roads. All controls should be accessible while still on bikes. There will be no controls in the woods. The medium and long courses will include both sides of White Clay Creek via available bridges. We are hoping for (but cannot guarantee) warmer weather and arrival of early Spring. Course conditions and any further information will be updated closer to the event.
Bike-O participants are strongly encouraged to ensure that they, or their bikes, are equipped with rear-facing blinking lights for safety. The portions of the courses on roads will have motor vehicle traffic with which to contend. We will have a few Autopilot Map Boards available for loan on a first-come, first serve basis, but having your own would ensure you will have a solid place for your map.
Please note that State of Delaware park entry fees will be in effect for both in-state and out-of-state residents.
Steve Mones
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Reply by sfmones on Tue Mar 10, 2026 at 3:55 pm
Hello potential mountain bikers-
It was pointed out to me that I did not specify the manner of the start, only that the event starts at 9:00 a.m.
Just to be clear, the event is NOT mass start. There will be staggered starts as with a normal orienteering event.
Also, as to the "last start" time: I do not know at this time how many riders will show up, and the "last start" time depends to some degree on how many participants there are. I would not foresee someone doing the 30 km course to start at or after noon. I am hoping all riders will be out on the courses by 11ish. But, again, I do not know how many people we have, so it is difficult to pin down an exact time frame for the "last call" for the event. Also, I must admit that I am not a mountain biker, so I do not know how much time it will take participants to complete the courses. Judging by the typical speed of mountain bikers passing me on trails, they go a lot faster than me. But, then, just about everybody does, even on foot.
Steve Mones
