Mahwah's Summer Biking Guide

By Patch Editor Jessica Mazzola

What makes a trail good for summertime biking?

According to Dustin Farnum, the creator of NJBikeMap.com, it depends on what you’re looking for.

Some of the bike trails in Bergen County offer scenic rides. Some are more challenging. Others are nearby parks and playgrounds, are paved, and are training wheel-friendly.

Farnum has ridden nearly all of them.

The lifelong biking enthusiast started mapping bike routes and trails as a hobby in 2002.

“Originally, I started mapping the trails so I wouldn’t forget them,” he said. Now, he’s got the entire state mapped.

“I field check all of my bike routes. So, I know they’re real, and I know where they are. I’ve been there.”

So far, he’s logged over 124,000 miles on his bike, which is equipped with a GPS that tracks his path.

Though the Somerville resident works in bikes professionally – he repairs them at Efinger Sporting Goods in Bound Brook – the results of his hobby are available to the public for free.

“They are easy to use,” Farnum said. “You can print a map out on a regular piece of paper, stick it in your pocket, and go ride. That’s what I wanted; I wanted people to really be able to use the maps.”

After all of the riding and mapping he’s done, Farnum considers himself an expert on trails across the state. Locally, he says some of the best options in the state are in Bergen County.

Farnum has over 30 Bergen bike trails mapped, color coded, and commented on, in an attempt to provide as much information as possible to riders before they hit the pavement. 

Below, see his top five Bergen bike trails, and why.

Farnum’s Top Pick: Saddle River Bike Path

The paved bike path is 6.87 miles, and training wheel-friendly. This path, “is one of my top five in the state,” he said. “It starts at the duck pond in Ridgewood. You travel mostly underneath roads along the river. You’re just off of Route 17 for a lot of it, so you might be able to hear traffic, but you’ll never see it.”

He called the path "hard to beat."

Ramsey Trolley Bike Path

This one is shorter, about 0.8 of a mile, and totally contained within the borough. It’s paved and training wheel-friendly, but Farnum says it offers something different.

“It goes right through the center of town. It was an old rail trail in Ramsey, it’s fun to ride through.”

Paths Off Old Mill in Franklin Lakes

Three shorter paths in Franklin Lakes make the list as some of the most scenic and interesting paths to bike, Farnum says. “They are windy, twisty, and really in the woods.” But, are all paved. And, it’s a cool area with a lot of tree coverage, which makes for good hot day-biking, Farnum says.

Ridge Road Bike Path

This 1.62-mile path goes from Mahwah to Ramsey. “It’s pretty long, and a nice path,” Farnum said. “But, it gets hilly and there are often a lot of people walking on the path, which goes in front of the Mahwah library and a bunch of schools. Schools are great places to find bike paths.”

The “Other” Option

Farnum has spent a lot of time riding and mapping trails, but one thing he does not do is mountain bike. He calls regular bike paths “scarce” in Bergen County, but says that the area does offer a bunch of mountain bike routes at places like the Ramapo Reservation in Mahwah. He said he could not recommend any in particular, but suggested mountain bikers look to Bergen County for good riding.

This summer, locals looking for staycation possibilities, a way to fit in an afternoon exercise, or just something fun to do with the kids, can download Farnum’s lists and descriptions of bike maps at NJBikeMap.com.

"Biking is just part of a healthy lifestyle, for kids and adults" he said of why he loves the sport so much. "It just has something for everybody."

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