Maine

Northern New England in capsule form: short season, granite soil, and a tight scene that lives for the months it gets. MX207 in Lyman, Hemond's MX in Minot, Bull Run, Back 40. The Maine MX series anchors the calendar, NESC pulls riders south and west into Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Soil up here is rocky beneath a thin loam, which means tracks set up fast and unforgiving when dry; a good prep crew can make all the difference between a fun day and a sketchy one. Season runs early May through October with a real risk of frost on either end. Black flies show up in late May and last about three weeks; fall rides tend to be the best of the year, with cool dry air and tacky dirt after the first rain. Vintage and post-vintage classes are big here, partly because Maine riders hold onto bikes longer than the southerners do.