Fattie Fun!
We've been really fortunate to have a real mild and nice Fall in the valley this year. Fall riding is some of the best of the year. The smell of the leaves decomposing on the forest floor, combined with the colors and the cooler weather make for great riding.
I went out to California this past July, visited friends, raced mountain bike national championships, and went to Specialized for the 2016 model year launch. While I was out there I got a chance to see a lot of new and exciting things that are just making their way out now, along with some really fun rides.
Out of the events at Specialized, my favorite was the riding portion of the day, of course. We had a road, mountain, and city day while out there. The first day was the road day! We did a great loop from town that included a 7 or 8 mile Reddish Knob Type climb up to a state park. The best part about this was the road is only an out and back, meaning there was almost no traffic, a rare thing during my time in California.
On the mountain day we headed over to a park a few miles up highway 101 where we could choose pretty much any bike in their line to try out. I chose a Stumpjumper 6Fattie, and a Camber 29. I liked both bikes very much but the 6Fattie, with it's 3” 650b (27.5”) tires was the one I kept riding. Our time was limited that day but I knew I had just rode something that was going to change the way people ride.
With this in mind, I was really excited to get some in the shop as demo bikes. We now have a Stumpjumper as well as a Fuse hardtail in the plus size and I've been logging some good miles on our terrain with it. After riding it up and down mountains it still blows me away with how much it smooths out the rocks and grips everything so well! I find myself ignoring my brakes much more frequently on it.
I will be even more interested to see how it is on snow compared to a normal tire bike, as well as a fatbike. It does float through mud quite a bit better than a normal bike, so it should be fun!
-Chris
Stumpjumper 6Fattie Comp Carbon (features the SWAT door!)
The Women's Weekly Group Rides
#YourRideYourRules... Ladies! Get out, have fun, and ride!
Yep, this is me in 2009. No idea about bike fit, or even jerseys. Just loved riding my bike :)
I got my first road bike was when I was a junior in high school. The woman that had helped me out with buying the bike invited me to a ride she led the very next evening. It was a women's specific group ride, held every Tuesday at 5pm. It was with this ride that my love for cycling and and the cycling community began.
Last summer, after riding with friends on a pretty consistent schedule, and knowing there were so many more women in town that also rode, I started up a women's road ride here in Harrisonburg.
The Women's Wednesday Ride, at 5:30pm, took off slowly, but grew in numbers and turned into a great time. I kept the ride at 5:30pm for a year and was struggling to figure out why more ladies weren't coming out. It turns out that a lot of those women that were missing out on the ride were motheres with a schedule that doesn't really allow for evening rides around dinner time, kids' soccer practice, and family time. One of these awesome ladies did make it out for an evening ride and loved it! She later on expressed to me interest in trying to have a similar ride set up, but in the morning. That's when the idea for changing the time from the evening to the morning formed.
So much fun!!!
So now, at 10am, I have a weekly women's group ride through the SVBC; still leaving from Rocktown Bicycles. Since making this change, the ride has blossomed into a great time with many more women able to participate! The goal of this ride is to create a judgement free environment for riding that is safe and fun!
I've started saying to those that participate, "There's only one rule for this ride, really: NO apologizing". It seems that when someone feels slow for a day or has a bit more difficulty on a specific type of terrain, the first thing they do is apologize. There's no need for that here. If you're having a good time, we're all having a good time.
This road ride has become so successful that recently, some of the women requested a group mountain bike ride. So we've set up a semi-regular schedule for mountain biking through our grassroots group, The Women of Harrisonburg On Wheels. These women are awesome, and shredding with them on the mountains has been blast. We were hitting up Massanutten on Thursday mornings; riding for about 1-1.5 hours, but now that it's November and Massanutten is closed, we'll be meeting at Hillandale as weather permits. There's also a big possibility of some bigger Sunday mountain bike rides in the future. :)
We're a pretty awesome group, in case you couldn't tell.
These rides have become the highlight of my week. If anyone has any questions or interest in these rides, PLEASE feel free to call the shop (540-689-0070) or email me at kbreese.p@gmail.com. I'd love for more women to come out and experience what a great time these rides are.
Jeremiah Bishop's Alpine Loop Gran Fondo
This year, I finally got to do the Alpine Loop Gran Fondo. I helped out at the start by road guarding at an intersection on Court Square as the mass of riders left the old town area. After the riders passed, I then jumped on my bike and played a little catch up leaving town.
Heading out of downtown Harrisonburg, from the start.
Kelly and Misty
It was great to see the Shen-Rock Composite youth MTB team rolling along participating in the valley loop. I found a few friends and we worked up through the pack of riders until we caught the front pack at the base of the 33W climb to West Virginia. I decided to see how my legs felt and started rolling along at a steady burn as Connor Bell pulled away up the mountain. I have climbed this hill a few times and have experienced some bad drivers. On this day, with many more cyclists at my side, I felt the drivers either were put at ease because of the beautiful sunshine and perfect weather OR they realized we outnumbered them 10 to 1 and decided not to honk and yell at us out their windows. The climb continued steadily and wound up the mountain. I found a target that worked well until about a quarter mile to the top. It was a middle-aged man on a mountain bike. I kept him in my sights and reeled him in just before the top.
The descent to Brandywine was as clean as I have ever seen. I had a blast ripping through banked corners with wide open sightlines and super-tucking on the straights upwards of 50 mph. When it flattened out, I caught onto a group for a bit until we got to the first aid station. Being only a few miles in, I wasn't very hungry for food but found I was surrounded by many friends and had to ask how their ride was going. I found Kyle Lawrence and we rolled out toward Fultz Gap together to tackle the next climb.
We reached the base of Fultz Gap after a good chat and the road goes from paved to gravel. Then it turns up. We get going up, then up steeper, then looser, then steeper, and then right about when I think I am going to slip a rear wheel at the same time that my legs are failing, it starts to level out. That was my first time on Fultz Gap, but I will go back again (with bigger tires).
Over the top of Fultz Gap there were some road repairs that sometimes left loose gravel. It made for a sketchy descent, which I love! It was bumpy, and narrow, and bumpy (I lost a frame pump and then recovered it). Out of the bottom of the descent we rolled into Franklin. It was at this time that I found Connor Bell and Bryan Lewis. As I started pacing with them, I began battling a few cramp spasms in my sartorius. I fixed the situation by cramming down some ham sandwiches and mustard at the next aid station, and we continue on. It was such beautiful rolling country. We rolled into another sweet descent with fresh pavement as we charged into the Brushy Fork aid station. I got some snacks and a Coke, and we relaxed for a while; mentally preparing for the pain cave that was coming.
Part of the dirt climb up Reddish
The Brushy Fork aid station is the last support until you reach the top of Reddish Knob. The route that JB chose for us to get from Brushy Fork to Reddish Knob is up a climb made up of single track for trucks. It is a fire road made of rock and dirt. This is not the same as gravel. But I accepted this challenge. I climbed it last year on my mountain bike during the Shenandoah Mountain 100. I was warned to ride 28mm wide tires or larger, but I was on a BMC TeamMachine demo bike with Continental Ultra Sport 23s. They were okay but when I was chasing a target I cased hard enough to pinch a tube. I replaced the tube and rolled along at a more modest pace to minimize the chance of repeat flatting. It just so happens I was less than a mile from the finish of the KOM challenge. Oh well. I have plenty of excuses for not winning that ;)
At the peak of the ride on top of Reddish Knob, people are extremely happy. They are finished with the "gravels" and they know they have a long downhill ahead of them. I still had Connor and Bryan with me but at this point we also got Ken Bell and Danny Gibney to join us before descending 3000 feet in 9 miles. Connor is a solid technical rider and Danny proved the same as we twisted down the s-curves of this descent. I remember thinking, "Danny is entering this turn way too fast," but I trusted his skill. He braked really late and then dove into the turn as Connor and I followed. We were pedaling and super-tucking and over-stressing our smile muscles. We finished the main portion of the descent and realized we hadn't hit any rough spots or sink holes on the road. This was because Kelly, from the shop, had marked every one of them with bright orange paint the Friday before the event. We then finished making our way to the next aid station at the Briery Branch Community Center and fueled up for the final leg.
The rest of the ride turned into a slum for me. My legs had had enough. This was my longest ride in a while and the most elevation I had ever conquered in one day. The group pulled me back to town and we strolled into Turner Pavillion to receive our finisher bells. Our bikes were hung on the racks by Matt Smith and we proceeded to pig out on the delicious meal provided by Hank's Smokehouse.
If you haven't tried this event I highly recommend Jeremiah's Alpine Loop Gran Fondo! Run big tires and easy gears. It will soften the blow.
Photo credit to: Joe Foley Photography, http://www.joefoleyphotography.com/site/2015-alpine-loop-gran-fondo/
'Cross is here!
The more mud there is in cyclocross, the better...
This past Saturday, I kicked off my 2015 cyclocross season at the Luray CX race. I've been looking forward to cyclocross pretty much since I found out months ago that Nationals would be on the east coast, in Asheville, NC.
Luray is a great event. This year was very different from last year. Last year was a cool, dry, beautiful fall day. This year was even better. It was cold, rainy, and muddy; everything you could hope for in a 'cross race.
This race held a few 'firsts' for me. It was my first race on my new Specialized Crux CX1, and it was also my first race in the Women's Cat 1, 2, 3. I was both excited and nervous for what this new category would have in store.
The bike couldn't have performed any better. The disk brakes were amazing, the tires tore the grass up, and the shifting was excellent. It was definitely an improvement from racing on my mountain bike.
The course started on a gravel path and then veered right into the grass, through a dip full of mud. The woman who placed first got ahead of everyone after that turn and we never saw her again. She is an amazing racer on the Pepper Palace pro women's team. They'll be racing in the Team Time Trial at World's next week!
For the rest of the first lap, the two other women and I stuck together, going back and forth in placement. As we were coming in to start the 2nd lap, I saw my opportunity to pass both women on the downhill back onto the gravel path. They were never far behind after that, and so for the remainder of the race I never let up, always aware that if I messed up, that would be an opportunity for one of them to pass. My average heart rate was an amazing 198bpm, with a max of 205bpm. I was definitely putting in a huge effort! (link to my Strava HERE)
The mud was insane, dirty, and a total blast to go through as fast as possible. There were uphills where wheels would spin out and it would take so much effort to not unclip, and there were downhills where you played with the line of speed vs sliding out. My favorite part of the course was a S-turn set up on a steep hill. There was so much slick mud that you had to make sure not to lose too much speed and get the right line or you'd end up riding straight into the course pole/tape. I really enjoyed the challenge of trying to make it through every turn without putting a foot down.
We completed 4 laps total in about 40 minutes. Each lap was more muddy and more fun than the previous. I definitely recommend this event to anyone looking for a fun time. It was very well organized and there were people cheering and heckling the whole time. It was a great way to start off my season! I can't wait for the next race!
The ladies I raced with are awesome people!
Goshen Pass
One of the best bike rides I've ever done
This past Sunday, I completed my highest mileage ride to date - 132.7 miles. It was an amazing experience.
Just a couple of weeks ago, driving back home from the beach, I told my dad that I wanted to be more adventurous. After seeing a few friends go out with each other and complete this "Goshen Pass" ride, I knew it was something I had to do.
I also knew this was going to be an all-day event, which had me both excited and nervous. Leaving just before 9am, my goal was to make it back before 7pm.
My route took me out towards Stokesville, through Leading Ridge Rd, past Braleys Pond, and into Deerfield. I ate a little snack there and refilled on water at the gas station on 250W. Turning off of Deerfield Valley Rd, I made my way towards Goshen on Marble Valley Rd. There were some amazing views - mountains for miles on either side of me, the road rolling along through fields and then some more forested spots. About 13miles before Goshen, I hit a rough patch mentally. The temperatures were starting to climb, and I was beginning to doubt myself. So I stopped in a shady patch, chugged a bunch of my electrolyte drink, ate a cookie, and turned my Garmin to a page just showing my heart rate. I think I was getting caught up in the "miles to go" and forgetting that this was meant to be an all day adventure.
Marble Valley Rd
That little break helped bring back my energy and excitement. I reached Goshen in what felt like no time after that, and stopped at a gas station for my first big snack break of the day. While I was hanging out there, drinking my favorite flavor of Mountain Dew (baja blast!), a guy who was on a big motorcycle tour sat down and ate his lunch next to me. We talked all about the mountains and the places we've been - it was pretty cool.
I love gas station snack time on big rides - so many delicious things!
Newly rejuvenated and fueled, I made my way to Goshen Pass. This was the absolute BEST part of the whole ride. Oh my gosh, what a beautiful place! Words and even my pictures can't do justice to the sense of wonder and excitement I felt riding between those 2 big mountains with the Maury river flowing directly on my left. The water was a beautiful color and so clear. A bunch of people were there; some jumping off boulders into deeper sections, other enjoying lunch on a boulder in the middle of the river. It was stunning.
The Maury River in Goshen Pass
This was also the best road of the ride. It's the perfect time of the season to ride here because students are not back yet, and most tourists have finished their vacationing. Riding with no cars, complete tree cover, next to a gorgeous river, and having a general loss of elevation made for a great combination.
SO happy to be in such a beautiful place
After Goshen Pass, as I was turning onto the next road, 3 other cyclists showed up. The leader of the group introduced himself as Rick, and said, "we're going your way! let's all ride together!" And so off we went. After talking for a bit, I found out he knows some people here in Harriosnburg pretty well, and will actually be the announcer for this year's Alpine Loop Gran Fondo! Finding this great group couldn't have come at a better time. I was doing well with my nutrition, but I was starting to feel some fatigue as I was nearing the 100mile point and was beginning to gain elevation as I made my way back north. We stopped in McKinley at a church with a wonderfully cold water pump. Hanging out here, I got the lowdown from Rick on how to get back into Staunton on roads with a lower number of steep climbs.
"252 is awesome," he told me. "No one who drives knows about it because they all take 11 or 81 to get anywhere. And it's rolling but downhill all the way into Staunton."
He wasn't lying. 252N was awesome! Riding on that road brought life back into my legs and rekindled my drive to get back home before 7pm.
Water stop in McKinley
When I hit Staunton, I made one more big food stop. It was 30miles back to Harrisonburg, and I knew it was going to hurt. There are some steep short sections of road on the way home, and I was curious about whether I would cramp or not.
After scarfing down a mini bag of potato chips and coke, I began the last section of my adventure. Low and behold, I felt really good. My legs were spinning, my muscles didn't feel tight, and I was enjoying the scenery like a kid in a candy shop.
Checking my watch in Bridgewater I was super stoked to see that I would, in fact, make it home before 7 o'clock.
Rolling into the back yard, I was ecstatic. I looked at my garmin and saw 132.7 miles. I couldn't believe it! I had been so nervous about my abilities at the beginning of this ride, but stayed on pace, stayed on top of my nutrition, and did it without any problem whatsoever. I was able to go on a pretty big adventure all on my own, and see amazing and beautiful things! Nothing can really top that feeling of strength and confidence.
Now I want to take all of my friends on this ride, and I can't wait for that day to come!
Cross-Country Trip - Broken Collar Bone
After leaving Harrisonburg, I drove across the country as quickly as possible. I arrived in Missoula, MT a few days before the first race of my cross country trip. I picked up my travel partner, Dylan Johnson, from the airport and met another local pro, David Flaten, at the course. We all set out together to pre-ride the race course. We all wanted to be 100% comfortable with everything the course could throw at us. I heard a lot about an "A-line" drop that was supposed to be scary, but I hit it after a lap without any issues...although it did make for a fun spot to watch other riders.
The next day I sat around for hours waiting for the 7pm race start. It was extremely difficult to sit around for 12hrs before such a big race. The only thing that kept me from walking around was the amount of money I spent on gas to get out to Missoula, MT. My dad's truck was awesome, but 13mpg is rough... Anyway, after 12hrs I was ready to get to the course and warm up/prepare to show all the West Coast guys how to ride a bike.
I was called up at the back of the field, but I knew the course was open and very hilly so I could move up through the field easily. I was caught behind a crash almost immediately after the start, which was not ideal, but I started moving up once I passed it. By the top of the first lap I was sitting comfortably in the top 20 riders and feeling good. I saw David right ahead of me as I approached the "A-Line" drop. He decided to take the "B-Line" around the drop and I flew over the "A-Line" to get ahead of him. A little further down the trail I glanced back towards him and immediately crossed up my front wheel and drove my shoulder into the ground hard. I jumped up, fixed my handlebars and kept descending...until I hit a series of smaller drops further down the decent. The pain in my shoulder did not go away like it does in a normal crash. The pain just kept getting worse and I was holding a bunch of riders up so I pulled over to let them by. A medic immediately came over and demanded I quit and get an x-ray after examining my shoulder. I almost kept riding, but I knew I would have to ride slowly down the downhills and I would get pulled in a lap or two anyway.
Still pumped up on caffeine and all kinds of adrenaline, I headed over to the local hospital to get an x-ray. I was hoping that I had just separated my shoulder and I could man-up and try again in Colorado Springs, CO the next weekend. Unfortunately, the doctor came in and said I had broken my collar bone and recommended I take 6-8 weeks off. He did say I could carefully ride my road bike which was better than not riding at all. Since I could not ride or race my mountain bike I decided to travel to Colorado Springs to help support David and Dylan. After the race in CO I would travel back to Harrisonburg, VA to start training...on the road bike... and working towards next summer.
Here's a pic of the "A-line" drop. Definitely something that you want to look at before launching, but it is not half as bad as it looks.
Somehow I didn't get any photos of the x-rays of my collar bone. All I have is a pic of the outside of the hospital.
I took the scenic route to Colorado Springs through Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park. I managed to grab a camp spot right before exiting Grand Teton National park and didn't have to pay a cent. I woke up in the morning and cooked breakfast while looking out over the Grand Teton mountain range, which was a cool experience. I also stopped in Vail for a day before heading through the mountains to Colorado Springs.
My view of the Grand Teton mountain range.
Here is one of the smaller geysers in Yellowstone National Park.
I had a bit of time to explore Colorado Springs before the race. I was able to painfully ride my bike around and explore the Garden of the Gods which is a series of rock formations in a small park at the base of Pikes Peak. I also got to explore downtown Colorado Springs and help a few homeless guys fix their very sketchy bikes. Between the 4 bikes I think maybe 2-3 brakes worked. I couldn't do too much with a multi tool, but I at least made the bikes ride-able. I had to find some way to make my short/painful road rides interesting right?
Here is a view of Pikes Peak from the top of a rock formation in the Garden of the Gods.
Here are a couple balancing rock formations in the Garden of the Gods.
The next day I set up camp in the feed zone of the PRO XCT to feed David and Dylan water bottles. I wish I would have been able to race, but it was a nice change to be able to watch all the pain from the sidelines. After the race I dropped Dylan off at the airport and started the Journey Home. Not quite the way I expected my trip to go, but now I can focus on next year. I am happy I got to go out West and try to race even if it didn't go as planned.
Here is what the feed zone at a PRO XCT is like. Riders come by very quickly and need perfect water bottle hand offs every lap.
Here is a ridge formation in the Garden of the Gods.
Some Thoughts on Fit
"A bike shop in the summer is like a lawnmower shop." My old boss used to say. We're so busy during these nice months and I've stayed very busy with Fits among other things. With so many different riders coming through the Fit area I get to see the trends of bicycle sizing and geometry, I get to hear and understand how these people chose the bikes they did and see what type of rider and how their bodies work on the bike to determine how the two can go together.
The trend I see with a lot of riders is too low of stack heights on their bicycles. Stack height is basically the height of the bike up to the stem. The low stack height issue is because of two factors in my opinion. Most older bikes, even up in to the mid 2000s had short headtubes, (the tube of the frame that the fork passes through) the other is that a lot of people want to emulate the positions of the riders they see in the Protour, or just feel that a lower position is more aerodynamic and faster overall.
Most riders who come to the bike shop (in fact, 100% of them) aren't Protour riders, but I want everyone to feel and perform the best they can on the bike, whether they're racers or recreational riders! That's where the pre-fit assessment really comes in. It really allows me to see how limited or flexible a rider is, and where we can get position just right.
So enter the average rider, or even the statistical outliers. Time and time again I see riders who need higher positions to be their best. Most bicycle companies offer an 'endurance' road bike that have, among other things taller headtubes. This makes it easier (and better looking) to get people where they need to be on the bike.
This has been great for riders all over! Most people have gone from a race type bike like a Tarmac to something better suited for their bodies and riding style like a Roubaix or Diverge, which have more stable geometry and smoother rides than their more aggressive counterpart. With carbon fiber technology getting better every year this no longer means that riders have to compromise weight and stiffness for comfort. In fact, Specialized and BMC teams use the endurance geometry type bikes in more than a few of the spring classics races.
Don't feel like that low stack height bike that you love but don't feel quite at home on is obsolete! It's often not too hard to modify your fit for the better.
-Chris
Tour de Burg 2015
To call the Tour de Burg a "cycling event" would be an understatement. Five awesome days of racing, riding, and hanging out with a bunch of great people. The "format", for lack of a better word, usually goes as follows:
- start out with a mellow parade pace to a timed section
- race as hard as you can through the timed section
- celebrate finishing the first stage of the day with a delicious lunch made by amazing volunteers
- begin the second stage with a party pace to the second timed section
- after the second timed section, party pace or drive back to down depending on the stage location for the day
Outside of the timed sections there is a KOM (King of the Mountain) and Sprint competition. Within the timed sections there are a Men's and Women's Leader, a Super D, and the coveted DFL (I'll let you guess what that stands for).
This year there were 4 mountain bike days and 1 road day.
Mike Carpenter dreams up the fun and challenging trails to ride; the harder the better.
Even the person who completes the tour in the slowest time has to be a strong rider; if they weren't, they simply wouldn't finish.
After living in town for 7 years, I was finally able to partake in this Rolling Summer Camp.
Day 3; the road day
Photo credit to Kari Carpenter
The short is that it was hard. But being able to ride for an entire day, fully supported, was really great. After riding 23 hours in 5 days, returning to real life afterward was both a relief and a challenge. The Tour withdrawal symptoms are real.
I made some new friends, got to hang out with some old ones, held onto the Sprint Jersey, and ended up 3rd overall, behind Jeremiah Bishop and Nick Waite.
Photo credit: ProTested Gear
I think our faces say it all.
Photo credit to Chris Merriam for the Title Image
All Around Afton
Chris and I celebrated the Summer Solstice this year by going on a big ride around the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Afton/Wintergreen Area. It was the perfect summer day - sunny, breezy, and not too hot.
We had ridden a portion of this ride last winter, and since then I've wanted to go back and explore some more. So when Christopher suggested the ride in Afton, I jumped on the chance to go back.
Our route took us down into Sherando, from which we climbed Love Rd to the Parkway. From the parkway we dropped down a gravel road onto Crabtree Falls Hwy. We took the Hwy to the same dirt road we traveled on last winter. This time, however, we continued up the whole dirt road to head into Montebello for some good snacking at the cabin-esque convenience store. Riding this dirt road is good; really good. Its about a 10 climb with a couple of rolling sections - with 1700ft of elevation gain. about halfway through this road is White Rock. A town of pretty much 2 houses. A creek runs through here full of cold mountain water. The scenery is absolutely beautiful. Green lush forest, and a quiet road - you can't really ask for anything better.
When we were snacking in Montebello, the temperatures were hitting their peak for the day, and my jersey was soaked. Big rides like these, in the heat, are important for training, especially with regards to nutrition intake. I've found that I sweat out A LOT of salt. So much so that if I don't stay on top of salt consumption, the imbalance that occurs in my body is so great that being able to eat becomes almost impossible. I've tried many things, including eating a small snack bag of potato chips during a ride. I guess it might be because of the grease that comes along with potato chips, but there's something about them that also makes me feel sick during a big ride. I'll force myself if it's my only option, but I'm glad to say there are other less nauseating things available. Elete is an electrolyte add-in that contains the four essential electrolytes - sodium, magnesium, potassium, and chloride. It's basically filtered sea water; super concentrated. Elete comes in a nice travel sized dropper bottle, and it is now my go-to, non-caloric electrolyte liquid of choice. For this ride, I made sure to put in about 20drops of this stuff into my water bottle. I felt good for the whole ride, pretty much thanks to this stuff. I didn't cramp, I never felt sick, and I didn't feel like I had to eat as much in order to replace the electrolytes I was sweating out. It's a tricky game I've had to play with figuring out what works best nutritionally, but I think I'm almost at perfection.
The little town of Vesuvius. The starting point of the climb.
After Montebello, we had plans to do a gravel loop that would make our ride figure-eight shaped. Unfortunately we couldn't find the road we were looking for and so opted to climb back up to the parkway and do the Vesuvius climb. The climb is an out and back from the parkway, so when you're descending you get a preview of the tough parts you'll be hitting on your way back up. I took it pretty easy on the descent since I was given a warning from Chris about loose gravel in the turns. It's a great descent, but an even better climb. At 3.1 miles long, with a 9% grade average and many points of hitting 15-17% grade, it makes for great training grounds.
Continuing our ride north on the parkway, we had plans for climbing Wintergreen, but decided against it when we reached the intersection to turn towards the resort. It was getting late, we were both tired, and ready to head home. I had also thought that the Wintergreen climb would be steeper than, but close to the same distance as the Vesuvius climb. I'm glad I check with Chris because it is actually much longer. At that point in our ride I guess you could say I waved the white flag. It had been a great day of riding, we were both in good spirits the whole way through, and I think if we had gone for the Wintergreen climb, it would have tuned into an unhappy experience and a very slow time getting back to the car.
We took a moment to enjoy the views. The gap in the background is where we had been riding earlier in the day
So with smiles still on our faces, we rolled along the parkway (which is not without it's own climbs by the way), stopped to take pictures at some of the overlooks, and got back to the car. It was a great way to spend the day, and a great training ride for some of our races coming up. I'll definitely be going to ride around there more now that I know so many cool roads!
- Kelly
Check out the ride on Strava HERE
Cross-Country Trip - The Truck
This is the first of many posts detailing my cross-country mtb race trip. Check back regularly to see what I am up to.
Connor Bell
After a very difficult, muddy race in WV last weekend with Chris Micheals, I took off across the country in my fathers truck. The truck is going to be my home for the next 2 months as I drive around North America hitting all kinds of professional mountain bike races in Montana, California, Colorado, Wisconsin, and Quebec.
Luckily my father has always wanted to set up a sprinter van as a camper, and decided to test his ideas on me this summer. We rigged up a solar panel system which can run just about anything you can think of including a fridge and my Vitamix blender. I can literally make a cool smoothie after a long ride in the middle of nowhere Montana. Check out the photos below to see what I am talking about:
There are 2 solar panels on top. They put out more than enough juice to run whatever I need as long as I remember to park in as much sun as possible.
I don't ever have to deal with buying ice or draining a cooler. I have a full-fledged mini fridge behind the front seat. It even has a enclosed freezer.
The Sleeping area is a little crammed, but it is remarkably comfortable and doesn't require setting up a tent. Any parking lot can be a campground...as long as they don't tow.
Here is a picture of the battery bank/inverter/blender. Definitely nice to have enough juice to run just about any electrical item I can think of.
Check back soon for the report of the first week of my trip. Hopefully I will have good news to report after tomorrows race!
Thanks for reading,
Connor Bell
Over the mountains
This past Thursday was a day off for both Lindsey and me, so we decided to do a big ride outside of town. Sometimes it's nice to ride somewhere different - helps us keep appreciating our favorite roads here at home.
We started from The Wild Oak Trail parking lot and made our way up and over the Confederate Breastworks into McDowell, VA. McDowell is a small town, set in a beautiful valley that was the site of a Civil War battle in 1862. Many times when I am out riding my bike I find myself wondering what it would have been like to be a soldier in the Civil War, hiking up and over these mountains. It's an incredible thing to think about.
We stopped at the small grocery in McDowell and honed in on getting some cold cans of Coca-cola. It was getting hot. So hot, in fact, that we were so set on being able to drink cold soda we almost forgot to refill our water bottles.
After our snack break we set off into Bullpasture Valley, making our way north towards West Virginia. This was my favorite part of the ride. The mountains on either side of us seemed endless; the road was just rolling along.
For our return route, we turned onto Sally Hiner rd, climbing over one ridge, and seeing so many different animals it felt like we were on some sort of expedition. And I helped a baby snapping turtle across the road!
Sally Hiner is a tough cookie. It's gravel that is so blown out from the winter, it makes riding super sketchy. And to add to its rough and tough demeanor, the people that live out there are not a fan of coyotes, and will prove it to you by showcasing them from a tree. It's an interesting thing to behold.
After descending Sally Hiner, we had 2 more gravel climbs over Shenandoah Mountain to get back to the car. At this point, we were both so happy to not have to make the ride back to town - the car was waiting for us only 20miles away. The temperature was in the mid-90s and we were starting to worry about cramping. So we found a pace that would keep the cramps away and kept chugging along. When we reached the top, we sat down and pulled ourselves together. I had so many twinges and twitches going on in my hamstrings, it was hilarious. Descending down the gravel, we had a hiccup when Lindsey double flatted. But the flats got fixed and all ended well. We got back to the car fine, and then jumped in a local swimming hole to cool off completely. It was the perfect way to end the ride.
Massanutten Hoo Ha! Mountain Bike Weekend.
This past weekend was the 27th edition of the Massanutten Hoo Ha! Being a local race on the trails we ride often at the Western Slope, I raced it every year I've been in town for it. Changing up what race I did last year to the XXC I planned on it again for this year.
The event is great all around; many of the folks from town and not come to ride and hang out or help. Along with the Shenandoah Mountain 100, Alpine Loop Gran Fondo, and the SVBC Century, it's a local favorite.
The XXC is a longer format than the regular XC race and only adds ten or so miles over the standard fare. What is probably lost on new comers trying to evaluate the course by distance and elevation (31 miles, 5,700ft this year) is the sheer backcountry-ness of the course. Once the race leaves resort property it gets burly. Technical rocky climbs, creek bed descents and a long, steep climb is all included in your XXC experience. Throw about 5 good, rocky stream crossings in there too.
I enjoy it because it's what I think of as real mountain bike riding. The course is 99% ride-able (probably 100% by some, but not by me on race day) but not easily ridden. It's a challenge to complete the course for most, let alone compete with others. That being said, I rode with Connor until about halfway through, when after a long downhill, he caught up with me and passed by! He came in first, then myself, and housemate Kyle rolled in third. The weather was much cooler than last year; conditions were just about perfect.
The rest of the team had a great day, Ken, Kelly, Misty, and Adam all did great in their respective races!
Riding the Massanutten mountain range in the National Forest is my favorite place to ride offroad. Beautiful streams, springs, plant, and animal life is everywhere out there! After being back there a few days ago, I know I won't be able to stay away for long!
https://www.strava.com/activities/320658900
-Chris
Specialized Women's Ride Day
May 31st was the annual Specialized Women's Ride Day. It's a day to celebrate women who love to ride bikes! So we put on a bike ride with a great group of women from Harrisonburg.
We left the shop a little after 10am and rode 30miles into downtown Staunton for lunch at the Byers Street Bistro. It was pretty yummy!
On our way back to Harrisonburg, I took the group to one of my favorite spots - a spring tucked away off on a gravel road, right in the middle of the valley! Chris was kind enough to be our SAG guy for the day, and met us at the spring with nice cold water bottles and Coke.
The total ride mileage was just shy of 60miles, with beautiful summer weather then entire time.
Everyone had a blast! These ladies rocked at riding their bikes! It's so awesome to see how much growth is occurring in women's cycling.
Youth Mountain Bike spring season is coming to an end
It has been a great spring season! We have about 10 young mountain bikers from 12-17 years old. We began practicing twice a week in April. Since then the athletes have participated in five races in the Virginia High School Mountain Bike Series (vahsmtb.org).
Some of the Rocktown Racing Youth Team on the Overlook at Massanutten Western Slope
We Spend most of our practices at Massanutten Western Slope but you may run into us at Hillandale Park or Narrowback Ridge. The athletes usually get 75 minutes of riding during a 2 hour practice and they will cover up to 10 miles of trail in that time.
The last practice is a few days before the Massanutten Hoo-Ha. The home race marks the end of the practice sessions and a chance to test their skills and fitness. Most of the team will be riding in a fall series of races put on by NICA (nationalmtb.org/virginiamtb.org). The practices will begin again in July.
It has been such a good time coaching these athletes. They have all improved so much. The parents are amazing and have helped make this season a great success. Thank you all!
Buffalo, Bike Paths, and Niagara Falls
Chris and I made a spontaneous trip to visit his family in Hamburg, NY, this past weekend. Chris had to wait for me to get back from the Tour of Tucker County, so we didn't arrive at his parent's house until 3AM. The all-night drive was worth it for a great weekend of riding and family fun.
After a few hours of sleep, we left for our big ride into Canada around 11AM. We parked in Buffalo, crossed the border on the Peace Bridge, and rode along the coast of Lake Erie into Port Colborne. From there we traveled up the Welland Canal. It was beautiful being able to see both the old and new parts of the Welland Canal. The water was such a pretty shade of blue - crystal clear cerulean. At the end of the canal, in St. Catherine's, we time-trialed into Niagara on the Lake. This is a beautiful town, sitting right on Lake Ontario. Chris and I sat down under a tree next to the lake for a break. If we'd had the time, I think a nap would have occurred for both of us. Hanging out at Niagara on the Lake was my favorite part of the day.
From there we rode to Niagara falls - still on a bike path. This whole ride is possible on a bike path, which is such an awesome thing! And equally as awesome was the number of people out using the bike path.
Niagara Falls is always an amazing thing to behold. The greatest flow it is ever at is 25%! I can't even imagine what the falls would be like at 100% flow.
It was 22 miles from the Falls to the car, back in Buffalo. We had a goal of finishing the ride at 6:30 in order to get home for a delicious dinner of ribs Chris's dad had been working on all day, and to be able to have some quality family visiting time. So from the Niagara Parkway to the Peace Bridge (about 16miles) we time-trialed our hearts out, and made it to the car at 6:28.
The next day we rode around Hamburg with Chris's dad and hung out with the family. We were both beat from the driving on Saturday night and the big ride from the previous day, so it was nice to chill out.
It was a short visit, but well worth it. I hope we can get back up there, together, soon.
Click the link to see our ride on Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/311179302
Greenbrier Challenge MTB Race
The Greenbrier race takes place in Boonesboro, MD. I was nervous about this race. "It has decent climbing," is something I was told repeatedly. I didn't think my legs were good for it. But to get better at racing, you kind of have to race, right? So I sucked it up and said, OK let's do this.
Because it is a USAC race, I wasn't able to race in the Cat 1 field, so I registered for the Cat 2; I requested my license upgrade a little too close to race day. But I was totally fine with that - I was definitely a jittery mess about the whole thing.
I kept those anxious feelings to myself for the most part. Compartmentalizing each of the emotions I was going through, I did my warm-up, jammed out to a little bit of music, and set my jaw into my "serious" face. I wanted to do well, and for me, I've noticed that means no "sandbagging" myself at the start line or coming up with silly excuses about why I don't think I'll do well. No negative thinking allowed. Just race and do your best.
It seems simple, right? The fact is, though, it's not. If it was that simple then the best athletes in the world wouldn't need sports psychologists to help them with their A-game, but they do. A lot of them go through the same jitters and performance anxiety every other athlete does.
I've talked several times with my closest friend about what I go through every time a race comes up and I feel that nauseous sensation in my gut. That same feeling started the evening before the race, when the guys began talking race tactics - it totally stressed me out. So I texted her, and she said the same thing we always say to each other: "Don't listen to them; use that nervous energy in the race."
That's usually my mantra while standing over my bike at the start line; it wasn't any different at Greenbrier.
I was super focused right from the start. I took the lead right away, before we even hit the bottleneck, and I never looked back. 2 laps of using everything my cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems had to offer ensued. Those climbs were hard - they had waterbars and were very slick from the morning's rain. I remember shouting up ahead to guys who had come off their bikes that I was coming through. There was no way I was going to walk up these climbs, and I wanted any obstacle out of my way. The first lap went by fast, and was SO much fun! The course had everything from technical climbs and downhills, to smooth, go as fast as you possibly can singletrack. On the second lap, I started to feel the pressure. I had a feeling some of the other girls were going to catch me, so even when I started to feel tired, I didn't let up. I couldn't. I wanted this win.
And I got it! Oh man, crossing that finish line with a win was such a confidence booster. It felt like my legs were finally back and ready to go for the season.
All the other Rocktown Racers did well in their races, as well, with Ken winning his age-group category, and Connor and Chris coming 2nd, and 3rd in their Cat 1/Pro field. Misty and Adam didn't hit the podium in the Cat 1/Pro race, but still made top 10 and won some money :) Congrats everyone!
The Greenbrier Challenge is an event I would recommend to anyone. A good race for all levels, it definitely won't disappoint those looking for a good time.
Michaux Maximus
This past Sunday, Lindsey and I packed up my car and left town at 4:30AM to race in the Michaux State Forest. This race, Michaux Maximus, is the first in the Volvo Michaux Endurance Series. The longest distance is 30miles, which we both competed in. It is probably one of the longest feeling, and most technical 30 miles I have ever ridden. If I were to guess, I would say probably 75-80% of this course was rocky, gnarly, and bumpy singletrack. It was AMAZING.
The course loops through many different eco-systems, making Michaux feel like a magical place where you're not sure what the terrain will turn into within the next few miles. From the start, it was 1.3 miles exactly down a fire road to bone-jarring single track. Lots of pine trees, roots, and baby heads. Around mile 8 was the big climb of the day - Dead Woman Hollow. This climb had some steep sections, but it mostly just felt like it went on forever. Luckily for me, I seem to be better at climbing than descending on a mountain bike, so I took advantage of that and put in a little more speed to get it over with as quickly as possible.
In the middle of the race, it turned into a more desert-like landscape; with sand and brush, and an entire section of clear-cut. The sun was just beating down on us in this section, and it was getting very hot. By the 2nd aid station I had run out of water and couldn't even stand the thought of putting solid food in my stomach. The couple of miles just before the 2nd aid station was probably my favorite. It was singletrack that looped around, over, and through beautiful, clear, full streams. At one point I got off my bike and walked through the water just to feel that beautiful cold water.
From the 2nd aid station it was only 3 miles up a gradual climb to the finish. Feeling newly rejuvenated with fresh water and electrolytes, I pedaled up that road as fast as I could (or at least that's what it felt like by that point).
At the finish, everyone was greeted by smiling, happy faces, and big cheers, making you feeling like a million bucks. Participating in this race renewed my love for mountain biking.
Lindsey had a great day, finishing 3rd! And I finished 7th. We cannot wait to go back in July for Curse of Dark Hollow!
I rode my 2014 Hardtail Stumpjumper Comp with Stan's Crest Wheels. Though the trails were very bumpy, it performed beautifully!
Click HERE for a link to the course on Strava
