A year ago, I told our Town Council in the meeting that people would travel from Harrisburg, Gettysburg, Frederick, Carlisle etc. to ride a pump track if we built one here. There is not another public pump track in this region.

Last night, it finally happened. Had a large group with peeps from all of the above mentioned cities. Thanks to the organizer (it wasn't me) for getting the word out. I think there were so many people last night, that the hot local stars were a little bummed at having to compete for a clear line.

stole this pic from what looked like a pretty fun stage event here

visuals

Found myself in a new place this weekend. Haven't seen the Granny since 2001, and hadn't seen Big Bear at all.

Big Dog, a little unsure of the protocol at a 24-Hour event. Comfort and familiarity found on their right.

Thank You I.F.

I cracked my fork a few months, or maybe even longer ago. Rode it long enough for the first small crack to rust a bit. Then a second small crack on the opposite side of the crown appeared a month or two ago with noticeable creaking.

Started researching forks, rakes, A-C lengths, prices, availability etc. from Niner, Vicious, Igleheart, IRD, Salsa, Wily, Willits, Walt and more. Decided to call IF and ask about their prices, lengths, and delivery time. While talking to Kevin the sales guy, he asked if it was an IF fork that cracked, and said that it could be a warranty replacement. I told him I probably voided any warranty by having Chuck B. weld on some lawyer tabs to the dropouts (not having any safety there often made me nervous). Kevin said if it didn't crack near those welds, send it in and he and Lloyd would check it out.

Cut to the end of story, a shiny new fork arrives a few days ago in my original color. Thank you Kevin, Lloyd and Independent Fabrications. The new one has small lawyer tabs, I like that. And thank you Kegley for loaning me that sweet Vassago replacement for the past month.

Now, if I can just get this frame to crack, maybe I can get a disc tab and a hanger put on the rear.......

File Photo

This interview with Mr. Outlaw popped up on one of my Google Alerts this morning. Pretty interesting background on one of our local icons...

NC legends

I got to ride on different days with two Asheville stars this week. The pump track maestro visited early in the week, and we took him on a tour near Caledonia, ironically, on mostly blazed trails.

Yesterday, one of the original SS crew, Si, showed up at the MBM ride. He tasted some of the handiwork in the south end.

Some time was spent moving rocks. This may incur the wrath of 'tard. We call it a "cooler" line, it certainly isn't an easier line. Maybe the kind of line the original architect would've created if he had more bodies and time to do it. Only two tried riding it, and only one cleaned it (not me). This trail continues to have my number. I learned it's definitely not a trail to stop and session stuff on. I have to keep rolling if I expect to have any flow and mo at all. And with no flow, I'm not going to clean even the most benign looking section

lulled into the buff

Lykens

the only kind of shot I could get without a really long lens.

3 daze weekend

5 cookouts
3 pools
2 Forests
2 mtn bike rides
out of tubes
out of beer

Southern 'chaux trails start from this guy's driveway.

volume

bike park F2

We showed Jessee's plan to the Recreation Board tonight. Unanimous approval to move on to the next step. Which is: show more details, more photos, drawings, plans; get the grants started; and get ready to take it to the Town Council for the real step.

If you have any plans or good photos of jump parks or street parks, send them this way.

more cool content

stealing content again

Two more quotes....

Something like 27 of 35 miles is "launchable".

... I think I spent more time in the air than on the trail. ...

Economic Experiment

If it's built, will you come?

I don't have the words in me to describe the new Raystown trail experience. There were so many great quotes overhead this weekend, and there was a lot of stout flowing, so most of them are forgotten. A few of the quotes are scattered below. A few pics, though most turned out too blurry. I need a faster camera to capture the flow and speed of Raystown, something that isn't much of a problem shooting someone cleaning a slow techy section in Michaux. There will be plenty of other stories and photos about the weekend out in the interwebworld, especially from Dirt Rag. Search those out if you want the full story.

There were more than 200 riders there, and it was like we were all little kids waiting for a new amusement park to open so we could ride the big roller coaster.

two of the many master coaster builders involved here

"uncontrollable giggling"

"Michaux: more ghetto than you"

Jody knows how to rail a berm.
"Best use ever of my tax dollars"

Look who's the cover boy for the brochure. It's the drunken chute documentary producer. They used Kegley's photo, and one of mine of the Big Dawg on the inside.

Check out this video, the crash at the end. There are 100s of rollers like these all over the 30+ miles. You get a lot of chances to smack a tree. "...the only technical thing here is your speed..."

I even discovered there are some rocks on the Raystown trails, and allegedly even more on the southern section which I didn't get to ride. But it's certainly not the rocks that are the draw here. For me, it's the speed and flow, and the numerous opportunities to eat bark (Ride Good or Eat Wood?).

Albemarle

Ben is building some fun looking stuff right now in NC

flow no

My work trip this week took me deeper into Virginia and my drive home took me within a mile or two of a new pump track. Nice that riding a pump track doesn't take 2+ hours to get a good ride in, and was a nice break in the day. This track is not in-town, it's out at a park which has several miles of multi-use trails. The pump track is actually out amongst the trails, about a mile or so from the parking lot.

It winds among the trees, and covers a lot of space. The track is much bigger than Chambersburg's, with many line options (too many to try to count). It seems like they tried to do way too much and build too many lines. The track has very little flow and fun, and most of the berms make you slow way down instead of accelerate you out of the turn. Many of the line junctions are choppy, with one set of rollers not exactly matching up with the next set of rollers, and many places where it seemed the best line was to roll the skinny part on top of a berm. I saw their tool cache, and could tell they're working on a S-turn section and other tweaks, so I'll try it again next time I'm in that area.

Learned that a huge pump track is planned for Lake Fairfax Park (Rich's masterpiece perhaps?), and hopefully one at another park in a different part of the county.

Missed the wake-up for the dawn patrol full pull,
or, maybe I had the wrong day altogether...
maybe that wasn't such a bad thing,
I wasn't feeling too strong at 0645,
love this quote from one who did meet the call
"Hardest fucking forty miles I've ever ridden."

I followed other signs instead
led me to the spoogy end,
that new entrance almost makes it worth riding again

auxiliary weekend shots around town

spring race

Man, this maximus is gonna be one meaty manly dealy. Those 42 or 47 miles are going to put you in the cave. Yes, it's true that the designer course features some of the best trail that Norchaux has to offer. And it's also true that there will be a lot of work connecting to the fun dashed line sections.

We rode many sections of the course again today. A lot of it is still soft, as am I. Cycling is a volume-based sport, and I am clearly lacking volume. It's true that the more times my legs spin in circles, the more prepared I will be. Coasting, and pumping is not the same thing as riding. No photos today, not even close. The rubber band snapped often, falling far back out of sight, hearing the calls and songs of the slummin' man from the hills ahead. I could almost keep contact with the Mule, after he nearly sliced himself in half on a hard fall on a sharp fin-shaped rock. We had nearly 2 more hours of riding to do, and the Mule only got stronger.

This Friday will actually be my first road ride of the year. I need to spin more often.

not

TR sent this out,

I love the filename given to the .jpg by whomever saved it,
I think that person has it backwards

Pete's Movie Opening

I wish I could post a larger image, but blogger doesn't eat PDFs.
it's in Gettysburg May 1st.

metal guru

The Metal Guru, aka Michaux Masher, is now doing service under the capable ass of Rider.Big.E.