First Ever! Stokesville Strade Gravel Grinder.

My Trek Domane, the most comfortable spring classic ride. 

A new spring classic was born this past Saturday, the Stokesville Strade Gravel Grinder. This event was another great production by the folks at Shenandoah Mountain Touring. Unlike most other events at Stokevilles this one was based out of Stokeville Lodge instead of the campground making for a more intimate feel (and less of a climb at the end).

The Tandem that would become my rabbit.

The ride started out with a steady pace as the lead vehicle paced us out of Stokesville back towards Sangerville on our way to the first of many gravel/dirt sections. As we entered the first dirt section it was obvious the heavy rains from the previous day were going to make for perfect tracion, but add up later on.

Ben Martin, always super fun to ride with!

Lindsey C, my favorite power house PULP rider.

Unlike the gravel roads used another spring classic, The Harris-Roubaix, the Strade roads has significantly more dirt then gravel making for muddy conditions. Like most spring classics corrrect tire choice is vital. My 28c Bontrager All Weather Tires proved bomb proof once again but 25c would have been the best selection due to tire clearence.  Around mile 25 I decided to stop to do come cleaning of the brakes. I did not realize how packed my bike was of mud until I had to take my wheel out and use a road side stick to chip away at the drying crust!

With less mud and resistance on my bike the final 7 miles flew by while we traveled the scenic roads on the east side of Lookout Mountain. A majority of my time was spent trying to chase down one of the several tandems on the ride, my hopes for some good wheel sucking never materialized as the duo rider train stayed ahead to the train depot house.

At the finish line the riders where treated to warm relaxing conditions, great food and drinks. SMT always makes sure every rider from first to last is treated like a king or queen, even if they did not win the crown. Thanks Chris, Jade and the rest of the family at SMT for another memorable ride. I can't wait until next year's Strade. Make sure to put it on your 2016 ride calendar!

Let another great season of trail work begin!!

For the past four months I have not picked up a trail tool except for moving a few mud piles in the yard. The winter break of working in the woods is always needed especially after such a great  campaign that SVBC had in 2014. Winter is usually the planning season for projects to come and SVBC has some great projects in the mixer that should materialize in the next few years.

Jake Brown, great to have back in the Burg!

It felt great this past Thursday to get back into the swing of things with Thursday Evening Trail Work.  SVBC volunteers will be spending the next two months cleaing up our favorite back yard trail system, the Rocktown Trails at Hillandale. The spring mission of cleaning up the corridor will help make a great venue for the spring High School Mountain Bike Series Race on April 28th and help keep the park system trail tight for all users.  I know my kids are excited for the trails to dry so they can get back out on their "Jets".

Marshall's BOB set up. Oh, to ride to trail work!

What will happen with Thursday trail work after the spring campaign at Hillandale? Thursday Trail Work Days will shift over to the Western Slope of Massanutten in May. For me the Western Slope has always been a canvas that keeps getting more and more beautiful each year. It has been great to see what has been developed since our first trail work day out there in 1995. What will happen in 2015? I would love to hear from you, the ones who use the trails. Where would you want a new trail? What would you like that trail to look like? What would be good to connect? Stop by the shop anytime and let's dream and draw on a map together or shoot me an email: tj@shenandoahbicycle.com.

What is brown will soon green! 

Hopefully I will see you in the next few weeks at Hillandale. Let's get  rowdy together cleaning up the trails.

"Old man Freeride" - Thomas

March Shenduro

On March 15th, 40 folks gathered for the March Shenduro lifestyle ride at Braley's Pond.  The weather was perfect, the trails were dry, the stoke was high!  The route included 3 big descents (Road Hollow, Braley's Pond, Dowell's Draft) and two big climbs (Bridge Hollow & Magic Moss).  Locals and visitors alike, the group stayed together throughout the day and good times were had by all.

Wootten had hoped to incorporate an environmental education component to the ride, to build awareness about the upcoming Natural Gas Pipeline, since one proposal for the Dominion Power Southeast Connector Pipeline routes adjacent to all of the trails in the March Shenduro.  Every property owner within 20 miles of the ride had done it for him. "No Pipeline" signs in EVERY SINGLE yard to and from the ride.  There was one sign that said "Hey Dominion, you are not allowed on my property."  Surely all the visitors that went to the Highland County Maple Festival got to read all the signs on their way to the sugar shacks.  

The Commonwealth may need to be aptly renamed the Corporatewealth after Dominion usurps Virginian's private property with eminent domain.    

Rains a coming!

Tim's Dispatch from Sedona

Benny Thatcher in the red dirt!

The same Ben thatcher dropped his wallet down the drainage 

Black beauty is having much fun

Die trying

Fallen watters slip sliding

Zack is finding himself,

Friday rides from bike n bean!

Usual suspects

Rain in the desert, gets weird

Three days of rain here on red planet

Benny Thatcher recouping from a tall fall on Hi line

Hiking in the rain? 

Them the rulz

Ferns have fufufu frawns and fufufu fiddleheads!

A random Nathan sighting from the friendly city in Sedona 

Fallen watters tries to recreate a meal he learned in prison...mmm carbon

See Naked Creek

There is a road south of Bridgewater that I have been curious about for a bit now, Naked Creek. I always seem to be wanting to go north or south when all it wants to do is go east and west. Recently we had a nice warm break in the weather (it is snowing heavily as I write) and I made a special trip to go explore and make Naked Creek's acquaintance. If you are curious about it also you can see the route that I rode here:See Naked Creek.

#Frostbike

I made it up to Frostbike in Minneapolis Minnesota last week for a few days of hobnobbing with other bike shop folks and those involved in the bike industry around the country and the world. From PinkBike, "As one of North Americas largest cycling related distributors, Quality Bike Products thinks it makes sense to put a bike trade show on in the winter. Most bike stores and industry folk seem to agree as winter can be a more convenient time to close up shop for a few days and check out what products QBP and its partners are bringing to market as the season ramps up."

QBP also does a really good job helping bike shops continue to improve. Their experts have a countless years of experience to help out with any questions or hurdles that a shop may be facing. I was able to sit down with the guy who started and managed the Geek Squad at Best Buy. He had a great perspective on service and repair along with general customer service ideas.

I was able to ride the carbon Salsa Bucksaw full suspension Fatbike (you actually want one you just don't know it yet) and the Surly Krampus. I was able to get a really good and real long look at the new Salsa tandem, the Powderkeg. One more bike to keep on your radar, the Salsa Warbird (gravel road bike) has been totally redesigned, check out the reviews. Also, ate a lot of good food, drank some decent beer, and got to wander around a massive warehouse that ships out massive amounts of bikes and bicycle parts everyday. QBP is a class act and they sure know how to put on a great show. Bike Rumor has some more great photos from the show but you should take a look at some of the photos that I snapped below. It was also great to catch up with the Salsa and Surly folks to see their new bikes and chat with them about their ideas and hear about all of their adventures. Next time you are in the shop be sure to ask me about the show if you are interested.

From our friends at 45 North who brought us the Wolvhammer Winter Cycling boot

All City Bike Release Party. Urban cross bikes?

Clif has some fun new flavors. Sweet Potato and Sea Salt! Banana Beet Ginger!

Cogburn hunting Fatbikes

What in the world!? 60mm of fatbike travel

View of Fort Valley From the air trip home

Industry Nine wants to help you color coordinate better!

Salsa has a new mountain bike Tandem out there in the world, the Powderkeg!