Get ready for the Roubaix

Snowy Mountains in spring are beautiful & picturesque but not so great for trail riding.  However,  Timing could not have been  better for some Harris-Roubaix gravel road prep.  Got out today for a spin on Roman road saw this gravel and got to thinking about how much fun the Roubaix will be!

First Fridays in Downtown Harrisonburg and SBC's Campus Cruise

Join the Shenandoah Bicycle Company for free test rides, free air in your tires, and lube on your chains.

We really want you to bring someone in who does not usually ride a bike and let them take one of our bikes out for an around town ride. Grab one of those people in your life and get them on a BIKE. Contact us with any questions.

When: Friday April 5, 2013 5pm 

Why: To celebrate First Fridays in downtown Harrisonburg and get more people on bikes

Where: Start at the Shenandoah Bicycle Company and then ride bike around town

What: Around town bike ride "Campus Cruise"

We will lead a campus cruise on a fleet of SBC bikes or bring your own. We will follow it up with drinks at SBC. Stop by and say hello or jump on a bike with one of your favorite SBC employee.

Join the Facebook Event Now. 

Calm before the storm.

The forecast for more snow this weekend brought doubt into the minds of those looking to get out a ride.  Fear not!, for the winter storm might have been on the way but there was still time to get out to the woods.  Nate shearer,  Matt smith,  and collin got out in the A. M.  for a quick Woodstock Tower out and back.  Good times had by all!

Flagging the Future...SBC a proud partner of SVBC!

The corridor for a new trail at Massanutten is getting closer to being finalized. SBC & SVBC volunteers (Thomas, Vince & Tim Cook) have been getting out on these cold days to scout out a new trail project at Massanutten.

Tim Cook Flagging in the Ravine

Where you ask? Stop by SBC and we can show you the location on the map where the flags are flying. This new build will hopefully break ground later this spring. This project will be the biggest endeavor at Massanutten since the 2000 hours trail was built 4 years ago.  To the right Tim Cook is scouting out the ravine which the trail will cross as it reaches the highest point about 500' above the Pond. How can you help? Either by donating $50 when you get your Massanutten Trail Pass or coming out to Thursday trail work days at Massanutten which should start in mid-late April.

 

Vince flagging with Kaylors in the back ground.

 

 

Douthat State Park. The Place to Ride a Mountain Bike

Located less than 80 miles from the Friendly City, Douthat has long been called the “Disney Land” of mountain biking. Further bolstering this reputation, the International Mountain Bicycling Association named Douthat to their internationally recognized “epics” list. Here is what IMBA has to say about Douthat:

Douthat State Park (pronounced “doubt-that”) is a gem in the Appalachian Mountains of south central Virginia. The park encompasses more than 4,500 acres and, in addition, is surrounded by the George Washington National Forest, offering many opportunities for backcountry exploration. Within the park boundaries, you will find over 40 miles of trails to match whatever level of challenge you choose.

Beginning with Douthat’s creation in 1936, many of the trails and park infrastructure were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps and still bear the CCC’s signature handywork. Miles of well-executed bench cut trails leading from cabins to vistas are the trademark of a ride in the park.

Kyle and Whitney spent two nights at Douthat in a beautiful small log cabin originally built by the CCC in the 1930s. While at Douthat, they rode up to Warm Springs Mountain and into the Nature Conservancy preserve. They rode past a very very tall airport and survived a violent thunder/lightning/hail storm on their way back into the park. Phenomenal weekend and somewhere that every mountain biker needs to check out.

SVBC Weekly Rides are Rolling

The Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition (SVBC) weekly rides start this week with the time change. The SVBC has an all new website with much easier to find information on the weekly rides. You can also subscribe to the SVBC Google Calendar to stay up to speed on all the rides and events. Check out the new SVBC website and weekly rides: http://svbcoalition.org/weekly-rides/

 Here is a taste of the weekly rides.

• Monday: Social “Beginner” Mountain Bike Ride- Location: Massanutten EVERY week- 5:30 Info
• Tuesday: “Fast” Road Ride- Location:Shenandoah Bicycle Company- 5:30 Info
• Wednesday: Social Road Ride- Location: Harrisonburg High School- 5:15 SHARP! Info
• Thursday: “Steady” Road Ride- Location: Rocktown Bicycles 5:30 Info
• Thursday: Trail Work- Hillandale Park – 5pmInfo
• Sunday: Bridgewater road ride- 2-3 Hours 14-16MPH pace Info
• Sunday: Harrisonburg Road Ride- Casual paceInfo

SBC Goes to the Bike Summit in our Nation’s Capital

Bicycling Means Business was the theme of the National Bike Summit this year and Harrisonburg was very well represented with 6 delegates attending. The Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition was excited to sponsor City and County staff to attend the summit. Kyle attended from the bike shop and gave a presentation about Harrisonburg on behalf of the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition. Of particular interest to the fellow Summit attendees was the 2012 decision by the City of Harrisonburg to spend $1 Million on Greenways (Bluestone and Northend).

In Sixth Congressional District bicycle retail stores bring in $10.8 Million in annual gross income and employ over 220 people. Due to the weather we were unfortunately unable to meet with congressman Goodlatte. Instead we are working on scheduling a meeting with him here in our district.

Over the past few years Washington D.C. has worked very hard to become one of the top bicycling cities in the country. If you haven’t ridden a bike around the city in the past three years you really should get your two wheels up there and check it out. Every year for the past few summits one of my favorite parts has been to see the latest and greatest bicycle infrastructure project that the city has installed. Three years ago it was the Pennsylvania Avenue center bike lanes and the 15th street contra-flow lanes, next year it was the Metropolitan branch trail, and this year it was the L Street Bike Lanes.

Splitboarding Porte Crayon

March 4th was truly a day of marching fourth for Wootten as he climbed up the 6th tallest mountain in West Virginia with Sue Haywood, Zach Adams & Alex Mawldsley.  They found wind blown thin cover on exposed faces and wide open tree runs full of deep powder.  Porte Crayon (4770'), part of the Roaring Plains Wilderness, is a rare gem that requires a deep base, excellent navigation and a solid group of confident woods wanderers. 
Exploration of this mountain is not your average day of skiing and is only recommended for those that are willing to earn their turns.  Thunderstruck rocks offer a great vista, but finding the true summit of the mountain posed a great challenge to the group.  The snow-caked trees on the flat mountain top became so thick it became an apparent waste of energy to hunt for the true summit.  Sue & Zach both used XC gear, ideal for lapping short steep powder pitches, while Alex had snowshoes.  Photos Courtesy of Sue Haywood & Alex Mawdsley.

On Monday March 11th, Wootten went back to MPC with Sam Skidmore for an Adventure Seen filming session.  Here's what they put together.

Winter Bike Touring

Winter Bike Touring!

Kurt, Nate, and Paul took off for a tour from Pittsburgh, PA to Bethesda, MD traversing the Great Allegheny Passage and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.  They
loaded their single-speed 29ers with gear and headed out from Dan Oate’s cozy apartment, pedaling through “variable conditions” of the snowy, icy, and sludgy GAP trail, surrounded by derelict amusement parks and inactive mountaintop
removal coal mine sites.  Somewhere just beyond the eastern continental divide, the bleak wintery Pennsylvania landscape opened up into a golden springtime of Maryland and the C&O canal where the tow path rolled like butter on a hot breakfast toast.   To make a long story short, the boys rolled up to Nate’s car in Bethesda, ending a sweet six days of riding and camping adventures.   No fatalities, injuries, flats, or mechanical issues were sustained but the experience was filled with bizarre characters, wacky quotes, and amazing stories.   Post-tour depression phase initiating…

See Nate's blog post & more photos on masternaters.blogspot.com

Adventure Seen Sedona Update

Surrounded by striking landscapes, vortexes and good friends, we ride our bicycles.  Arizona, a foreign land.  We journeyed from the Casa Verde, our homebase in the Village of Oak Creek, along the red dirt, sticky slick rocks, avoided sharp vegetables on steep climbs and even steeper descents. Special thanks to Frank Dubec, Preston Stempler & John Critchfield for contributing footage to the projects!
 “Its days like today that change you.”

Collin's Favorite: Shimano Shadow Plus 10 Speed Rear Derailleur

The On/off Clutch systems nearly eliminates forward cage movement while riding which means no more noisy chain slap on the descents or chain dropping off the chainrings when boosting that big air. It’s not just for full suspension bikes, the shadow plus system quiets down that noisy hardtail bumping down the trail.  Thanks to this little piece of art trail riding has become  much more fun, with less noise and trail side mechanicals one can find themselves lost in the beauty of the wilderness. Available in XTR, XT, SLX, Saint, and ZEE models to fit any budget or riding style!
Order one today from our online store!

Season Check: Winter, YEAH WINTER!

What else to do on a brisk Saturday than to go on a bike ride. A quick spin up the mountain is a recipe for fun. Today’s route: up Reddish, trail to Little Bald Knob, Chestnut and Grooms Ridge.  Its always a good sign of things to come when the flurries start on the drive out and the mountains are hidden by snowy clouds.

There was no snow at the Dam but things started looking frosty in the clouds at the top.

What a great ride and a reminder that yea, it’s still winter. Go out and play in the mountains!
 Winter riding can take its toll on the equipment, so if you have been getting out there shredding it up in the mud, rock and snow don’t forget to give back to your bike that gives you so much joy on the trail.

It is the LAST week of our Mountain bike Winter Overhaul Package sale! Take advantage of this service to get your rig styled and dialed if you have been on the trail or getting ready for spring rides to come! Check out the details below and if you have a mountain bike with suspension check out Front and Rear suspension overhaul specials to keep your fork and shock buttery smooth. Ride on!

Mambas for Father & Son!

Father & Son get matching Trek Mambas! Big thanks to Mike and Mike. We hope they have many fun adventures on their new steeds.
The Mamba is a perfect entry level 29" hardtail for this area.  With big 29" wheels, mechanical disc brakes and plenty of gears, you'll be rolling over the rocky mountain trails in our backyard in no time. 
Check out the Mamba in our online store to learn more about this fun bike!

Enduro Scouting

Harlin Price (Enduro King and past SBC emloyee) was in town yesterday helping Chris Scott and  SMT scout out options for a summer Massanutten Hoo Ha Enduro event.  What is a an mountain bike enduro? It is an event with several (3-6) timed sections that are mostly downhill (think Super D), times are acummulated throughout the event to determine the winner. Even though your time to get to each section does not count toward your overall time you do need to make the time cuts required to get to the start of each section.  Think of doing Kaylors, 2000 Hours, Upper Ravine all as seperate runs!!  If thinking about this event makes you hungry then come to  tonight’s SVBC Annual Pot Luck Dinner, 6pm in the basement (Ruby’s) of Clementine. Bring a dish to share and enjoy another great SVBC event!

Demo Tubeless Road Wheelsets

That’s right, TUBELESS road tires!  This technology is going to improve everyone’s road riding experience.  Running tubeless will nearly eliminate your chances for getting flat tires.  You will also be able to run lower pressure for more supple ride.  The wider rims give the tire a wider profile which increases the footprint of the tire on the road surface, which means more traction.  Come in and demo these new wheels, you’ll be surprised how awesome it is.

Fresh Tracks in 2013

2012 was a great year for SBC and the local bicycle community!  We thank all of you for your support.  SBC is heading into its 14th year and we are proud of and grateful for our customers, staff, and Harrisonburg’s vibrant community.  Whether you are a first time rider or a seasoned professional, please let us know how we can help you make tracks in 2013. We are in the business of supporting all your two wheel adventures.  Whether you’re riding to work, doing a century, taking the kids on a ride or planning a  bike adventure you’ve always wanted to check off the bucket list, we are here for you.  We love bicycles.  More importantly we love what they do for  individuals as well as the community.  We wish you the best of luck in 2013 and hope we can continue to serve your cycling needs.

Thomas & Tim
Owners of SBC!

Virginia is for lovers!

Just ask Kyle.  He knows all the good spots for that authentic Shenandoah experience with a special someone.  Who's that lady?

Kyle and Whitney go on adventures into the Shenandoah National Park when they're not riding their bikes.

They found a waterfall that was all frozen!

Would you look at that cabin!  Just look at it.