Human Powered Machine

So having worked both sides of the industry for many years I've seen a lot of fancy pants frames components etc. Honestly they bore me to tears. Same stuff different medium or polished whatever. Then there is this!.....see picture below. John has made out of broken bikes and what others consider junk a functioning survive the nuclear holocaust vehicle! His creativity is truly inspirational. This is the kind of hand made bike I can dig. Thanks for letting me help with the cables and shifting John.............Jason

We Didn’t Start the Fire: Georgia Training Camp 2014

A few weekends ago, I journeyed to the dirty south with Mike Carpenter, Sue Haywood, and Matt Smith for a four day “training camp”. After an eight hour drive, we arrived in Atlanta, Georgia Thursday afternoon, and were on our road bikes by 4:20 pm. The five of us, now including Oliver Quinn whom we stayed with that weekend, rode fifty miles that evening - starting the trip off with an awesome taster of what was to come...

We northerners were given a southern-style welcome by a fleet of turbo-charged dachshunds and cocker spaniels, and I got a glimpse of Georgia gravel, (dirty, sandy, and chunky). We toured downtown Atlanta that evening, ate pizza, and made a grocery store run.

Powered by pancakes and West Virginia maple syrup, we started Day Two with dreams of fried chicken and cabbage patches. After lunch, we found the cabbage patch, a giant stretch of fields with dirt road webbed throughout. We took a tour through a "friend’s" hunting grounds, spotted some boar tracks, and affirmed the thorn growth in the woods surrounding the patch. We reached the dirt road again after an hour of testing our creek-crossing-and-log-hopping-on-road-bikes skills, and went out the way we came in... Over the fence. More freshly graveled roads took us back to the house to mark an 82 mile day, and we feasted on steak and lamb chops for dinner.

After another delicious breakfast featuring bacon, eggs, and juice, we were back on bikes for Day 3, and rode 110 miles in sleeveless jerseys and with high spirits. Many sprint points were achieved among the group, and I spent the majority of the day chasing the pack through porch parties and potholes. Pork carnitas awaited us in the crockpot at home, and were the only thing that kept my legs moving after bonking at mile 90. We ate our fill of another fine dinner, and later snacked on manchego cheese and dark chocolate while watching Mad Max.

More highlights from the expedition include: our following of updates about the missing Malaysian flight, potential sponserships by Golden Pantry, only one flat tire round-trip, juicing every morning, and a high daily dosage of Vitamin D.

On the last day of Georgia Slumfest 2014 we woke to rainy conditions. A quick pro-serious two hour spin in the rain brought my legs back to life, and we packed the car up to come back to reality in Harrisonburg: snow and cold weather. Very glad I got to experience some of the riding Atlanta has to offer and improve my endurance and performance with a group of inspiring individuals - it was a Spring Break well spent!

New PULP bowls

Check out our NEW Acacia Bowls and Spoons

Made from a fast-growing, non-endangered wood species, this Acaciaware is green and made for a PULP eating machine .

So come on in and get a beautiful and delicious bowl "for here" today! 

Country Ramblings

Welcome back. Some of you may know that I have a thing for long bicycle rides. I also love maps. I love studying them, looking for new roads that might be a nice addition to the repertoire. No road is too small to get my attention, although many are too large. Recently while creating a new loop, a line on the page grabbed my eye and kept drawing me back to it. The road was WV151/ Westside Road, and here she is.
With the Siren song wailing, I readied my bike with extra food and tubes. Lack of both of those things have made exploratory rides like this great lessons in bringing plenty in the future. Bad decisions=good stories, right? I woke up early to leave by 7am. The forecast for the day wasn't totally optimistic so I wanted to make good use of the window of warmer, dryer weather that they said would be leaving later in the day. Which, by the way, didn't happen. I believe that the weathermen are some kind of  terrorists that play on our fear of discomfort. I haven't figured out what the agenda is yet, but I'm sure someday they will make their list of demands known. Anyway.

Top of US33

 The most direct way to get there is to jump right on 33 and head west. While I normally avoid this road for it's volume and speed, it is practically empty early morning on a Sunday. After the climb up Shenandoah Mt. I paused and put on my windbreaker for the descent, which at 9% can have you hitting 40 mph without even trying. This kind of thing always has a way of making me feel hyper aware of my body and it's impermanence.
Once down the other side, after 33 makes it's last bend and straightens out, when you are feeling the relief of seeing the road run out in front of you, 151 has just zipped by on your right. I enjoyed the momentum and after turning back around, pedaled back up hill the half mile, grateful for the chance to warm back up.
151 is about as rough of a road as most folks will feel comfortable riding a road bike on. There are no monster climbs on it, it kind of rolls along the bottom of Shenandoah Mt., keeping a pretty steady elevation. The surface gets soft at times, but is mostly pretty firm with a nice small grain of gravel that will tempt you into picking up speed, right before rushing into sections of angular bedrock. Nothing too different from most of the forest roads around these parts, it is wonderful and remote feeling. I saw turkeys and deer and stuff. What made this road most memorable though were the six stream crossings.

All of them were running deep and cold. Rather than getting my shoes and feet wet, I opted for just wet feet. At each crossing I took my shoes and socks off, waded the stream and then dried my feet and put back on my shoes. If you find yourself in a scenario like this I would highly recommend this tactic. Even though the temperature was in the lower 40's, my feet would be dry and warmish by the next crossing. While this did slow down progress linearly, it also gave me pause and reason to sit next to streams in the middle of the woods. Sometimes the process of progress is not linear.

A thousand words.

 While the transcendental aspects of riding are formless, the roads are not. All things come to an end. 151 reconnects to the hard surface roads in Sweedlin Valley, offering yet more options for you to choose your own adventure. As for me, I'm back at the maps daydreaming about Spring.

Watch out for cattle gates.

 “Not I, nor anyone else can travel that road for you.
You must travel it by yourself.
It is not far. It is within reach.
Perhaps you have been on it since you were born, and did not know. 
Perhaps it is everywhere - on water and land.” 
― Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass

SBC Goes to the National Bike Summit

The National Bike Summit is the biggest event in bicycling advocacy every year. Built around two days of information sharing and one day of lobbying on Capital Hill, the National Bike Summit. Our area was represented by four fine folks including Chris Scott of Shenandoah Mountain Touring, Becky Johnston of RMH, and Nathan Barge with the Harrisonburg Public Schools.

Yesterday Construction Site...Today's Pump Track!

This past Sunday I took my two little dudes (Ethan,5 & Carter, 2) to Hillandale to ride their bikes. The kids, like I, have been waiting for conditions to dry out so we can enjoy riding on the City Park Trails.  As soon the bikes were unloaded from the mini van (parents dream, single man's nightmare) the kids darted for the pump track, they were not the only ones.

As I spent 30 minutes watching seven different kids roll the pump track I realized today's pump track is serving today's kids much like construction sites did for me 35 years ago. Having grown up in the great State of NOVA during the 70's we had no shortage of developement, which meant a lot of dirt piles on property owned by some faceless developer.  We spent hours rolling dirt piles trying to get our wheels to leave the ground, an inch of air felt like eternity.

As a Dad I feel much safer having my kids hanging at the local park riding their bikes instead of "vandalizing" a future home site with shovels and buckets. There is also less incentive for today's youth to camp out at local construction sites, ever since Virginia did away with returnable bottles they value of construction sites for kids decreased. All those nickles earned from returnable bottles found in construction site dumpsters bought a lot of bike parts, kids time to hit the neighborhood recycling bins for aluminum cans.

My advice to all you parents...take your kids to Hillandale, head to the pump track, kick back on the picnic tables and remember your childhood bike riding days while you help make memories for your little "dudes & dudettes".

-Thomas

Future Shredders

Collin and Matt took SBC to Harrisonburg High School last week to keep their mountain bike fleet in tip top shape. SBC is more than happy to support the integration of biking into our local school system. You never know, one of these students could be a future mountain bike national champion. Ride on!

Celebrate the start of the off road season!

Everyone and anyone is welcome to join SVBC and Shenandoah Mountain Touring/Stokesville Lodge for a weekend of trail work, camping, riding and Solar celebration! The Solar Weekend will celebrate the time of year when daylight overtakes darkness. Join us for this celebration! Details below:

Facebook Event:
Trail Work Schedule:
Friday March 28th: Meet at Stokesville Campground at 3pm. We will park by the entrance of the Girl Scout Parking Lot and hike to the work location on Lookout Mountain. If you can't make it at 3pm please feel free to come later but remember to bring two tools from the"Big Red" Truck.
Saturday March 29th 9am-5pm : Our first crew will leave Stokesville Campground at 9am and do the same access as Friday.  We will have a second crew leave from the Stokesville Campground at 1pm as well.  Feel free to come to the work site (hiking or biking in) anytime during the day. Even a 3o minute trail effort during your ride goes a long way!
Sunday March 30th TBD:  There will  be a trail work component on Sunday. This will be building some new trails at the  Stokesville Campground.
Trail Work Details:Project Details:  Each hour you work is worth $22 to SVBC!  This project is part of the successful DCR  RTP grant that SVBC continues to administer. Your trail work hours count as part of the $30K match that SVBC is required to provide! 
Site Location:  The work location is the same project that was worked on during the 2013 Shenandoah Mountain Bike Festival, the Wild Oak Trail on Lookout Mtn. It is a step 20 minute hike in via a foot path (follow ribbons) then a 5 minute walk in on the Wild Oak Trail.
Work Sessions: We will have 3 work session (see above), each one about 4 hours round trip the Stokesville Campground, but anytime you can commit to this project is greatly appreciated.  For more details: tj@shenandoahbicycle.com or 540-236-2001.
Camping:  The Stokesville Campground will be open free this weekend! Feel free to camp Friday and/or Saturday Night.
RSVP:  Please RSVP (Tell us for which session of trail work or meals you will participate)  Shenandoah.mountain.touring@gmail.com
Meals: Stokesville Lodge will be providing dinner and breakfast meals this weekend, please include your meal attendance with your RSVP. You are on your own for lunch!

North American Handmade Bicycle Show? Yep.

After closing down on Saturday, a few of us jumped in the SBC team vehicle and set out to nerd out in Charlotte, NC.  We stayed busy along the way with gas station pizza, a debate over Fritos status as a vegetable or grain, and motion sickness from trying to read Bicycling magazine.  Our late-night arrival didn't stop us from experiencing the very best of the city including sanctioned handicapped parking, fresh pastas, gelato, a fine art cigarette machine, and drunken frowny faces on the green-clad masses.  We fell asleep watching a MotoGP special on an HD television.  I didn't get to go to the pool.

Sunday morning came and continental breakfasts were eaten. We walked to the convention center and rode an escalator to the main event. True to form, Matt talked to tube and jig manufacturers, Collin wandered to see whatever caught his eye, I worked systematically down each aisle in order, and Tim shook hands with new friends and hung out with old ones.

I saw fine garments and pretty, shiny bicycles from all over the world. There was a carbon unit turned chrome with layers of hand varnish, a tandem with removable stoker cockpit for use as a carbon road bike, a commuter with cut out headtube to display a mural on the steerer, Ti townies, full-suspension fat bikes, and wooden touring rigs.  A carbon/wooden balloon bike got stolen right out of a booth and was recovered later in the day.  The people who win awards did, some people who don't usually did, too.  A good time was had by all.  But mostly, Avery Co. Cycles had this sticker:

Check out all the pretty stuff at 2014.handmadebicycleshow.com.

-David

High in Schnebly Hill

Here is yet another spectacular high mountain view from high up on Schnebly Hill Road. We rode up to look at the remnants of the recently closed trail formally known as Tomahawk. A world-class trail that was built by a true artist, although without permission which eventually deemed it unacceptable by the forest service and therefore closed unfortunately, it meandered along beautiful slick rock shelves and provided some of the most scenic views of all of Sedona's magical spots. Cross your fingers and toes think good thoughts and maybe someday they will reopen it. 

Hogs rock work

About to roll into high on the hog's section of trail that the forest service along with the local Verde Valley Cycle club are collaborating on some trail effort to shore up some of the tighter switchbacks with some truly amazing and intensive rock work

Here falling Waters is strutting his moves as the first rider to test ride the new trail feature. A big thanks to all the volunteers who were there most of the week putting forth much effort and doing it right, hundreds of years from now this trail work will still stand!

The infamous trail designer Dr. Jeremy Wimpy just finishes his white glove test with two thumbs of approval for all the trail efforts there. 

Rando Something Something K

Went out riding on Saturday with The Kurt and 40+ something folks from the DC Randonneurs Club.

Six of the 40+

THE Kurt has gone full Rando trifecta, Hi Viz, handlebar bag, and beard.

Did you know that there is good riding to be had east of the Blue Ridge? Turns out that there is a whole other world outside of the Valley.

East of the Blue Ridge it is customary to build your home in trees to thwart attacks from outsiders.

We rode the Wilderness Campaign 200K. It sure was a good time, about 130mi. of flat to rolling terrain through several battlefields, and lots of horse farms.

Look at those elbows! Exposed knees! Nice and warm...

We met a really nice couple, Ed and Mary, that maintain a couple of nice bike blogs. Mary writes Chasing Mailboxes and Ed is taking a hiatus currently but his is/was The Daily Randonneur. Ed and I captured a weird modern meta moment when I took this picture.

And he took this one. I just blew my own mind.

SBC now has two different inexpensive Blackburn panniers in stock. I picked mine up last week, and they're awesome. They have reflective blocks so that cars can see me on my commute on Reservoir St. After I set them up properly the first time, they are quick & easy to install each morning. And they hold a lot of gear-- my laptop, lunch, dinner, change of clothes, purse, & notebooks -- without a problem. To be fair, they're no name-brand Arkel pannier.... but they get my commute done hassle-free twice every day.

Onyx Hill

Out for a Friday pleasure cruise with the mighty Ann Brie and "the boss", after countless intervals they both tell me their training to beat the record at the SM 100 this year… Time will tell. Most of the gravel west of town seems to have had it's spring scrape. Gravel is thick in spots.

On the cusp of spring

We are almost there, so close to that magical time of year again. The sun is up and out for long hours of the day. Multiple woolen layers, not required.  The rolling roads of the valley are calling you. Get out and ride!

Shredona Friday ride

Here we see all the fun hogs sitting on top of some unknown trail in the Turkey Creek area of Sedona, The guys from Bike n Bean know how to put on a good social ride. Young Scotty was shredding all the techie climbs and the red dirt was magical!

Spring is coming.

entropy from Adventure Seen on Vimeo.

Here's a short film by Gary Lemond that foreshadows the budding of springtime, the folded nature of time. 

Why Not?

I like to think that every good story starts with a bad decision. Recently I decided that I needed to get out of the house, and stay out. I packed up the panniers with some camping gear and set out for a short little "staycation". The forecast was clear so I left the shelter at home, planning to sleep out under the clear sky. That was my bad decision.

The day started out real nice, although I got started much later than planned.

South face of the Nutt.

The riding was pleasant and I was checking out some roads that I hadn't gotten to ride yet.

Cub Run is good times.

Darkness was creeping up on me like it does every day, so I decided to make camp. Without a shelter it was really just a kitchen set up and dinner. We got some new camping gear at the shop, so I thought I would try something new and used the Esbit solid fuel.  I hope it works better above freezing temperatures. I'll give it another try in the Spring.

Yeah, I timed how long it took to boil water. 

With a full stomach and the sun down I retired to my sleeping bag and counted stars until I couldn't. More than a few fell from the sky while I watched. I fell into sleep under a clear sky as advertised by all of the weathermen that were consulted. 

Somewhere around midnight my bladder insisted that I get up. Good thing too, because just as I tucked myself back into my little cocoon of warmth, the first hints of snow appeared. Little kisses of precipitation on my face, tickling me. My gut saying, "This is just the beginning". I jumped up, got everything back on the bike just as the flurry developed into a full blown snowstorm. Visibility was near zero in the dark of night with big fat flakes falling and the headlight on my bike doing nothing but illuminating the white wall in front of me. It reminded me of this.

I wasn't going this fast. But I was feeling like a Wookie.

I rolled right to the end of Cub Run at Catherine Furnace and stopped.If you have never been here and have no idea what Catherine Furnace is check this out. And here is a picture that I did not take.

 I quickly scouted out the driest of the four openings and climbed in. It was just big enough for me. If I had been any taller I would not have fit and I would have been covered in snow by morning. Instead I slept the night through and woke to find this beautiful snowfall.

View from my hidey hole.

After packing up, I ended up riding the rest of the day, breaking trail and going slow. It was a great ride, and I plan on riding it again this summer but in a single day.

Moreland Gap

Top of the valley.

So as I've been writing this I wondered if there was a moral to any of this. I love riding and adventure because of the lessons I learn from the world. I thought, "The lesson was, be prepared and bring a shelter", but it's not. If I had done that I would have woken up under my tarp covered in snow, with less story to tell. I think the lesson was to take chances, and move out of my comfort zone. Every now and then life gets to feeling routine and common. A quick trip like this goes a long way towards recharging the batteries. I sure felt alive afterward and grateful for all of the synchronicity that got me home.

I know lots of you have adventures to share, what was a "bad decision" you made? Share in the comments if you will...

Knees in the breeze

With all this snow around again and the 65+ temps we were teased with this past Sunday.  It got me to thinking.....I'm done and ready for some 2 wheeled adventures in the warm summer sun. Heres a pic of my bigger bike gettin a tan on a dirt road down by the river on one of my solo fishing missions last summer. Enjoy!

Update from Shenandoah Mountain..More White Stuff!

Sunrise from Shenandoah Mountain Trail North.

In order to provide you, our listeners, with the latest updates from Shenandoah Mountain we had to once again break out the ski gear. After a brief spell of some trails opening up old man winter arrived again with a fresh 6-8 inches of snow. Prior to this latest storm, above 3000', there was already a snow base so this latest moisture influx is not doing much for mountain biking or high elevation road riding!

Tighten up the attire with sub zero temperatures

Harrisonburg hit another low temperature record on Tuesday, with a morning low of -6 degrees. The best way to keep warm in these conditions is break out the thin boards and make some fresh tracks. If you are thinking of getting some skis, hit up Whitegraass, they always have great end of season deals, plus they are a great business to support!

Mike Carpenter, making turns off Knucklehead Knoll

Soon the trails will be back open and we will give our trail report from two wheels!

-Thomas

Winter blues

When the trails are too wet plagued with frost heave snow etc there is always some back yard shreddin' to be had!