Poaching is not a crime.

For the past 14 years, spring buds with bike magic on the blue ridge on Memorial Day Weekend.  Laurels and Azaleas exploding the mountain side with color, pollen clogging our sinuses, foofy friends flying for glory.  The locus of inspiration, riding bikes, high upon wrinkled rocky earth in the commonwealth.  The "Giro de Ville", an underground mountain bike stage race, put together by some of the finest fellows you'll ever find.


il Giro 2015 from Adventure Seen on Vimeo.

Wootten, Whitney, Kyle, Tim and many others joined the GC for a couple stages of poaching a good time.  The harvest was ripe, plump with pleasure, poaching is easy with such a bun dance.  Sam & Lizzy Clawprong represented so hard, they had to pick the cow patties out of their grins following the chessie trail.

Stop and smell the roses.

The Shenandoah Valley is humming with all kinds of life during the month of May.  As the weather beckons us to get out on the trails its fun to notice the wildflowers, and trees that decorate our forests.  Here are a few of my favorites to spot along the trail. (photos courtesy of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy)

Juneberry- if you can beat the birds to them
you can enjoy eating these blueberry-life fruits

Bicycle Camp Out #2: Stokesville Campground

Join us at SBC this Saturday for our second bicycle camp out of the year.  We will be camping in Stokesville.  Sign up here.  If you need to borrow a trailer to get your kitchen sink on your bike, or have questions about how to pack, stop by the shop this week and we can help you figure it out.

This is a self-supported event.  Bring sleeping gear, shelter, food, water, spare tube, ride snacks, etc.  There is water at the campground and a market nearby.

Meet at 11:30 in the back yard to mingle with fellow campers and get our collective ducks in a row before our 12:00 departure.  Come early if you need last minute help from us.  The route is rolling like the other camping trips.  24 miles, no long climbs, some gravel, good views.

Come!  Bring your friends.  It's going to be a real good time.

Fight the Foof- Riding Mountain Bikes in C'Ville

It is not often that the Harrisonburg contingent travels much further than 30-45 minutes to ride bicycles. After all, there are just too many incredible riding opportunities right here in the Shenandoah Valley. But once in awhile, a longtime friend plans to leave the state and travel to Southern California to a land without water so you drive over the mountain to Charlottesville, VA for some bike riding. 

The folks in Fooftown are very lucky to have a very fun and challenging trail system on the University of Virginia's campus at Obervatory Hill. The local mountain bike club, CAMBC has done a phenomenal job working with the city and the University to legitimize a number of the trails and make sure they connect into neighborhoods and the Rivanna Trail system. 

The Rivanna Trail system is an entirely different monster. Circling the city, the trail system is an urban gem. Take a look at a map where we mostly followed the trail and circled the city. This trail provides unbelievable connections under busy roads, through numerous streams, and provides single track opportunity within the city limits. The trail also has a whole bunch of connections to adjoining neighborhoods with spur trails found all over the place.

At the Observatory of Observatory Hill

Things got a little hot that night

A small adjustable wrench can do wonders on a bicycle chain

Holy wacky stream crossings everywhere on the Rivanna Trail in C'ville

Will you Adopt Me?

2014 Trek Superfly FS 8 29er

Size 19.5

Was $2,699.99, on sale for $2,299.99

Full Details on Shenandoahbicycle.com

 Trek Domane 5.9 C UDi2

Size 58

Was $4,699.99, on sale for $4,229.99
Full Details on Shenandoahbicycle.com

Trek Remedy 7 650b

Size 17.5

Was $2,699.99, on sale for $2,499.99

Full Details on Shenandoahbicycle.com

2014 Trek Fuel EX 5 29er

Size 17.5

Was $1,799.99, on sale for $1,499.99

Full Details on Shenandoahbicycle.com

 2014 Salsa Warbird 3

55 cm 

Was $1,699.00, on sale for $1,599.99

Full Details on Shenandoahbicycle.com

2013 Salsa Colossal 2

56 cm

Was $2,399.00, on sale for $1,850.00

Gnarly North Fork

View from the last overlook, about halfway down the descent.

My first time riding at North Fork in WV! A long road ride at the beginning for about eight miles of ridge riding, and a two mile descent. Tons of views, lots of rock, some bird watching, and perfect weather made for a stellar day on bikes.

So much green!

Time to stand on the soap box!

All Harrisonburg residents should mark their calendars for this Tuesday (May 19th) for the Harrisonburg Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan.  This is an important opportunity for you to voice your thoughts about bikes and pedestrian plans in the city.

The workshop will be held from 6-8pm at Thomas Harrison Middle School. You don't have to stay the whole time, just stop by and provide input on your vision for bicycle and pedestrian accommodations in the City.  Just by showing up your presence will show you support a bicycle and walking friendly city.   If we can pack this workshop, give solid input and support City staff we are showing the City that we are a community where we can walk and ride!

Come out for any portion of this workshop and spill your guts, communicate your dreams, draw lines on the map.  This will also be a good time to see the vision of what Harrisonburg can become in future. Let's make this the best and most comprehensive bike & ped plan the City has ever created!

-Thomas

A bit about myself

My name's Sarah and I've been studying geographic science at JMU for the past three years.  I've been focusing on environmentalism and sustainable food systems, which has given me a passion for practicing permaculture.  This summer will be my first as a Harrisonburg townie and I'm stoked to have more time to go on adventures and kick back here in the valley.  I bought my first bike about a year ago (not my first bike ever, but its the first one that's all mine to take care of!) and started commuting to campus and riding around town.  I haven't climbed mountains or forded streams on my trek yet, but its been great for getting around quickly and helping me carry compost to the community garden I'm working on.  I'm definitely looking forward to getting out for some good longer rides and bikepacking trips this summer.  Come by PULP for a fat bowl and say hi!

Road Biking: Discovering a new land in an old home

With the mountain bike temporarily out of commission and Spring glory in full swing, I was in a space where premeditated crime was imminent.  (Where the crime is not riding your bike in our beautiful back yard during the peak of our most jubilant bicycle season).  

Sometimes experimentation is the closest route to failure.  This time, experimentation lead to a new addictions and a shift of perspective.  It was the nearest route to the unspeakable & unfathomable truth that I've resisted acknowledging for decades: Road biking in the Shenandoah Valley is a sacred experience.  Until a few rides ago, in my mind, road riding was an exclusive activity for Canadians, squares, leg shaving number munchers and chicks.  I WAS WRONG.

I felt the false pretenses hold strong on my first road ride; hands numb, neck sore, solo, uncomfortable, sweaty, car dodging.  Following the one hour pre-work ride I thought to myself "Not sold yet.  Maybe it's similar to that drug that I heard about in college, marijuana, where you don't feel it on your first try."   Still curious, I planned a couple more rides & the magic started to work its way into my system.  I jumped on the slow time machine after work to ride to my parent's house with Kiki.  We started making our way out of town & ran into fellow lifestyle rider Sam Taylor.  He offered companionship on our route & we gladly accepted.

"Posture, breathing, posture, breathing."  Was my mantra and suddenly I was relaxed, comfortable and powerful.  Flying like a bird, my wings a bicycle.  Climbing to the top of the country on clouds of velvet pavement.  Cruising on familiar roads at an unfamiliar pace, we rode along my old school bus routes, never before so blissed out.

I guess its time to start saving for my next new bike!


       

Mama Day Staunton Ride

This past Sunday, I joined a group of fourteen awesome mothers and/or daughters for a road ride to celebrate Mama's Day. We rode about 26 miles to Staunton, locked our bikes up outside the Baja Bean restaurant downtown, and refueled with margaritas and Mexican food. We then rode back to Harrisonburg, another 30ish miles. I was stoked to ride with such an awesome group of women, especially my super cool Mom! Celebrating with a bike ride is definitely the way to go.

The posse sans a few ladies we picked up in Bridgewater.

Halfway to Staunton!

Fourteen bikes locked up outside of Baja Bean!

All smiles all day.

Alpacas with poodle shave-jobs

Lots of heinous hills throughout the day.

Thanks Kate and Kari for the photos!

Full Pull on the Massanutten Ridge

Looking Wheelie cool above US 211 

On Saturday evening I was trying to decide what big ride I was going to do on Sunday. After several long road ride weekends I decided it was time to get out on the mountain bike and try to get my rock skills polished up again. After a half-hearted attempt to find someone to ride with I decided that I would ride the "Full Pull" of the Massanutten East ridge, one of the best "from your door" rides imaginable. Then at 9:30 in the evening I, after only learning about the ride a half hour prior, Sam Skidmore texted me that he wanted in on what was to be my solo mission. Never one to turn down company, especially when that company is a blast to ride with, I told Sam that we would leave Campbell St. at 5:30am and finish at Buzzard Rocks before dark.

Top of Veach Gap and looking out at Shenandoah National Park and the South Fork of the Shenandoah River below

Most entertaining to me was that Sam had never ridden the "full pull" in fact, he had rarely (other than the Tour de Burg) ridden his mountain bike for so long and so far. Nevertheless, he wasn't worried and neither was I. Turned out that Sam did better than I think he even expected. We finished in record time with several hours of daylight to spare. This ride has become somewhat of an annual tradition for me, typically I ride it on my birthday but hopefully this will be the year that I pull it off twice. I have many great memories of this ride, from the first time I ever rode it with Mike Carpenter and Pat Miller to the countless other friends who I have been able to enjoy the experience with. From Chris Scott, to Collin Vento, Kurt Rosenberger, Matt Smith, Ian Beckner, Nate Shearer, Sue Haywood, Jimmy McMillan, Jennifer Wolfson, Jake Brown, and many more. It is a special ride on amazingly beautiful terrain.

The end of the ridge and the end of the ride. Buzzard rocks and looking out through the northern opening of Fort Valley into the Shenandoah Valley beyond and Winchester in the distance.

The ride looked something like this.

It doesn't get much better than all day cruising along one of the most beautiful, engaging and challenging ridge lines around. The ease and casual nature of the ride has me dreaming about another attempt of the Ring or maybe even trying the lollipop. Or maybe buying a house and getting married is enough for this year and I will be happy with another full pull in the fall?

Rolling from town to the Western Slope a little after 6am

Kaylors Knob is only the beginning for this ride

Taking phone calls up on the bird knob rock overlook and the Shenandoah Valley below

We even had time to joy ride out to the Massanutten Storybook trail (Strickler Knob in the distance)

Tim and Chris C. Helped us out with a crucial food and drink drop up near the Kennedy Peak trail. Lifesaver!

Sam already knew how to ride the rocks. ALL of the rocks.

Post ride dinner at Jaliscos in Strasburg!