We at the Shenandoah Bicycle Company and our good friends from The Sole Source have been hosting a little fiesta each labor weekend at the bottom of the Dowell's Draft Trail. This gathering of volunteers is part of the Shenandoah 100 Mountain Bike Race, a 100 mile adventure of fire roads, pavement and some of the finest single track the area has to offer.
To watch this aid station come together and help 600 rides get refueled for the next 55 miles is like watching a smooth, well oiled machine in motion. This year we added some music to greet the riders, not that they needed an excuse to smile after descending the single track of Dowell's Draft. A few riders flew by our support staff with no need of assistance, others came through aid station #3 and took advantage of our full service offerings.....Need water..we will fill your bottles..Need food, open your mouth, here it comes. Bike not working to it's best, no problem our mechanics are there to get you in and out faster then a NASCAR pit stop.
There are too many volunteers to thank but look at the photo above and you will recognize many of the great folks who devoted their day to help others accomplish a ride of a lifetime.
See you next year for another fiesta...come join the fun, on the bike or as part of the pit stop crew!
A big thank you to Chris and all the other folks who make the SM100 happen each year!
We at SBC were very very excited to plan out and host the contest winners of Trek's Driven by Adventure Contest back in June. The contest was designed to help promote Trek's new line of Touring/adventure bikes. Bicycle Times wrote a nice piece on the bikes and the contest back in March. Trek is trying to reclaim its title as an American bicycle touring company. The Trek 520 appeared in the early 1980s and Vintage Trek claims that the bike "probably has made more trans-America crossings than any other bike model." The Trek 520 continues with the addition of disc brakes for 2015 but of biggest interest to us was the addition of the Trek 920 which looks very much like the Salsa Fargo. One of the caveats of the trip was that Trek had a professional film crew follow around the winners and create the video that you see above.
Photo credit goes to Jacob Seigel-Boettner
It must have been more than a coincidence that the Trek 920 caught my eye as soon as it was released only to then learn that the Trek Driven by Adventure contestant winners would ride the 920 through Virginia. I thought about applying to win the trip but you needed a pretty hefty resume with plenty of photos and a video to get into the running and I just didn't take the time. While I was thinking about applying we received a phone call from Trek asking if we were interested in helping plan out a route for the tour and launching the contest winners from SBC. I and the shop of course jumped at the opportunity and started working with our friends at Trek to plan out an incredible route to showcase our amazingly beautiful corner of the world.
Photo credit goes to Jacob Seigel-Boettner.
We interrupt this blog post for an official word from Trek: "Touring has been a definitive part of Trek since the company was founded in 1976. The all-new Touring & Adventure line continues Trek’s established legacy as a pioneer in the category, and affirms the company’s commitment to the adventure lifestyle.
Photo credit goes to Jacob Seigel-Boettner.
Now for the route. I wanted to make sure that they had a fun tour that was adventurous and still manageable. It was admittedly challenging to layout a tour for two people who I had never met and didn't know what they were capable of. I figured I would error on the side of caution for the first two days. Recognizing that they likely wouldn't leave the Burg until after lunch on day 1. Here is the route that I laid out: Trek Driven By Adventure: The Virginia Reel on Ride with GPS
They headed down to Douthat State Park for the second night and did some fly fishing in the lake. The hardest days of the trip were day 2 and 3 as I sent them to the top of Warm Springs Mountain across the highest airport east of the Mississippi, through the Nature Conservancy Warm Springs Mountain preserve and down to Williamsville Virgina. From there they would have to climb back over Shenandoah Mountain to reach the valley.
The Virginia Reel!
Here is how the days panned out:
Day 1: The Burg to Deerfield Valley via Stokesville
Jacob and Issac who won the trip turned out to be really fun guys who flew in from Oakland California for the trip, they beat out 500 other duo "teams" who entered. Probably in part because they have their own video production company called "Pedal Born Pictures" These guys are well versed at bicycle touring but much like myself, they said had only previously toured with BOB Trailers. For this trip they used the robust racks that come stock on the Trek 920. They even experimented with most of the weight on the front of the bike and low for more stable descending.
Photo credit goes to Jacob Seigel-Boettner.
The weight on the front and low ended up riding really well for them but did cost Issac a trip to the emergency room. On a bumpy dirt descent his front pannier flew off and somehow got caught up in the front wheel of the bike. I drove over to West Virginia to meet them for a car rescue. They were in good spirits and probably could have made it back just fine but I did save them a few hours at the emergency room. After a number of stitches, Issac was in good shape and we went to Jack Browns to top off their trip.
Last Sunday a bunch of us went east and did some bicycle riding around Sherando Lake area. Mid 60s was the temp and no snow to speak of on the trails. The jeep road from the parkway to the drop in was ice on the first run but had quickly melted to patches by the second run. Father Fun himself, Scott Wooten, organized a shuttle system that included his dad. Had so much fun that I only took one picture. But I did add some of Scott's photos and short video. You can put a lot of bikes on a station wagon!
On Wednesday night there was another addition of the SBC Wednesday evening night rides.
The Wolvhammer shoes did not need the fire but it is good for the soul after a night ride!
With the temperatures below freezing it was time to reenter Hillandale Park and play in our favorite town trail system. The cold weather took a little toll on Tom Coopers seat rails. Even with a broken seat rail he enjoyed a few laps in perfect conditions; frozen ground, dry rocks and a layer of snow on everything. It was great having Jake Hall join us, with Hilladale in his back yard he was a rock star in the trails and a great riding partner. After our first lap we hooked up with Ritchie and her dog riding partner. More riders mean more lights which equals more fun!
Join us next Wednesday for another addition. We will either be at Hillandale again (if conditions permit) or west of town if Hillandale is too wet. See the ride on Facebook.
Hey friends, if you haven't been by the shop in a while, there is a new face at the shop.
This is Wicket. He is super friendly and loves to meet new people. He is almost four years old (28 in "dog years") and enjoys long rides around Narrow Back and sleeping on the couch. Next time your in introduce yourself.
Do I look hungry to you? I promise my dad feeds me!
We will keep the shop open until at least 8:30 so if it ends up being too cold and rainy to watch much of the parade then hang out at the shop with us and enjoy warm beverages and snacks from the all new bakery (Heritage Bakery & Cafe) to soon open in the Harrisonburg Visitor Center, the Hardesty Higgens House.
On Friday December 5-Join SBC for an open house prior to the Harrisonburg holiday parade at 6pm. We will have snacks and warm beverages for you to enjoy while you wait for the Harrisonburg Holiday Parade to start at 7:30 and watch the parade from the bike shop parking lot as the cars and bikes come down Main Street. View on Facebook
