Looking up on a classic!

One of my (Wootten) favorite things about riding is looking up.  Looking up is about gaining perspective and seeing the line hidden in the big picture.

Sam Skidmore looking up at the Confederate Breastworks.

If you're looking down, your airway shrinks, you get all tangled on the stuff right in front of you and it usually doesn't end well.  If you're staring at your feet, its hard to admire the beauty surrounding you, whether you're in the National Forest or in the workplace.

Heading south on the Shenandoah Mountain Trail from rt. 250 you can find signs of battle on this civil war relic of a trail.

Teams operate better when they work mutually to cultivate leaders from within their folds; recognizing talents and strengthening weaknesses.  A real beautiful thing can emerge with proper training, encouragement, accountability and freedom.  If you're looking up, its easy to see. 

You can see a lot when you are looking up.  He's looking beyond his realm of experience, into the unknown; where the imagination lives.

Sam Skidmore is a prime example of this.  Despite being the youngest dude here, we're all looking up to him because he's so awesome, so smooth, so kind, so humble.  He's validated by his team and continues to carve his own path, inspiring others to be awesome along the way.

On this ride, Sam rode the Southern Traverse for his first time.  Although I was "showing him the trail" I was looking up at his rear tire the whole time, watching his playful lines and creative interpretations of this centuries old section of trail.

The official SBC cat herder.

SBC is full of characters. And we have the pleasure of working with these 2 right here!

Sunday service in the valley.

I got out this Sunday for another cruise in the valley. I've been battling my back the last few months so pedaling the bicycle or skating has not been going down.  Fortunately I have a motorbike and have spent many sleepless nights setting my cockpit up for optimal back friendly position. Any-who, I decided to torture myself and take a ride to Bryce and watch other people shred some mountain bikes. If you haven't visited yet this year you must. Beautiful scenery great people and a trail system that caters to all abilities are what you are in for. If you live in Harrisonburg you can take the back way and stop for some God water at Orkney Springs. Just a note God water is available Monday through Saturday as well not just on Sundays. Here are a few pics hope you enjoy!

Tour de Burg 2014

The 18th annual Tour de Burg wreaked its havoc on Harrisonburg a few weeks ago. With it came Pennsylvania native cupcakes, dirty south smack-talkers, and some foof. This year I graduated from the usual position of sandwich-slinging time-keeper to undercover on-course informant for Il Director Mike Carpenter. I asked multiple times to move up in the Tour world over the past year, and was finally granted my wish to ride by my father (Il Director). "I did the Giro, I should be able to do the Tour, right?"

A few weeks of riding with a purpose and a borrowed fork with an extra inch of travel gave me the confidence to actually show up as a GC racer the first day. We rode Trimble Mountain Trail as an individual time trial to start off, and then rode Hanky Mountain-Lookout as the first official stage. Sue Haywood took the Women's Leader jersey, but I took the Women's Super D. Thus began the 2014 Tour de Burg. 

The second day we rode from town to Massanutten, toured Upper Ravine trail to Kaylor's Ridge, dropped down Boone's and climbed up a creek ridden tech trail to complete the first timed section. We then went up Big Mountain to Bird Knob and ended near Catherine's Furnace. Party pace this time, we climbed and climbed up and up and eventually, through a time warp of wet and soggy chamois, arrived at Fridley's Gap. It rained on the ride home, and I realized as I bonked and watched the sprinters take off that the week was going to be a real challenge.

The third day, the road day, was fantastic and very American. Timed up and over Shenandoah Mountain, up and over Confederate Breatsworks, up again, and again to the lunch stop. Parade pace through Monterey and to Sally Hiner Road; a gravel party that goes back and forth through Virginia and West. A trapdoor Sally showed me along the way dropped me halfway up the road before the other GCers. I got to hang out with the fast guys for a little while and then played with Sue on the descent.

We climbed over Shenandoah Mountain again, and then up the backside of Reddish Knob. Cresting Reddish to a chilly hangout and watermelon slices made for a euphoric ending to an awesome day on road bikes. The ride back to town made me feel like a grown up rider within a peloton of epic friends and outrageous athletes. Once home, everyone quickly swapped road bikes for mountain bikes and participated in a >5 minute time trial/Super D in Hillandale Park.. Dinner was well-deserved that night.

The fourth day hurt. Not the other days didn't, but this was the hardest. We rode mountain bikes from town, again, and climbed up Union Springs Road to Mud Pond-Oak-Knob-Pond Knob. The Pond Knob descent dropped us into Hone Quarry campground where we refueled and then PPed up Big Hollow. At the top of Reddish was another refuel station before the start of the second timed section of the day, where we rode Timber Ridge to Wolfe Ridge. The ride home after Day 4 was brutal.

So very tired was I on Day 5. Equipped with a new squishy Stan's NoTubes chamois Susie donated to me and lots of caffeine supplements, I pedaled with the group up to Wanoaze Trail. We rode (walked) up Wanoaze and then to Woodstock tower. A flat tire and a lot of alone time during the last half of the section had me hurting. Yanni Yensen was on course and all I had for him was soss. After lunch, I realized my Fuel EX 26" had turned into Tim Richardson's 650b Ibis HDR. The Milford-Kennedy's section, the last section of the 2014 TDB, was epic - the best time of my Tour. Maybe it was the bike, or maybe it was that I was hanging out in the woods with my friends and about to complete my first ever Tour de Burg.
Dad was proud, and I finished relatively well for a nineteen year old first timer. The jerseys ended up in the hands of hard-working, incredible people. Bryan Lewis in the Men's Leader, Sue Haywood in Women's, Sam Skidmore in Super D, Bryan Fawley in Sprint, Dan Wolf in KOM, and Jeff Cheng in DFL. Super thankful for my Dad and Stanley for putting on a flawless Tour without me, and for the other friends/family that encouraged me to ride (and keep riding).

Until next year.

Lizzy Clawprong

Photos by Nathan Shearer

Utah Trip Update #1

Saturday morning I flew into Salt Lake City and headed straight to Park City. This first portion of my trip was to visit long time friend Matt Krop.  The area that has one of finest reputations of endless single track in the US. Matt was one of my first riding partners in Harrisonburg in 1990, also my teammate in 1998 when we won 24 Hours of Moab. We were to meet up a Jans Mountain Experts, an all around bike/ski shop that sends out a 100+ bike  rentals a day, fortunately I was able to snag the last medium mountain bike available.

The Armstrong Trail

The smooth and gentle rolling climbs at Park City provided a great opportunity for Matt and I to catch up and find out what has been happening in our lives for the past several years. The "Armstong Trail", which is a single directional trial for bikes, was our trail choice to ascend 1700' to the Mid Mountain Trail.  We saw more folks on this trail (even with it being one way) than I usually see on the busist day at our local trails back in the "Burg". The mid mountain trail and the evelation line of 9000' would be our high point of the day, which was probably a good decision for my body which had left Harrisonburg at 3:45am that morning.

The majority of afternoon was spent riding the continuous smooth, dry and flowing trails on the mountain resort.  With the desire to hit some old school trails I knew I was with the right guide.  Matt has been building trails in the Park City region since the mid 90's, his trail knowledge guided us to steep, rooty, tight and loose descents which made me feel right at home. This portion of our ride trigger us both to have flash backs of racing in the early 90's in WV; places like the Black Bear course in Charleston.

Sunday, day two of my trip, was spent catching up with Matt's family prior to his departure to work. As late morning rolled around, I gave into my desire to find some high, more remote elevation riding. I headed back to Jan's to get another 4 hour rental (great thing about Park City you can do a 4 hour rental and ride this entire time on single track).  I ascended the Armstrong trail again and continued my ascent towards the Wasatch Ridge on the the Pine Cone Ridge Trail, this trail increased in grade and traffic due to being multi directional (yes, there is traffic on these trails).

Looking deep into one of the many Canyons before topping out just below 10000'

I finally hit the ridge after 1.5 hours of climbing, the views toward the back country at 9600' was exactly what my soul needed. From here I choose several less traveled trails with my hopes of making it to Jupiter Peak.  This Peak was were my body first experience floating in 3' powder, surfing on my snowboard behind my buddy Matt.  Without Matt this time and being solo I was a little more cautious on my descent, even so I still flatted  the tube equiped rental giving me the feeling I was going to get stranded in some foreign place.  After fixing the flat and descending some more trails the views reminded me that I was safe from getting lost.

The riding in Park City was fun but I must admit my desire for moreremote single track was never satisfied. I know this place can provide, I just need more time!

More to come - Thomas

Wootten's maiden ride on "Quicksilver" his new Trek Remedy 9 29er.

The Rumblefish found a new home.  The knee is getting stronger.  It's time for some new bike stoke.  I chose the Remedy 9 29er for a few features: 140mm travel on both ends, dropper seatpost, tubeless wheels with fancy hubs, reliable components on a capable and playful burly trail bike.  The only modifications I made to the stock setup: 750mm PRO Vanderham riser bars and Bontrager tubeless rim strips, valves and some stans sealant. 

My first ride on the Remedy 9 29er was more fun than a fuzzy box full of kittens.  Fflur and I headed to Stokesville for some of Virginia's finest trails, up Sheffer Hollow to Lookout Mountain trail.  July felt more like April because of the low temps and rainy conditions. 

On the climb, easy gears on the 2x10 XT drivetrain came in handy for the sustained steep climb up Sheffer Hollow. The front end stayed down on the steeper pitches for nice controlled climbing at low speeds. 

Descending is always the fun part.  This bike is going to change my game.  It begs to be unweighted.  The suspension platform is plush, responsive and ready to eat.  The bike felt super stable at speed, soft while braking, fluid over small bumps and forgiving enough to plow over medium sized chunder.  Despite its length and size, the bike was easy to move around on the ground and in the air.  I'm looking forward to lapping the jump trail Brew Thru at Bryce.       

With the suspension set to Trail mode for the entire ride, I was able to sit and spin up the climb easily and party with the post dropped on the descent.  I haven't been this fired up to ride in a long time thanks to this fun bike!

    

Brothers with the 2 wheel bug

Been a while since I've had anything worth while to post other than the normal injuries that plague me lately. A month back or so I got to hang out with my bother at his shop. He builds custom motorcycles for a living. We had some family business to take care of and got to spend a few days riding scoots and chillin in his shop. The similarities in tools for motorcycles and bicycles these days are many. The difference is mostly in size as bicycles are way smaller. We spent the better part of a day talking shop and comparing both. Our conclusion was its easy to see how bicycles evolved into motor bikes by looking at the tool design both use. Here are a few pictures of my brothers shop and a bonus pic of him and our bikes.Enjoy