SBC....two trash cans a week. Can we do it?

It is amazing how much trash is generated each day when a business opens it's doors.  A majority of what ends up in trash cans does not  have to end up in the landfill if the business is willing to put some time, money and effort behind recycling and reusing.

If you have ever been in the shop you might have noticed a few metal shelves behind the first two service bays. These shelves are the home to over 10 large bins and boxes that are designated for recycling.  What does SBC recycle? A majority of our "trash" is paper, plastic and cardboard. We curbside all our corregated cardboard for the City of Harrisonburg Recycling program, we also use this service for all our #1 & #2 plastic and glass. Unfortunately this curbside service only covers a portion of "trash" from SBC.

SBC's Recycle Team Members, Ethan & Carter getting ready to "Jump and condense" at EMU. 

There is a lot that of excess that is generated at SBC that can't be picked up curbside by the City, for these items, such as paper board, office paper other plastics we rely on Eastern Mennonite University Recycling Program.  It is EMU's community recycle trailer where we take a truck load of recycling each month, this is also the time when we call in our recycling specialist, Ethan and Carter.  The E&C Team help sort, dump, and condense what goes into the back of the 18 wheeler at EMU.

Anything can be fun if you make it fun! 

Even with the City and EMU's recycling programs we still need to find home for all the tires, inner tubes and metal that consist mostly worn out bicycle parts. All metal is super easy to recycling in the Burg with a metal scrap yard less then 2 miles from the shop. The metal recycle run is even fun for the adults. Who does not like to see giant metal crushers in action!

The tire pile will only grow until we can overflow BIG RED with tires!

Our last and probably most toxic category of trash is all the tires and inner tubes generated by two wheels. These items where always the hardest to throw out but we now have found places that will take these items. Alchemy Goods takes all our inners (except those slime filled) tubes and turns them into really cool new products.  Our tires collect on the second floor of SBC (yes, SBC has a secret second floor) until we have a full load for Big Red which takes them to the Rockingham County Recycling Center.

Just a little insight of some on the behind the scenes action that makes SBC proud to be a business in Harrisonburg!

-Thomas, Manager of E&C Recycle Team.

Double-Down on Sundays

The start of a delightful double-down day.

Joel Maynard freedom riding in Front Royal, VA

Collin Waters rides skateboards.

Tim and Sam try four wheels instead of two.

 After the concrete jungle and lunch at Jalisco's, we drove to Fort Valley to ride Signal Knob-Bear Wallow. Beautiful afternoon in the woods riding some serious rock tech. 

Stair set #2 on Signal Knob.

Bridging gaps.

Sending Young Dan Oates off to Japan and China

If you have been following SBC on social media the past month you have likely seen that Tim spent some time in Japan on a bike tour with a good friend. Stay tuned for Tim's write-up of his trip complete with tons of great pictures and tales of biking on Japan's north island of Hokkaido.What we haven't talked much about yet is the other traveler. Daniel Oates and his Surly Troll that he picked up from SBC and took overseas for what may amount to almost a year long tour. Once Dan gets to China he hopes to bike from east to west and potentially south into India. Dan's travel plans are very open at the moment while he soaks in Tokyo culture and the smooth 1980s music that he tells us is being piped through the speakers of every shop and restaurant he goes into.

Getting Dan out the door was no small task as he boxed up his bike and all his possessions to take on the airplane with him.

We had a few hot nights of packing with Dan and you can see how it ended up.

Dan ordered WAY too much stuff for the trip and a box of things has already been shipped back from Japan to the Shenandoah Valley. All we can say is, "we told you so."

Dan's top slefie over in Japan. Green helmet? Who thought that was a good idea? Yuck.

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