Single Track Sunday
Event: The Nick & Steve School Of Mountainbiking (and a whole lot more) Sunday Morning Ride
Place: South Mountain Bethlehem "Lehigh", PA
Ridden: June 2014
These are our local trails and thus the trails we ride the most. They are an easy ride from our house, so we often take Cliff in his cart to get there. If driving, we can be there in a few minutes. Lehigh is most often the location of Sunday morning group rides. These rides are part ride, part social time, part listen to Nick talk about inappropriate things. I have learned a lot over the years on these rides; a lot about how to be a better rider and a lot about things I never wish to hear about ever again.
Cliff ready to go in his cart
The Lehigh trails have been around for at least 20, maybe even 30 years. They were built when mountain biking was just starting. Many of the people who built these trails still ride there; we often hear stories from the builders themselves about the early days of riding at Lehigh with fully rigid frames and V-brakes. We certainly are glad to have our full suspension bikes to navigate the terrain. Trail maintenance is done by the people who ride there (in fact saws are carried on Sunday morning group rides and tree clearing often occurs)
Sunday morning group rides, just as much about socializing as riding
With names such as Bones (and The Bone Stretcher), Superman, Witch, and Dude Where's My Ball one may wonder what type of trails these are. They are rocky, gnarly, and unforgiving. There is never an "easy ride" done at Lehigh,. The majority is single track, with a couple of old jeep trails and power company access roads here and there. A few miles of downhill trails have been built that include bermed corners, jumps, and tabletops; adding to the fun. The trails climb up and down the side of South Mountain with a few miles looping all around the top of the mountain. There are some spectacular views of South Bethlehem and Hellertown from the top.
A dirty, stinky, happy Cliff
Total mileage is at least 15; probably even 20 or more if one doesn't mind looping back onto the same trail for a bit to reach a different trail.
Single Track Sunday
Event: Saucon Valley Bikes Wednesday night ride
Place: Jacobsburg State Park, PA
Ridden: June 2014
Saucon Valley Bike has been hosting weekly Wednesday night rides pretty much since the shop opened in 1999. Locations have varied over the years, but one place that has remained constant is Jacobsburg State Park.
Jacobsburg State Park covers 1,168 acres. It is a multi-use park; open to cyclists, equestrians, hikers/runners, anglers, and hunters. Once the site where the famous Henry Rifle was made, the Jacobsburg National Historic District lies almost entirely within the park. Henrys Woods offers scenic hikes while the rest of the park grounds have multi-use trails.
Located on the northern edge of the Lehigh Valley, the rolling terrain of Jacobsburg is near the foothills of the Pocono Mountains. This gives terrain that ranges from field to mature hardwood forests. About 2.5 miles of the Bushkill Creek winds through the area.
Trails range from wide, gravel double track to tight single track. There are a few technical sections but overall the trails are appropriate for beginner to intermediate riders. Experienced riders can test their skills by seeing how fast they can descend and by pushing hard on the climbs. Water bars are abundant, testing a riders skills going both up and down. Always be on the lookout for piles of horse poop, don't ride here with your mouth open. Total trail distance is 18.5 miles.
Since this is a social ride, dinner and beer afterwards is a regular occurrence. The location for this week was Diner 248. Wednesday is wing night, and the wings there are great! Fun times are had socializing while enjoying tasty food and beer.
Single Track Sunday
Races: Rothrock Trailmix & Stoopid 50
Place Rothrock State Forest, Boalsburg, PA
Ridden: June 2014
What a weekend! Monday has come along and we are tired, sore, and hungry. 86 miles of mountain biking in two days; the 36 mile Rothrock Trailmix on Saturday and the 50 mile Stoopid 50 on Sunday. Both based out of Aikens Cabins at the base of Tussey Mountain Ski Resort in Boalsburg, PA (just outside of State College). Super convenient that both races were at the same location; we camped for the weekend directly at the start/finish for both races.
Our accommodations for the weekend
Race morning prep; Cliff smells the bacon cooking
Saturday was the Rothrock Trailmix. This was our first year doing this race, so we didn't know what to expect. From what we had heard, it was a relentless course consisting primarily of all gnarly single track. What we heard was in fact true. Trails for this race consisted of rock-laden routes such as John Wert, Longberger, Green Shoot, Tussey Mountain Trail and the Tussey Mountain Extension. Any of these alone is a challenge, but riding them all on the same day is a huge challenge. Adding to the difficulty was the weather. Rain for the few days prior and a race day that was misty and overcast made the rocks slippery and brought about some soggy trail conditions at places. But, rocky single track is what Joël and I enjoy and what we do well, so we were right at home and enjoying every minute of it. Our Giant bikes with their 27.5 inch wheels are made for this type of terrain, they made the trails fun and fast. In the end we both had good rides, and despite feeling beat up and battered, we both enjoyed the day. Joël out sprinted his arch rival at the line to make the top ten overall men and I was third overall female.
Podium for Stoopid 50
Podium for Trailmix
Sunday was one of our favorite races, the Stoopid 50. Race morning began with sunny, blue skies; a great change from the previous day. Once again we were visiting many of our favorite trails, Tussey Mountain, Old Laurel, and Three Bridges. After racing hard the day before, Joël and I decided that the Stoopid 50 would be a casual ride together. No racing, no pushing hard, just enjoying the day together while stopping for photos, and even a stop to enjoy a beer along the way. With tired legs the 50 miles was still tough, but it was nice to not have the pressure of having to push hard though the pain, we could take easy when it hurt instead. We chit-chatted with people along the way, stopped for extended times at the aid stations, and stopped to enjoy the views. Joël stopped for awhile at technical sections to heckle others. Even though we were taking it easy, we passed a few women during the day. Much to my surprise, my relaxed ride still was fast enough for fifth overall female and another day on the podium.
Rattle snake along the trail
Grasshopper along for the ride
Not only was this weekend about racing, it was about hanging out with friends. Fellow Giant team mate Jed was racing; Saucon Valley Bikes member and friend Kerry and his dad Matt made the trip with us also. Of course Cliff was with us. Add to that a friend of Jed and our camping area was packed for the weekend. There was even a concert going on at the ski area that we checked out. It was a weekend filled with bikes, friends, and fun times.
Sorry folks, no video this week. We have been taking some time off and recovering from the stage race we recently did. If you haven't read our previous posts, two weeks ago we compete in the Trans-Sylvania Epic, a seven day mountain bike race. After coming home bruised and tired, we decided to take a week off from riding to relax, sleep, and catch-up on house chores.
So this week are videos and photos that others have put together about the TSE. Since we can't supply our own video and photos, we will share some by others for your viewing. Keep an eye out for us, we are in many of these.
Single Track Sunday
Race: Trans-Sylvania Mountain Bike Epic Stage Race
Place: Seven Mountains Scout Camp, Spring Mills, PA
Ridden: May 2014
Seven straight days of racing done. Approximately 220 miles covered in about 24 hours of riding time for the week. Joël and I rode together the entire time competing as a co-ed duo. There were smiles, there were tears, and there was the occasional disagreement. But doing this together is something we both enjoy and something that we do together as a couple.
The blog post from last week gave an overview of what goes on during the Trans-Sylvania Epic (TSE); focusing on what life is like at "single track summer camp". This week is going to focus more on each stage to give an idea of what the 220 miles of riding is all about.
Stage 1- Bald Eagle- 15 miles. Course highlights included portions of a motorcycle enduro-cross course and the network of trails around camp. There was a little bit of everything, helping to give riders an idea of what they would encounter during the week.
Clothing drying for the next day
Stage 2- Cooper's Gap- 41 miles. All racers agreed that this day was a killer. Almost 6000 feet of climbing, finishing with the climb up Stillhouse Hollow (the notorious ascent that is near the end of the Wilderness 101). This day was relentless; lots of climbing, lots of single track, lots of soul-crushing miles on the bike.
Stage 3- Gailbraith Enduro (at Tussey Mountain)- 22 miles total riding- only 5 timed downhill sections counted toward overall placing. The way an "Enduro" works- only the pre-determined and marked downhill and/or technical sections are timed, there is no timed racing in between, just easy pedaling up the mountain to the next downhill. This day was break after the tough stage 2, it was nice to relax, take it easy, and chit-chat with people while riding. Joël and I made it back to the parking area just in time; severe storms rolled through the area causing many riders to have to take cover and finish their rides later or some even choose to not complete the stage due to the harsh conditions.
Relaxed pedaling between timed segments
Enduro segment
Waiting at the start
Stage 4- Coburn- 40 miles. Considered mainly a dirt road style stage, most of the course consisted of dirt roads and double track roads. One interesting feature is getting to ride through a dark, abandoned railroad tunnel. The hard rains from the night before helped to decrease the dust on the roads, thus a good thing about the rains the day prior.
Stage 5- R.B. Winter- 31 miles. Distance wise one of the shorter days, but since this stage was pretty much all trail it was still a long day on the bike. The course traveled lightly used areas consisting of old tram trails, logging roads, and single track. Most of the course was filled with baby-head rocks, making for a chattery ride all day. This day was chilly, overcast with a light rain and temps in the 50s. Not bad for riding but the chill took it's toll afterwards making recovery difficult.
Stage 6- Tussey- 42 miles. For Joël and I, definitely the most awesome stage of the week. Riding the ridge along Tussey Mountain, Longberger, and Three Bridges are some of our favorite trails. This day offers spectacular views and beautiful trails, which yes, we took the time to stop and enjoy, taking photos and video along the way. Luckily, the weather took a turn for the better, it was sunny with blue skies.
Wheelie on Three Bridges Trail
Stage 7- Bald Eagle- 26 miles. The final stage. This stage was raced hard by some but was a rolling party for others. The course offers many super fun single track sections along with a heckle-pit where spectators dressed in costumes were gathered. This was a tough day for me; part of me wanted to take our time and enjoy the day while another part of me wanted to just get to the end and get this race over with. We ended up doing a little of both, pushing hard at times but also going slow at other times to enjoy the scenery.
And that's TSE. Many miles on the trails. Catching up with old friends and many new friends made. Both of us have our fair share of cuts and bruises and feel like we could sleep for the next few days straight. Our bikes held up well, the Lust Advanced and Anthem Advanced being the perfect bikes for all the different trails conditions we rode in; fast on the climbs, rolled over the rocks, and nimble through the technical terrain. ProGold kept our bikes clean and shiny with well working drive trains all week and with Stans No Tubes we had no flats.
All our hard efforts paid off, we won the co-ed duo division and were fourth overall out of all the duos.
