Fair Hill Classic MASS Finals, Elkton, MD

Single Track Sunday
Event: Fair Hill Classic, MASS Finals (Endurance and XC)
Place: Elkton, MD
Ridden: August 2014

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The Fair Hill Classic in Elkton, MD was the last race of 2014 for the Mid Atlantic Super Series (MASS). The race and festival included Endurance and XC races, games and activities for kids, food and vendors, and all teams involved with the series were there with their team tents hanging around enjoying the day.

Joël and I raced Endurance. Coming into the race both of us had solid overall standings in the series; the outcome of this race would not make a difference. That made for a nice feeling; we still both wanted to race hard and do the best we could but we also knew that if something happened out there that made for a disastrous race it would not affect our overall results.

The 5,600 acre Fair Hill Natural Resource Management Area is situated just west of Newark, DE.  It was once DuPont family land, now it is owned by the state of MD. There is approximately 80 miles of trails open to hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians.    

Jess first overall in the series

Joël second overall in the series

The course at Fair Hill is something different for Joël and I.  It's not what we are used to riding, and that being said it is also not a race course we do well at.  The trails there are twisty and turney with lots of short, steep, punchy climbs. There are barely any rocks; besides some bumpy roots here and there the trails are overall smooth.  Not many technical down hills; most downhills are short and smooth. The trails are overall well maintained and well marked. So overall nice riding, just not our riding style.

                       

The endurance competitors were numerous for this race.  52 open men and 19 open women. Joël finished 15th and I was 7th.  Not our best placings for the year but we both enjoyed the day and had fun riding our bikes.

As for the overall series, we both finished on the podium.  I was 1st in the open endurance women and Joël was 2nd in open endurance men. It was tough season, in the time frame spanning from March through August we did 8 MASS endurance races covering about 310 miles of racing (and that  is in addition to all the other races we have done).

Thanks to all our friends, family, and coworkers for putting up with our crazy racing and training schedules. Thanks to Giant Northeast, Giant and LIV bikes, Saucon Valley Bikes, and ProGold for all the bike support.  And a special thanks to Clifford for accompanying us during our training rides and to races.

Thank Cliff! Trail dog extrodinaire

- written by Jess

- video by Joël

Camp Fowler Festif, Orefield, PA

Single Track Sunday
Place: Fowler Festif, the roads around Orefield, PA
Ridden: August 2014

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This past weekend Joël and Cliff were the mechanical support and sag wagon for a local charity ride called the Fowler Festif.  The ride is put on by a friend of ours, Elizabeth Allen, to benefit Valley Youth House. Valley Youth House is a counseling and life skills program for troubled youth.

The idea behind this ride was the celebration of family, fun, friendship, and charity.  The ride typifies the Valley Youth House ideology of Challenge by Choice.  There was a 40 mile "Festival of the Hill", 20 mile "Cardio Cruise" and Family Friendly 10 mile fun ride. All riders were given cue sheets and routes were well marked.  There were ride leaders and sag support (i.e. Joël) on each ride.

A super awesome thing about this ride was the after party. Instead of riding, eating, and then leaving riders were encouraged to stay for the day. After the ride, it was time to party.  There were showers available, a pool to swim in, a zip-line, and a BBQ advertised as "one of the best BBQ Buffets this side of the south".  Family was welcome, there was even a Bike Rodeo and Skills area for the kids to ride in. If food and family fun was still not enough, there was live music all day supplied by a DJ and by singer/songwriter Kayla Avitabile.

So what did Joël do for the day? His role was to make sure riders stayed safe and sound out there on the course.  He looped around the course helping with mechanical issues, offering encouragement and support, and if anyone needed a car ride back he was there to offer that. Cliff went along for the ride, offering tail wagging along the way.

- words by Jess

- video by Joël

Rattling Weekend (marathon and enduro), Halifax, PA

Single Track Sunday
Event: Rattling Offroad Weekend 50 mile race
Place: Halifax, PA
Ridden: August 2014

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The Stan's NoTubes Rattling Creek Offroad Weekend 50 mile marathon race was the adventure for this past weekend.

The race weekend, put on by Mike Kuhn and The Outdoor Experience, is advertised as "an event to build trails and communities".  The race includes a 50 mile race, a 30 mile race, and a 50 mile "experience" category (essentially a supported trail ride, same course as the 50 mile race only riders have extra time to make the cut offs and they are not competing for awards). Camping is available in the community park all weekend in the nearby town of Lykens.

The trails for the race were located in Weiser State Forest. The state forest covers almost 30,000 acres, having 33 miles of shared use trails, numerous miles of unmarked trails, and 50 miles of roads (most of which are gravel). Trails are open to hikers, equestrians, and cyclists.  Combined efforts of two groups- The Friends of Weiser State Forest (who were at the race) and The Rattling Creek Singletrackers have created and maintained an incredible network of trails on the ridge. 

As forewarned in the race e-mail, 1/4 of the climbing was in the first 3 miles. The race pretty much started with a climb to the top of the mountain.  The climb started on a gravel road then turned onto single track. After this major climb, the course was primarily on the ridge. There were some long, double track and single track climbs thrown in here and there but primarily the course followed the rolling terrain of the ridgeline.

Rocks, rocks, and more rocks is the main way to explain the technical aspects of this race. At many places on the trails huge man-made rock piles were built. They looked imposing but were quite fun and challenging to ride.  Throw in numerous log overs and bridges and one has to be on their A game to not crash during this race.

One really great aspect of this race is the support. Aid stations, are plentiful at every 10 miles. The same aid station was hit at miles 10, 20, and 40.  A self-serve water only station was at mile 30.  So despite the hot and sunny summer weather there were multiple places to rehydrate and eat. After the race riders were treated to hoagies, snack foods, and drinks.

Overall a good race for both Joël and I. We both pushed hard and felt there is nothing we wished we would have done differently. I was 3rd open female and Joël was 9th open male.

All year long I have been saying how much I like riding the Giant Lust Advanced, but this race made me appreciate how wonderful of a bike it really is. With the 27.5" wheels I felt like I was just rolling right through all the rock gardens, it was awesome! Thank you to my bike for a great ride!  After seeing many racers trailside with flat tires, Joël was thankful for using Stan's NoTubes sealant and the Giant tubeless ready wheels. Despite the dry, dusty conditions, the Pro Gold Extreme lube kept our drive chains running quite.

All finishers received a Rattling Creek shot glass. Joël celebrated the day with a well deserved shot of rum.

- words by Jess

- video by Joël

"The Cinders", Hellertown, PA

Single Track Sunday
Place: Saucon Rail Trail and surrounding trails "the cinders"
Ridden: July 2014

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This week Clifford is the star at one of his favorite places. Cliff, Joël, and I are regular visitors to the local Saucon Rail Trail and surrounding off-shoot single track trails known locally as "the cinders".

The Saucon Rail Trail is an old railroad bed that has been converted into a walking/running/cycling path. It is relatively flat, at most a 3% grade.  The trail travels from Hellertown to Coopersburg, a total length of about 7 miles one way.

Along the trail users can view the Saucon Creek, parks and fields, and old railroad items such as lighting fixtures and signs.

Additionally there are many old rail road buildings and other structures along the trail and in the cinders areas. A neat way to experience some of the history of the area.

This is one of Cliff's favorites spots because it is so close to our house.  We can ride there with Cliff running along side the bikes, and once in the cinders Cliff can run off leash. Besides the many single track trails for Cliff to run on, there is a creek to swim in and the occasional mud puddle to roll in.  For cycling fun, there is even a small dirt jump area.

The cinders only have a few miles of single track, but still enough to get in a good ride when combined with the rail trail.  A good mix of trails for when we want to get away from the rocks and roots for a bit and also a great place to take Cliff.

Cliff is part of our family, we love spending time with him and he loves coming with us on cycling adventures. Having trails so close that allow Cliff to run and have fun are important to us, and we are glad to have these trails right around the corner from home.

- words by Jess
- video and photos by Joël