Sunday Bonus Post

We had 9 people that showed up to today's trail day, and we got a lot done.

There was an old section of trail that was built maybe 10 years ago, that had eroded into an almost unridable mass of roots. We bypassed this section with about 200ft of benched in, sustainable singletrack, featuring bermed turns.

Our crew was a good one.
Thanks everyone!

Bike of the Week

It's no secret I am a big fan of the Niner RIP9. It's always great when someone comes into the store, looking for a high end full suspension trail bike, and I can point them immediately to the RIP.

You may notice a pattern to the builds too. Most of the bikes I put out feature a Bike 29 RoyaleWheelset with Stan's rims, SRAM drivetrain components, and Easton bars. It's a combination of products I've used on my own bikes for the last few years that I have found to be very durable and reliable. If I had chosen the Hi Ho Silver colorway for my bike, this is probably how it would have turned out. The red accents really flash.

As I spend a majority of the day fixing other people's jalopies, I have little time left to work on my own bike, and when it's time for me to ride, about the only thing I have bandwidth for, is lubing the chain. It's really important for my equipment to be working properly at all times.

Today is our big trail day, which I will update on later this evening.

Blog updates this week will include some new bikes that will arrive tomorrow, a new fork, and a ride review of the Slingshot Farmboy.

Have a great Sunday!

A Night at the Trailhead

Last night we set up the tent at the tunnel leading up to the Perry Hill trail network.
We have a big trail day planned for this Sunday, where we have a large reroute planned on one of the main loops. Thursday is by far the busiest night on the trails, and we wanted to make our presence known. I counted at least 60 riders out there last night. That's a lot of traffic.

The goal was to try and rope in a few volunteers with some hotdogs and beer (I mean, recovery drinks), and of course it was a golden opportunity to get some folks hooked on the big wheels.
We had numerous parking lot test rides, and two trail demos.

While we won't know how successful our even was until Sunday, all in all, I think the event was a hit. There is an interesting cross section of riders that use the Perry Hill trails, coming from all over. It was great to meet some of these folks, some of whom are very active within their own cycling community.

The fundraising continues for the Harpoon Point to Point.
I have so far raised $185, but still have a way to go to reach my goal of $500.
You can donate directly, anonymously and securely by following this link.
It's for a good local charity, so please donate. Any amount is appreciated.

On the Road Again

With all the rain we've had over the last few weeks, trail riding has been pretty hit or miss. We get a couple of nice days in a row bookended with several days of rain. All this adds up to poor trail conditions.
And, being one of the few that help maintain our local trails, riding them when they are wet never seems right. When I found the big washout after our biblical rains a few weeks ago, I was extremely disappointed to see tire tracks on the trails. I have an idea who those tracks belong to, but unless you catch them in the act, nothing can really be said.

This Thursday, July 26th, VMBA, Stowe Mountain Bike Club and Five Hills Bikes will be camped out at the tunnel leading up to the Perry Hill Trail Network. There will be some BBQ, beverages, riding and tech support. Thursday is by far the busiest night on the trail, and we are trying to spread awareness of what it actually takes to keep the trails in the best possible condition.

Sunday the 29th is also a work day, sponsored by Five Hills Bikes. After the work, we ride and have a BBQ to thank all those that joined in.
Contact the shop for more details 802.244.7330

So needless to say, all work and no riding can make George crazy, so it became clear that something needed to be done. This something manifested itself in a shiny red Salsa Primero.


There are some folks that are probably scratching their heads about this decision, but I look at it a couple of ways.
1. I need to ride. Road riding is a good way of getting out and spinning your worries away.
2. I have the Vermont 50, a 50 mile off road race to do at the end of September. I need to train for a long day in the saddle.
3. Last year I was talking big about wanting to do the Harpoon Point to Point ride. This year I am going to do it. 110 miles is a great way to break in the booty.

The money raised at the Point to Point will benefit the Vermont Food Bank
The ride is on August 11th, and I am accepting donations in any amount, but my goal is to reach a minimum of $500. Anyone wishing to help out can contact me directly, or go on to my profile page and donate directly.
Remember, it is for a good cause, so be generous.

How does the Primero ride? Well, pretty friggin' awesome. Mandy and I cranked out 50 miles yesterday, and the bike disappeared beneath me. I feel that with the correct attention paid to fuelling the engine, 110 miles should be attainable. I'll post some more details on my new 17lb steel skinny tired 29er in an upcoming post. I will say though, that this is the finest riding road bike I have ridden in a looong time.

Did I mention that the Point to Point ends at a brewery?

Rain

The power of water is really amazing.

We've had over 6" of rain in the last 48 hours, mostly coming all at once.
I took a walk up Perry Hill on Tuesday to change the trail signs to CLOSED, and was amazed at what I saw. We'd had some big thunderstorms roll through on Monday afternoon and night, and I was expecting it to be wet up there, but what I wasn't expecting was this!

A couple of waterbars had failed completely, washing out everything below. Most of the damage seems to have been localized to the main climb up, but we haven't had time to get a full look at every trail.

We met last night to asses the damage, and took a walk up to one of the areas that we know is a trouble spot. Then the sky let loose again. Needless to say, you can get a really good idea of where the trail can be improved. There were sections that were under 6" of running water. Some of the work we had done was doing it's job, but it was evident that a lot more work will need to happen.