Ride 30 ‘n 30 – About as “all climb” as one can get. 1-hour 10-minute, 4.4 miles back through Garin Park from the Zeile Creek entrance to the Bailey Ranch exit and up the hill home. Riding into the woods at Zeile Creek at dusk went against my better sense. I was hoping any lurking mountain lion wouldn’t be a fan of the Subway club sandwich I had in my back pocket. Once I cleared the damp dark of the woods (without popping on the head light – though I did sing a bit out loud) the nostalgia hit early. I would miss this purpose of riding my bike every day. And I’d miss the odd beauty of Garin Park – we were to fly out East the following day. I stopped at the saddle where the jeep road heads uphill toward Bailey Ranch Drive. In the light of the full moon I ate the rest of the sandwich and let my eyes adjust enough to see my moon shadow. In the midst of a park with cows grazing and wild pigs rustling in the canyons as well as wild turkeys roosting in trees, I ate my club – roast beef, ham and turkey – sandwich and was not slaughtered or banished from what was now, in the dark, their domain. Then I got on my bike and made my way up that hill one last time. The moon stretched my faint shadow out behind me and ahead I saw the warm lights of home. Part of me wanted to turn around and ride all night in that other and colder ghostly light.

See the rest of the rides below …

Garin Park's bald hills

The Big Mountain Riding Thirty in Thirty challenge:

30 rides of at least 30-minutes in 30 days. Inspired by an interview with Mark Wier on the Fox Racing Riders web site, it started as a goal of riding seven consecutive days. And then, while tooling through the wet woods on day 3, I scoffed at how mundane that was and upped the ante. 30 days. And I knew already that those days included Christmas, coast-to-coast travel, and a few other minor obstacles – not to mention the weather. Things got rough quickly, with three rides in the cold rain within the first week of the challenge and snow flurries and iced-over puddles along the trails on some days. Ah, but other days were sunny and in the 50’s. And on one Tuesday night we rode for more than 20-minutes without lights, rolling in the luminescent glow of the full moon.  Another day I saw a red-tailed hawk take flight off of a behemoth fallen tree on a steep side hill. The challenge moved to California, and I encountered a coyote creeping back home in the early morning, and heard owls hooting at dusk

These are the moments that I sought with the 30 ‘n 30 challenge. Those “pocket miracles,” contained little moments of wonder and delight that only come to the work-a-day biker, spinning the cranks regardless of the weather. The 30 ‘n 30 plan had other benefits. In an epic race one rides rain or shine. See the 2009 Middle Mountain Momma XXC race. So riding regardless of the weather is good training. Additionally, I want to make a living (or something) writing and talking and riding bikes. As anybody who puts in miles by themselves in the woods knows, it’s a great place to think. New story ideas, union with the bike, increased skills.

However, is there such a thing as too much of a good thing? And would this be too much too late in the year? The play-by-play follows. You can read the post-challenge debrief here.

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1 ‘n 1: 45-minutes in the cold rain at Lynchburg’s Peaks View Park, solo, riding the perimeter. Weight after ride – 174 lbs.

2 ‘n 2: 2-hours in the moonlight at Lynchburg’s Liberty Mountain Trail System on Candler’s Mountain , group ride, Lower Dam to Five Points to DH trail to Paw-Paw to fire road to Powerline hill to fire road to Great Escape to Rogue’s Gallery to Horton’s Loop to Five Points to Upper Dam and out.

3 ‘n 3: 1-hour 10-minutes in the cold rain at Candler’s / Liberty Mountain, solo, U. Dam to Monorail to Peak-to-Peak to Five Points to fire road to Bobsled to climb DH trail to Five Points to L. Dam and out. Weight after ride 171 lbs.

4 ‘n 4: 1-hour 10-minutes solo in the sun and wind at Bedford County’s Falling Creek park. Parked at Turkey Hill, followed the race course out to White Rock Hill and the Slickrock trail. Did the Ridge Loop with Fat Albert and then Creekside, came out and rode back to Deer Trail, connected with Piney Ridge Trail and rode back on Turkey Hill trail. Weight after ride 171 lbs. Resting heart rate: 64.

5 ‘n 5: 1-hour 10-min. 6-mile solo in good, cool weather at Lynchburg’s Blackwater Creek Recreation Area. Took the Rail-to-Trail (R2T) to Creekside Trail and back to R2T to cut over to the Daura Rd trail. Did a short right loop on Sticks & Stones trail and back to R2T to the connector back to the Creekside Trail near the crest. Out on the “new” climb back to the R2T. Seen: Red hawk taking flight over creek valley, whitetail deer, one mad Kung Fu squirrel whose air walking chops would turn Jackie Chan green.

6 ‘n 5: 35-min., 3.25-mile solo at Candler’s / Liberty Mountain. 2,000′ of climbing. Started at Ridge Top Rd T.H. DH Trail to Bobsled to Paw Paw to Fire Rd almost to the top of Powerline hill to Bobsled Trail and back to T.H. Weight after ride 171 lbs. Resting heart rate: 64.

7 ‘n 6: 35-minutes solo neighborhood ride in the icy mix. Car struggles to start. Jack Rabbit Slim (the bike) is ready to roll. 3.6-miles, 500′ climbing. Mostly sprinting up the hill from the soccer field at the YMCA. Rode the drainage ditch on the way down – or attempted to. Thought I had it on the final run. 5-yards from the end, the front wheel stops like it’s planted. Back wheel comes up, I go forward, perch on the top tube, balancing one-wheeled, trying not to fixate on all the “so sharp! So hard!” rocks lurking all around. Bike falls back and I fall sideways, unable to unclip my right foot from the pedal. No rocks struck, though. Woo-hoo!

8 ‘n 7: 3.5-hours at Candler’s / Liberty Mountain. 9.9 miles, +/- 3,000′ climbing, group ride. Climbed Peak to Peak’s north face in the snow, coming up from Five Points. Lots of “just try it” moments and crashing on log rides, slippery descents, etc. Rode the dam again. A new bruise or two, a new raw spot on my shin.

9 ‘n 8: 30-minutes solo on Blackwater’s Sticks & Stones on a cold, sunny day. 2.03 miles.

10 ‘n 9: 50-minutes, 3.9-miles solo at Candler’s / Liberty Mountain in the 35° rain. Upper Dam to Five Points to Bobsled to climb up Downhill trail back to Five Pt’s. Lower Dam back out in the last wisps of light. Soaked from feet to thighs from tire spray.

11 ‘n 10: 1-hour, 4.2-miles solo at Candler’s / Liberty Mountain. 45° and sunny with water running everywhere from the rain. A Trail Too Far to Hydaway Rd, back up to the lower end of Blind Faith and then down to Lake Trail before cutting over mid-point to A Trail Too Far. ATF was a running stream in sections. Saw a whitetail running.

12 ‘n 11: 30-minutes solo at Peaks View Park. 40° and sunny with the trails drying out. TH 1 to TH 2 via Rollercoaster trail. Then the climb on Rockpile Trail. Back out to TH 1. Across the park to ride the drop down to the creek from the disc golf course. Almost savaged by a standard poodle who thought it was Kujo.

13 ‘n 13: 4-hour group ride at Danville, VA’s Angler’s Ridge, 15.5 miles of twists and turns and the occasional slick patch. 40° and partly sunny. We were plagued by mechanical issues – a flat tire, a broken chain, shifting issues, tweaked drive trains, etc. Still nobody got hurt, and that was good considering a few of the spills. Hit a teeter totter that was short and steep and pretty intimidating rolling in.

14 ‘n 14: 1-hour solo ride at Candler’s / Liberty Mountain. Sun had just broken out after a morning of icy rain. The trails on the front side U and L Dam and DH, were awash with running water. Cold day too, with temps in the high 30’s.

15 ‘n 15: The half-way point of the 30 ‘n 30 Challenge! 1-hour solo ride at Candler’s / Liberty Mountain. Gorgeous “warm” day, sunny with temps in the 50’s. U Dam to Luge Trail – Hike-a-bike up to Monogram Rd. Then, a grueling pedal up Peak-to-Peak to the top of the Monogram. Made it! Down the always-fun Psycle Pathe, all the way to the bottom. Connected to Alternate Flight Pattern up and out to Monogram Rd. Peak-to-Peak over the next ridge. Across the fire road and down Monorail. Lost it on the wet switch backs and bombed down through the woods to U Dam and out. Tomorrow’s supposed to be in the 60’s! Then the challenge shifts to Cali.

16 ‘n 16: 40-min solo ride at Candler’s / Liberty Mountain. Repeat of 15 ‘n 15. Without the trail repair stop.

17 ‘n 17: The initial California ride. A fun and relaxing solo foray into the woods at Hayward, CA’s Garin Regional Park. Mostly stuck to singletrack, and it was rewarding to see what a year of frequent riding has done for my skills in negotiating slick and twisty singletrack. Approximately 8-miles with +/- 1,400-feet of climbing.

18 ‘n 18: California cow trails. 2.5-hour solo with some free-form navigating from point to point. Missing the full sussy with the new Fox front-end on these hoof-trodden cow paths. Rode past a buzzard skeleton, what goes around …  Approximately 8.6-miles with +/- 1,200-feet of climbing.

19 ‘n 19: Some rough-shod fire roads and cattle-cut singletrack. 1.5-hour solo with some free-form navigating down the steep side of a bald hill. Really wish I had the full sussy here (whine, whine, whine) or a 29-er. Approximately 7.9-miles with +/- 1,000-feet of climbing.

20 ‘n 20: Quick out-and-back sally to Garin Park 45-minute solo morning ride. Saw a coyote slinking back from a night of coyote-ish debauchery and devilry.  4.6-miles with +/- 400-feet of climbing.

21 ‘n 21: 35-minutes solo ride, 4.8-miles, racing the sun back to home base. Garin Park in the cool dusk. +/- 600-feet of climbing.

22 ‘n 22: 35-minutes solo grind around the neighborhood in the cold, windy rain – in the dark. Punching the clock. Luckily, didn’t get nailed by a car in the fog.

23 ‘n 23: 1-hour solo exploration around the neighborhood and then dove into Garin Park to rustle up another coyote and find a calf skull on a cow trail. Beautiful sunny day, but windy. 5.8-miles.

24 ‘n 24 - Rode a new downhill route from Bailey Ranch entrance to Zeile Creek exit. 6-miles on Christmas eve. Then it was all uphill back home. What a hill climb. 700-feet vertical from the bottom back to the top.

25 ‘n 25 - 1-hour ride with my nephew Ajay. Downhill in Garin Park to Zeile Creek exit. Then the shuttle car picked him up and I rode back up to Bailey Ranch and out by myself. His first real mountain bike ride. Not sure he was a big fan.

26 ‘n 26 – 30-min solo morning commute to Garin Park. Hit the first rise and circuited the hill on cow track. 3.6 miles. Back in time to kick off the tourism for the day. A trip out to Point Reyes – a real wow-er. Got in even more exercise there with a mile run and a 300-step stair climb up from the light house.

27 ‘n 28 – 30-min. solo in the neighborhood. In the dark and rain. Getting back on the wagon.

28 ‘n 29 – 1-hour race against dusk in Garin Park. XC’d over to Newt Pond Trail and then up and out to the Bailey Ranch Rd. entrance. 5.9 miles. Just me, the owls and the cows.

29 ‘n 30 – A 30-min. DH bomb run of 4-miles through Garin Park and then climbing out Zeile Creek entrance to Dobbel Ave. and over to the Subway by the Cal State East Bay campus. Ate some energy there, watching the bike the entire time to make sure no one pedaled off with my brother-in-law’s ride.

© Big Mountain Riding

Let’s go riding way out west – Getting in some of the season’s last rides at Spokane’s Beacon Hill, Riverside Park and Mount Spokane trails

Story: Randy King

Photos: Randy King & Doug King

Some highlights of the Spokane riding scene, from IMBA:

• Four ski resorts offering mountain biking within an hour
• Mt. Spokane State Park (the largest state park in Washington), offers 90-miles of bike trails and embraces the downhill riding trend.
• Riverside State Park (the second largest state park in Washington), offers miles of beginner and intermediate trails.
• Camp Sekani City Park (Beacon Hill) has a network of intermediate and advanced cross-country, freeride and downhill trails.

Airing it out on Spokane's Beacon Hill

Everything’s bigger out west, you know. Well, that’s all good theoretically, except it’s a little too real as I nose the wheel of my all mountain bike onto a ladder bridge over a gap big enough to swallow me – bike and all. That’s when I remember how close I am to the birthplace of gut-check features – British Columbia – and how far away I am from my familiar Appalachian terra firma. Aw, shucks. Just roll it! Or not.

While visiting my brother, he and I fit in very different rides on three of Spokane’s trail systems: Free riding lite at Beacon Hill, cross country at Riverside, and shuttled downhilling at Mount Spokane.

This Beacon Hill feature proved sketchy on narrow tires - from fttrc.org

Beacon Hill Recreation Area spreads across several slopes on the ridgeline North of the Spokane River, and east of Market St. The area features a warren of trails for riders of all skill levels and persuasions. Trails range from sandy jeep roads to cross-country singletrack, to a downhill race course and features / drops that haul out your inner coward screaming into the daylight.

The Beacon Hill Recreation Area is a work of love fueled by volunteers from the Fat Tire Trail Riders Club and the Beacon Hill Trails project, with generous support from area agencies. Some of the trails meander over the hillside, creating many options (and grades) for descending or climbing. Others are clearly more hell-bent, roiling over rock outcroppings and taking the rider up in the air. Certain features soured my stomach: a narrow wooden creation stood out  in the sky like a dock left high and dry at low tide. It ended abruptly, with the drop zone 10 – 12-feet below not visible until your front tire got dangerously close to the steep entry ramp.

Attempting some narrow bridge work, Beacon Hill

Still, the park offers variety, as evidenced by the bikes and riders we encountered. Our All Mountain rigs fell somewhere in the middle. We saw a family out on their hard tail ATB bikes on the XC trails and a pick-up truck full of Oshkosh B’ Gosh clad, full-facers unloading dual-crowned coil-sprung gravity sleds, as well as all-mountain bikes.

We parked at the Boulder Beach trail head (see directions below) and worked our way uphill to one of the the high points along the ridge. Our vantage point allowed us to test out our karma and mojo on a few small jumps and a steep ramp with a blind entrance. Once we played around a bit, we worked our way East to the real crest of the ridge. On the way back down we stuck to single track, and found a few fun skills sections. Back at the bottom, we climbed up to the West and tested our courage on the wood work. As dusk fell under the trees, we called it a great day and packed it up to go find some milk shakes at the nearest Zip’s Drive-in, a local fast food franchise.

Riverside Park has miles of mellow singletrack - from fttrc.org

Riverside State Park stretches along the Spokane and Little Spokane Rivers northwest of Spokane. The park’s nearly 10,000-acres cling to the twists of the rivers. However, in places the park expands and narrow, sandy single track darts off into the pines. Riverside State Park features more than 75-miles of trails plus the famous Centennial Trail that runs 37-miles from Spokane to Idaho.

On a cold, dry afternoon, we set out for a cross-country ride from the trailhead at Carlson Rd., heading south toward the Bowl and Pitcher Area. The temp hovered near my “a little cold for riding” point. Bad omens piled up deeper than the pine needles that carpeted the worn single track. In sight of the parking lot, Dig rolled into an immovable object and went over the bars – on a climb. When he put himself back together, the brakes on his vintage metallic rust-colored Schwinn Homegrown were sticking. Standing around with the cool air picking at us through our bike clothes, we managed to figure out a fix. Onward, time to warm up!

Basalt formations in Deep Creek Canyon

The surface on Riverside’s trails varies between sand and Basalt. Basalt formations are weirdly barrow-like and trails cut along their sides present lots of exposure. The rock tends to break off into sharp-edged chunks designed to shred tires and bodies. Approaching Deep Creek canyon, we descended a dicey section with several switch backs scattered with rock fragments and edged by some significant exposure. I did a full flying dismount attempting one of these turns, launching over the bars with my feet tucked up underneath me and setting down the landing gear to avoid a head-over-heels tumble on that pointy rock. The tech-iest sections in the park feature climbs, descents and switchbacks littered with Basalt outcroppings or detritus. For eastern riders, sand can be challenging too. However, the sandy sections we encountered were mild – just very dusty for the following rider(s).

The prettiest sections of the ride are along the Spokane River, with its clear blue water and rapids. The Bowl and Pitcher Area is a great place to view the river, either close-up from the suspension bridge, or from on high. The slope behind the Pitcher offers some very tech trails among the Basalt.

After missing our first connection and pedaling furiously to catch our shuttle car, we stuck to the theme and recovered with Maggie Moo’s ice cream.

Expect sudden sweeping switchbacks on Mount Spokane - from IMBA

Mount Spokane State Park looms over the surrounding area, and its nearly 6,000-foot altitude gives its trails some great attitude. Standing atop its windblown summit (where on cool days one can see other states and another country), the cooler temperatures and the view of the steep drop-off to the East bluster and bark at the rider, making one feel under assault and unwanted here before even one pedal crank. However, once you drop off the backside of that summit and find yourself carving down eroded single track among widely-spaced trees in an old burn zone, the trepidation fades and the grin starts to spread across your face. It only grows wider farther down the mountain. Dialed-in now,  you pilot your rig in slicing, side-to-side arcs through narrow gaps in the cedars on trails with colloquial-yet-accurate names like Jedi Trees. This is a dream; a dream that will never end until the trail head miles and thousands of vertical feet away in a different plane of existence. Except if you miscalculate one of those gaps by even an inch. Dream trees these are not, young Paduan.

The ground drops away quickly from the summit of Mount Spokane

I don’t get a lot of enjoyment from sipping a drink, nor does my brother. We revel in “big” experiences. This is all building up to an excuse for why we only got one photo from our ride on Mount Spokane. We were too busy doing to take time to document it. Trails like this are experienced best as a whole, like a concept album. Rock on. (And take more pictures next time )

We parked one car at the top and dropped down trail 130, which drops down pretty steeply, dropping over roots and erosion-prevention devices. Approaching the first one of these erosion fences, I thought it was made of steel or hard rubber. Luckily, it is a flexible material, and doesn’t hamper the downward good times. I exorcised my demons on the top section, almost going off the ranch on one of the turns, and going slower than normal. Further down the hill, with all cylinders going, we rode trail 110 and made our way over to Smith Gap, where we found the aforementioned Jedi Trees trail. Along the way, Dig’s RaceFace seat post bolt sheared off, leaving him to stand for the rest of the descent. The final run-out along trail 115 was a carving, flowing thing through the trees and down to the road where our shuttle car waited.

We rode Mount Spokane on my last day in town, and my only regret was that because I had a flight to that evening, we couldn’t fit in another run. If you go, don’t be intimidated by the steep slopes atop Mount Spokane, just use The Force and flow. It’s a long, fun ride to the bottom. Make  sure to make time for ice cream.

© Big Mountain Riding
Planning your ride:

Beacon Hill Recreation Area maps are available for $8 from North Division Bike and Ski, Bicycle Butler, Bike Hub, Wheel Sport East and Mountain Gear, sales of the map are a fundraiser for the group that maintains these fun trails – fttrc.org Boulder Beach trail head: Park at the Boulder Beach pull out, on Upriver Drive, 1.25 miles w. of Argonne Road. Cross the road carefully and take your pick of the trails. For DH, head west and look for the fireroad that you can walk your bike up. For XC, head east and then look for trails heading to the left as you get close to the end of the property. Camp Sekani trail head - This entrance is on the N. side of Upriver Drive, just W. of Boulder Beach

Mount Spokane State Park – Trails on the official map are documented by numbers, and these maps are posted at some trail intersections. It behooves the downhill rider to select the right trail to avoid climbing back up even part of the hill. Ffrom Spokane: Drive north on Hwy. 2 to Hwy. 206. Follow Hwy. 206 for 15 miles to park entrance. Address: N. 26107 Mt. Spokane Park Dr., Mead, WA 99021

Riverside State Park - A map put together by the Backcountry Horsemen is available at Spokane’s REI or Northwest Maps for $5.95. Multiple trail heads including Carlson Rd., Mclellan Rd. 7 Mile Trailhead, Wilbur Rd near the Plese Flats Day Use Area, at the Bowl and Pitcher Trailhead and off of Government Way.

Review and Photos: Randy King

The Remedy eggs you to take the rough route home

Cruising Moab’s main drag for the first time, my brother and I dug all the signs of this vibrant culture we had joined: the Moab Cyclery safari truck with mounts for 20 bikes, the Gonzo Inn, the Poison Spider Bikes mural. One of our favorites was a campground that boasted: Fun Pigs stay at Slickrock. The Trek Remedy 8 is made for those self-same fun pigs. It is a bike that eggs on its rider and will feed your porcine speed-needs until you find yourself hours later, still pushing personal limits and stuttering gibberish like that laughable Looney Tunes porker.

It takes craft to make something that rides like such cheap fun, and this is a well-made all-mountain rig. Trek redesigned the Remedy with matched 150MM (6″) of quality Fox travel front and back, and it rips along the trail. Although it seemed a bit portly on the climbs, I rode a Large frame (not the XL that Trek recommends for my height), and the Remedy is spec’d with a wide, low-rise bar. I think a bit more of a rise on the bars and the correct size frame would make the bike climb better for me. As it was, I felt too low for really efficient climbing – especially in my knees and hands.  The suspension and geometry did not seem to be the culprits in this climbing conundrum.

Yet who are we kidding here, with all this talk about climbing? A bike like this pays its way at high speeds and on the descents. Know that aboard the Remedy you will not have to walk up too many hills, and when you get to the top, you can expect a stable, velvety ride during the gravity-fed madness that awaits.

The Fox Float RP-2 with DRCV shines on the Remedy

Riding the Remedy at Bedford Co’s Falling Creek Park, I instinctively veered toward the rough lines, and flowed over natural obstacles instead of following the path more traveled that swung around them. Indeed, the bike and I both wanted more challenges, although I did not test the Remedy on any drops higher than a couple of feet.

In Big Mountain Riding Review #6, I highlighted Trek’s proprietary Fox Float’s with DRCV. The extra-volume shock shines on the Remedy 8 too, making the back-end feel bottomless during aggressive trail riding over roots, rocks and features. Although I did not drop it off anything of size, the bike’s suspension, solidness and geometry feel like it would handle easily drops of 3-5 feet (0.9 -1.5 M). That’s more than enough for me – as drops above 3-feet make me grow increasingly attached to my front teeth (and to keeping them intact).

Other spec highlights that shone on the $3,700 Remedy 8:
Fox 32 Talas RL fork

Avid Elixir R Carbon disc brakes with 203 MM rotors

The Remedy 8 wears its brawn well, tipping the scales at under 30 pounds (13.6 KG) and rumor has it that a few upgrades can trim off a couple more pounds without removing muscle. Today’s efficient suspension and light weight materials enable all-mountain riding, and when pulled together in bikes like this, they inspire fun pigs everywhere to point their front wheel toward the big mountains and ride a little farther. Go for it; nobody would understand your gibberish back in civilization anyway, Porky.

© Big Mountain Riding

Fun Pigs will find much to like in the Remedy's smooth travel and light weight

Trek Fuel EX = A Rico Suave All-Around Bike

Reviewer: Randy King

Photos: Scott Schekman & Randy King

The Trek Fuel EX 9.9 is an inspiring all-around bike, great for big mountain riding: it is fast, light weight and cheeky. The top of the Fuel line model is a sort of James Bond super agent of bikes. Yes, some other bikes can run, jump and fight as well, and yet others share its dark good looks. However, the Fuel EX 9.9 does both at the same time, making its rider look as good and as competent merely by association.

The Trek Fuel EX 9.9 rides like a dream - a very, very expensive dream

The demo bike I tested was dressed to kill, decked out with the best offerings from SRAM, Fox, Shimano and others. The parts worked together well, carrying the bike smoothly and nimbly over the rough roots and short, tight steeps of Bedford, VA’s Falling Creek Park. The all-carbon frame, crank and bar rode like a dream of all that carbon is hyped up to be.

Riding the XL-sized frame put me in a little more stretched out versus upright riding position. I liked this because I felt more actively engaged with the bike – not perched on top of it. I found myself pedaling faster and pushing the bike through turns. Interestingly, the riding position also seemed to keep me seated more, even through small rough patches.

However, I think most of the Fuel EX’s buttery smoothness flows right from the Fox suspension. Specifically, Trek’s proprietary Fox RP-23 design, with DRCV (Dual Rate Control Valve). According to Trek, the twin-chambered shock is designed to eliminate the ramp-up at the end of the shock’s travel without adding the weight of an external chamber, meaning a smoother ride over varied terrain. The shock acts like a normal RP-23, until a bigger hit. Then the compression opens the valve into the second section of the chamber – the little extra bit visible on the top of the shock in the pictures – and the bump is eaten up at the same compression rate. In theory, it should feel more like the linear compression of a coil spring, but with air shock weight. “Right on,” I say. The DRCV shock performed beautifully.

This is a high-speed machine that would handle many challenges with aplomb. It weighs just 25-pounds (11.34KG) in its carbon suit. The aluminum versions reputedly weigh in at only a pound (454G) more for the frame. That’s light, and it feels even lighter. Still, the 5-inches (120MM) of travel are meant for going places off the beaten path, and the Fuel EX does this with the bold cheek of a much burlier bike. You could race this bike; you could ride it all day, every day.

So what’s the bad news? Well it has to do with all those little green pieces of paper. Specifically, the more than 6,700 of them it takes to buy the Trek Fuel EX 9.9. That’s a lot of money for something stamped “Made in Wisconsin.” That’s a lot of money period.

Still, if you ride it, you’ll probably want this bike. I did. And you know what? I’m not gonna try to convince you that you can’t rationalize the purchase. Everybody has dreams. Why not a glam, all-carbon, $6,700 one from Wisconsin?

©Big Mountain Riding

The DRCV shock, carbon crankset and the EVO pivot

With 5.5″ of travel, the now-in-stores Niner W.F.O.  9 aims at being a big hit, big wheeler with the looks to match!

A long-legged big wheeler

One of the things I’ve always wondered as a potential convert to 29″ wheels is how they would handle the big hits, and no bike on the broad market seemed set up to really put that question to the test. With travel in the 3-4″ range at tops, most 29er bikes seemed like leggy cross-country runners best left out of the the really rough stuff (e.g. low-speed drops and aggro rock gardens).

Enter the Niner W.F.O. 9, with 5.5″ of rear travel. Trivia: W.F.O. stands for Wide, Full Open. Sounds like an ideal big mountain riding rig in the making. Depending on how it is set up, the rig should ride like a long travel trail rider or short-legged DH rig – can anyone say all-mountain?  I highlight it here because I think it indicates a new horizon in big wheel bikes: long-travel! The next few years should bring some exciting new entries that will be prime candidates for big mountain riding.

The W.F.O. 9 is in stores now! “There will be two different versions of the frame. One will be a 135mm rear triangle and come with a FOX RP23 shock and retail for $1899. The other will feature a 150mm rear triangle (with a maxle thru axle system) and come with a FOX DHX Air 5.0 and retail for $2099. [This second option makes for a beefier ride]” – Niner Bikes. Learn more.

Looking forward to the first rides on real trails by real people.

Photos here are from two different set-ups from Niner folks. It looks like they put together a DH-market version. Before you envy that Manitou Dorado fork too much, be aware it will set you back more than $2k by its lonesome … sure is pretty, though.

Niner WFO 9 online.

©Big Mountain Riding

Bigger is better? WFO 9 customized for big hits

Rear set-up for tamer, production model

Edging the slope on the Southern Traverse - copyright Shenandoah Mountain Touring

Story: from IMBA

Take a ride into history on the Southern Traverse Epic located in Virginia’s George Washington National Forest.

The rigors of boot camp may be the best preparation. With 3,000 feet of climbing over 32 epic miles, this ride promises to test your courage and endurance. The backbone of the Southern Traverse is the south end of the Shenandoah Mountain Trail, a 11-mile singletrack ridge-ride. The ridge is accessed by a doubletrack climb that ascends 1,800 feet through a picturesque hardwood hollow. The snaking trail follows the ridge south and is an amazing melody of smooth and fast downhills and technical rock gardens.

Ride the Southern Traverse from north to south to enjoy the sweetest of singletrack descents, and don’t forget to make arrangements with Shenandoah Mountain Touring to meet you at the end and shuttle you back to town for a draught of Wild Goose at Calhoun’s.

Location: The Southern Traverse is located southwest of Harrisonburg, Virginia, in the George Washington National Forest.

Length: 32 miles

Elevation: 1,600 to 3,800 ft

Climbing: 3,000 ft

Terrain: This ride has it all; twisty, smooth, steep, narrow, rough, mossy

Season: Open year round, occasional snow in winter, unpredictable mountain weather

Highlight: Shenandoah Mountain Trail, a 17-mile singletrack ridge-ride

Directions to Trailhead & Detailed Ride Instructions

Shop: Shenandoah Bicycle Company, Harrisonburg, 540-437-9000

Brew: Calhoun’s Restaurant and Brewing Company

Coffee: The Artful Dodger

Learn more about the International Mountain Bike Association at www.imba.com

It's East Coast Big Mountain Riding - From IMBA

Southern Traverse IMBA Epic – Driving Directions to Trailhead

Written by the guys at Shenandoah Mountain Touring

Starting at:
Shenandoah Mountain Touring
Located in the Shenandoah Bicycle Co. store
135 S. Main Street
Harrisonburg, VA
www.MountainTouring.com

From SMT head out of the parking lot onto main street (left only- heading north)
Take your 1st left on Water Street
Take your 3rd left on Rt. 42 – South High Street
Traveling south on Rt.42 through Dayton, Bridgewater, and Parnassus To Jennings Gap road Rt. 736
Take a right on Rt. 736 and travel for 3.5 miles to route 250
Take a right on Rt. 250 heading West for 7 miles to West Augusta and Rt. 629
Take a left on Rt. 629 heading south into Deerfield Valley
Turn right on FR 173 about 6 miles down the road
Cross the cattle grate and continue along the right-of-way dirt road
After crossing the creek for the 2nd time, stay left at the fork
Proceed through the closed gate onto National Forest land – please close the gate behind you
The parking area is 1/4 mile up on the left

To Jerkemtight – mid ride point

Continue on Rt. 629 through Deerfield (1.5 miles from FR 173)
Proceed about 5 _ miles past Fr 173 to a gravel road that shoots up to the right and looks like it may be a driveway
If you come to a trash dumpster and some forest service road signs you have gone to far Jerkemtight road is not marked and is about 3/4 of a mile behind you
Proceed about 1 mile up Jerkemtight road to an intersection. Jerkemtight continues straight following the creek up the hollow where a new logging road turns off on the right. Do not block the locked forest service gate!

To ScotchTown Draft – trail end

Take a right on Rt. 627 and 3 miles up to the saddle (crest of the road) where the trail awaits on the right.

Southern Traverse IMBA Epic – Detailed Ride Directions

Written by the guys at Shenandoah Mountain Touring

Our recommended days worth of riding on the trail will start out with a 4 mile climb on FR 173 out of Deerfield Valley (1205 ft.). The Fireroad climb is a nice steady grade that climbs 1,300 ft to the saddle (2590 ft.) of the mountain where you pick up the Shenandoah Mountain Trail singletrack heading south. The trail continues to climb up towards the summit of the Bump at 3634 ft. This section of single track has long straights that are tight, twisty and smooth with some super technical rock gardens scattered throughout the 11-mile piece.

The only bailout on the ridge is 11 miles in on Jerkemtight Rd. You will know you are there when you come to a field on top of the ridge with a pond. Jerkemtight Rd. is a forest service road that is steep and rough heading back down to the east for 5 miles and onto Rt. 629. Taking this bailout would take the cherry off the top because the last 5 miles of trail is the sweetest, but it would get you back to your vehicle (civilization) quicker in case of emergency.

The Jerkemtight juncture is a tricky one at 3550 ft. There are 2 different singletrack trails heading off the west side of the ridge and 3 jeep trails heading in different directions. The 2 singletrack trails seem to be dropping off the west side of the mountain. The Shenandoah Mountain Trail is the one that heads more southerly. Marshall Draft trail in the one that drops straight down the western slope towards sugar tree road. The Shenandoah Mountain Trail only drops a bit to meet up with the ridge again and some of the sweetest down hilling toward Scotchtown Draft. The northern jeep road will take you to the summit of North East Peak at 3811 ft. and the southern one takes you to Wallace Peak lookout tower at 3795 ft. The road to the east is Jerkemtight Rd. heading 5 miles down to Rt. 629.

The Trail skirts around North Sister Knob at an elevation of 3292 and then coils you up onto South Sister Knob at 3088 for a screaming fast 1100 ft descent to Scotchtown Draft Rt.627. I suggest a small break here to try and stop smiling to keep your face from cramping. Take a left on Rt. 627 and another left on Rt. 629 and enjoy about 10 miles of beautiful rolling country roads back to the trailhead.

An abbreviated ride is to proceed up the Jerkemtight FR for 5 miles on your bicycle and pick up the Shenandoah Mountain Trail on the ridge. This would eliminate a possible bonk in “no mans land”- the 11 mile section of ridge that will put your tongue on the ground if you are not fresh and fit.

If you are looking for big mountain single track on the east coast the Southern Traverse is it. The Traverse is the southern most section of the Shenandoah Mountain Trail located in the George Washington National Forest’s Dry River and Deerfield Ranger Districts. The trail works its magic along the spine of the massive Shenandoah Mountain. Shenandoah Mountain is a massive 90+ mile long mountain that is the border of Virginia and West Virginia for the northern most 60 miles of its ridge. Shenandoah Mountain Touring www.mountaintouring.com offers tours and shuttle service for the trail and the surrounding hundreds of miles of trails.

Take-Away Box:

Why it may be your next Big Mountain Riding machine: Can do it all, pretty much! Rails the descents, climbs with agility, great balance, feels lighter than it is.

Why it may not be for you: Low Bottom Bracket – or at least feels that way. You’re a regular jumper – frameset not up to frequent big hits

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The HiFi stretching its legs in Moab

For years, bike companies and magazines touted this bike or that as the “one” bike that could do it all. As someone on a budget, I loved the idea of a bike that could handle most of the standard trail conditions confidently, however I don’t think most of these bikes lived up to the hype until 2006-07. I test rode a Giant Trance, and it performed everything well. However, it wasn’t exciting. A great bike needs the design and capabilities to excite.

Enter the Gary Fisher HiFi. While there are other bikes out there that probably excite more, and can handle even more (i.e. the Yeti 575), the HiFi does it all and costs less. I’d say I regret not waiting a year to buy the one with the black paint job with a Fox fork, but then I would have missed out on a great year of riding. And, I love the Manitou Minute fork. I actually have one on my Klein too. This Minute with the thicker stanchions is rock steady. The whole bike is rock steady. In the first six months of owning it, I placed the best I ever had in an epic (100KM) race, took it to Moab for a week and rode local trail features I had never imagined being able to ride.

Tips for getting the most out of this versatile bike: I use the ProPedal feature on the Fox rear shock almost every ride. Yes, the bike will climb with the shock fully open, but the stiffer setting makes those long climbs just that much more bearable. And with practice, your hand will find the lever without looking down. The bike has great low speed handling. Leverage this to get through super technical climbs. It’s a very consistent bike – learn how it reacts, and then learn to trust those reactions. Now that you know what it can do, you can push the limits. For example, I manual the front end a lot to compensate for the lower bottom bracket. The fork can take the abuse, so I manual off of step downs where possible to ensure that I clear the chain rings. I chipped a tooth off the big ring in Moab dropping off a stone step down.

Problems have been few: At just under two years, the rear triangle broke mid-ride. And not the carbon seat stays. I think the asymmetrical chain stays are under a lot of torque forces. Gary Fisher replaced the part for free inside of two weeks from start to finish. Additionally, replace the stock tires with something with more grip if you ride in loose or wet conditions. I ride an old set of Panaracers 2.1″ with a tried and true tread design.

Oh, and yes. This bike can goad you to go faster than you may be ready for. On Moab’s Porcupine Rim Trail, my brother and I passed a motocross bike in the r-r-ruff on the downhill running from the rim overlook back to Sand Flats Road. A pinnacle moment for a mountain biker. The guy about fell off his motorbike when we flew past on his left :-0 That’s the kind of bike this one is. Surprisingly competent and tougher than it looks. Great for true all mountain riders who need to pedal up to rail down.

© Big Mountain Riding

The Mission 3 likes the steeps

Vitals:

Cost: $1300 frame and fork, $3750 as tested. Weight: 34 pounds www.diamondback.com

Eric McKeegan tests the top dog in Diamondback’s Mission line, the Mission 3, which is built to favor the descent-loving side of big mountain riding Modern all mountain bikes designed for big mountain riding can handle climbing chores almost as easily as they do descending. (Of course, it’s up to the rider to provide the power and/or mojo.) That said, some bikes are built more for the climbing side of all mountain, and some are set-up more for the steeps. The Mission 3 is one of those, with 2.3″ tires front and rear, and up to 150MM (5.9″) travel front and rear. Unfortunately, all this rough-and-tumble capability comes at a price in weight, the Diamondback Mission 3 tips the scales at 34-pounds (15.4 KG).

Like a good all mountain rig should, the Diamondback Mission 3 encourages chutzpah and aggressive riding. Eric found himself taking the rough way home, plowing through rocks and roots and looking for jumps. The bike also proved worthy in the park, and handled his trip to the indoor park with guts. The bike also features the Truativ Hammerschmidt system up front (an integrated system including the front sprockets, shifter and crank arms.

Components highlights: The Fox RP23 rear shock works well with the Knucklebox suspension system to keep the center of gravity low, eat up small and medium bumps and deal with the occasional big hit. Up front is a new Fox 32 TALAS RL, with 3 travel settings, 110, 130 and 150 MM (4.3″, 5.12″ and 5.9″) with a functional on-the-fly adjustable lever, giving the rider some good options depending on the trail. Shifting: SRAM X.9 rear derailleur and shifters, Truativ Hammerschmidt. Stoppies: Avid Elixir CR 185 f/160 r. A nice touch is the carbon Easton handlebar, the Easton Monkey Lite CNT.

Read the whole Dirt Rag Review of the Diamondback Mission 3.

© Big Mountain Riding

A Rock Gardener’s Delight: Virginia’s Sherando Lake State Park

Big Mountain Riding elements: Big elevation changes, East Coast flow, extended rock gardens, mountain views

The views are great from the trails at Sherando Lake State Park

To make the most of the week of beautiful weather we’re having, I headed up to the Blue Ridge Mountains for a big mountain riding adventure ride at Sherando Lake State Park. The park is best-known for its scenic 25-acre lake and campground. However, it also features some very gonzo mountain bike trails. Peppered with rock gardens and featuring more natural flow than many East Coast trails, the area boasts some epic rides. The first time I visited the park it was a late-fall ride and before we were done, I had puked from the bone-rattling ride and cool air (the Gatorade breakfast hadn’t helped either) and one of our party broke a rib. That ride my style suffered from a trashed 100mm fork as well, which made the rock gardens a special torture. We also found one of the hugest climbs in our area, Mills Creek Trail, with 8 progressively tighter switchbacks on the way up a steep valley side.

On this day I planned on avoiding that particular climb, and having fun by cherry-picking a few of the more “fun” trails. After parking at White Rock Gap on the Blue Ridge Parkway several miles south of the turn-off for the park (somewhere in the middle of the ride area, vertically speaking) I started off by railing a quick 2.5 mile creek side descent to Sherando Lake. Fortunately I happened to see an approaching group of hikers well ahead of time, and I halted and let them pass. After pleasantries, it was back to the sheer joy of dropping a smooth single track where gravity carries the rider over the rocks and roots in a flow like the stream running next to the trail. I pumped over a few obstacles and put the puzzle pieces together for a successful crossing of the stone-filled stream bed as the trail flattened out.

In the park, I looked over a notice board description of the trails and chose the Blue Loop Trail as a way of getting back up to above my starting point. I saw I could make a loop of it using Torrey Ridge Trail and the Slacks Trail back to White Gap Trail. AVOID the Blue Loop Trail – or at least the 1-mile segment connecting the lake with Torrey Ridge Trail. It is short, steep and stepped. Loose gravel covers the first 1/4 mile or so, and then stone stairs and rock gardens take care of all but the last 1/4 mile or so, beyond Lookout Rock. Lookout rock is worth the view, though I’d recommend coming down from Torrey Ridge Trail to see it and not up from the campground.

The sandy beach of Sherando Lake below Lookout Rock

Having gained the ridge, it was a 3-mile roller coaster climb up to the Slacks Trail. However, this is the easy section of the Torrey Ridge Trail … The 2.5-mile run down the Slacks Trail is one of the joys of mountain biking. It flows well, and is more than 95% down hill. Two rock gardens spice things up, both rideable, I believe. Although I’m still smarting from going down in the second rock garden (later in the day, in the rain). This trail is so good that I climbed all the way back up to Bald Mountain to do it again, after lunch.

Following a lunch break at the car at White Rock Gap (forewarned is forearmed, I had a cooler full of treats), I pedaled up the Blue Ridge Parkway to Bald Mountain. Originally, I had planned on getting there via the White Rock Falls trail, right across the road from White Rock Gap, but it was marked for foot travel only. The Parkway was a better idea anyway, as traffic was light on a weekday and I could use the big ring for a great deal of the climb. At Bald Mountain, I turned in on the Fire Road, rode for less than a mile and turned right up to Bald Mountain. The Torrey Ridge Trail dropped off to the left near the end of the double-track. It started innocently enough, and I encountered another hiker and asked about the rest of the Torrey Ridge Trail, which descended all the way down the ridge beyond the lake. However, after leaving the hiker, less than 1/2 a mile into the trail, I hit the first rock garden. And this was followed by one of the most extensive rock gardens around. A long, downhill affair with several stages. I had encountered it before, and been thwarted. As I was this time. Too psychologically intimidating.

The bigger they are the harder they fall - that's the trail, folks!

After walking (on trembling chicken legs down through the rock garden, I pedaled it out to the Slacks Trail in the cool Appalachian rain and railed it all again, except for taking a could-have-been-a-lot-worse spill in the second rock garden. I put a foot down on the downhill side too near the edge of the trail, turned my ankle on a rock, and did a tumble in the rocks. Miraculously, I came away with only a banged knee and hip bone. No flowing blood or big bruises. That’s why all good rock gardeners wear protection, my friends. So they don’t end up gazing down horrified at their own bones protruding from their leg or arm. Rocks play for keeps.

Sherando Lake has a great mix of trails for those willing and able to climb for the reward. I’d recommend parking at White Rock Gap or at the Slacks Overlook, as they are in the middle vertically. However, if you have shuttle vehicles, you could park one at Bald Mountain and another down at the end of Torrey Ridge Trail, or at the park itself and get some fun downhill runs in. Big Levels trail also goes off of Bald Mountain, and is an old favorite.

Trails covered on this adventure ride: White Rock Gap Trail, Slacks Trail, Blue Loop Trail, Torrey Ridge Trail

Other big mountain riding favorites in the area: Big Levels Trail …

© Big Mountain Riding

Getting There:

Sherando Lake Recreational Area / State Park
96 Sherando Lake Road
Lyndhurst VA 22952

From Interstate 64: Take exist 96 off Interstate 64 just east of Stuarts Draft, Virginia. Go South on State Route 624. The road number changes to State Route 664 at Lyndhurst, Virginia, but there is no distinct turn. Continue South on State Route 664 approximately 8 miles to the entrance to the Sherando Lake Recreation Area on the right. The gate house is approximately 1/2 mile ahead. If the gatehouse is closed, continue through the recreation area to the group camping area at the end of the road.

From the south or southwest: Sherando Lake State Park is accesible from the Blue Ridge Parkway. You can get to the Parkway via Route 664 (Wintergreen Resort) or from I-81 N: Take exit 213 for US-11 toward US-340/Greenville, Follow signs for 340 and turn left on US-340, Turn right at Draft Ave/VA-608, Continue to follow VA-608 until it turns into VA-610, follow 610 to Torrey Road, turn right on Torrey Road, Park entrance is on the right in about 4 miles.