Ok, so I may have been a little over-ambitious in my New Year’s resolutions this year. Earlier this month I signed up to complete my first 100-mile mountain bike ride, the Cohutta 100 in Tennessee on April 28. It’s 100 days to race day and I’m starting to wonder what I’ve gotten myself into.

The Cohutta 100 is the opener in the annual National Ultra Endurance (NUE) Series so all the best endurance athletes from around the US will be there to kick off the season. As far as 100-mile mountain bike race courses go, the Cohutta is said to be a relatively good one for first-timers with a low singletrack-to-fire-road ratio. Still, the route climbs a total of 14,000 feet and crosses the state line into Georgia and back.

Tanasi Trail System. Photo: ositoking.

At the northern end, the race starts at the Brush Creek and Tanasi trail systems, located near the Ocoee Whitewater Center before heading south on forest roads through the Cohutta Wilderness area. At the southern end, this year’s course will include sections of the Pinhoti trail for the first time, adding another fun and well known singletrack trail to the mix. The race returns to Tennessee via the same forest roads with a downhill singletrack finish on the well-known Thunder Rock trail.

Training for the race

Completing a dirty century mountain bike race has always been on my to-do list and in 2008 I completed the Sumter Dirty Metric Century in South Carolina. That race was 100K which works out to 62.1 miles – nearly 40 miles short of 100. To be honest, I barely survived that race and at that time I couldn’t imagine going for 100 miles. Apparently time dulls painful memories.

But here I am – it’s 2012 and I’m committed, having already plunked down my $135 race registration fee. Doing the math, if I average 10mph during the race – which is aggressive – I’ll be on the bike for 10 hours. That’s four hours longer than the longest ride I’ve done so clearly I’m going to need to do some training.

The Bear Creek Overlook on the Georgia side of the Cohutta 100 course.

Unfortunately there aren’t a lot of (free) 100-mile mountain bike race training plans to skim online (one Google search I did brought up my own article about training for the Sumter Metric Century). I did find several 100-mile road cycling training plans but they all seemed way too wimpy (example: a 10-week plan that starts with a 25-mile “long” road ride). From the short paid plan excerpts I read online, a 100-mile mountain bike training plan should be at least 12-weeks long and will start off with a 4-hour “long” ride (35-40 miles for me).

So I built my own training plan. I won’t share the details of that plan until I complete the race (and know for sure the plan works!) but here’s the jist of it: progressively longer rides (distance but more importantly time) each weekend and 1-2 solid rides (20+ miles) during the week. I’ll use my road bike for about a third to a half of my training rides mainly because road biking offers a more consistent aerobic workout than the heart rate spikes you get from mountain biking. Plus road biking usually takes less time since I can start and end my rides at the house instead of driving to a trailhead.

Nutrition will play a key role in my success (or failure) during the race and in training so my plan includes finding the best things to eat during the ride. Think about it: in 10 hours time, even if you’re not exercising, you’ll eat 3 meals. Now add in the calories you’re burning on the bike and you need a ton of fuel to keep going. Eating regularly and often during my long rides will be key.

Although it’s 100 days until the race, my training plan doesn’t officially kick off until February 11, 12-weeks to race day. Even so, I’ve already started building my base with several 35-mile road rides and 25-mile mountain bike rides under my belt.

Training for a 100-mile mountain bike race promises to be a huge time commitment and mentally I know it’ll be tough to get out for long rides this winter. Still, riding my mountain bike 100 miles is something I’ve always wanted to do and there’s no better time than now to saddle up and do it!

Over the next 100 days I’ll be writing about my training progress which should help keep me motivated and accountable. Just one hundred days until I cross that finish line!

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GaDNR) is currently proposing a new fee to ride mountain bikes on trails in three state parks: Unicoi, Fort Yargo, and Hard Labor Creek (which will have brand new mountain biking trails opening in the next few months).  Fort Mountain State Park has had a trail fee in place for several years, and it will remain.  Area riders are up in arms over the new fee, but not because of the money.  In discussing the issue I’m going to focus mostly on Fort Yargo, because it’s the most popular of the three for mountain bikers.

I’ve spoken with several people involved in this issue trying to see all the different sides: Tim Banks, the Assistant Chief of Operations for GaDNR; Robin Allen, Communication Director for Southern Off Road Bicycle Association (SORBA); and Tim Schroer, owner of Dirty Spokes Productions who promotes mountain bike races, duathlons, XTERRA triathlons, and trail running races all across north Georgia, including Fort Yargo.

The Proposal

If the proposed system is put in place, it will require riders to check in at park offices before they ride.  They will fill out a form and pay a $2 per rider fee and be given a placard or something similar to attach to their bike or carry with them as proof they paid the fee.  This new fee will be in addition to the current $5 per vehicle parking fee.  An annual trail pass can be purchased for $25, and the annual parking pass cost will remain unchanged at $50.

Why Riders Are Angry

What I didn’t mention above is that ONLY mountain bikers have to pay the $2 trail fee.  Hikers and runners can use the trails without the fee (though they still have to pay for parking).  This is the main reason many mountain bikers are angry – for being singled out.  Further, the trails at Fort Yargo were built and maintained almost exclusively by volunteer mountain bikers from the Yargo Area Biking Association (YABA) with very little cost to the State.  I haven’t been able to find the exact numbers regarding just how much the State actually paid for the construction of the trails but I would imagine the trail has more than paid for itself thanks to the crowds of people it brings to the park.  Last year the Athens Banner-Herald reported that the park had over 400,000 visitors and an economic impact of more than $24 million on the local area.  Before the trails were built it was one of the least visited of all the State Parks.

Volunteers have built some super fun trails in Fort Yargo State Park.  Photo: Athurber

Mr. Banks pointed out that mountain bikers are one of the last user groups to be charged for activities in State Parks.  Horseback riding, disc golf, swimming pools, and boat rental users have been charged fees for years.  While mountain biking doesn’t use facilities that the State maintains (such as boat rentals for example), riders do enjoy other amenities in the parks that cost the park money to build and maintain such as picnic tables, paved parking, shelters, bathrooms, water, etc.  I would argue that our parking fee would cover the minimal maintenance costs of those facilities, no?

When asked why hikers and runners wouldn’t be charged to use the same trails, Mr. Banks told me they believe that certain basic activities in State Parks should be free, and walking is really as basic as it gets.  I totally agree.  But, we’re using the same exact facilities, and it simply isn’t right to charge one group and not another.

Another reason riders are angry about the fee is because the money will not necessarily go directly back to the trails. For that matter, the money might not even stay in the park where it’s collected, instead going into the general park system fund.  Mr. Banks explained to me, however, this is how ALL fees are handled, so it’s not like they’re only using bikers’ fees to fund other activities.

Many riders feel so strongly that the fee is unfair and “punishment for success,” as one person put it, they are threatening to stop riding at the parks, and not renewing their annual parking passes.  There is also the worry that the fee will alienate volunteers who have spent years working on these trails, so much so that they just stop working on them.  Many of them see this as a stab in the back.  There is also a fear of the negative economic impact this fee could have on the areas surrounding the parks if riders do indeed stop riding there.

The trails in Unicoi State Park are part of mountain biking history: they played host to the NORBA Nationals in the mid ’90s and the current Georgia State Championship series often uses Unicoi for its season finale race.  Photo: mtbgreg1

Why a New Fee?

Because the parks need money, that’s why.  Since 2008 state appropriation funding to the park system has been cut by 46%.  Despite the cuts, GaDNR has been able to keep all GA State Parks open.  But, if they want to keep them open, more money has to be raised. Mr. Banks said they estimate the fee will bring in an additional $2,500 the first year from Fort Yargo.  This doesn’t seem like much money to me.  I asked why not simply raise the parking fee?  Well, they did that just a few years ago, and they try not to raise it too often.  It had been unchanged for about 7 years before the most recent increase.

Volunteer Rewards Program

The parks had several town hall type meetings recently regarding the new fees and many riders showed up and voiced their concern.  One of the results of those meetings is a volunteer rewards program.  Anyone who volunteers 20hrs of trail work will receive a free annual trail pass for their entire family.  This is a win-win: it rewards volunteers, and it will help attract more volunteers.  The parks will also be awarding honorary lifetime trail passes to people who were instrumental in building and maintaining the trails.

Brothers Steve and Randy Gordon founded the Yargo Area Biking Association and have been working on the trails there for years.  Photo: YABA

What About Racing?

Races at the parks draw big crowds, bringing lots of people into the park and surrounding areas who wouldn’t otherwise have been there – their economic impact shouldn’t be taken lightly.  The Dirty Spokes race I did at Fort Yargo last year had over 400 racers, and it seems to grow every year.  A lot of riders wondered how, and if, the new fee would change the race – would racers still have to check in and pay the $2 fee?  Will it cause the race entry fees to go up?  I asked Tim Schroer about how the new fees will affect the races and here’s his response:

I don’t know how it will effect races at the parks but hope people see and understand we have a great situation here in Georgia with some outstanding state parks.  The facilities at each of the parks here in Georgia are very well maintained / grounds well manicured and looked after (I believe the daily user fees in California are about $12 and the way our parks are maintained are so much better than the ones we visited this past year in California).

It is my understanding the additional fees will not apply to the events or participants in the events (but have not had a formal conversation about it / however our contracts are in and signed for 2012 and they do not reflect the new fees).  If there is an additional charge in years to come we will absorb the costs (we are in our 7th year of putting on these events and have never raised our prices.)

I had an awesome time racing at Fort Yargo last year.

SORBA’s Stance

When I spoke with Robin Allen it was clear that SORBA is taking the long view on this – how can it be used to improve mountain biking in Georgia?  The issue has (hopefully) opened a dialog between GaDNR and SORBA.  Robin said they’re trying to show the state just how awesome mountain biking can be for the park system.  If the success at Fort Yargo could be duplicated in other parks it would only be a good thing for everyone: the parks, riders, and communities around the parks.  SORBA had staff members (and plenty of local chapter members as well) at each of the meetings regarding the fee and they pushed for a fair solution, and especially something that rewards volunteers.  The parks listened (somewhat at least) and will be implementing the volunteer rewards program I discussed above.

What is the Answer?

There’s no getting around the fact that the parks need money to stay open. I understand that, as do most other riders.  Like I said, the money isn’t why riders are angry.  It’s the principal of the matter.  They’re angry because they’re being singled out.  They’re especially angry since they’re being singled out to use facilities they built and maintain for the park which have greatly benefited the park via increased visitors and parking fee revenue.  No good deed goes unpunished as they say.

Now, I don’t think the answer is to apply the trail fee to everyone.  Sorry, but I can’t stand behind charging someone to walk in a State Park.  In my opinion, there shouldn’t be a trail fee, period.  The only fair solution in my mind is to raise the parking fee.  This is completely fair since everyone would have to pay it, not just one user group.  And it would raise much more money than charging mountain bikers to ride.

If the park system would work with riders we could be a huge asset to them.  We’ll help secure funding to get new trails built, and we’ll swing the tools to build them as well.  We’ll maintain them for free.  Those trails bring a new group of people into the park that otherwise wouldn’t have come.  Races will help draw even more people into the park.  We don’t just come to the park with bikes and riding gear – we come with money to spend in the surrounding communities.  We camp, stay at hotels, buy gas, eat at local restaurants, and shop at local stores.  But by discriminating against mountain bikers by charging riders, and only riders, a fee to use multi-use trails, the parks would be biting the hand that feeds them.  Many riders will simply ride someplace else, where their volunteer work isn’t rewarded with a fee targeted only at them.   There are 172 trails listed in the Singletracks trail database for Georgia - riders have lots of choices.

Got An Opinion?

GaDNR is accepting comments on the new fee until Jan 20th (Friday).  If you would like to submit comments send them to Director.GSPHS@dnr.state.ga.us

Also, as always, use the comments section here on the blog to tell us what you think.

I’d like to thank Tim Banks, Robin Allen, and Tim Schroer for taking the time to answer my multiple e-mails, phone calls, and text messages.

Interbike is a fascinating place, and if you ever get the chance to stroll through the booths you will find tons of fascinating products. Jeff and I were both really impressed with some of the things we saw, and at other times we were thoroughly unimpressed by some of the downright-ridiculous designs. We made sure to swing by most of our usual stops to chat with folks such as e*thirteen, Fox, iXS, Spank, SRAM, Shimano, Intense, Santa Cruz, Osprey, THE, and Easton. Interbike is seriously the greatest when it comes to getting a sneak peak at the latest gear and talking with your favorite riders.

e*thirteen

One of my first stops was at the e*thirteen booth. It’s hard to believe you can improve on such a great crank, but e*thirteen managed to squeeze 60 grams out of last year’s design by using an alloy axle and machining a little bit off the spider here and there. Not only did the crank just go through a weight reduction, but they also managed to change up the bottom bracket, making it more durable and easier to install.

Along with the cranks, there are two clever new pedals from e*thirteen: the LG1+ and LG1R. The pedals feature an alloy body, plates that attach to the pedal, and user-selectable 4mm or 7mm pins. The LG1R has titanium spindles and pins while the LG1+ features chromoly. The difference in weight between the two pedals is 88 grams (380g and 468g, respectively).

Race Face

Hard Goods

Race Face was at the show, but you had to look really hard to find their booth. Essentially the hard goods line-up has changed ever so slightly with the introduction of the Chester cranks. The Chester is basically Race Face’s entry-level DH crank, the Respond is their mid-level, and the Atlas is their top-tier DH crank.

Race Face is also getting ready to launch the SIXC, which is a new DH crank modified with a longer-than-average axle. The SIXC cranks will be lighter than the new XO DH coming out from SRAM and the rubber boots are a nice addition meant to save the crank ends from damage.

Soft Goods

I spent some time talking with Wendy from Race Face and she was proud to show off some of the clothing and protection that will be offered for next year. It looks like the trend is toward simple colors with large contrasting logos and neat argyle prints (kind of like the Singletracks jersey). Needless to say, Wendy (who also does the design work) has done a great job at making gear that will look cool for both men and women.

The new trend in MTB armor is softer, more flexible pieces and Race Face is on the ball with their Flank line-up. This soft wrap-around leg armor features a ton of excellent elements such as D3O on the impact points of the knee and shin and a Terry Cloth liner.

Stay tuned for more from RaceFace in the near future.

Niterider

A brilliant example of lighting at Interbike was Niterider. With all their lights out on display, this booth really was a beacon in a sea of bike gear. Niterider’s best and brightest, the Pro 3000 LED, uses 6 large Cree LEDs and a massive Li-Ion battery; the whole package retails for less than $700. Along with the top model, Niterider has a light for just about every budget, including both rechargeable and non-rechargeable units. I had a chance to talk with Tom, the founder of Niterider, and it seemed that we both shared the same passion for good lighting systems and the conviction that there really weren’t any good bike lights available when Niterider started out.

FSA

FSA was displaying all of their 2012 gear nearby and the smell of high quality, nicely-finished carbon saturated the booth. The K-Force and SL-K gear for the XC-Trail rider may be a good idea for those looking to save some weight. I really appreciated the extensive use of uni-directional carbon in the products that were on display. The cranks feature a spine of aluminum to keep things stiff along with the monocoque structure that you see. With other carbon goodies in the form of bars, seat posts and stems, FSA was out to impress.

Ritchey 29er

Despite not being a big 29er fan, I just had to stop and stare a while at this beautiful 29er by Ritchey. For one thing, I owned one way back in the day that was made by Tom Ritchey himself, and my bike had the same “America F*$@ ya” paint job. I kinda miss that bike, and this beautiful ride, although very modern, still has that classic look to it. I found myself wishing I had the cash to pick one up.

From the integrated seat post clamp, to the adjustable rear dropouts that allow you to go either singlespeed or geared, to the highly-polished look, this bike really is a stunner. It’s a steel frame and has a projected cost of $999 (frame only). Depending how you build it up, you can get weights down to 21lbs for a single or 23lbs if you’re going with gears.

THE

THE was showing off their new colors for this year’s T2, along with some cool armor and gear. There’s a decent mix of mild to wild color schemes for you.

Loaded Precision

Loaded Precision was showing off a few new components for this year with their signature series wheels and pedals. For those of you who are interested, they will have a 150mm rear axle available soon in addition to all the present wheel configurations… and in a variety of colors to really pimp your bike out. Anthony from Loaded also mentioned the growing number of products in their XC line-up, including some fire-red 29er wheels!

Topeak

Topeak was there showing off their vast array of pumps and gear. Some interesting additions included a new chain tool called the Link Meister which is geared toward serious users and shops. The head on the Link Meister adjusts so that you can get the pins out perfectly straight without messing things up, thanks to an adjustable shoulder which cradles the chain in the link separator. A really robust set of mud guards for suspension bikes caught Jeff’s eye as well as mine. It may have been sheer fascination about the whole idea, but I have to say they looked pretty sweet. I was thinking about tossing a pair on my DH bike…

For the Apple fanboys and fangirls out there, Topeak showed an iPhone 4 (and now iPhone 4S) compatible stem mount. Unlike the other iPhone handlebar mounts we’ve seen and used, this one put the phone front and center and leaves a cut-out for the phone’s camera. Not only can you use your iPhone as a GPS/cycling computer, now you can use it as a POV camera. Brilliant!

Randomness

When you go to Interbike, you will inevitably come across some oddities along with all the cool ideas. Below is one such product in the making (which type is it? that’s up to you). Still a prototype, this 4-wheeled pedal bike features full independent suspension using Rock Shox Monarchs. As Jeff and I chatted with the owners, we did see many places were weight could be removed. Presently this bike is pushing over 50lbs.

Azonic

Azonic proudly displayed the Outlaw wheels, which have been their staple product for many years and are now available in a 29er version and in an expanded color line. Along with that were bars and stems in the same color patterns for that perfect match.

Azonic has partnered up with O’neal to produce some cool looking threads and skid lids. Their focus seems to be all about color and a mix of retro patterns with modern graphics.

Twenty6

Before the show started, I got an invitation to visit Twenty6. Twenty6 is a small, high tech company that machines kick ass gear. Not only is the gear super slick, but they also have some rich color choices.

Below is just a sample of different color options. I’ll have a review written up soon on the Predator pedals, so stay tuned!

Pro Riders

Remember when I mentioned that Interbike offers access to celebrity riders? Well, great riders like Matt Hunter and Darren Berrecloth were at the iXS booth for a while signing posters and chatting it up.

I even got to spend a little while chatting with Matt. Having limited time, I just had to ask him how he did a particular jump in Seasons where he boosted off a kicker into a loose wall of dirt… it looked absolutely crazy! I got him to talk about how he felt going into it for the first time. It turns out a mix of confidence and fear with a bunch of adrenaline thrown in motivated him. I was really impressed to hear that he is human like the rest of us. Just in case you’re wondering, you can meet Matt in Whistler yourself during the summer months at the Summer Gravity Camp.

iXS

Speaking of iXS, they had a great line up of new 2012 gear on display. With a huge range of colors and improvements, I can’t wait to see when they will all be available. The new METIS shown below looks even better up close. The additional pad in back provides a perfect mating to a Leatt brace, and it provides excellent ventilation.

Not only does iXS make cool helmets, but they also produce a bunch of hemispherical goggles that really rock. They offer a dozen graphic styles to match or clash your helmets. iXS’s gloves and clothing are definitely something to behold. This is one website you must visit.

Spank

Spank had a bunch of shiny, new parts on display as well. They had a prototype stem that I thought looked absolutely amazing! The stem was beautifully CNC-machined, but I was told by Gavin Vos, the co-owner of Spank, that it is just a sample and that the final forged unit will be even stronger. The introduction of complete wheels from Spank also really peaked my interest. Even though I have no issues lacing up my own wheels, a complete solution with both hubs and rims is something I personally like.

The new Spike bar with another Spike stem prototype on display.

Speaking of Spike, stay tuned for a review of the new Spike pedals which, based on my initial rides, are excellent. These beasts have forged bodies with 20 pins on a true flat / thin body. How thin? 12mm to be exact. Not the thinnest, but in practical terms you can’t get much thinner without sacrificing strength.

In a previous post we talked a bit about wheels. Well, Spank has a few wheel sets bound to suit your riding style. The Spike and Spoon wheels look excellent with a bunch of innovative features like the BeadNip profile, the OhhBah inner wall, and zero eyelet construction. Again, Gavin explained why they decided to go without eyelets. They thought, “Why drill an extra large hole and add an eyelet, when precision drilling the holes with the correct angle will make a better interface and stronger wheel?”

Kore

Kore had a bunch of glossy parts out on display as well as a neat prototype of a new 35mm-diameter bar. They aren’t trying to set another standard just for the heck of it, but they reason that with bigger hit bikes, there is a real need for stronger gear that is more resistant to fatigue.

SRAM

One of my last Interbike stops was with SRAM. I talked with Tyler Morland for a while, and he showed off all the goodies to me. SRAM knows how to deliver! For one thing they had celebrities there with their bikes. Can you name the rider pictured below?

You know you done good when you have a tire named after you, like Danny Hart. Danny was around with his Giant showing off all the SRAM gear.

SRAM had all their components on display with new colors like the XO Silver, and there were other new additions to the line up like the XO DH chainring and bashguard.

Jeff and I both agree that the new X5 Group could be a game-changer next year. It looks like X9 but at a much lower price point. Tyler pointed out that essentially these two groups are the same and that the reduced pricing is a result of changes in materials. You will probably start seeing these on bikes in the $800 range – nice gear at a cheaper price point.

Shifting looks very X9ish as well.

The biggest story with SRAM is that you will have two more choices on gear for a total of 4 gear ranges for the chainrings: the original 42-28, 39-26, and now a lower 38-24 and an even lower 36-22. Another important set of products that SRAM will be releasing are easy-to-get repair kits for all your forks, shocks, and other gear.

Santa Cruz

The final stop that I had to make was Santa Cruz bikes. Like SRAM, you couldn’t miss this gorgeous booth with wall-to-wall wood and bike porn. Not to mention that Greg Minnar, Steve Peat, and Josh Bryceland were on hand as well.

Below are three of my favorite Santa Cruz bikes from the show:

The new carbon Nomad. This bike already was made even stronger than the aluminum version of the V10.

The new Carbon V10.

I got all goose-bumpy when I saw this rig! And to think that you can literally jump an entire highway with this bike and it’s still lighter than some XC bikes. What a testament to the strength found in newer carbon structures.

Santa Cruz Tallboy.

I have a lot of respect for this bike; the Tallboy is the bike that really turned me onto 29ers. A few people I know have this bike and they work magic on it–it climbs like a billy goat!

Well folks stay tuned for more – I hope to get a few more Interbike pics posted of even more sweet mountain bikes!

I had an absolute blast at the Sea Otter Classic this year! I don’t think it’s possible to spend the week at Sea Otter and not have a good time! It’s over a week later and I still haven’t finished sifting through all of the information that I collected at the event and writing reviews of all of the products that I tested, so there is no way that I could recap the entire event in just one blog post. Instead, I’d just like to post a collection of photos of cool products that I saw along with a few of my general impressions from the event.

View of the expo. Photo Credit: brightroom, seaotterclassic.com

Interesting MTB Products

Here are a few products that I thought were just plain awesome:

Dirty Dog DH Stem

All photos with no other credit listed were taken by yours truly.

Dirty Dog is known for creating incredibly unique brake rotor designs. This new stem named the “Reaper” is designed to be unlike any other stem on the market. Due to its short length and heavy weight, this is definitely not intended for the XC crowd… but I would love to mount one of these on my DH rig!

Purely Custom Bash Guard

This bash guard by Purely Custom is a truly innovative design. They have worked long and hard to integrate the rubber edge into the metal guard, and to identify the perfect balance between tackiness and durability in the compound. The result is a bash guard that is very environmentally friendly and doesn’t leave unseemly marks on rocks and other trail obstacles. In addition, it works like a third tire to provide extra traction and stability as you go over an obstacle. Instead of hitting a rock and sliding down it, this guard sticks and allows you to pedal right through!

Fox Suspension

I always enjoy ogling the new suspension, and Fox’s new line looks as gorgeous as ever!

Wooden Bicycles

Photo Credit: Arleigh Jenkins.

Photo Credit: Arleigh Jenkins.

I found out after returning from Sea Otter that I missed one of the coolest booths at the whole show: Renovo’s wooden bicycles. Since I didn’t personally get to see these 2-wheeled wooden works of art, be sure to read Arleigh Jenkins’ post about them at BikeShopGirl.com.

More Beautiful Bikes

One of the bikes I got a chance to test ride was the Diamondback Sortie. Oh how I envy joetutt and his new frame!

I also did my first-ever legitimate mountain bike singlespeed ride… and it was on a steel-framed Spot hardtail with a belt drive! I loved the simplicity of this bike and I’ll probably be writing a more detailed post about it sometime soon…

I would love to have the chance to test out a Niner Carbon Air 9. Maybe someday…

Of course, I’ve got to give a shout-out to my bros at Airborne bikes for the stellar rigs that they are introducing this spring. I got to put in some serious time on both the Goblin 29er and the Wingman DJ bike and I can’t believe the incredible value that Airborne is providing in these two bikes! I’ve already written a short review of the Wingman, and will soon be drafting an initial impressions review of the Goblin, along with a more detailed review after I’ve been able to ride it for a few months. Be sure to check out some GoPro footage of the Wingman on the pumptrack further down this post.

Nutritionals

It seemed that around every corner, there was another booth for some type of granola bar, organic energy drink, or some other type of food. Well one thing is clear: mountain bikers like to eat, and they (generally) like to eat healthy!

I was in heaven while sampling all of these various flavors of peanut butter. I got the chance to sample everything from a raisin-laden peanut butter to dark chocolate and p.b. I’m seriously a peanut butter fanatic, and basically every single flavor that I sampled was the best I have ever had! This all-natural peanut butter perfection will cost you though: MSRP is $5-6 per bottle. ilovepeanutbutter.com

FRS was giving away delicious, natural energy drinks all weekend. Check out this blog post for more details on FRS.

In addition to the couple of products mentioned here, I saw booths for Hammer Nutrition, Luna Bar, Larabar, Nuun, a few different coffee sellers, Dannon yogurt, and of course Clif had a massive tent, as usual. More than once I passed on buying lunch and opted instead to just stroll the fair and eat samples!

MTB Racing

Traditionally, racing is what the Sea Otter Classic is renowned for, so naturally there were tons of races and practice runs going on every minute of the day.

Photo Credit.

Jerry Hazard of the Airborne Flight Crew tearing it up during his DH race run!

Manualing through the rollers during practice for the speed and style competition.

Photo Credit: Arleigh Jenkins

Photo Credit: Arleigh Jenkins

Dual Slalom race.

Riding

Rider: Tony Caruso. Photo: Greg Heil.

While there are races going on all the time during the event, many riders (such as myself) choose to ride at a more leisurely pace and explore the massive 80+ mile network of trails at Fort Ord.

The pumptrack was also a very popular feature this year. The footage below was taken on Thursday, the industry-only day, so I basically had the place all to myself. But once Saturday hit, the track was teeming with literally dozens of people all day long.

Pumptrack footage taken aboard the Airborne Wingman.

The big air bag was a big hit as well.

Conclusion

So maybe I did try to recap the entire event in just one article.  This has definitely been a mega-post, but it is just a small sampling of all the action that takes place at Sea Otter every year!

What are you doing next April?

The Sea Otter Classic is returning to Monterey, California this weekend for its 21st year in a row and it looks to be bigger and badder than ever! I was able to attend last year courtesy of Airborne Bicycles, and this year I’m excited to return.

On the outside possibility that you haven’t heard of it, Sea Otter is simply one of the biggest (if not the biggest) bike fair/expo/race/events of the year covering all disciplines of riding. Last year there were almost 60,000 people present over the course of the weekend. While this event is technically cross-discipline, Sea Otter has a very distinct mountain bike bent to it.

The scope of this event is so huge that there is no way you could ever hope to experience it all in one day. In fact, even if you are there for all 4 days of the event, it is still physically impossible to take everything in!

Mayhem at Sea Otter: There are people and bikes everywhere!

Here’s a hypothetical dilemma: let’s say you show up and buy a one day pass to Sea Otter. Which  should you choose to do: watch or participate in one of the many races, tour the 400 booths at the fair and ogle the newest gear and pick up free samples and stickers, test ride brand-new mountain bikes that might not even be on the market yet, watch one of those crazy trials riders do a show, eat delicious food, play on one of the pump tracks, or go for a ride and explore the incredible singletrack of Fort Ord?

Personally, I recommend a large dose of all of the above. The problem is, there is no way you can do all that in one single day… and it would be tough to do even over the course of the entire event!

New for This Year

Ladies Day

On Sunday the 17th Sea Otter will feature a day set aside for events and rides geared specifically toward female riders. On tap for Sunday are “women-specific clinics, [a] demo ride, panel discussion, and product displays, plus a wine and chocolate reception.”

Side note: Now, I’d think most dedicated mountain biking ladies would appreciate this nod in their direction from a male-dominated sport, and I don’t think any guys would be opposed to it, either. Think about the possible benefits for the male gender as a whole: more female-specific events will probably lead to more female mountain bikers, which for all the singles out there is definitely a good thing! Well, the National Coalition of Men disagree, and have threatened the Classic with a lawsuit claiming that these events geared toward women were in fact discriminating against men. C’mon, really? Someone didn’t have enough coffee this morning…

Sea Otter Celebrates Bike Shops

Sea Otter is making an effort to promote local bike shops and dealers by allowing them free access to all 4 days of the event, as well as “dealers-only demo rides, along with dealer clinics, seminars, and daily receptions.”

New Events

Several new events have been added to the roster this year:

Handcycling has been added to Sea Otter’s athlete competitions, in the Road Circuit races.  Also up for 2011:  Speed and Style, which legendary freeriding course designer Jeff Lenosky calls “a combination of a head-to-head race and a freestyle jump contest.”  And Camp of Champions is bringing its Big Air Bag to Sea Otter!  With top pros as coaches, mountain bikers can learn on the Big Air Bag how to make those jumps like a pro.

Downhill Course

Construction is currently underway on a brand new course for the DH race. This update will hopefully silence many of the naysayers who have spoken out against the ease of the course in past years.

Photo taken from the Sea Otter Classic Facebook page.

Coverage

Many of the standard media outlets and some other large mountain bike websites will undoubtedly cover all of the happenings at Sea Otter this year in much greater detail than I ever could. Regardless, even though I may only be portraying a small slice of the entire event, I’m going to take a crack at it! Last year, I published a number of posts during my time at Sea Otter. I had just started blogging seriously a few months before, so this year I come to the game with much more experience, and a little bit more of a plan.

Obviously there is a small chance that this might not happen, but I am currently envisioning literally dozens of short blog posts this year. I plan on covering everything I possibly can including sweet gear, bike reviews, interesting vendors, unique activities, the trails, my experiences, everything Airborne, and possibly some racing action! I just hope I don’t get food poisoning again…

If you choose to follow my blog posts, you can be sure that you’ll get a unique perspective of all the goings on at Sea Otter! I’ll be publishing a recap post here on Singletracks in the aftermath of the event, but if you want a live stream of posts and tweets during the next week, be sure to stay tuned to my personal MTB blog: GregRidesTrails.com!

Your Turn

Are you attending Sea Otter 2011? Drop me a comment… we should meet up for a ride.

Can’t make it out this year? What sort of blog posts from the event are you most interested in seeing?

Icebreaker produces technical outdoor apparel featuring New Zealand merino wool as their material of choice. Until recently, the company has mostly focused on producing base layers, coats, and socks for backpackers and adventurers but all of that is about to change! This year Icebreaker is releasing a complete line of cycling-specific clothing featuring their signature merino wool, and I was lucky enough to score the Roto Short Sleeve Half Zip jersey to review… even before it was available to the general public!

The Material: Merino Wool

Merino wool actually comes from the merino sheep that dwell in the high mountains of New Zealand. As Icebreaker’s website claims, “Our merino fibre was created by nature to protect the animal in the harsh environment of New Zealand’s Southern Alps. If the fibre didn’t work, the animal would die. We can’t design a better fibre, so we’ve turned nature’s merino into a clothing system for humans.”

Icebreaker also claims that one merino fiber breathes as well as the entire garment. How that is possible, I’m not entirely sure, but I’ll let the comfort and performance of the garment speak for itself.

The Jersey

The Roto jersey itself features a half zip for temperature control, a zippered pocket in back for stowing small items quickly, and mesh panels under the arms for increased ventilation and cooling. There is a little Lycra blended in with the merino to help it fit snugly and dry quickly.

On the Trail

The first thing I thought when I pulled the SS Roto on was, “This may be the most comfortable thing I have worn…. ever!” I’m dead serious: this merino wool makes you feel like straight up royalty! It’s soft, light, and not at all scratchy like some pieces of clothing made out of traditional wool tend to be.

Also, the Roto jersey is devoid of any obnoxious elastic bands around the bottom or the sleeves. I’ve never understood what the purpose of having elastic in those spots is, as for a mountain biking jersey it seems quite pointless… and uncomfortable. My elastic-bottom jerseys always seem to ride up while I’m out there killing it, and constantly pulling my jersey down totally detracts from my hardcore factor. But with the Roto, this is not an issue!

Despite the lack of elastic bands, the jersey fits snugly enough to perform well yet loose enough to be comfortable – but not too loose. During actual mountain biking, these factors pay off in a jersey that rides well and feels so good that you simply begin to ignore it. In my opinion, that’s what makes a good mountain bike jersey!

One final note: odor. Icebreaker’s website claims that merino helps minimize body odor. I’ve noticed 2 things in relation to this:

1. After several long, sweaty rides, my jersey smells a little musty, but not nearly as rank as a polyester jersey usually smells. In my experience, after 1 or 2 rides a polyester jersey will begin to reek, even before you pull it on. Not that that stops me from wearing the same one for a full week in a row…
2. When I was sweating heavily in the Roto out on the trail, I noticed that I had a peculiar odor about me. It wasn’t a bad odor per se, but it wasn’t really a good odor either… it was simply unique. I’ve switched back and forth between this new jersey and one of my old ones, and I can verify that no, the smell wasn’t me, it was definitely the jersey. I don’t think this detracts from it one bit, I just thought it was a curious item to note. I have yet to see if this odor will continue after I machine wash it a couple of times. I’ll be sure to keep you posted.

The Bottom Line

Icebreaker’s SS Roto Half Zip jersey is the most comfortable mountain bike jersey I have ever worn! It’s comfortable, functional, and I think the color is pretty killer as well. However, this quality comes at a price: $100, to be exact. While I know that I personally could never afford full retail price for this at the moment, this price point actually falls roughly in the middle of the range for other cycling clothing lines like Pearl iZumi.

But if you’ve got the cash and are looking for a comfortable, stylish jersey that is anything but normal, I highly recommend the SS Roto from Icebreaker!

Thanks to Icebreaker for providing this jersey for review.

White Mesa trail on BLM land in New Mexico. Photo by Speedman.

On Friday the US Bureau of Land Management issued its Wild Lands policy and according to BLM Director Bob Abbey, this new designation could allow mountain biking in designated Wild Land areas. Not to be confused with Wilderness designations where mountain bikes are still prohibited, Wild Lands gives the BLM a new designation for federal lands where land use decisions are made on a case by case basis. So Wild Lands won’t all be open to mountain bikes – but many of them may be.

The Wild Lands designation also differs from existing Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs) in that WSAs are managed “to retain their wilderness characteristics until Congress makes a decision to designate the areas as Wilderness or to release the areas for non- wilderness uses.” Wild Lands designations, on the other hand, will be established after a public input and planning period where non-wilderness uses (like mountain biking) will be considered. These uses can be amended over time and Wild Lands can potentially become (bike-restricted) WSAs or Wilderness areas in the future.

Admittedly I’m no public policy expert and I’m interested to hear IMBA’s perspective on the new guidance. The New York Times posted a good article explaining the policy and you can also read the official BLM release and this Q&A document about Wild Lands.

What do you think? Is the new BLM guidance a good thing or bad thing for mountain bikers?

Airborne Bicycles just announced on their Facebook page Friday night that they are officially accepting applications for the 2011 Airborne Flight Crew.  They are currently looking to fill 6 positions, replacing 5 people from last year and adding 1 new position to bring the total number of Crew members up to 12.

As a returning member of the Flight Crew I can personally vouch for how awesome of a deal this is! It is truly a unique experience to be able to shape the course of a mountain bike brand as it develops.

Influence aside, this is really an incredible gig. In exchange for repping the brand digitally, you get:

• An (almost) all expenses-paid trip to the Sea Otter Classic
• 1 or 2 free Airborne bikes for you to keep
• Other free gear and schwag
• Insane discounts on the rest of the Airborne line

I’ve written more of my thoughts on being a member of the Flight Crew in this post. In it, I reminisce about all of the unique experiences that I had in 2010 and I look forward to what 2011 has in store.

If you are interested in joining us on the Airborne Flight Crew, you have to act fast: submissions are due by March 15. For more information, please read this document with all of the official rules.

I plan on attending the first ever Southern Mountain Bike Summit will be held in Brevard, NC March 25-27.  The SMBS will bring riders, land managers, industry leaders, and politicians together to “teach, learn, meet, greet, ride, and grow the sport of mountain biking in the Southeast.”

The summit will have sessions about a wide range of topics, including some specifically for land managers.  The topics include:

-Leadership Training
-Working with the USDA Forest Service
-Creating Great Trails and Trail Communities
-National Mountain Bike Patrol Training
-Growing Healthy Chapters and Clubs
-Success Stories: Model Trail Systems in the South

There will also be a movie screening, silent auction, the SORBA Board of Directors meeting, and awards for volunteers.  And of course, there will be riding!  Friday the ride will leave from Poppies Gourmet Farmers Market, Saturday’s ride will be somewhere in Pisgah National Forest (home to some of the gnarliest singletrack in the country), and Sunday’s rides will be at DuPont State Forest (home to the most slickrock riding this side of Moab).  There will also be bike demos available for Sunday.

I’m stoked for the summit and will post a summary afterward.  It’ll be a good chance to learn some new things about advocacy, and it’ll be my first time riding Pisgah and DuPont.

Head over the Pisgah Area SORBA webpage for more details and registration information.  At only $65 for the whole weekend registration is very reasonable and one and two day passes are also available.  The price does go up if you register after March 10th, so sign up early!

The weather is warming up and the trails are drying out here in the southeast which can only mean one thing: mountain bike season is on the way! Here are a few mountain bike news items we’re digging this week.

2012 London Olympics MTB Course

photo courtesy news.bbc.co.uk.

We’ve written about the 2012 Olympic mountain bike course a couple times already but this week BBC News posted more details about the new trail. The overall loop is just 5K (about 3 miles) – much shorter than we imagined – which means the men will ride about 8 laps or so. That also means the race will be super spectator-friendly for up to 20,000 fans and tickets will cost between 20 and 45 pounds ($32 to $72).

The course itself appears to be mostly done and workers have covered the rocky course with a layer of sand to protect it from erosion before the games. Since there weren’t enough rocks on site, 1.1 billion pounds of rock (that’s right – with a B) was brought in to armor the trail and provide a more technical challenge. There’s about 230 vertical feet between the high and low points on the course, though there’s no word on the actual ascent per lap. Check out more pics here.

DH Race at Cape Verde Benefits Children

On February 14 the Urge Cabo Verde DH event wrapped up at Cape Verde off the west coast of Africa. Here’s how one press release describes the race:

The concept for the event is simple: take a handful of the world’s best mountain bike riders and drop them into an under-privileged part of the world for an event that is more about helping the local children than a finishline at the bottom of a mountain (or volcano in this case).

On the womens’ side, Tracey Moseley took top honors while Rocky Mountain sponsored rider Sabrina Jonnier of France took second. From what we’ve seen the trails and conditions were epic but don’t get your hopes up about racing next year: the race is invitation only. Find out more about the event and the charities it supports.

Honey Stinger/Trek Mountain Bike Team

The Honey Stinger/Trek mountain bike team announced its 2011 roster yesterday and offers an impressive list of who’s who in mountain biking. With 37 amateur and pro riders, including Jen Gersbach and 24 Hour national champs Max Taam, Sari Anderson, and Len Zanni, we’re bound to see the honey-combed jersey on the podium this season. The team will compete in several high profile Colorado mountain bike races including the Firecracker 50, Leadville 100, and the Breck Epic Stage Race.

With Lance Armstrong’s (second) retirement announcement yesterday, perhaps this means he’ll find some time to coach the Honey Stinger off-road team. After all, Armstrong is a part owner in Honey Stinger and is (was?) sponsored by Trek so he’s (David Puddy voice) gotta support the team!

Pro Photographer Hosts MTB Photography Course

Nationally acclaimed outdoor photographer Scott Markewitz is hosting a mountain bike photography course in Moab this spring and you’re invited! Western Spirit will take care of the logistics so all you need is your DSLR camera and a mountain bike! Oh, and the registration fee – $1,995 which includes four nights lodging and all meals and instruction. Contact Western Spirit at 800-845-2453 or biking@westernspirit.com to reserve your space and check out Scott’s MTB photo gallery here.

Ah December – when most of the mountain bike news seems to be coming from places outside the US! Here’s what we’re reading about this week.

Ikea Mountain Bikes: Don’t get your hopes up (or down) yet – these aren’t for sale to the public. Instead, Ikea workers in Maryland received 26-inch mountain bikes made specifically for the employees. Apparently this is sort of a Christmas bonus – last year workers got restaurant gift cards. One employee said “I think it’s a wonderful gift. It’s better than a calendar. The only thing that could top it would be a smart car.” Indeed. I wonder if the bikes come assembled?

Glentress Forest “Scandal”: Glentress in Scotland is starting to show up on the radar of mountain bikers worldwide in part thanks to two former pro mountain bikers, Emma Guy and Tracy Brunger. Guy and Brunger have owned the Hub in the Forest for the past decade, offering a cafe, coaching services, and bike rentals to mountain bikers from all over the UK and beyond. Now the Forestry Commission has decided not to renew the business’s permit after announcing a new multi-million dollar visitors center. Admittedly we don’t completely understand the political process at work but it sounds like the owners are getting a raw deal and customers are sounding off online.

Guy had this to say: “We started it with a passion for mountain biking rather than making money. The new cafe will probably go to a chain with no interest in fixing someone’s bike or taking a group of kids out for free.”

Formula One Racer Breaks Shoulder Mountain Biking: Red Bull sponsored Formula One driver Mark Webber hid his broken shoulder and raced at the Japanese Grand Prix in October. Webber broke his shoulder while mountain biking which is apparently part of his training. This isn’t the first time Webber has been injured while mountain biking (he hid his injury the other time too). Team principal Chris Horner said “Our drivers have an obligation to make sure they are fit. It seems bikes don’t agree with Mark so maybe it would be better if he stayed away from them.” You’d think Red Bull, of all sponsors, would understand that mountain biking injuries happen from time to time.

Anecdotal evidence seems to show a fair amount of crossover between mountain biking and other motorsports like rally car racing. Combine the need for speed with the ability to pick lines and it seems the two sports share important similarities. Surprisingly (to me anyway) drivers need to stay fit too which makes mountain biking a good choice.

Mountain Bike Trails Opposed Due to Parking: As if we need another reminder that driving to the trails isn’t always the best solution, residents in Wahroonga, Australia are opposing a new mountain bike trail because there’s nowhere for riders to park their cars. Trust us, even if there isn’t a single place to park a car, mountain bikers will still find a way to ride new trails. After all, we’re on bikes, not Razor Scooters, and riding to the ride is always an option. Thank goodness IMBA is working hard here in the US to locate mountain bike trails close to urban and suburban areas for maximum accessibility.

And we thought foreclosures were just for homeowners! Last month creditor Factors Southwest foreclosed on Titus Bikes in Arizona for failure to pay the bills. British bike company Planet X Ltd. scooped up the brand assets late last month at public auction (though we weren’t able to find the price mentioned anywhere). Too bad Titus couldn’t hold on just a little longer – all signs point to a big recovery in the bike industry with players like Fox posting huge sales gains recently…