Last Tuesday I drove out to Mt. Tabor Park near Dallas, GA west of Atlanta for the Six Pack mountain bike time trial. This is a super low key and old school event which is right up my alley. When I asked the guy sitting at the start table what time the race started he replied, “whenever you’re ready.” Awesome. The entry fee? A six pack of beer (or $6 for those who are underage).

The Six Pack Time Trial is actually a series of races held on Tuesday nights during the month of July. I had never ridden the relatively new trails at Mt. Tabor Park which gave me the perfect excuse to show up for the competition. After a leisurely pre-ride of the 3.5 mile long loop I was ready to race!

The big loop at Mt. Tabor Park has a little bit of everything – from fast hardpack to rocky, rooty creekside stretches and from winding, switchback trails to flat, tight pine forests where the saplings practically reach out and grab the edges of your bars. The trail also features some sharp turns to help control riders’ speed and if you don’t know they’re coming they can suck the momentum right out from your wheels. Paulding SORBA has instituted alternating travel directions on the trails and on this particular evening we raced the loop clockwise.

Right out of the gate from the parking lot I got off to a fast start on the hardpack singletrack but less than a quarter mile in I dropped my chain (not unusual for me, I’ve been meaning to install a chain retention device). The rest of the hardpack section (part of which is called “Rocks of Doom”) went smoothly except for occasionally overshooting some of the tight reversals.

From my pre-ride I knew the rocky, rooty creek section would be a challenge so I concentrated on picking the most efficient lines and keeping my tires on the ground. Unfortunately I completely lost my rear wheel around one turn and had to jump off the bike for a second time, this time jogging with the bike a bit to regain my composure.

Climbing out the creek section was tiring and even more so considering I was only halfway through the loop. It’s amazing how much pressure the word “race” adds to a ride, even if there’s no one around you! I blasted up and down through the switchback sections to the pine forest trail section aptly named “Pine Pong.”

Pine Pong is one of those trails that takes intense concentration to ride quickly. There’s a ton of wheel and body movement and any slight miscalculation could easily knock you off the bike without a moment’s notice. Early on I dropped my chain and dismounted for the third time to get things back on track. Soon after I got a bit of a scare when I scraped my shoulder against a tree but it wasn’t quite enough to toss me off the bike.

I crossed the finish line with a time of 20 minutes something which seemed decent (the time keeper asked if I had done the long or short loop which is a good sign I suppose). Initially I was anxious to find out how my time compared to everyone else but after cooling down I realized it didn’t really matter. Time trails like this are really about racing against yourself and seeing how you stack up against the trail when you give it everything you’ve got. By that measure I have some room to improve for next time but I had a blast going all out!

It’s Cinco de Mayo so we thought we’d post an update to our mountain bike beer cerveza post from August, 2008. If you’re heading out tonight, skip the margaritas and order a man’s drink from the list below.

Fat Tire Amber Ale

Still the mountain bikers’ favorite, Fat Tire is now widely available in most US states (heck, it’s even on tap here in GA). Beer Advocate gives this one a B based on more than 1,200 reviews making this one of the most mainstream MTB beers you’ll find. And yet it tastes so sweet after an epic ride!

Singletrack Copper Ale

This beer can be tough to find but we love the name (I’ll have two singletracks please). This one is brewed by Boulder Beer and as far as we know that’s one of the only places you can find it these days. “Refreshing, yet full flavored,” we can’t wait to head to Boulder this summer for a taste.

Endo IPA

Carolina Beer Company brews an Endo IPA and if you drink more than a few of these you may endo yourself. The brewers claim this is a beer for those who love hops (bunny hops?) and it features a “hint of caramel.” I love the image of the old timer wearing a bike helmet on the label, anyone in Carolina want to send us a bottle?

More MTB/Bike Beers

Bike IPA is brewed in Oregon and they’re the guys who commissioned the now famous beer bike, bike bar (see photo). The Utah Brewers Cooperative brews (brewed?) a 4% beer called Wasatch Slickrock Lager that sounds like a good ride. Then there are the countless brews on tap with trail in their name – too many to mention but not so many you shouldn’t sample them all.

Next time you saddle up to the bar, order off the mountain biker’s tap list to show your loyalty!

This week Lance Armstrong signed a 3-year deal to become spokesman for Michelob Ultra.  Here’s what the 1-time Leadville 100 MTB race winner had to say:

“I’m always making decisions that complement my active lifestyle, and this includes my beer choice when I want to enjoy a cold one with friends or when taking a break from training,” said Lance Armstrong.  “I’m excited about my association with Michelob ULTRA, a brand that supports cycling and running communities across the U.S. and is a favorite among active adults.”

Too bad the guys at New Belgium couldn’t afford a deal with Lance – it would have been great to see Armstrong pimping Fat Tire Beer. Oh well, maybe this means we’ll stop seeing so many annoying FRS ads with Lance asking “Tired of being tired?”. I’m just tired of that ad

West Fork trail in Oakridge, OR. Photo posted by AK_Dan.

Oakridge, OR bills itself as the “mountain biking capital of the Northwest” and while we haven’t ridden there yet ourselves, they have a pretty good argument so far. With more than 500 miles of singletrack in the mountains outside town I’d say that puts Oakridge in serious contention for the mountain biking capital of not just the Northwest but the entire US. I know, I know, other towns like Moab have more famous trails but where else can you find 500 miles of legal singletrack?

What makes Oakridge even more compelling to mountain bikers is the local brew scene. In my mind beer and biking go hand-in-hand and the Northwest is typically known for some great microbrews. The article I read mentions the Brewers Union Local 180 brewpub where they make their own cask-conditioned ale – tasty.

Oakridge presents a great model for other areas around the country that have been hit hard by job losses due to dying industries. Local business owners are realizing mountain bikers are willing to travel to ride great dirt and we typically spend a few bucks to do it (not to mention the bar tab!).

One Oakridge City Council member predicts the Oakridge MTB scene will really blow up in 2-5 years so plan your trip now to beat the crowds!