New post coming soon- stayed tuned...and keep the rubber side down.

Upcoming Races and Events...

This weekend (May 12th-13th) has one of the biggest and most popular bicycle touring rides in the country departing from downtown Columbus, Ohio. TOSRV , Tour Of the Scioto River Valley is a two day, 200 mile trek from Columbus to Portsmith, Ohio and back again. This year is the 46th year for the event, I've done the ride 5 or 6 times myself, many moons ago with my father and I highly recommend it if you've never done it.

May 19th - OMBC's Get Fit Naturally ride at Finlay State Park
"Get Fit Naturally", a partnership between Ohio State Parks and the Ohio Mountain Bike Championship Series (OMBC), is a plan of action to encourage the general public to become more active by participating in one or more non competitive scheduled events at Ohio State Parks hosted by the OMBC and participating Ohio Mountain Bike Association (OMBA)

May 20th - OMBC Race # 4 at Vulture's Knob in Wooster, OH

Vulture's Knob Race Course

Lower Course

June 1st,2nd & 3rd - NUE Race # 2 : Mohican MTB 100
This is a must see event and plan to see several big name pro's coming to Ohio for this one. Mohican State Forest provides some of the best and most challenging riding in the Midwest.

OMBC Race #3 - East Fork St. Pk.

Alum Creek State Park MTB Trail : Phase I

My favorite ride - 05' Gary Fisher Rig

It could not have been a better evening to hit the single-track and explore the trail for whats changed over the long (& wet) winter we had here in Columbus. The trail has been closed for well over a month, until just recently. The trail is on the outskirts of Alum Creek Reservoir and is mostly low-lying flat terrain with a few rolling ravines and plenty of roots. There are two trails here, a beginner loop (1 mi.) and the intermediate trail (6 mi.) .

The trails are the closest thing to ride for the city of Columbus, so expect a crowd on the weekends, for me I like to ride early in the AM or in the evening to miss the crowds. For the novice rider it takes about 50-55 minutes to ride the 6 miles of the intermediate trail and about 35 minutes for the experienced rider. The trails are maintained by Central Ohio Mountain Bike Organization (COMBO), if you ride the trails - do your part and come help trail build...

I brought my Single Speed Fisher Rig out to ride, it was a Sunny evening - 75 degrees when I started out. And after my 10 mile ride, it had dropped to 71 degrees . I took it easy on the ride with the upcoming race, this weekend, and rode for about an 1 hr. 15 minutes, with a 9.8 mph average. You can always expect to see a variety of wild life on the trails - especially deer. You'll also come across turkey, water-fowl, owls and if you night ride - well watch out for Big Foot on Phase II...

Bad spot for a nest...trail side at Phase I (Sec D)

Bike to Work Week...

New legislation on Capitol Hill would provide tax write-offs of up to $200 a month to bicycle commuters! Click the below to visit the League of American Bicyclists' website that explains the bill and makes it easy for you to send a supportive email to your Representative and Senator!

Bicycle Commuter Act

Commute For Fitness – If you drive a few miles to work every workday, you should consider commuting by bicycle every now and then. In most congested cities, cycling is faster than driving. It’s definitely more fun. And best, you’ll be swapping the stress of driving for the health benefits of pedaling. Cycling commuters get to work ready to go and arrive home relaxed yet energized from the exercise. Give it a try!

Bike-to-Work Week from May 14-18 and Bike-to-Work Day on Friday, May 18. For mor info. click here.

Pedaling narrow trails requires special skills that you can develop and improve during every ride. Here's what I.M.B.A. recommends:
Start by keeping your arms flexed, not locked. On rocky or rutted trails, try to follow the path of least resistance. Imagine where you want your bike to go, and don't focus on the obstacles you want to avoid (if you do, you'll probably hit them). Learn to use both your front and back brakes. On steep climbs, lower your elbows and drop your upper body closer to your bike¹s top tube. This will help you maintain tire traction. Finally, hold the handlebar firmly but not with a death grip--too much squeezing will make you tired and increase the likelihood that you¹ll make steering mistakes.