A fine end and a solid beginning

So mtb season pretty much wrapped up last weekend for the team with the MASS finals at Bear Creek. It was the end to another solid year of mountain biking in the mid-Atlantic and nationally for the visitPA.com team with all sorts of results all over the place - the highlights of the year:

National Champion Semi-Pro XC
National Champion Semi-Pro STXC
National Champion Women XC
National Podiums - Semi-Pro XC, Expert 34-39, Expert 40-44

MASS Champion - Team - small team category
MASS Champion - Elite Men XC
MASS Champion - Elite Men STXC
MASS Champion - Elite Men Endurance
Additional MASS Overall Podiums - Elite Men XC, Elite Men STXC, Elite Men Endurance, Elite Women XC

And while the mtb season winds down our entry into the 'cross scene as the visitPA.com kicked off with the Mikes racing in the first events of the mid-Atlantic's 'cross season. Hebe took a win at the Bear Creek cross weekend and Yozell and Kuhn took part in the first MAC race of the year at PSU Allentown. Yozell was even able to get the word out on cyclingnews.

Of course, the most important and exciting new beginning for the team was the recent birth of Isaac Yozell to Mike and Erica. Its good to know the team will be well represented in 2028 or so!

Time is UP

I signed up for Transrockies eons ago and here it is.....less than 2 weeks away.

I've packed, trained, made lists of lists, made copies of all itineraries, numbers and contact information to easy my parents' minds, rode and strategized with my teammate Tim Dougherty, and finally memorized that 1.0mile = 1.6km.

I feel good. I am satisfied, knowing that I've prepared to the best of my ability and as long as my focus remains present and positive, I will be successful.
I do have many people who have encouraged and supported me through the season thus far.......for that I am forever in debt and know that I will repay your kindness with kindness to someone else along the way.

Thank you:
Cannondale, for your support along the way...without you I'd be bikeless!
Wes, Ry, Hebe, and Yozell--Thanks for your sage advice and role-modeling at Mt. Snow.

My Carrot: Seeing my sister at the final stage.
My Prayer: Lord, may my ups be longer than my downs. Amen

Michelle

P.S. I'll be posting abridged versions of the stages after I return and settle back into life, so stay tuned.....

Next Generation

Last Thursday I had the pleasure of riding with these fine young folks along the Pine Creek Rail Trail, Pine Creek, PA. DCNR hosts an Adventure Camp for local urban youth and I led the mountain bike exploration/clinic for these day campers. Of course we had to find some single track to explore. These kids were strong, energetic and eager to share and learn about bikes and riding. For some, it was their first time on singletrack....but they ripped and rode the trail with speed and confidence.....who knows, maybe I'll be seeing them on the podium someday.....

Much thanks to DCNR for the effort and time to make this a positive learning experience for kids! Also, thanks to R.B. Winter State Park for loaning Cannondale bikes to this wonderful group!!

Michelle

Mt Snow eyes

Here are some images from Mt Snow:














Michelle Winning the Expert Womens race
















Old Popeye
















SemiPro podium with Wes (1st) & Ryan (4th)

In what might have been...

The best five days I have spent on vacation...
The most fun I have had with friends...
The most dominant performance of an MTB team at a National Championship event...
The funniest picture shoot ever, OK second funniest after the Stage Race...
That is a decent start to sum up the VisitPA.com National Championship weekend. On the business end we walked away with not one, not two, not three but FOUR Jerseys for the weekend. Throw in three more podium performances and yes we were over the moon.
From working the feed zone for Wes & Ry's awesome Semi-Pro race and the ensuing awards, to warming up with Yozell, watching Sunshine get her due, and finally standing on a podium at a National Championship race, then standing on the top step the next morning. This was about as surreal as it comes.
On behalf of the team I would like to thank everyone who has had a part in our success. Our friends and family who support us unconditionally. Our incredible sponsors, Cannondale, Ergon, Deuter, Cadence, High Speed Cycling, SRAM, Northwave, Rudy Project and most certainly, VisitPA.com. Without your generous support we could not enjoy racing and riding like we do. I hope in some way we do our share to increase awareness of your products, and make you proud the we represent you.
Thanks again and we hope to see everyone soon.

The Big Bike Game

Next Friday, Saturday and Sunday is the big Bike Game of the year. Mt. Snow National Championships for the VisitPA.com squad.
I have the great fortune to be on a team with three national Champions, two of which are defending national MTB Champs, a National Series champion, a Pro and one of the most respected Endurance racers around. Riding with these guys totally ups my game. Yet with all of the talent that abounds on the team, egos are set aside. We are racers, and more than that, we are friends. I can not wait to go to Mt. Snow this coming week and watch my friends be crowned National Champions again. Who knows, maybe yours truly will find a little magic and ward off the boo-boo belly this year.
Enjoy your riding and best of luck to all MASS racers going to Mt Snow for a shot at the Stars and Stripes.

Sooooo close...

... I can almost taste it
Twiddle your little fingies across the keys and register. If you do not you will miss, in no particular order:
the World's tannest human
The vanity of getting your pic taken
Little buddies family cooking you breakfast, lunch and dinner
This guy in a sleep deprived, semi to fully neurotic state
One of the final MASS appearances of Euro style
Some of the best singletrack fun known to man
Slow races, fast races, kid's races, bands, beer, marshmallow guns
Yours truly, OK that is not really a good reason. Still register now

You can eat watermelon, brownies and burgers any weekend of the summer. This weekend your inner sadist is screamin' to pedal your little bikey-bike down on the farm.
There is more fun to be had than you can possibly shake a stick at. Register now, so you will not be envious of all the cool kids who spent their weekend down on the farm

New Stage Race Doings

Less than a week til that night ITT kicks off and we're working hard to bring together another bang up edition of the visitPA.com Stage Race and Festival weekend...besides all the good stuff you've grown to love we're adding some new twists!

Saturday evening is going to offer up some new fun events -

Trials - with a little help from our friend Topher we're going to put together a fun little trials course for you all. We'll have some easier beginner bits and some more challenging stuff for those of you with a trials rig in your collection. If you've never done it hop in and give'r a try. If you've got the skillz come and show us how its done!

Bike Polo - get your buds and form up a team! The games will be short and fast so you can try the trials too and we'll probably figure out a little impromptu tourney. If you've your own croquet mallet or polo gear bring it!

Hill climb course - we've made some mods and we're unveiling a revamped hill climb course that will give you a bit more dirt time on your way to the top of the ridge. Big Larry's been out there blasting it in for you so we hope you'll enjoy it - as much as one can enjoy a race up a steep PA ridge anyway!

More to come so keep checking back!

Mike

Round and Round and Roundtop they go.

Ray and I took a little trip north last weekend to Athens, PA for the 12 Hours of Roundtop 2-bub competition. Thanks to Ray's tireless efforts and me not jacking it up too bad we took the overall win on a day where conditions varied from thick fog to beautiful skies and tacky trails to drenching thunderstorms that turned the course into a slip-n-slide.

12 Hours of Roundtop is a race that has remained a hidden gem for far too long. I've been there a few times now and I even have my own little Hat Trick of Roundtop (yes, I made this up, but its completely official) after this year. What's the Hat Trick? Wins in the solo, duo, and team competitions! Yep, at one time I was fast enough to actually win stuff and I didn't need Ray's help to do it. These days I'm darn happy he's on my team*.

Yes, Roundtop is a long way from the MASS epicenter, but much like what we try to do with the stage race weekend - create more than a bike race - is what they're after up at RT. Amenities like on-site camping, beer, bands, post race meals, night before meals, lunch, during race pizza (that has saved my backside in two years now - I think I may just start taking slices in the feedzone) are all part of this thing.

The course is a hoot too. Ray won the lap of the day with a 29.5 min on the clock. I'm thinking this place would rock for a handicapped MASS 12 Hour 4 bub team relay. Yep, handicap it like the US Open Relay and we'll all burn laps for 1/2 a day grinning like fools. Plus, this gets me the added benefit of somehow inflicting my particular idiom on yet another event and puts me one step closer to world domination.

It doesn't always work out this way, but it is nice when these trips aren't just about the racing but about the getting there too. The trip to Athens gave me an opportunity to do a little back road driving in a part of the state I'd not been before by way of Route 6, the Grand Army of the Republic Highway; the Pennsylvania piece of one of the original transcontinental highways and a designated Heritage corridor in PA. Turns out Route 6 wouldn't be any slower than the interstate highway system for this jaunt and would save me 60 miles roundtrip in the process - save that gas!! Back roads that used to be main roads PA here I come.

You know those blue historical markers along the highways - yes, the ones you blow by and never actually read and perhaps wonder who does stop? As I'm blowing by one I catch the word "Camptown" and of course that old ditty pops into my head. Turns out Camptown, PA is the namesake of the Stephen C. Foster song I always knew as Camptown Races (and as a slightly altered Boy Scouts pine wood derby tune), but was actually originally titled "Gwine to Run All Night." Mr. Foster spent some time in Camptown and apparently blew some coin at that town's horsetrack back in the day.

I didn't get a chance to stop by Camptown this trip, but I find it pretty cool that a little town in the middle of nowhere, PA was the inspiration for what is likely one of the most well known tunes penned in the USA. Had I not taken the trip down Route 6 I'm guessing I would have never learned this little fact. Here's to back roads to races!

Thanks for stopping by,
Kuhn

*And that Ry, Wes, Hebe, Yozell, Michelle, and Nancy are too as they all make me look good.

Fieldwork II

Cooling off takes on a whole new meaning today.

Rhododendron

I can't seem to identify this little bird, maybe you can?

Some food for thought (huckleberries)... I've found many well- established patches for the fall browsing. It's nice to see a good stand of mast in the woods, as long as we get periodic rains throughout the summer.

I can't get enough Mountain Laurel, here shown in pinkish variation.

Lovely leaves of the Moccasin Flower (Pink Lady's Slipper), which have yet to bloom, are one of PA's orchids, a beautiful cousin to the stunning Showy Lady's Slipper. I have yet to find a Showy Lady's Slipper this summer...more fieldwork for me....

Home sweet home. Enjoy! Michelle

Fieldwork in PA

Starting out was rather enjoyable.
Mountain Laurel.....

Some fields of green.


Rare find of Sheep Laurel. Kalmia polifolia. One spotting in 3 days of traversing trails in central PA.


More pictures to follow..... Michelle

The Rocktober Files III

Last wrap up from the visitPA.com Rocktober Challenge last month. There was some discussion after this thing about whether it might have been too hard. Like much in life I suppose the answer must be "it depends."

What I'm sure of is that the event is too hard for some people. This is definitely not a beginner's marathon. It may not even really be appropriate for a sport racer. When one figures that the guys at the front of this thing are national caliber endurance racers and they took almost as long to do these 75ish miles as they take to do some of the 100s...well, that means this was tuff. Or maybe they just all stopped to enjoy the scenery?

This is what I'm thinking for 2009: We're going to keep the endurance race where its at right now - 75 miles of mountain bike bliss. What we're going to do differently is make the event a little more accessible to the rest with either a long XC or (more likely) a relay.

It'll work like this -- since we've designed the course as a 3 leaf clover we can use the center point of the clover as a place to switch riders. Each team will consist of 3 riders and the teams will be required to have 1 beginner, 1 sport, and 1 expert on each squad. Beginners will do loop 1, Experts will take on loop 2, and Sports will finish it out on loop 3. I'm not quite sure how yet to integrate this into the MASS - perhaps just as a team event similar to the US Open Team Relay we do in April or maybe we can do some sort of XC points too with the results from each loop counting as stand alone XC points...we'll see.

Hopefully this gives those of you not into a 8-10 hour 75 mile mtb experience a little something to look forward to because as anyone who did the 2008 Rocktober Challenge will tell you, the riding in RB Winter and Bald Eagle is just plain spectacular.

Stage Race coming - July 4-6. Be there!
Kuhn

Coming Attractions

The stage race info is up (mostly) and registration is open on bikereg.com. So, get yourselves ready for the best weekend of bike racing around - July 4th - 6th at the Oesterling Farm on more time!

There are some very significant changes to the weekend scoring this year so those of you who are concerned about such things should make sure to check out the new system!

The Rocktober Files

So while its well delayed the rest of my Rocktober story went something like this:

Friday dawned wet. Real wet. So wet that you wanted to stay in the camper and not set up a 70ish mile long course. Too bad.

Luckily the calvary showed up today. Well, two guys on motorbikes anyway and it was just enough. First Mike Kryzytski, former RB Winter Mountain Bike Jamboree guru from way back in the day (before Ray was legal even) came by to lend support taking some time away from his custom woodworking business and headed back out in the muck with arrows for the roads. Ry was sent on his way by Cannondale to mark the trails of loop 3. Deuter rep and all round nice guy Chris Jones rolled in and was given the task of loop 2 trails by moto. Me, I headed out in the car and jumped in front of Ry hitting all the road/trail intersections and dirt road bits until roundevous with Big Larry at 1300 hours for some parking/reg sign set up. Meantime Kris rolls out in search of internet access for all the last minute stuff.

Somewhere along the line I get a call from Zach Adams who gives me some hope in mankind with a message that he'll be along shortly. Lucky for me Zach came down with a case of senioritis and was just not feeling well enough to make it to school that day. He took on a crucial piece of the marking puzzle when tasked with the role of dropping in Bear Gap to mark this challenging descent. Then once let go from their work confines, locals Miguel Fausto and George "Brushhog" Heim came by for last minute support and to bring by the reg files for Kris.

We rejoiced in the day by taking a spin into Mifflinburg for some hard earned ale and cow at the rather dang nice Scarlet D tavern on main street. It was a long tiring wet day and one we were glad was over. I can say that without a doubt the aforementioned folks were the reason this race worked. I could not have pulled it together without their help and, in particular, Mike and Chris on the moto's were invaluable. Thanks fellas.

Saturday dawned without actual liquid falling from the heavens and we again rejoiced. If there is one thing worse than setting up the course in the rain its actually racing and promoting the race in the rain. Thankfully, this nice big hole in the clouds stuck around for about 8 hours and most everyone was done by then.

When I say done, I do mean done. As in well done. Cooked through. Crispy. I received the most unusual feedback I've ever received from a race which went something like this:

Racer (finishing): "Where's Mike Kuhn?"

Me: 'I'm here. Nice job.'

Racer: "I don't know whether to shake your hand or punch you in the face!!"

Rob Lictenwalner: "Punch him in the face!" (I love my team mates BTW)

Racer: 'That was the hardest race I've ever done!'

This was a sentiment echoed by a number of riders and reflected in the 40% attrition rate. And while some thought this race was too hard many shared sentiments along the lines of it being "real mountain biking." This is the kind of mountain biking that we all did before short loops on less technical terrain became the norm for racing and riding. Mountain biking before trails became groomed and graded. Mountain biking that is more primitive. Mountain biking as it used to be and how it was when many of us fell in love with it.

That's pretty much what we were going for and that's definitely the kind of riding you'll find at RB Winter State Park and Bald Eagle State Forest. If you didn't make it up for the race you should take the time to drive out and ride Old Tram, Pirate, Cowbell, White Deer, and the rest.
One more on the next time around coming soon.

See you around,
Kuhn

If this is not reason enough.......

If this is not enough reason to buy a Cannondale, maybe these facts will convince you to buy local:

1. The Cannondale Plant employs over 460 folks in Bedford, PA.
2. Troy Laffey heads up the Green Initiative Team that recycles aluminum, cardboard, plastic and paper generated at the plant.
3. Cannondale is classified, in the state of CA, as a low emission and low waste facility.
4. Cannondale owns a cardboard and plastic compactor!!


Bar Stock to Bike Recap:

No pictures will adorn this lovely blog on my tour of Cannondale last week. That’s their policy. So, get yourself there and tour. You won’t be disappointed, my promise.

I was fortunate enough to catch Troy Laffey on the east coast and at the Cannondale factory, so you bet I hopped that train for a tour of the ¼ mile long facility, starting with the good-natured folks in Human Resources and ending with watching Jackie, packing Motos in boxes, way past quitting time. Jackie, you rock!!!

So, as linear as bike production seemed to me, it’s actually a wheel-like process. Cannondale makes most of the parts and the others, like tires, rims, saddles etc… are shipped in and assembled. It all comes together and assembled in an ergonomic assembly-line like method. I knew bikes have lots of parts, but really until you look at the process of putting each part on the bike, it’s overwhelming to imagine that over 100 bikes are shipped out on a daily basis.

Just the basic process of making a frame, starting with bar stock, was enough to set me spinning. Here's the basics....if I can remember it all.......machines cut, prepared the metal to be tack welded, welded, sanded, aligned, heat treated, aligned again, hand-painted, dried, decaled, clear-coated…..and all that for the frame.

So overall, the tour was amazing and informative, the guys who work there answered questions with professional ease, and the atmosphere was family-like. I am glad and thankful that I can support workers in the PA and that I am supported by them! It's a win-win situation!

Thanks again, Cannondale for your time and support!
Michelle

17 Years Gone By........

Did you ever wake up and realize that almost half of your life has gone by? Well, riding my bike down a steep mountain road, it hit me square in the face….literally. I was hit by a Magiciada cassini (17 Year Locust) and it darn near knocked me off my bike. Stopping me dead in tracks, I wiped off the goo and realized it’d been 17 years since I’d seen those bugs.

Time stopped and I found myself in the woods with my sister and brother shooting these locusts out of trees with our Red Ryder BB guns. School was out, life was good…….working, swimming, playing softball, ….living every moment, doing what kids do.

Still, 17 years of my life have gone by, and it took a beady red-eyed bug to remind me that no matter what happens, I'm happiest when I live and enjoy the moment, because that's all I can be sure of.

Michelle

Rocked Out - Thursday

That was epic (BTW, results are up there too). I didn't get to ride it, but just promoting the thing was an epic event. We arrived at RB Winter State Park late on Thursday afternoon after taking literally all day to get up there from Center Valley with a short stop at the farm to load up poppa Kuhn's truck and another to pick up the camper from Kris's brother - this promoting stuff really is a family affair.

At this point I'm a bit stressed because there are about 70 miles of trails and dirt roads to mark and I'm now down to 2 hours of daylight on Thur and the day on Friday to get everything done since the race goes bright and early on Saturday morning. I have to get something done. I grab the Lupine Wilma and a battery and figure the first loop is less than 20 miles and is mostly double track and roads so no problem. I may want those lights for a little visibility on the road but shouldn't really need 'em.

Its amazing how much time it takes to put up a few arrows. You end up doubling back a lot to make sure the arrows are in a good spot or just to mark a spot you may have thought didn't need it originally. And somehow or other it ends up starting to get a little dark while I'm still on the top of the ridge. No worries, switch on the Lupine and away we go.

Except I grabbed the wrong battery from the stash. I grabbed the one from my work commute that didn't get re-charge time yet. I see the red indicator on the remote and I'm begin thinking..."I think the red light means I'm about out of juice. I wonder how much I have left? I wonder how long that little red light has been on? This descent is awesome, technical and rocky and the first time I've ridden it in 10 years. Oh, my lights just went out. Sweet."

There is nothing quite like riding a rocky technical descent by brail when you know your phone doesn't work out here and you're not sure that anyone back at camp really knows where you are and you have a 70 mile mtb race to promote the next day. I did the rest of the descent and the road back to RB on nothing but rods and cones - and put up a few more arrows since trail marking for the race should always come before personal safety. And I whistled dixie the entire way back as the boys had seen two bears on their ride two days earlier and I just did not need a head-on in the dark with one of those.

5 days camping: R.B. Winter State Park

Last Thursday through Tuesday, 'milla and I set up camp at R.B. Winter State Park to help set up the Rocktober Marathon race course, do the race, and enjoy the spoils of the State Park and the Bald Eagle State Forest. Unfortunately, the region had some crappy weather (rain every day and chilly!) so it was a bit more challenging, but luckily the campground has very nice modern bathrooms to warm up and shower.
On Friday, Kuhndog told me I was to mark the final 18 miles of the race course. No big deal, minus the mid-40's and spitting rain. Nothing is worse than suiting up to ride in the rain. But once I hit the trail and warmed up, it was a great ride-all 4 hours of it. Between stopping at every turn to staple course arrows, reading the map and crashing, the ride that should have been 2 hours was a bit longer. Once back to camp, it only took 30minutes to regain feeling in my toes and fingers!

Saturday was the race, which was hands down an epic adventure at nearly 70 miles. My day didn't go very well, with 3 flats, a bent chainring, a water bottle cage that almost escaped and a wonky suspension fork. I pulled the plug after the 2nd loop (about 52 miles in), which only took 5:30!

Sunday opened with more rain, so the weekend campers left early, leaving a quiet park. After sleeping in, making great cottage cheese pancakes and helping the teammates pack up, 'milla and I headed to a beautiful gap to hike. The gap (no name I can find) was part of the race course, and has a really neat amphitheater built into a rock garden. We found a switchback trail that ran up out of the amphitheater, which we followed to the top of Buffalo Mountain. It was really beautiful: winding up a huge rock garden through the mist, on a very old trail that was laboriously stitched into the mountainside. We bushwacked down the mountain to a small stream to the North, and followed it back to the gap. It was a great place to explore, with a few trails/old logging roads to follow up the small mountain streams. Here it is:


View Larger Map
After hiking and exploring for 4 hours, we headed back to camp. I was pretty beat from the previous days race and then walking for 4 hours--but Camilla wanted to see more! Starting at 7pm, we went for a mountain bike ride on some great trails close to R.B. Winter. Camilla is new to mountain biking and rides a hybrid bike, so I chose a route that was suitable and really fun for both of us. I was really impressed with her strength and ability to ride singletrack! She totally loved it. The area has a reputation of being super rocky and hard mtn biking, but as we've proved, you can put together a nice 2 hour loop on nice trails that won't break you. Along the route we saw a bunch of deer and a porcupine, which topped off a great day of hiking and cycling.

Monday was the nicest day weather wise-which meant only occasional sprinkles and mostly sunny. We found The Hook Natural Area on the map and decided to make that the day's exploration. This turned out to be an amazing choice.

View Larger Map
We rode our bikes South from R.B. Winter up Pine Creek Hollow Road, and stashed our bikes near the Mule Shanty Trail head. The path obviously wasn't used too often, with a lot of blow-down trees and overgrown rhododendron. But that was part of the charm of this amazing place. Following Panther Run on an old rocky railroad bed, typical of trails in the region which often follow old small gauge RR beds made of small boulders. We felt like the first people ever to be there (minus the new trail marking and RR bed!)-absolutely beautiful cliffs, hemlock groves, thick vegetation and crystal-clear water. We definitely felt like outsiders peeking into a wild, untouched world. Once we got to Molasses Gap Trail, the path was easier to follow and a bit more worn (thats not saying much though). We had lunch up on a cliff overlooking the stream. I was convinced that we'd spot a bear or a mountain lion, but no such luck. Eventually the narrow stream valley opens up a little bit offering a cozy place to nap under the sun. With the sun warming us and the stream rippling in our ears, it was a lovely snooze streamside.

Even though the weather was crap, we got to explore the fruits of the Bald Eagle State Forest, or just a small fraction of it. Between hiking in natural areas, cycling on the well maintained trails, and modern camping at the State Park-we had a very rich and memorable camping trip. I can't wait to go back to explore more trails, gaps and natural areas!

Thanks for reading,
Ryan

French Fried

I spent six hours chasing Hebe around French Creek this past weekend at the second muddy enduro of the year and the first one in the Delmarva Jobs MASS Endurance Series. I'm collecting all the mud I end up wiping off the Scalpel after coming home from these things and am planning to build a few dirt jumps in the back yard by the end of the month.

French Creek is a beautiful state park in south east PA and offers some really great riding, hiking, and equestrian options. The guys from Bean's Bikes in Paoli did a great job on the course and have certainly helped create much more sustainable trails in park. There really only were a couple muddy spots on the whole hour long loop, but I guess those were muddy enough!

French Creek is only about an hour from me here in Allentown (and about the same from Philly and not a whole lot more from Harrisburg), but I don't get down there nearly enough for as close as it is to me. Of course, I don't get up to Jim Thorpe nearly enough either, which is arguably the best riding in the state, because the riding right here in Allentown is so darn spectacular. Like I've said before, mountain biking doesn't get any better than PA!

Back to French Creek - it was a good day for the team, a great course and we'll have a complete wrap up posted here soon, but I am definitely ready for a race that doesn't require as many hours to clean up after as it does to race!

I'm loving the gear this year and taking a look back at my performance by way of the Suunto T6s we're using. These are a lot more than just a heart rate monitor offering up data that gives much more than just beats per minute and while it takes a little reading up on the features - or working with someone who understands them - they offer some nice insights into the performance. Of course, one factor I don't need help figuring out is that I'm not quite where I want to be, but the Suunto is helping me figure out exactly what it is I need to do to get there.

Here's to hoping our new team clothing, Ergon grips, and mother nature's mild side show up for next weekend's visitPA.com Rocktober Challenge. The team clothing 'cause it looks so good, some better weather so we can see the gear at the end of the race, and those Ergon's so my hands don't hurt so darn much at the end of the next long one!

Kuhn

Roadside America

Back in April, when 'milla and I were driving down route 78 on the way to the US Open MTB Relay (OH YEAH!), we decided to stop off at the Shartlesville exit (#23). I've driven past this little place called Roadside America dozens of times, every time wondering what the heck it is. One can tell from the old skating rink architecture and antiquated signage that whatever this place is, its gonna be something unique if not interesting. Roadside America was indeed both of these!

The place claims to be the 'greatest known miniature village' in existence, and I wouldn't doubt that claim. Upon entering the building and handing over a small entrance fee, you feel a sense that possibly, maybe, probably definitely you are entering a time machine-one that goes back in time. Inside is a giant model-trainesque scene of rural and small town America spanning time from several hundred years ago to the 1970's (or, modern times if you believe what they say).

It is a completely fascinating look at neat model building, geography, history, trains, bridges, cabins, towns, airplanes, wagons, cars, and industry. Once you've spent a half hour or so there, the lights go down, the music comes on and you experience the indoor village slowly going to sleep and waking up. I won't go into too much detail, but this is a nice little stop that worth taking, its kitschy and neat, and you can tell all of your friends you've seen the worlds greatest indoor village. Right here in Pennsylvania! And my team won the US Open MTB Relay the next day!

Thanks for reading, Ryan

Links:
-Roadside America
-visitPA Road trips

More Rocktober

So I'm standing around with some folks swapping war stories after FC and they asked me to extend the deadline on the pre-pre-reg cost ($75) for the race at RB Winter this weekend. They'd been hearing some great things about the course about how pristine the area is the how challenging but fun the trails are but hadn't yet signed up on Bikereg.com and wanted to.

Since I'm such a dang nice guy I said sure and went in there last night and altered the up charge day and time so that the cost remains $75 for prereg for a bit longer. So, if you didn't yet sign up hurry up and do so and you can still take advantage of the lower entry fee cost.

BTW, the forecast for this weekend is a 30% chance of rain with high around 65 on race day.

M

Rocktober Updates

Some news about the visitPA.com Rocktober Challenge for you -

1. Prereg closes at 8AM on Thursday morning and then gets absolutely very expensive on race day. So, take a couple minutes and go to bikereg.com to get signed up.

2. The course is a wee bit longer than 100K. More like one hundred and eleventy K or there abouts. There is a very small chance we'll cut out a piece, but that would throw off the aid station plan and we'd lose some of the stellar trail we've been working on for you. If you're coming you're already figuring on being out there all day long anyway so this is just more of a good time. Really I'm giving you even more for your money! You should so be thanking me.

3. If you are planning on coming up you should know that the RB Winter campground is rapidly filling up. There are several other camp grounds close to the venue and the closest hotels can be found in Lewisburg which is about 25-30 min away. visitPA.com should be able to help you find alternate lodging. By visitPA.com I don't mean Ray or Wes or Mike or Ry but rather by visiting the website at http://www.visitPA.com. However, your best way to get directions to the race is through our race site.

See you on Saturday!

Product reviews

First off let me say two things.
1) This post will be long. It will also be worth your while to read it.
2) These are sponsor products. We chose to align with them because they are the best at what they do. I will point out salient features as to why these products are market leaders.

CANNONDALE
These bikes are some of the lightest and most predictable bikes I have ever ridden. My team Scalpel and F29'er are 22.5 lbs each. Each bike does have Stan's wheels.
29'er: Very good in tight twisty singletrack. Very easy to get the front end off the ground and hop BIG stuff. Climbs like a mt. goat. These are the three biggest praises I can give this bike. After riding a different 29er last year. This feel is very different. It just rides better. The bike feels very nimble and rides that way.
Scalpel: This is my first time on a full suspension bike. The Scalpel is neat because it is a pivotless 100mm travel bike. This design will save almost a full pound over other full suspension designs.
Due to rear suspension, the bikes absolutely sticks to everything. There is no rear wheel slide out or bounce when climbing. Coming from a road background I prefer climbs where I can stand & attack. The Scalpel is great here. The bike is great in singletrack and rolls through rock gardens almost as well as the 29er. Big wheels are just better. Hard to fool physics. Anytime you point the Scalpel downhill, it flies. It steers where you point it and you can always be pedaling, instead of off the saddle. This bike is my preference for any race greater than two hours, or where there are big rocky sections.
GRIPS: ERGON
Just buy them. This is probably the most inexpensive performance booster you can put on a bike. The grips help to relieve hand and wrist fatigue due to their ergonomic shape. This shape also allows a certain amount of leverage when pulling up when climbing. Ergon grips do have a model with bar ends attached for those who like bar ends.
Personal plug/story. I have had one carpal tunnel surgery. I should have my left hand done as well. One of my bikes has Ergon grips, the other is awaiting a second pair. When riding the bike without Ergon grips I get significant numbing and loss of grip strength in my left hand. When riding the bike with Ergon grips this is not an issue. The grip design and ergonomics alleviate any grip related problems.
HELMET: Rudy Project
Everyone needs a helmet. I have been racing for 21 seasons now. I was always a Giro person. That is until 4/5/2008. That was the day I first rode in my new Rudy Project helmet. The fit and feel will be different than anything you have ever worn. First the padding is like a web. There are no little pads that curl up or come undone. This design also keeps the helmet up ever so slightly higher. The benefit is to allow better airflow and moisture wicking. The tension device feels better than Giro as it feels like the helmet is coming down over your head like a cap, not a cinching front to back feel. This helmet is incredible, period.
GLASSES: Rudy Project
I used the Rydon frames for the first time at Greenbrier. These frames are so light and fit so well. There is an orangeish lens, which i used at Greenbrier and the standard dark lens. What makes these glasses so nice is that they can be custom-fit to your own noggin. The arms bend and flex. This way you can make them feel EXACTLY how they should feel on and around your ears. This also allows for a better position on your nose and eyes. Great specs.
H2O Packs: Deuter
I have not used this pack yet. My review will be in concept. What I like about this pack is that the pack sits off of your back slightly, this allows air to move between your back and the pack. This pack will PROMOTE cooling. That about the physics. Airflow over or under cool object creates a cooling effect. Air between an ice-filled pack and your back helps to cool. ie Bridge freezes before road surface. It is well documented that cooling vests increase performance by delaying fatigue. Yes, i am very excited to use this product.
LIGHTS: Lupine
Please speak with Ray or Kuhn about these. They can speak much more intelligently. From my reading the lumen's produced, burn time, batteries and design seem to be the absolute industry standard.
SHOES: NORTHWAVE
These shoes are sweet. If you have wide feet they are for you. The toe box is nice and ample. I absolutely can not wait until cross to roll these guys. I should finally make a season without cracking my big toenails halfway down. OUCH!
The fit is very comfortable. On the mountain shoe the ratchet design is small and works quite well. The ratchet position is adjustable. The soles are stiff with plenty of room for your cleats.
The road shoes are very stiff and extremely comfy. The sole has a rough material so your cleat will not slide. I am using a three strap shoe. I am coming from a strap and ratchet design, and have not noticed any downside.
HEART RATE MONITORS: SUUNTO
The sweet part about the Suunto for me is three-fold. There is a cyclometer feature in the watch so you can see all of your standard cycling functions on your HRM. It is downloadable, so your workout can be viewed to see exactly what the benefit was. Most importantly the monitor has a feature called EPOC. This feature works to assess just how hard the effort was that you put out. The feature seems similar to a TSB feature from CyclingPeaks. If you are serious about training and racing, you know that you need to asses form, fitness, and freshness to see where you stand. Until now CyclingPeaks was the only way to do this, and you need a Power-tap wheel to accomplish that end. Now Suunto has addressed this with their T6 HRM. This feature is sweet. Talk to Ry at a race about Suunto.
CADENCE: SHOP & COACHING
All of our sponsor products, minus bikes, can be seen and purchased at Cadence Cycling in Manayunk. This shop is one of the premier shops in the Mid-Atlantic area. it is THE premier training facility/organization in the Mid-Atlantic.
Coaching: I use a coach. I use a Cadence coach. My coach is Mike Kuhn. The reasons for hiring a coach are many. To get the most out of yourself you need to have an outside perspective to offer feedback. That point really is not arguable in life. You need someone to objectively give you feedback. Then as a person you need to apply that feedback. On a macro level, that is a coach.
A coach gives you years of experience to cull from. A coach will design programs that are specifically for you, based on your goals. A coach knows when to say more, and more importantly when to say that is enough.
Say what you will about coaching. No one NEEDS a coach. If you WANT to get the most out of yourself as an athlete, you will NEVER do that until you hire a coach.

So there are some reasons why VisitPA.com MTB team uses the products that we do. Hopefully this will encourage people to support these great companies. From a selfish standpoint, deep down we know these products are the best and give us an advantage just by having them. So if you chose not to use them that is alright, it just makes our racing a little easier.
Enjoy your season.
Hebe

What A Weekend! The promoter of the visitPA.com US Open Team Relay chimes in

First, thanks for coming. We set a record at the visitPA.com US Open Relay and almost doubled last year's attendance! We were not expecting quite such a turnout and we're very psyched that you all seem as into this format as we are. This is what I've been going for in a relay for years. The results were very much along the lines of what we were hoping to see with regard to the mix of squads in the top 5. Where last year was a little too heavily weighted toward the elite teams, this year everyone was in the mix with 10+ teams within two to four points (1 equivalent lap) of the winners. The win was in question right to the end and while one of the four man elite teams did win it wasn't by much and they were pushed hard to do it.

Second, hope you liked it. I have to thank Kim for having a birthday and bringing her brother and his band, The New Kings of Rhythm along as they certainly helped to turn that fun factor up to 11 and added a super sweet touch to the event. That was all her doing and I take none of the credit for it. Although, I guess if I wasn't holding the event then The New Kings of Rhythm wouldn't have had a bike race at which to play. So, then it was actually all me. I suppose I will take credit for that too. Anything bad was likely Kris's fault so you can take that up with her. Or more likely its the complete opposite of what I just said.

Third, sorry 'bout the reg lines, but we're all over that for next time.

Fourth, results are coming - you know me, or if this was your first experience, or if you don't, I sometimes like to complicate things. The scoring on this race is one of those things that I've complicated. I'll have those results up very soon along with some extra stuff like every single lap time and a ranking of the all the lap times so you can see how you stack up. I figure this will save all of you scrolling back and forth for hours trying to compare how you did vs. your buddies and your competition - we'll have it for you all in one place. Be patient, its coming as soon as we figure out what actually happened with the points and stuff and who actually won. Yes, I just gave it to one of the visitPA.com teams since I run the race and co-produce the squad with big Ray. Your suspicions are confirmed. I'd have given it to my relay team mostly for being stuck with me for the day, but who would have believed that one?

I'm already working on next year and introducing a few new tricks. I'm thinking the '09 theme will be along the lines of "Everybody Runs!" Tell your friends and bring 'em in from all over. We don't think there is a better way to start the season and we hope you're starting to come around to our way of thinking.

Thanks for coming to our visitPA.com MTB Team/High Speed Cycling production and thanks again to our sponsors - visitPA.com - the place to go for all your visitin' PA needs, Cannondale, Cadence Cycling and Multisport Centers, Suunto, Northwave, Ergon, Deuter, SRAM, Rudy Project, Psycho Lube, and Lupine. Without their support the team could not do what we do. If you happen to like what we do don't be afraid to show these great sponsors some love.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery or...

If you can not beat them, try to join them.
That was the incredibly funny tribute from four young pro's to four older and old semi-pro's, this weekend at the 2008 US Open team relay championships. The four young guns decided to all dress up in VPA kit and memorialize their older and faster, at least on this day, heros.
The VisitPA.com real team US Open relay team was set to defend their 2007 title. With a line-up of no less than three National Champions in Wes Schempf, Mike Yozell and Ryan Leech and yours truly we were ready to take all comers. The team goal was to win the lap race, and to defend the title against the handicapped teams.
This great event allows beginners, juniors, men and women to all race for the overall win. I can say first hand that the VisitPA.com team races our guts out for 3:59:42, just so we could send out another rider for a last lap. That last lap was the lap that gave us the win.
With Wes leading off for VisitPA.com we were afforded a lead just three minutes into the race, and never looked back. Mike Yozell stretched the lead and handed off to me as I stretched it a bit more. I handed off to Ryan Leech who held his own against his counterpart on the young guns who was riding the fastest laps of the event. As the first hour passed our very trusty Cannondale F1 29er bikes were working flawlessly. The big wheels were turning and helping us increase the lead through hour two and three. After three hours we realized that we had exactly 1 hour and thirty seconds to ride our last four laps. We needed to turn fourth laps faster than 90% of everyone else's fastest lap. With great laps fro Wes, Yozell and myself we gave Ryan exactly sixteen minutes to win the race for us. The lap race was won at that point, Ry just need to finish before 4:00 so Wes could do a lap of fun. I headed into the woods to see Ry and give encouragement. It would be close. Yozell and I figured we would have 10-15 seconds to spare. Ry killedit and we had 18 seconds to spare. The race was ours. After some celebrating Mike & I decided to ride the last half-lap with Wes, as a demonstration that teammates win races as a team.
The day was a huge success with around 70 teams. All kudos for race management need to go directly to team director/founder Mike Kuhn of High Speed Cycling. I heard so many great comments through the day, about the event.
I would like to thank VisitPA.com for supporting the team. Cannondale bikes for supplying us with absolutely flawless machines. Ergon grips for the most comfy grips known to man. Rudy Project for the most comfy helmet I have worn in 20+ years of racing. SRAM for the absolute best shifting and brakes you can race with. I can not wait to use these products the rest of the year, as well as our other generous sponsor products from Suunto, Deuter, Northwave.
Thanks to all who attended the event.
Enjoy your season and remember to thank the promoters and teams that bring you these great events.
hebe

Patience please

I can't wait patiently, that much I am aware of. The need to be perpetually prepared has always kept me on the go.....and up too late for too many nights! See, the first race of the NUE Series, the Cohutta 100, in Tennessee is fast approaching. I've been thinking about this race since January, and here it is...and there I was 1 week ago without a bike....

WAS, thanks to some quick action by the guys at The Bicycle Shop, in State College for the connection to Troy Laffey at Cannondale, who pit-stopped in my hometown mid-route on his mega-transect across the nation for upcoming national events.

Speedy Delivery....24hrs later, a silver beacon arrives and a Cannondale bike is in my hands!!!

See this truly is amazing to me. I'm an average rider in the grand scheme of this racing scene, so the fact that I got upfront service says (to me) nothing about my abilities, but in fact, highlights Cannondale's priority to take care of their racers...and for that, they have my highest regards.

I raced the Cannondale Rush at Kuhndog's Kick-off M.A.S.S. Team Relay Event this past weekend in Marysville, PA. In a few words, that bike is light, quick and responsive to the tight track and logs, it climbs like a champ and descends with ease. Those Juicy Ultimate brakes are sooo smooth......

Not only do I have the nicest and prettiest bike that I've ever owned in my possession, but also have a peace of mind knowing that I'm riding on a solid bike made by a quality PA company..........and with that I will rest easy for a long time. THANKS Troy and Cannondale!!

Relay Update

The course is prepped and we'll be running tape on Saturday. Please keep in mind that the course is not open for pre-riding until Sunday morning before the race. I turned about a 19 min lap yesterday so I may shorten it just a hair before the event, but I'm not sure where because we put in a fun new section of trail that I hate for you all to miss!

We're up to 216 riders - about 75 more than last year already and there is still time to pre-reg as that doesn't close up until Sunday AM. Please be sure to pre-reg as you'll save some coin and us some time.

I have one person who has contacted me looking for a team for this weekend so if there are still riders out there who don't have a full team together let me know and I'll put you guys in contact. There is also a thread on the MASS forums that is a good place to look for team members.

A couple notes - you will not be able to leave once the relay gets going as we're using the driveway as part of the course. Please keep this in mind if you have people coming to spectate - have them park out at the end of the drive so they can leave if they are not planning to stay for the whole show.

Dogs - remember, we don't allow them at the farm. We love 'em and you likely will see ours there. Its not about the dogs really. Its about avoiding the potential - even if unlikely - issues that come from dogs being there. We know this frustrates many of you because you love your dogs and want to bring them. Please leave them at home for the relay.

The weather is going to be fantastic and the racing is going to be sweet!

We'll see you soon!
Kuhn and the Gang (aka. visitPA.com MTB Team and our familial units)

Answers to your deepest and most troubling questions (about the US Open Relay)

A couple q's have come my way in the past few days that are worth passing along.

1. Is the farm open for pre-riding? No. The farm is private property and is not open for pre-riding for the Team Relay. Please respect this rule. Anyone caught pre-riding the course will be barred from future competitions at the farm. The boys and girls on the Mountainside racing team will be organizing some rides at the farm this spring and summer with all the appropriate insurances and what-not so catch up with Mike Laub or Andy Hoover or one of the other team members for more info. These Mountainside led rides will be the only opportunity to ride on this course outside of races. Also, please be sure to thank these folks for all their help in getting the farm ready for the relay - they've basically done all the trail clean up and prep and saved me a ton a travel time and work. Thanks Mountainside!

2. Can we park next to our pit? Maybe. This is going to depend on weather and ground conditions, but obviously your cool pits are going to be far easier to set up if you can get your vehicle in close. What I will plan for is that teams may bring ONE vehicle in to their pit - so, if you show up in two vehicles put all the stuff in one to bring it to your pit. Easy enough.

3. Hows come there are different prices on mountainbikeracer.com/mbcx.com and bikereg/highspeedcycling? I'm still trying to get to the bottom of this. I think Bill was helping me out by putting more info up about the relay on his site and grabbed some 2007 info off my site to enhance my posting on his. I tried to fix this and can't actually change the text on mbcx so I've asked for his help in doing so. The correct prices, much to the chagrin of my anonymous friends, are on bikereg.com.

4. Will there be a kid's race? I wasn't planning one, but can add it if people want me to. Todd is putting up a survey on the board at the series site so chime in there if you want to bring your kids and watch them race around a bit.

More later. Thanks for tuning in.

We're just over a week out now and registrations are starting to roll for the visitPA.com US Open Mountain Bike Relay. Thirteen teams so far - two visitPA.com squads to add with a guest appearance from Cannondale's regional rep and supporter of all things good in cycling Brian Kremmer since Ray and Nancy are headed south for a little training and racing vacation. Get your team registered through BikeReg.com and join us for a fantastic kick off to the season.

New Look Site!

The visitPA.com Team's new race promotion site is up and active thanks to visitPA.com Team racer Ryan Leech, who in addition to be pretty fast happens to make some very nice websites. Information about the US Open Relay has been posted to the site and registration is live on BikeReg.com. Info about the Rocktober Challenge Marathon will be up with in the next week. Thanks for your patience while we redesigned the site, we think you'll find it a much nicer place to visit!

Updates to VisitPA.com Team Events

We're working hard to bring our 2008 events together. We have a goal of not only putting on high quality bike races, but creating great experiences for our participants and coming up with events that are a little outside the usual xc bike race. The VisitPA.com Team's events for 2008 are:

Sunday, April 6 - US Open Team Relay
- A four person four hour long super sweet way to kick off the 2008 season!

Saturday, May 17 - Rocktober Challenge Mountain Bike Marathon
- 100k mountain bike marathon through gorgeous central PA and the Bald Eagle State Forest

Friday, July 4 - Sunday, July 6 - VisitPA.com MTB Stage Race and Festival Weekend
- Quite possibly the most fun event ever with great racing, camping, a beautiful setting, bands, beverages, expo, fun races, and whatever else with think to add! Includes an XC, STXC, Hill Climb, and Night Time Trial

Sat, Oct 11- Sun, Oct 12 - Iron 'Cross
- The longest cyclocross race in the USA and an event gaining an international following coupled with a fun "short course" cross race and a chance to ride in some stunning fall scenery through the ridges and valleys of Michaux State Forest in south central PA.

Visit out race promotion site at www.highspeedcycling.com for more information on these unique and fun events!

Rob's takes a Third and gets First podium in 2008!

Rob takes his first podium as a VisitPA.com team member -- how sweet is it that we now have this guy on our team?!?! It all came together in a last minute trip to Florida for the 12 Hours of Santos where he took the first podium spot of the year for the VisitPA.com team.

Rob has made the trip to Florida a pilgrimage for a few seasons as he's raced and won the season opening 12 Hours of Razorback in years past. With the unfortunate demise of the Razorback park last year 12 Hours of Santos has risen up as the new early season Florida place to be seen.

Rob was certainly seen with what he calls his best Lemans start ever! When first checking out the sinuous course Rob made the decision to run like the wind at the start so as to not get caught behind the slower riders on the tight trails. Like the mouse pursued by the crazed broom wielding housewife, Rob made for his bike like his life depended on it. First to his bike in the mob scene start was a new experience, the flat tire waiting for him was, however, an old acquaintance.

After a bike swap Rob headed out at in very dead last tail end caboose lantern rouge position and had to make his way through the horde. With some stellar riding and patience born from years of ultra endurance racing, Rob made his way back into the top of the field around the half way point of the race and then proceeded to slowly swallow a few last riders before just plain old running out of time to catch the final competitors.

Since this was a training race weekend for him, Rob took the opportunity to check out his race bikes for the season and spent some laps on his Cannondale 29er and a few others on his Rush. He's still torn between the two and will likely choose one for some events and use the other when it is warranted --- it sure is nice to have a few of these at your disposal!

Look for Rob and the rest of the team in action at various training races during the next month and kicking off the 2008 MASS season at the VisitPA.com US Open Team Relay on April 5 where they look to defend their 2007 title and keep hold of the Championship Trophy!

The New Year Update

Welcome to the Party!

Some good stuff is coming together here at Chez Kuhn and the home of the VisitPA.com Team.

We told you about Cannondale a little while back and it looks like we'll be taking delivery of these beauties in the near future. You'll see the VPA boys and girls on a range of the bikes and we'll be sporting them on the trail - like the 29er 1 Caffeine and Rush Team - road - the super duper SuperSix Ultimate is the one we're drooling over - and in some 'cross racing this fall -

Yep, that's right, we're expanding a bit and will field a full 'cross team on the PA, Mid-Atlantic, and national circuits in 2008.
We're pretty excited to take this team in a new direction and spread the VPA vibe to the road and 'cross scenes this season. A few of the boys may even make an appearance on that concrete bowl in T-town. Ry is threatening anyway.

We also welcomed a few other new faces to the 2008 party and are very stoked to have these guys on board.

Ergon is providing us support at the bars by coming on board with their sweet grips, like those pictured here. The deal is that they provide more support to your hand and take some pressure off the ulnar nerve. I'm so loving these for the 100s I'll be dragging my butt through. Rob's been using these for a year or so and has found them to be the best choice for his 24 hour solo assaults. Of course, 24 hours of anything will kick your butt, but the Ergon's offer the best support for the long (or short!) haul. Check out that sweet neon color too! I've been waiting a long time to break out my old purple and yellow winter training jacket again.

Lots of color options from our new eyewear provider too as Rudy Project is stepping up with not only their superlative sport shades and casual sunglasses but with helmets too. My biggest problem is that I'm not really cool enough for most of these glasses so its good we have style mavens like Wes, Leech, and Hebe on the squad.

At the other end of things, Northwave is our foot covering device provider and you'll see us sporting these beauts, custom matched to PA's gold state symbol of the keystone just for the VisitPA.com Team! Not really, but its more sweet style points for us in these Raptor Carbons (there is a way better pic on the website so go there to check it out). We're hoping to sport some sweet podium togs from these guys too...watch for shots from the top step. Also on board are Dueter with some hydration packs to keep us topped off in the marathons and XCs and the guys over at Psycho Lube who will be keeping us running smoothly with their two step clean and lube system. We have a few more irons in the fire and we will hopefully have a few more partners to introduce soon. Thanks for visiting the VisitPA.com Team blog!