Wednesday February 29th, 2012 | | Kid Riemer
Today we have a guest blog from Dave Kelley. Dave works at Paramount Cycles in Anchorage, Alaska. He is currently racing the Iditarod Invitational, riding and pushing 350 miles to McGrath. -Kid
I'm riding a Mukluk Ti in the Iditarod Invitational this year. I always wanted a Salsa and now I have an extremely beautiful looking, and riding, one.
My bike is set up using SRAM XO front and rear derailleurs controlled by TT900 shifters on Paul's Thumbies shifter mounts. I have always used thumb shifters and wasn't about to change that when setting up this rig. I've got a White Brothers Snow Pack fork up front. It lightens the bike up a bit. My wheels are built with red Salsa Mukluk 2 hubs laced to custom-polished Rolling Darryl rims. Yes, I did the polishing. They turned out so sweet! In the brake department I wanted light and easy-to-service units and went with SRAM XX brakes, 185mm front and 160mm rear. I feel the larger front rotor really helps while riding, even more so when loaded.
My cockpit begins with a Salsa carbon bar and Pro Moto Ti stem. A carbon seatpost and recovered Sella Italia Flite saddle from the 90's that I had used on all my other race bikes and have done many, many great trips on should keep the hindquarters happy...or at least as happy as I can keep them.
Tire choice was easy for me...Surly Big Fat Larry's front and rear! The increased float you get over the 3.8" Larry is amazing! Cranks are RaceFace Atlas DH as I wanted stiff, strong cranks with widely available BB bearing choices, plus they are RED! My gearing is 20-32-42T with 15-36T out back. Yes, I removed the two high gears from the cassette. I never used them anyway and I have a big ring if needed. Pedals are Crank Bros Eggbeaters. You can't beat the weight (no pun intended) and ease of getting in and out of them. My total bike weight with pedals is 29 lbs.
Of course this is an adventure racing bike so bags and a lot of gear are in order. I made my own frame, toptube, and handlebar bags. The seat bag is from Revelate Designs. Pogies finish off the bike.
I've also modified both my bike light and headlamp. The bike light is a Cateye HL500. My headlamp is a Petzel Zoom.
Everything has its place. The handlebar bag is also part of the harness system for holding my bivy and sleeping bag. It holds items I will need to access frequently during the journey to McGrath like bag balm, spare gloves, money, etc. My toptube bag is 100% dedicated to fuel! Fuel for me! It holds everything I will eat while in motion on the trail. I built it very large and it is very easy to access, and to refill at checkpoints. The seat bag carries my down coat and a couple other pieces of clothing, and the frame bag carries everything else!
Gear wise, I carry my water in bottles wrapped with Outdoor Research parkas. My MSR Whisperlite Intl stove also fits down in frame bag, along with a MSR Ti pot and lid. I've used this same cook set on so many trips so I don't go anywhere without it! The frame bag also holds dinners, along with extra on-the-bike food. My spare tube rides at the bottom of the frame bag, along with my pump for easy access. In my pogies there is another set of spare gloves and emergency chemical heaters. I hate to use them but they sure are nice when needed.
My sleep system is pretty simple: Outdoor research two person bivy, Ridgerest pad and a -30 Mountain Hardwear Lamina bag. Synthetic bags are a bit heavier than down but I trust that it will always keep me warm.
Clothing choices are different for everyone. Lower body I'm wearing Pearl Izumi bib knickers and custom-made wind-front pants. On my upper body I wear a light Capilene base layer, then a wool layer, then a Kuchurak wind-front coat. I always wear a helmet and use a wool hat underneath it.
For my feet I wear a thin polyester liner socks underneath a vapor barrier sock, then a heavy wool sock, and Lake winter boots with an overboot glued to them.
What is on my hands changes frequently. It can be anything from nothing (remember I'm using pogies) to thin wool liners, to full-on big insulated mitts. My extra clothing, wind vest and pants, extra gloves, facemask, sleep hat and long sleeve base layer, are all carried within my bags as well.
A Jandd tool bag holds a small adjustable wrench, Leatherman Wave tool, Crank Bros multi-tool with chain tool, and of course some select bolts and quick links.
That's the equipment. Wish me well. -Dave Kelley
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Got questions for Dave? Ask away, and he'll answer them upon finishing the race. Follow all the action on the Iditarod Invitational website or watch their Leaderboard. And also, check out Jay Petervary's new blog where he's sharing insights and memories from his many experiences on the Iditarod Trail.
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Monday February 27th, 2012 | | Danielle Musto
When I was young I had a pretty diverse group of friends. From what I remember we didn’t pay much attention to gender or the typical stereotypes that often accompany being a girl or being a boy. I definitely played with G.I. Joes just as much (or more) as I did with My Little Pony. And even though this is nothing to brag about, we all took equal turns at ringing doorbells when playing ding-dong-digit.
A lot of my time in the summer was spent on wheels of some sort. First it was a Big Wheel, then a two-wheeler and eventually I graduated to a 10-speed. Riding a bike gave my friends and I freedom to travel at faster speeds and have new adventures. Back then not much else mattered. I just had to be able to keep up on my bike. And I loved, loved, LOVED riding my bike.
But then something happened…we all grew up.
Suddenly things like what I was wearing or how my hair looked mattered a lot more than how far I could pedal my bike. When my mom told me I had to wear a helmet I actually retired my bike to the garage. Back then my friends didn’t wear helmets and I didn’t want to be different. Eventually the excitement of being able to play all day gave way to the anxiety of not being good enough. To this day I’m not sure exactly what I was afraid of not being good enough for...but never the less, the feeling followed me throughout my middle school and high school years.
My parents did all they could to build my self-confidence. I swam, took karate, played an instrument, and was in the Science Olympiad (in other words I was a dork!). But no matter how many things I accomplished I was still more worried about fitting in. My biggest concern was if I was going to be picked on by the “high school bully,” who happened to be especially ruthless with me. I was too skinny, too tall, too ugly…too everything I didn't want to be. I tried to avoid him at all costs. When that didn’t work I tried to be overly nice to him. Neither approach worked and I always just ended up feeling bad about myself.
Things got better during my college years but they were nothing to brag about. I worked a lot, went out WAY too much, and lived a very unhealthy lifestyle. I didn’t really exercise unless you consider the fact that my friends and I often walked to the bar.
But then something else happened…I met my future husband.
His name was Scott and I was smitten. Incidentally we met at a bar, but little did I know that it was the beginning of the end for my “wild-college-going-out” days. On our first date Scott talked incessantly about mountain bike racing and the fact that he was going to buy a lighter bike. Our date lasted four hours and I’m pretty sure he talked about his bike for three of them. At the time I had no clue what the heck he was talking about but something clicked and I remembered that I had a bike too. It happened to weigh 40 pounds and had about ten inches of dust on it.
It wasn’t long after that I was dragging my bike out of the garage. And I’m not exaggerating when I say "dragging". The thing really did weigh 40 pounds. I put on a pair of sweat shorts, adjusted the cages around my tennis shoes, and Scott loaned me a helmet to wear. The helmet was completely ugly and covered with banana stickers, but I didn’t give a second thought to what I looked like. We started pedaling and the same feeling of freedom and adventure that I used to get as a child was back. I was hooked.
My second time around of riding a bike did not come as easy as it did when I was a child. There were a lot of tears, a lot of crashes, a lot of fears, and a lot more crashes. Trust me when I say that I might just hold the world record on crashes while learning to mountain bike. Scott will back me up on this.
I started racing about two months after riding, and I’m not quite sure how I got through the actual race. I had no clue what to expect. My biggest fear wasn’t if I could finish, it was that I was going to get in the way of everyone else. And as ridiculous as this sounds now, my second biggest fear was that I was going to wear the wrong thing to the race. I had bike shorts, a helmet and shoes, but that’s it. So the night before the race I spent quite a bit of time going through my closet. Finally I settled on a blue tank top from The Gap because it looked “pro.” Scott mentioned that everyone racing beginner would be in the same boat but it was lies….all lies! I pulled up to the start line and all the other women were wearing matching cycling kits. Instantly I was scared because everyone looked really, really fast.
However, all of those fears went away the moment the race promoter said, “Go!” Once I started pedaling I realized that I had MUCH BIGGER things to worry about. Not only did I crash directly into a thorn bush within the first mile, but I continued to crash anytime I saw a root, rock or tree. In other words, I was on the ground more than the bike. To make matters worse I was racing on a flat tire and never even realized that it was flat. Crossing that finish line was a HUGE moment for me. Not only was I incredibly relieved (I thought I was a goner in the woods) but I also felt really proud.
I remember looking in the mirror afterwards. I had scratches on my face, mud in my hair, bloody knees and bruises already appearing. For the first time in a long time, I REALLY LIKED what I saw.
From that point on cycling changed my life. Feeling good on the bike meant making healthy lifestyle changes. Riding my bike replaced going out. As my fitness grew so did my self-confidence. My wardrobe changed to jerseys and cycling shorts. And then there were my “too skinny and too long” legs that I used to be so self-conscious about when I was younger. They are still skinny, but now my calf muscles are disproportionately small compared to my quad muscles. My knees are covered with scars and I usually have a few purple bruises scattered around for good measure. In the summer I have such bad tan lines it always looks like I’m wearing white shorts and socks.
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I’m sure the high-school bully who used to torment me would still think that they are ugly. The difference is in me. I could care less about what he or anyone else thinks. I am super proud of my legs and what they can do. In fact, sometimes I brag a bit when showing off my scars…I can’t help it. The scars aren’t just battle wounds. They are a symbol of a lot of hard work, a lot of sweat, a lot of tears...but also a lot of fun. They are a reminder that I am tougher than I ever imagined I could be, and that I shouldn’t be afraid of getting in the way of faster people during a race.
And most importantly, my scars are a reminder to always be cautious when going over wet bridges and to always cross a wet root at a 90-degree angle. They are a reminder of just a few very important lessons I’ve learned about riding a bike, but more importantly about myself, along the way.
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Wednesday February 22nd, 2012 | | Gnat
This past weekend the Salsa crew participated in Frostbike 2012. Frostbike 2012 is an annual gathering of bike dealers, vendors, media and other bicycle industry partners and advocates. It is also sort of an annual pilgrimage for some. Folks from near and far make the journey to Minnesota in February. Usuallly they arrive and are treated to Minnesota's finest snow and cold. Typically, it is a perfect environment for riding Mukluks. This year was quite different with virtually no snow and temps around 40 degrees. Frankly, it felt downright balmy at times. With these poor conditions in mind, when our friends from Japan asked us to go on a fun Mukluk ride we needed to look for places to go. We packed up six Mukluks and headed north.
Our friendship with Toshi, Shuji and Oda-san began several years ago in Japan. Toshi and Oda-san are shop owners in Japan and Shuji is freelance media writer and story teller. Oda-san owns a bike shop called The Farm and he took Kid and I on a lovely ride in Japan involving city, old roads, a little singletrack and some incredible scenery. We met Toshi on a day he sold his first Salsa Moto Rapido. We walked into his shop just as the buyer picked up his new frame. It was fun meeting the consumer and we shared laughs, pictures and some cool Salsa gifts. Shuji has written many stories on Salsa. He's travelled with us here in the USA and honestly, is one of the reasons that our Adventure by Bike message is resonating in Japan. Shuji loves the outdoors and writes for many magazines. He's a great friend and partner. As you can see, these friendships are very important to us and so when they wanted to do something on Mukluks, Kid and I arranged something special for them.
After an early morning pick up, we headed north to Thomson, Minnesota. Thomson isn't an incredibly common town here in Minnesota. Folks may know the state park nearby though, Jay Cooke State Park. This is where Hansi Johnson lives, the Midwest Regional IMBA rep. Hansi is a fellow outdoor nut with a passion for riding bikes, the outdoors and sharing his local knowledge. He's also a talented photographer. It was a joy riding with Hansi. Hansi and IMBA have been instrumental in building new trail(s), bringing groups of people together and advocating for bicyclists here in Minnesota. We are truly thankful for the work that both Hansi and IMBA are doing to improve riding conditions not only here, but throughout the USA. There is nothing like a local guide sharing his personal riding places with you. We rode in and around Thomson on trail, frozen lakes, rocks and along rivers. It was an incredible experience. Here are a few photos from the day.
Hansi broke his axe!
After our ride, we were tempted to end the day hanging out exchanging stories, sipping a beer or two and warming our toes and fingers in the sauna, but we had more places to go. We packed up the bikes and headed to Duluth to ride Park Point. Our friends had never seen one of the Great Lakes nor had they experienced riding on sand, ice and snow near such a beautiful body of fresh water. Again, Hansi joined us as a guide (his Duluth office is nearby) and treated us to frozen inlets, shelf ice and singletrack. Our day of riding ended with an incredible sunset and golden hour light, a true gift and an end to an amazing day of riding.
Our day was not over though. What trip to Duluth is complete with out a trip to Fitger's Brewhouse? After a day of riding, it was great to eat some great food and sip a few of Fitger's finest ales.
Pretty much a perfect day. Riding bikes in cool and new places with great people.
Notes:
For a few more pictures, check out Hansi's blog here at http://www.universalklister.blogspot.com/.
If you are reading this and wanting to do this, please note that we had a guide on this trip. Riding on or near lakes on ice is dangerous.
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Monday February 20th, 2012 | | Kid Riemer
This coming weekend in Homer, Alaska, some friends of ours in the Homer Cycling Club are putting on their first ever Big Fat Bike Festival.
It pains me to type this as I know I won't be there to participate and enjoy all the good things that place has to offer. They've got a lot of cool stuff planned, and of course the whole event is based on those beautiful things we call fatbikes. Check out their event website here.
If you are in the area, or can get to Homer for the event, I highly encourage you to attend. Good people will take care of you. Good food will be eaten. And good riding will be had.
While neither Jason or I can be there, but we did take part in a little ride of our own this past Thursday up north in, and near, Duluth. Not quite the same as being in Homer, but pretty dang fun all the same.
Jason and Hansi and a fantastic sky...
Shuji enjoying Park Point...
Hansi and the last light of day...
We've sent up a bunch of nice schwag for those of you that make it to the Big Fat Bike Festival. Enjoy it all, and know that there are at least two very jealous Minnesotan's wishing they were there...and probably many more.
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Monday February 13th, 2012 | | Joe
Today we conclude Joe's series of posts from his trip to the first ever Fatbike Summit. -Kid
Sunday morning, we were back at it relatively early for one last ride on the local District 33, Horseshoe Canyon Trails, before I had to catch a flight out of Jackson Hole. Scott had received a text the afternoon before from the local groomer that the trails were freshly groomed. That he received the text is a sign that they have made good inroads with the snowmachine community.
Four more inches of fresh snow had fallen overnight in Horseshoe Canyon on the edge of the Big Hole Mountains, west of Driggs. The trails were soft on top and freshly groomed below. Where the groomed trails had setup it was slow, but easy going, giving us time to enjoy the quiet of the early morning. Tracey roped Rippin' up and seemingly pulled away effortlessly. I was worried about my skill riding snow until I realized the dog was doing some of the work. What do you call that? On skis, it is skijoring, so I guess it is bikejoring then? Or maybe fatjoring?
With the clock ticking we pedaled and pushed our way up the canyon, getting passed by one snowmachine rider out enjoying the morning just as we were. Time ran out and we turned around to pedal, and surf back down the canyon, taking the occasional fall into endless powder trailside. Rippin' and Chillin' led us back to the van as I got an education in snow conditions and fatbike riding in a different environment. It is always eye opening to ride outside of Minnesota and bring that experience back home.
During the travel back to Minneapolis I had some time to reflect on my fatbike geek-out experience. Attending the Fatbike Summit in West Yellowstone is of course good for our business, but we genuinely want to be good stewards to the areas where we ride. Access to trails and places to recreate outdoors is not just important to me, it is necessary to my way of life and my being. Riding in Idaho Falls and the Teton Valley was an eye-opening experience. I've toured on the fatbike before and this made me want that experience again and often. If we as riders can work positively for access to places to ride fatbikes; a new travel vehicle for year-round use on snow, sand, or any surface where a mountain bike can't travel easily or without doing damage; more miles of trails will be available for all seasons. I encourage you to get involved in a positive manner wherever you ride your fatbike.
I was taken care of well on my trip to Victor, Idaho. Brandon Campisi, shop manager at Fitzgerald's Bicycles, received my bike and had it rolling when I arrived without asking too many questions about any prototype parts he may, or may not, have seen. Scott and Janine Fitzgerald opened the shop and took charge of planning the Fatbike Summit along with Gary Sjoquist, Advocacy Director at Quality Bicycle Products. Jay handled travel logistics, securing a 4x4 van and putting in some hefty driving time for those four days. Tracey opened up their home and kept me well fed with fresh, local, delicious food. Rippin' and Chillin' snored alongside me each night. If any or all of them decide to open that Adventure Cycling Lodge we dreamed of on our ride, cyclists that sojourn through will be well fed and rested before they continue on their journey.
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Any interest out there in attending next year's Fatbike Summit? We'd like to hear your thoughts on any advocacy concerns you have in their regard.
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Friday February 10th, 2012 | | Joe
We continue with Part Two from Joe's trip to the first ever Fatbike Summit. -Kid
Meanwhile, back at Fitzgerald's Bicycle Shop, a bunch of fatbikers had already formed a six-pack, waiting for the start of the pre-ride meeting for Saturday's West 'n Back ride. I didn't know it yet, but it would become one of two rides that weekend that would highlight to me, just how perfect the region is for fatbike riding.
Saturday morning we awoke to another six-plus inches of fresh snow! I was told that I arrived at the same time that winter decided to show up. Five riders and bikes loaded back into the van and headed to our planned start point. We found trails that were perfectly groomed the day before (we had checked) covered in 6-12" of fresh snow. The trails were too soft to ride so we regrouped at Pond's Lodge, Bar, Restaurant, and Gas Station in Island Park. Over our second breakfast burritos of the day, Jay formulated a plan to ride back roads that would certainly have been plowed and/or driven on by snowmachines, trucks, and trailers by then. Nine of us lined up for the first ever West 'n Back ride. Any competitiveness was gone and it turned into a leisurely group ride in a winter wonderland.
I was along for the ride, happy to be spinning pedals after two solid days of travel, and excited to go anywhere. The temperature hovered right around 30-degrees Fahrenheit and big fat flakes fell softly from the sky. I felt as though my face was stuck with a perm-a-grin on it as we spun along and shared ideas for opening a destination lodge for fatbikers and adventure cyclists in the area.
Just a few miles north of where we rode that day, the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route passes through Island Park. There is roughly 100 miles between that point for resupply and Lima, Montana for southbound riders. It conjured up memories of my experience and psyche at that point of my 2009 Tour Divide ride, and I enjoyed replaying those memories again. It would be near impossible to get several Divide finishers (John Foster and myself) and record holders (Jay and Tracey Petervary) together and not talk about what that ride means to each of us and how it has shaped our lives.
That night, while Tracey spoiled Jay and I with her Pasta e Fagioli, we talked about life in Victor and the Teton Valley. Jay and Tracey have carved out a living where, in many years, their vacations consist of three weeks on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Trail on a tandem, weeks in Alaska racing the 1100 miles to Nome, and this past year, an inaugural solo Race Across America effort by Jay. While Jay's No Idle Tour got all of the attention last year, setting two course records and racing RAAM self supported will do that, there is no way he could have done it without Tracey's support at home. Of course Rippin' and Chillin', their two energetic dogs help out as well...heck, I suppose the good folks at Fitzgerald's bike shop (Scott, Janine, and Brandon) and countless others are a big help too!
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TO BE CONTINUED...PART 3 ON MONDAY
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Wednesday February 8th, 2012 | | Joe
The sign read Road Closed.
It was just one more of the many hurdles met with moments of breakthroughs and solace along the road to First Annual Fatbike Summit held in West Yellowstone on January 19th, 2012. The physical journey to get to the Teton Valley in the van where we were now waiting had started a rather long 24 hours ago.
I had a feeling when I boarded the plane in Minneapolis that the flight to Jackson Hole might be cancelled. After a long lunch, involving some local Wasatch brews while waiting at the airport, I checked the monitors and sure enough "CANCELLED," in big, bright, red letters. Gary Sjoquist (Bicycle Advocacy Director for Quality Bicycle Products) and I began making plans. I had passes for the Outdoor Retailer show lined up to make the best of the situation, when Gary suggested we contact QBP Sales Representative Dyan Gill. She had been planning on the drive up for the summit and said something to the effect of "I will pick you up in 30 minutes". Lifesaver!
After 4-1/2 hours in Dyan's full-size truck we arrived in Victor, Idaho at Wildlife Brewpub. Scott Fitzgerald and Jay Petervary, from Fitzgerald's bike shop in Victor, were there to greet us. They were a great welcoming party to the beautiful Teton Valley. We unwound over beer and pizza. Dyan deserved it. She'd spent the whole time driving through wind and sloppy wet snow, hydroplaning over a mountain pass in sometimes whiteout conditions. But we had been gifted with the incredible sighting of a mountain lion while stuck on the road at one point.
Our good luck continued as Andy Williams from Grand Targhee Resort had set us up with rooms for the night. Thanks Andy! Dyan piloted the truck for another 40 minutes of tough driving to reach the resort and our soft, comfortable pillows for a great night's sleep after 16 hours of travel for the day.
Morning broke with a soft snowfall and 6-12" of fresh snow. Perfect if we were to be staying on the hill and skiing all day, not so much for a 2.5 hour drive to West Yellowstone. In Driggs, we found Pendl's Bakery and Cafe, another moment of solace. Good coffee and excellent pastries always make me happy when traveling. My best work trips, vacations, and rides can all be summed up with "remember the pastries and coffee at that place?" Scott and Jay met us and we loaded a borrowed 15-passenger 4x4 Ford Econoline with eight fatbikes, five passengers, and full travel mugs of coffee and continued down the road. In Tetonia we picked up Andy, drove a few miles north and then sat at a Road Closed sign, waiting.
Scott Fitzgerald summed it up best, "We just keep taking the next step and eventually this thing will happen." While we were stuck at the airport, he had encouraged Gary to get us to Teton Valley. When he started getting e-mails and calls from our host in West Yellowstone and those planning to attend the summit, Scott kept encouraging them to get there. There we were, sitting in the van with no known idea of when the gate was going to be lifted and Scott was still advocating for the event, his event, to happen. He and Jay are crazy about fatbikes. Everyone in the van was also crazy about fatbikes. So, for the entire 1.5 hours we sat there, and the next 2 to West Yellowstone we geeked out about fatbikes. In fact for the next three days, we geeked out, about fatbikes.
In West Yellowstone, we were greeted by16 excited attendees for the First Annual Fatbike Summit. While attendance was down because of the weather and travel funding restrictions, these individuals made it a point to come and represent state parks, national forest, and recreation areas in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. Sure, we had hoped for more attendees, but 25-50" of snow kept folks rightfully grounded. After our trip there, we were pleased that those in attendance felt it important enough to make the effort.
For two hours we presented information and fatbike experiences, taking time for questions and discussion about fatbike use on Nordic ski, snowshoe, and snowmachine trails. We gave examples of successful use cases and pilot programs, such as the one Andy Williams is running at Grand Targhee Resort with seemingly great success, and the Teton County MOU agreement that Fitzgerald and his staff have negotiated on Teton County Snow Machine trails. It seemed that everyone in the audience was engaged and open to the idea of fatbikes. Our goal was to have an open dialogue, understand concerns, and ultimately get decision makers to consider fatbikes for future plans in the parks and forests they are responsible for. At the end of the presentation and discussion we put anyone who wanted to try a fatbike onto one, and watched each of them come back with a smile on their face.
Just as fast as we had arrived to West Yellowstone it seemed we were packing up and hightailing it back to Victor. The entire drive back was rife with conversation about how we could improve the presentation.
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TO BE CONTINUED...PART 2 OF 3 THIS FRIDAY
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Monday February 6th, 2012 | | Sean
Like many people, I travelled home for Christmas and New Years to visit family. This was the first time I have driven home to Tennessee in more than three years, and it gave my wife and I the opportunity to bring our bikes. I brought my road bike for the hilly, wavy roads, and the Horsethief for some of the local trails.
Since I moved north, organizations such as Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA), International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA), and the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club (AMBC) have been steadily building and digging new trails in East Tennessee. I was excited to ride them and had heard great things from my friends who still live there. I especially wanted to try out the new trails at Enterprise South Nature Park in my hometown of Chattanooga. It’s a newly opened system of approximately ten-plus miles of singletrack and a pump track. The coolest part is the trails twists and skirts by more than 40 leftover bunkers once used to house TNT.
Presently, this land is home to the new Volkswagen Chattanooga Plant, several other companies, and Enterprise South Nature Park; but during World War II it was home to the Volunteer Army Ammunitions Plant. The VAAP was specifically built to produce TNT. During World War II VAAP produced 823 million pounds of TNT for our military forces. The plant continued to produce TNT after WWII for the Korean and Vietnam Wars during the 1950’s and 60’s. For the Vietnam War the plant produced 1,765 million pounds of TNT, impressive and sad at the same time. After these major conflicts, the land and facilities went through many different periods of ownership and production. TNT production slowed and deceased, but hazardous chemicals such as nitric acid, sulfuric acid, and ammonia nitrate fertilizer were still produced there. Buildings and production lines came and went through the decades and finally in the 1990’s the cleanup began in earnest as local authorities considered different uses for the land. In 2008, Chattanooga attracted the Volkswagen plant to the property. This partnership ended up producing more than 2,000 jobs, a platinum-certified LEED production plant, and the promise of a new nature park.
Once the Enterprise South Nature Park was created on the unusable, hilly part of the property the opportunity to build new trails became a possibility. SORBA partnered with land managers and designed ten-plus miles of trails specifically for mountain bikers of all skill levels. I’m sure techniques taught by IMBA to local trail builders helped to create the trails my Horsethief now enjoyed. Brett Davis, my good friend whom I did the Tour Divide with, happened to be in town to join me. As we ripped through the forest and passed bunker after bunker, I couldn’t help to think how ironic it was that land once used to make TNT to fight a war against Germany, is now home to a car company from Germany.
A couple of the bunkers are actually open to walk in. Brett and I stopped at one to have a look around. Huge metal doors were swung open to either side, allowing the curious to enter the large concrete room. The internal shape of the structure is parabolic so once you are inside everything can be heard. Brett and I walked around inside and tried to be reasonably quiet but it sounded like we were banging metal pots on the ground thanks to our shoe cleats on concrete. What once held TNT now just housed a couple of shovels and picks for trail building. Brett and I left the bunker and continued on the trail to get a couple more laps in.
It was inspiring to ride that day and consider all the hard work that went into getting these trails built. Thanks to the hard work of some key Chattanoogans and organizations such as SORBA I was able to enjoy some great singletrack. If you are someone who helped build these trails or any of the trails I’ve ridden, thank you. If you are someone like me who has built relatively little trail compared to how much they’ve ridden, then maybe this year is the year you get involved. Who knows what piece of land near you could be transformed into great singletrack for you to get out and rip on.
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Wednesday February 1st, 2012 | | Gnat
It's no secret that at Salsa we believe bikes are more than just bikes. They are tools and vehicles that make life better. Bicycles can make you think bigger and often times encourage you to look beyond your neighborhood, city, state or region and wonder what it would be like to venture out into this big world on two wheels.
I don't know about you, but my mind often dreams about riding in beautiful places. I've got a mental bucket list of trips and places I'd like to ride my bicycle. For me, my current grand daddy of dreams is to bikepack the northern part of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route starting in southern Montana and riding north to Banff. This has been a dream of mine for sometime now and that is how I initially became familiar with Adventue Cycling Association. The ACA put this route on the map and in doing so they have been part of inspiring so many people, products, a bicycle race and even a powerful documentary film. The ACA's vision is to inspire people of all ages to travel by bicycle. So when an opportunity to become a board member presented itself, I jumped at the opportunity. I may not have the time to bikepack from Montana to Banff, but I do have the time to be part of a great organization.
While many people may be familiar with the ACA's 40,000-plus miles of routes and maps, others may not know about their work to improve cycling conditions for cyclists or their Adventure Cyclist magazine. The ACA works tirelessly to inspire cyclists and better the cycling opportunities in the USA. In many ways joing the ACA helped me find my way both personally and professionally. If you are not familiar with the Adventure Cycling Association, I encourage you to check out there website and become a member. Click here to go the ACA website. Salsa and our parent company QBP are corporate sponsors of the ACA. It is a great partnership.
I'd also like to share with you a short three minute video where I share some images from a few of my personal adventures and talk about the Adventure Cycling Association. Hope you enjoy it.
Putting Adventure Cycling on the Map from Quality Bicycle Products on Vimeo.
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