VACX in Blacksburg: cyclocross video

Virginia Cyclocross Series comes to Blacksburg and the poetic Cole Harden and local photographer Mark Zhu give us a quick tutorial in their signature fashion.

Blacksburg Cyclocross 2011 from Mark Zhu on Vimeo.

Thanks to Montgomery County Parks and Recreation and East Coasters, the Virginia Cyclocross Series (VACX) officially arrived in southwestern Virginia on November 12th and 13^th for the 6th round of the prestigious state-wide series.

What is cyclocross, you say?  It’s been described as:  a steeple chase on bikes or “1 part road biking + 1 part mountain biking + [insert your favorite beverage] = cyclocross.”  Seriously though, cyclocross courses generally offer a mix of terrain including grass, pavement, hills, dirt, and barricaded portions to force riders into a partial run each lap. The race is extremely viewer friendly, as competitors ride around a closed circuit over a small area for about 45 to 60 minutes.

This year’s Blacksburg Cyclocross Spectacle (BCS) event was hosted in a new venue on the south side of Blacksburg. The venue so generously lent to the event is a particularly convenient piece of land owned by Montgomery County, yet situated right in the Town of Blacksburg. A simple piece of green space, this property is a great place for neighboring citizens to walk their dogs, go for a run, or simply sit and enjoy the beautiful mountain view.

While designing the extremely well-received track, organizers worked hard to take advantage of as much of the natural terrain features as possible. Not content to dumb-down the course in order to make it an easy ride, these designers instead mowed in a number of demanding technical turns and hairpins, utilized two exciting descents, and chopped in a devastating run-up. A pair of barriers were placed in such a manner as to require significant consideration as to the most speedy way to tackle them. The course drew nearly equally on technical skill, tactical ability, and brute fitness. In short, the course wasn’t friendly, it wasn’t lazy, and it wasn’t happy. Indeed, it was quite a cross course.

For those who were able to attend, the event may have planted a small seed of organic curiosity deep down in the dirt of your soul.  Or, if you were off nursing some other outdoor addiction and completely oblivious to the fact that VACX had arrived in town, a well-dressed devil roaming about the course, with a space-age camera setup and an eye for telegenic action, captured the action. This digitizing specter is a local legend, who goes by the name of Mark Zhu. Gleaned from the multifarious hours of footage collected, Mark has created a totally rad three-minute video perfectly matched with a particularly catchy song.  If you haven’t felt the organic curiosity rise in you yet, you will after viewing Mark’s video.

Be sure to stay tuned for updates regarding the upcoming two-day SUPERCROSS! Cyclocross Omnium here in Blacksburg on January 7th and 8th. If you’ve never had the opportunity to race a ‘cross time trial, this will be a mighty fine chance.

 

Zhu’s Reflections on Rowdy Dawg

Mark Zhu grabbed his camera, left his bike behind, and headed out to Pandapas Pond for two days of Rowdy Dawg.  Mark snapped some exceptional photos of the 2011 participants, and we asked him to reflect on his two days and share a few of those photos.  Enjoy!

Rowdy Dawg Day 1

It seems like it was just a few days ago when I could walk out my door in a T-shirt and shorts in the morning.  But on the first day of Rowdy Dawg, the temperature dropped to a staggering 35 degrees, and I was bundled up for a winter blizzard.

Thankfully by Saturday afternoon, mother nature knew we had a bike race going on and decided to take pity on us.  I arrived at the Gateway Trail, AKA Old Farm Saturday afternoon armed not with my two wheels mayhem, but rather my camera in hope of capturing the excitement.  As cheesy as it sounds, bombing down old farm may feel like a blur, but a photo will be remembered for much longer.

To those who have ridden or hiked on Old Farm, the trail is rough and technical and not intended for the faint of heart.  The steep gradient, single track is littered with deep rooted roots, teeth rattling rock gardens, and tricky switchbacks that will test the rider’s courage as well as their equipment.

I pulled into the parking lot and happened to run into Theresa, a proud mother of one of the racers who was also photographing the event that day.  We grabbed our gear and huffed up the trail to find our spots with clear view of the riders and good lighting.

At 4:10pm, the first rider set off for the descent followed by the rest at 1minute intervals.  There were at least 30 riders that day, so I prepared myself to sit on the side of the trail for a good hour or so.

As I waited for each rider to come by, I enjoyed the silence and tranquility of being in the woods between each run.  Taking in the cool, fresh mountain air and the beautiful colors that Virginia had to offer.  That silence would be interrupted every minute or so by cheering spectators followed by the rider bombing down the trail.  I’d frantically grab my camera, fire a few shots, then await for the arrival of the next brave soul to challenge the wrath of Old Farm.

 

Rowdy Dawg Day 2

The following day was the longest running, and one of my favorite MTB race here in Blacksburg, the Rowdy Dawg XC.  There are two main categories; XXC, and regular XC.  Regular XC riders tackle one, but quite challenging lap, while XXC riders have to do two excruciating laps.

I drove up the service road at the crack of dawn and located a spot to catch the XXC riders.  Mother nature had once again cooperated and granted us with another day of perfect riding weather.  Despite of the warm forecast, the morning air was quite chilly and finger numbing.  I parked my car on the side of the road, grabbed all my gear and entered the trail head leading to Trillium trail that’s located on the Brush Mountain side of Pandapas.  There’s something about being on the Pandapas trail in the early morning that makes the experience magical.  Aside from the occasional bird chirps and creaking trees, the woods was tranquil and saturated with crisp, morning air.

As the sun penetrated the thick woods and casted it’s warm beam onto the trail, the first rider appeared in the distance.  It turns out to be our local star Zack Morrey.  Moments later the remainder of the XXC riders rode past one by one.  Immediately after capturing pictures of the remainder riders, I packed up my gear, and headed to the next spot.

I chose one of my favorite spots, a double stream crossing on Poverty Creek.  It’s very unique due to the variety of terrain it has to offer within a span of 200 feet. The trail first drops on a short, steep descent, followed by a wheel locking hairpin right turn.  It then drops you down to one stream.  Up, immediate tight left turn, then another long stream crossing that’s littered with rocks.  After that, by now the soaking rider will ascend out of the stream into a rock garden that they will have to navigate with their slippery wet tires.

As I wrapped up the lighting and camera, the first rider rolled by and begun the exciting day of photographing both the XXC and XC riders.  Though my feet were soaked and almost frozen from standing there hours on end, it was well worth capturing the smiling faces of riders young and old.

Rowdy Dawg once again did not disappoint to those of whom took up the challenge.  For those of you whom have never had the pleasure of experiencing the amazing event, I’d highly recommend on checking it out next year.

Updated: German Cyclist Critically Injured

UPDATE:  Gathering of Sharing for the Sprick Family.

On Friday, Oct 28,2011 between 9:30-10:30am at Roanoke Airport upper lounge, friends and supporters are invited to a Gathering of Sharing and Caring. Alexandra, Michael’s sister, will depart for Germany. Our gathering will be simple. Folks can come to meet Alexandra and to bid her safe journey as she returns home to Germany. If you haven’t met her and want to share your support, please feel free to come. 

If you’re coming from the NRV, you may consider using the Smartway Bus to travel up and back as it stops at the Roanoke Airport. See the Smartway Bus schedule here. 

Original Post:

Michael P. Sprick was riding his bicycle on Highway 100 in Pulaski County, Virginia on Saturday, October 8, 2011, when he was struck by a Merita bread truck and thrown from his bike onto an embankment.

He was airlifted to Carilion Hospital in Roanoke, where he remains on full life support in the brain injury critical care unit.

Michael is from Germany and was touring the United States on bicycle. His sister flew to Roanoke from Germany to help tend to her brother’s needs, and has been the guest of Barbara and Gary Duerk in Roanoke during her stay.

The driver of the truck was charged with Reckless Driving. The hearing is set for December 6, 2011, at 8:30 a.m. in Pulaski General District Court, 45 Third Street, Pulaski. We will keep you informed of any changes and recommendations, in case you wish to attend this hearing in support of Michael and/or cyclists’ rights to share the rode safely.

The pastor of South Roanoke United Methodist Church has provided a mechanism for contributions to be received for Michael Sprick and his family. If you would like to donate, please make checks payable to South Roanoke United Methodist Church c/o Pastor’s Discretionary Fund for Michael Sprick. Checks should be mailed to:

South Roanoke United Methodist Church
c/o Pastor’s Discretionary Fund for Michael Sprick
2330 S. Jefferson Street
Roanoke, VA 24014

The pastor of South Roanoke UMC is Stan Wright.  The funds will be used to help cover family expenses related to Michael’s accident.

If you are a Facebook user, you can also follow developments on the Friends of Michael P. Sprick page  or the NRVBA page.

 

Pulaski Pedal Fest

If you haven’t taken the time to get down to Pulaski and explore the cycling options, this coming Saturday, October 1st will be a perfect opportunity.  In conjunction with PulaskiFest, the Town of Pulaski and Pulaski Bikes are hosting the Pulaski Pedal Fest.

The event offers three different rides to suit different riding preferences.

• 9 am – Dora Connector and New River Trail
• 12 pm – Gatewood Park
• 5 pm – Draper Mountain Bike Trail

Warm up in the morning, with two options.  Take a gentle ride out and back on the Dora Trail Connector, or extend the ride with a trip out and back to Draper on the New River Trail.

The noon ride will leave Pulaski and head up to Gateway Park, probably one of the best kept secrets in the area. The route will follow paved roads up to Gatewood Lake.  Yes, “up to” the lake means there’s a little climbing, but it’s worth the effort for the beautiful scenery along the way and at the lake.

The evening ride offers a chance to ride the new mountain bike trail on Draper Mountain with the guys who built the trail.  For more information on the new trail, see the recently published article.

So load up your bike or bikes and head on down to Pulaski for a day of riding and festivities!

Draper Mountain Bike Trail – Now Open!

For the last three years, our friends down in Pulaski have put blood, sweat and tears into creating a mountain bike trail system on Draper Mountain.

Draper Mountain, named for John Draper and his family, is situated south of the Town of Pulaski.  The terrain is steep, rising up from the Town to the Draper Mountain Overlook that provides expansive vistas of the nearby mountain ranges and valleys.

The Town of Pulaski owns much of the north side of the Mountain and has opened the area up for mountain bike trail construction.  Since 2009, a group of dedicated cyclists have been out there with fire rakes, chain saws, pry bars and Pulaski axes, chiseling out a trail that winds back and forth in an effort to make the climb up the mountain accessible.  The core group, who has invested several years of sweat equity, includes Don Singleton, Dave Kinder, Gene Holt, Randy Ward, Mike McMillion. Support has come from other groups that deserve an honorable mention, including Josh Witherspoon and his Eagle Scout troops as well as the Department of Forestry.

Work is on-going to improve the initial trail and to create new spurs.  Singleton says, “currently there is only one main trail but the potential for offshoots are unlimited; those optional loops have not been worked out as of yet.” Dave Kinder gives us a preview of the trail in the above video. 

Describing the trail’s difficulty, Don Singleton states “right now the trail is very technical and certainly not for the beginner, but as we learn more about what is needed to make it better, we are dealing with it.”   Kinder adds “much of the work has been done on off-season days not suitable for riding, which offered us a chance to still spend time with cycling friends. It’s a nice experience to work on trails that seem so remote but a really just a mile or two from town.”  Efforts should to expand the trail will begin again in earnest as fall arrives.

The trail and the proposed spurs have not officially been named yet, but the trail builders have their own monikers like Cotton Candy, Rock Garden, The Saddle, and Dragon Tooth. Singleton says “those names have meaning to us and when we speak of them, we know where they are.”  The NRVBA donated $600 to the Town, and according to John Hawley, Pulaski Town Manager, the Town plans on using part of this money for signing the access points and the trail markers this winter.

If you want to ride the trail, you can access the area via two points.  Parking is available at Pulaski Bikes, owned by McMillion, and located at the Pulaski Train Depot. Ride up Valley Road just past the church where the access trail is on your left.  McMillion has printed instructions on how to get there.  The second access point is from the North Side Overlook where you can park and ride or walk down the trail.

If you would like to volunteer time to trail building, please contact Don Singleton at desingleton@comcast.net.

2011 Regional Bikeway-Walkway-Blueway Plan

Planning Efforts

Over the last year, the New River Valley Planning District Commission (“PDC”) met with member jurisdictions to update and revise the 2000 Regional Bikeway, Walkway, Blueway Plan. The updated plan includes information on existing recreational opportunities and future planned projects. The electronic version of the plan contains nice interactive features on the associated maps.

Draft Plan Review

The PDC has created a web page for the Draft 2011 Bikeway, Walkway, Blueway Plan. If you have a moment, the NRVBA encourages you to visit the site located here: http://www.nrvpdc.org/Transportation/bwwwbw.html.

Things that you can do to assist the PDC with finalizing the plan include:
1. Review the 2011 Draft Plan by chapter or as a whole
2. Review each Area’s Plan: hotlinks provided across the bottom for the Floyd Area, Giles Area, Montgomery Area, Pulaski Area, and the Radford Area.
3. Visit the Interactive Map: hotlink provided on the lower left edge; explore existing facilities and access points for different facilities in the NRV.
4. Provide comments on the materials or site
5. Revisit the 2000 Plan

Things to come include: local endorsements (including an endorsement by the NRVBA and its members), and helpful resources for planning and design. This is a work-in-progress, so any feedback that you have will be very valuable to help the PDC make improvements to the overall plan.

The important thing to remember is that the plan is still under review by local governments (most are still receiving hard copies). Because of this, the Hierarchical priorities may change based on additional review. Also, the Regional section is not complete. The PDC is asking for input on how to define specific regional projects or criteria that could be used to support regional efforts.

The PDC hopes that you will find the site very useful and looks forward to your feedback.

Where to send the feedback

Please submit your comments on the draft regional plan to Beth Lohman (ealohman@gmail.com) where the comments will be compiled into one document and submitted to the PDC.

Sharrows Come to Blacksburg

In spring 2011, a new pavement marking will be used in Blacksburg:  a sharrow.  What’s a sharrow?  It’s a shared-lane pavement marking that consists of a bicycle with two chevron markings above it. The purpose of a sharrow is to remind vehicle operators to share the road when driving or riding in town.

Benefits

Sharrows are designed for use in areas too narrow for a separate bike lane and have several applications for improving interactions between cyclists and motorists: 

• Sharrows tend to keep bicyclists from riding too close to parked vehicles, which puts them at risk for unexpected opening car doors.
• With sharrows on the road, motorists tend to give more space to bicyclists that they pass.
• Sharrows help reduce wrong-way riding by bicyclists.
• They help decrease aggressive bicycle-car interactions.
• They can help reduce the level of pedestrian-to-bicycle conflicts on sidewalks.

Technical Information

All signs and pavement marking designs and uses are defined by the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).  The MUTCD was revised in 2009 and included the sharrow.  

The City of Alexandria, Virginia put together an excellent FAQ page that you can access here.

As the pavement markings are added, we’ll update the website so you can go out and check them out!

NRVBA Makes Donations to Community Organizations

As part of the NRVBA’s Mission and Goals, we work to develop partnerships with other organizations to promote cycling in the region.  These partnerships are especially important when it comes to planning the organized rides, such as Mountains of Misery (MoM) and the Burke’s Garden Century, and to promoting bicycling in the region.  To recognize the help and assistance these organizations provide, the NRVBA commits to giving  25% of the proceeds from MoM to partner organizations.

The NRVBA is happy to announce the financial donations made in 2010.  Recipients included:

• Radford Rescue Squad
• Blacksburg Volunteer Rescue Squad
• Burkes Garden Volunteer Fire Department
• Narrows Fire and Rescue
• Newport Volunteer Rescue Squad
• Mountain Lake Conservancy
• Town of Pulaski for the Draper Mountain Trail Project
• Craig County Rescue/EMS

 The NRVBA is proud to be able to support these groups and is grateful for their commitment to helping promote cycling in the region.

Registration for Mountains of Misery

Mountains of Misery registration is now open to the public!  Reserve your space now at www.mountainsofmisery.com and don’t forget to watch for updates on this year’s Wilderness Road Ride.

5th Annual NRVBA Goes to the Movies…

The 5th NRVBA movie date is Saturday January 15th. The film, “The Triplets of Belleville “, will be at the Lyric Theatre at 1pm, followed by a celebration at Gillies with hors d’oeurves and beer. The event is geared toward current and prospective new club members.

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