Cycle Snack: The Grapes of Wrath - Newtown MTB race 9/20

Cycle Snack: The Grapes of Wrath - Newtown MTB race 9/20

I got this email this morning that I thought is pretty relevant:

Race begins @11am

Lemans start (everyone at the same time)

It is an open class race. Whoever finishes first gets $1000

Entry is 50.00 - Women are free or can buy a bottle of wine. Entry forms will be ready by Friday September 12th by emailing terrence.ford@glacialenergy.com or you should be able to sign up through the vineyard website, www.mclaughlinvineyards.com

Limited to 50 participants.

Preride the course on Friday between 3-6:30 (this is the only time you may ride the course other than during the race). You must check in and register with Terrance (see info below) There will be a riders meeting on Saturday morning at 9:30 am.

Organizer: Terrence Ford: 203-526-8247; terrence.ford@glacialenergy.com

Note from Organizer: If anyone would like to volunteer to help out that would be great. This is a first year event. I am trying to get back to the roots of mountain biking and have a relaxing fun day full of bikes. This venue is spectacular and can be a home to many more years. The owner of the vineyards requests that we do it as a one group start. If you would like to help do some trail cutting please call me. 203-526-8247

The Grapes of Wrath - Newtown MTB race 9/20

Received an email the other day from someone asking me about new trails around the McLaughlin Vineyards and the fact that someone was planning a mountain bike race here called the Grapes of Wrath.  Looks like you can even register online from McLaughlin's website.  What I find interesting is that you would think this would be splashed on all the local Mountain Biking Forums and Websites, or even the local shops, but I haven't seen anything.  The only online reference I found was a blurb in the July 17th edition of the Newtown Bee, Mountain Section (it's a section about what's going on, on the Mountain):

Mountain bikers still have plenty of time to get in shape for this fall's race at McLaughlin Vineyards on Alberts Hill Road, organizer Terrence Ford tells me. The Grapes of Wrath Mountain Bike Race will be held Saturday, September 20, and is open to all riders, all classes, he says. Music, food, a kids' bike race through the vineyard trails will all be part of the fun that day. Plus, first place includes a $1,000 cash purse. I'm squeezing into my biking shorts already. For more information, call Terrence at 526-8247.

No offense to Terrence but you would think he would try to publicize this everywhere as much as possible, especially in the very active and often viewed websites and forums including CT NEMBA, Crankfire.com, Bikerag.com, AlpineZone.com, the Connecticut sections of MTBR and NEMBA.  The only reference, however, has been in the Newtown Bee above.  That strikes me as really increadibly short sighted from a marketing perspective in which the organizer must be relying solely on word of mouth.  Or maybe that is his intention, keep the race small and local.

I am interested to know what trails this will include because from what I have seen around the vineyard there is the Newtown Trailway, a few old ATV/Horse trails coming off of that and heading in the direction of Shady Rest, and the old Railway bed now gas line.  The Vineyard is seen in the map below as the white area between the bottom track (Railroad Bed/Gas Line) and the top track (Newtown Trailway).

I never saw any trails heading into that hilly section between the two tracks but there very well could be trails in there.  If that is where the race course is heading, that will be one brutal ride.  Of course, I have explored the trails comming off the Trailway that head towards Shady Rest.  The course could be using those.  If the weather is ameanable Sunday morning, I might have to take a ride out there and check it out.

The Friday Fix: Fixed Gear riding is Sub-rural-urbia?

Friend of mine dropped off the Sunday Perspectives section from the Danbury Newstimes and there was an interesting article about fixed gear riding called Brakeless bikes have some riders throwing caution to the wind.  I found the original article from the Chicago Tribune:

No brakes, and they like it. by Megan Twohey.

The point of the article is that people in Chicago feel that the growing trend of young "hipster" riders taking up cycling with fixed gear bikes and no brakes poses a hazard to the public and themselves.

While some cyclists say experienced riders are capable of safely handling these bikes, others insist no one should ride one on a public street. Critics say the bikes create potentially dangerous conditions at a time when cycling is on the rise.

"There's no way that someone could go out on the streets and ride safely without brakes," said Aram Bayzaee of Northbrook, who races a brakeless fixed-gear bike on an outdoor velodrome track.

Critics are particularly contemptuous of wannabe bike messengers they say are wiping out, flying through red lights and crashing into people.

"They're a public safety hazard," said Andrew Floyd, 31, of Chicago, a longtime cyclist who has ridden a fixed-gear bike without brakes on the street for years.

While this might be the case in cities like Chicago, New York, and even little old New Haven or Hartford, but Danbury?  How many fixed gear riders are in Danbury, CT (besides myself) are there?  I once saw two kids riding fixed gear bikes with no brakes on Mill Plain Rd near Trader Joes.  Figured they were just visiting from NYC because they were riding towards Brewster (fastest, most direct way to and from NYC).  There is the Western Connecticut College Campus but the West Campus is kind of isolated from the rest of the City and you really don't see a lot on the local streets.  The downtown campus is pretty small and is serviced by bus from the larger campus.

Other than that, I have yet to see another fixed gear rider around here.  I know of one other, my friend Pete who blogs on iBike but he lives in Wilton and not included in what I call Sub-rural-urbia.  And if you are wondering what I call Sub-rural-urbia, it's all the municipalities that make up the Housatonic Valley Council of Elected Officials (HVCEO), Council of Governments of the Central Naugatuck Valley (COGCNV), Litchfield Hills and Northwestern Connecticut.  Basically what used to be a major farming region of Connecticut that now has become a rural suburb of Cities like Danbury, Norwalk, Stamford, New Haven, Hartford, Westchester County, and New York City.  

I did see someone riding a fixed gear on Memorial Day down in New Canaan, without brakes even, helmetless and wearing a messenger bag but that part of Fairfield County is often lumped into New York, anyway, so it's no shock.  I know that I am generalizing but in my experience, most people in Hartford and beyond feel that way, anyway.

Is this article in the Newstimes Perspectives supposed to stir up controversy where there is none?  Clearly there are more people out riding but how many are riding fixed gear?  Personally, riding fixed gear around Sub-rural-urbia is suicide without at least one brake.  I ride with two because I am still new at the game but I have considered that the next build might only sport one brake. 

Let there be Light!

Got up at Oh Dark Thirty this morning for a Ride before Work and thought that it would be an excellent opportunity to test the lighting system that I got for Christmas.  Yeah, a little slow on the uptake - this sat on my work bend for 9 months but now that I am riding to work again and will need a light I thought I would give it a try off road.  Hopefully the weather will hold until the weekend because it's Oktoberfest!  

The 4th Annual CT NEMBA Biketoberfest ride will take place on Friday, September 12th at Huntington State Park in Redding.  This year's Biketoberfest will be a RAW ride, Ride after Work.  The Fest Tent is up at Old Heidleberg, so whether or it's raining, either way, I am a celebrating Oktoberfest this year.

Also, rode the Qball for the first time in I don't know how long and I have to do something about that 22t in the rear.  It was nice getting out on it again.  So smooth and quite.  Having the Zoke upfront and the 2.2 Bontrager in the rear is like have a Fully, I would imagine it's almost like riding a Dos Niner.  I think what's happening to my stable is that the 'Horse comes out for what it's made for, All Mountain/Trail Riding.  Doing a quick Echo Valley Loopy is overkill for an FS bike like the 'Horse but the Qball is perfect for this kind of riding.  Of course, if I am going to throw in a broader ride including the a visit to the Kissing Oaks, then the 'Horse is a must have.

The other filly in the stable that hasn't seen any action all summer is the Fixation.  If I am able to sell the Bianchi at a good price then I will need another commuter and I am thinking about using the fixation as a winter commuter.  Right now, I looking around for a good deal on a 26" rear wheel with a flipflop hub.  Once I get that, then it's a matter of putting fenders on it and seeing if there is someway to mount the Topeak rack on it.  My plans for convert my Fuji Royale to an SS/Commuter are also on hold because I am thinking for rebuilding this with a Campy group set into a touring/commuting rig.

The lighting system that I am using is Light and Motion's Solo Logic.  I spent quite a bit of time last year researching lights that offered what I needed for off road and commuting and this one was the best value.  What's cool about it is that the battery fit's perfectly in the media pouch of my Camel.  Finally I have found a decent use for this feature.

Tried to take a shot of me riding with the light on - it sort of worked.  It was funny though, I ended up leaving the house at 6:15 AM and didn't really need it but it was worth the effort to give it a try. 

Of course, stopped I look better with the flash on.  You might notice that I am wearing a long sleeve jersey because it was cool out this morning, 50 F (10  C) .  

 

The first part of the Gussy was business as usual, however, one area that needs some attention right now is in that swale area that is before the part in the trail that gets really technical.  Another frame of reference is there is a big rock on the eastside of the trail with a large tree positioned afterwards, which I am planning on turning into a skinny/long up and over.  I think the next trail building day will concentrate on this area and the slope coming down to it, as well!

I found this rock cairn along the trail.  This is a good sign because it means hikers have also found the trail.  There is another cairn further down on a tree suspended above a stream.  Look on the Upper Gussy Blog for better pictures the cairns a little later today.

I was making pretty good time until I hit the Wet Spot because I finally had a chance to take a good look at the work Tom did during the last Trail Building day to open a path for the horses.  It needed some tweaking so I figured I could spend 15 minutes working on it.  Check out the Upper Gussy Blog for better shots of this area a little later today.

Orange Season

Yes, it's Orange Season again. It's that time of year to start wearing blaze orange if you intend on riding Monday through Saturday in forests around the State of Connecticut. Hunting season starts as early as September 15 in most areas. Fortunately, you can't hunt on Sundays and most State Parks, although Bow Hunting is permitted is some.

My latest edition to my collection of orange clothing is this pair of Dakine Gloves. I got them at the Fairfield Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS). Don't think I will ever wear orange pants but now I have gloves, helmet and plenty of shirts.


Not only should you wear blaze orange but wear a bell on your camel or somewhere on your bike. This announces your presence to hunter hiding in the woods. He'll see you first before you see him, most likely. Also, remember to not wear anything white because that can be mistaken for a dear's tail.

Here are links to the various hunting seasons:

Dear Hunting Seasons

Hunting areas in Fairfield County include: Pootatuck SF in New Fairfield (#7); Upper and Lower Paugussett State Forests (#8); Troutbrook in Easton (#26).
Deer hunting starts as early as September 15. Even though there is no hunting on Sundays, please be careful because you never know who might be lurking out there at this time. Also another tip during dear season, avoid wearing anything with white in it. That piece of white clothing could be confused with the white tail of a deer running through the woods.

Turkey Season

Small Game