...and it's not even done yet. It started off with getting the best bike I've ever owned: a Specialized Stumpy expert evo....26. With the lousy New York spring I barely rode the thing till May, by which time I was working at the local bike shop here in Oneonta, Otsego Bicycles.
After finishing up with the spring semester I started working full time at the shop and riding more. I rode in the test event for the Eastern States Cup Enduro Series. If you're on the East Coast you'd best heck them out next year. They put on a killer series of DH, super-D and Enduro races. I ended up doing two races each of enduro, super-d, and cross country as well as a downhill race and a road race. All of them were a total blast and I even did well in a couple.
In addition to riding and working at the shop I had a summer project of finishing a new xc trail in town dubbed Black Coffee. As the most technical trail in town this soon same local riders doing repeats on it just to try to clean the entire thing. This is just another step in the huge progression in riding that has taken place here over the past five years; it has been really awesome to be a part of and watch.
Just a few weeks ago I had the great pleasure to work with Brice Shirbach of fattorefests.com and Tim Stevens and cree of Highball Society productions to shoot for a four-part web series titled "From Where We Stand," which will showcase east coast riding spots and the people behind them. Look for links in the next couple months; you'll see he east coast like you've never seen it before.
Now that the season is ending I am looking west. The lady got into grad school at JFK University in Berkeley, CA and I'm chasing her out there. After a fall involving my first ever road race, a professional video shoot, my two highest rides to date (53 miles on rail trail and last week's 43-mile, 5300' of climbing Oneonta Epic), my first road race and this coming Sunday's First Oneonta 8-Pak Enduro that I'm putting on, I think a change of scenery is in order for awhile. I'll be road tripping out to Cali in a few weeks. Itinerary:
Day 1: leave the family farm in WNY at 7 am. drive 4 hours to Ray's Indoor Mounrain Bike Park in Cleveland, OH. rise for a few hours, then drive 4 hours to Ft. Thomas,KY. Crash at friend's place.
Day 2: Quick morning ride near Ft Thomas KY. Drive all day to St. Louis, MO. Stay overnight.
Day 3: Drive through corn stubble all the way to Manhattan, KS. Crash on a friend's floor.
Day 4: Drive to grandma's ranch in Hudson, CO. Spend the night.
Day 5: Friends and family in Denver. Valmont Bike Park if weather permits. Night out in the town in boulder with friends.
Day 6: Drive to Albuquerque, NM. Ride in the foothills. Eat burritos and green chili with the brother and raid his homebrew fridge.
Day 7: Drive to Flagstaff, AZ. Quick ride if light permits.
Day 8: Ride Flagstaff. Drive 4 hours to meet a buddy in Boulder City, NV.
Day 9: Ride Boulder City. Drive into SOCAL.
Day 10: Meet the lady in SOCAL. Drive Route 1 up the coast. End trip in Berkeley.
If anyone has suggestions to ride any of the aforementioned places I'm a ears. Would love to get out with people wherever possible so as not to waste time not knowing where to go. Recommendations on cheap places to stay near St. Louis and Flagstaff would also be appreciated. Gonna be on budget so I'd like to avoid hotels when possible.
Probably leaving NY on either the 16h or 17th of November
After finishing up with the spring semester I started working full time at the shop and riding more. I rode in the test event for the Eastern States Cup Enduro Series. If you're on the East Coast you'd best heck them out next year. They put on a killer series of DH, super-D and Enduro races. I ended up doing two races each of enduro, super-d, and cross country as well as a downhill race and a road race. All of them were a total blast and I even did well in a couple.
In addition to riding and working at the shop I had a summer project of finishing a new xc trail in town dubbed Black Coffee. As the most technical trail in town this soon same local riders doing repeats on it just to try to clean the entire thing. This is just another step in the huge progression in riding that has taken place here over the past five years; it has been really awesome to be a part of and watch.
Just a few weeks ago I had the great pleasure to work with Brice Shirbach of fattorefests.com and Tim Stevens and cree of Highball Society productions to shoot for a four-part web series titled "From Where We Stand," which will showcase east coast riding spots and the people behind them. Look for links in the next couple months; you'll see he east coast like you've never seen it before.
Now that the season is ending I am looking west. The lady got into grad school at JFK University in Berkeley, CA and I'm chasing her out there. After a fall involving my first ever road race, a professional video shoot, my two highest rides to date (53 miles on rail trail and last week's 43-mile, 5300' of climbing Oneonta Epic), my first road race and this coming Sunday's First Oneonta 8-Pak Enduro that I'm putting on, I think a change of scenery is in order for awhile. I'll be road tripping out to Cali in a few weeks. Itinerary:
Day 1: leave the family farm in WNY at 7 am. drive 4 hours to Ray's Indoor Mounrain Bike Park in Cleveland, OH. rise for a few hours, then drive 4 hours to Ft. Thomas,KY. Crash at friend's place.
Day 2: Quick morning ride near Ft Thomas KY. Drive all day to St. Louis, MO. Stay overnight.
Day 3: Drive through corn stubble all the way to Manhattan, KS. Crash on a friend's floor.
Day 4: Drive to grandma's ranch in Hudson, CO. Spend the night.
Day 5: Friends and family in Denver. Valmont Bike Park if weather permits. Night out in the town in boulder with friends.
Day 6: Drive to Albuquerque, NM. Ride in the foothills. Eat burritos and green chili with the brother and raid his homebrew fridge.
Day 7: Drive to Flagstaff, AZ. Quick ride if light permits.
Day 8: Ride Flagstaff. Drive 4 hours to meet a buddy in Boulder City, NV.
Day 9: Ride Boulder City. Drive into SOCAL.
Day 10: Meet the lady in SOCAL. Drive Route 1 up the coast. End trip in Berkeley.
If anyone has suggestions to ride any of the aforementioned places I'm a ears. Would love to get out with people wherever possible so as not to waste time not knowing where to go. Recommendations on cheap places to stay near St. Louis and Flagstaff would also be appreciated. Gonna be on budget so I'd like to avoid hotels when possible.
Probably leaving NY on either the 16h or 17th of November