This past weekend, Justin and I traveled to Marysville, PA, just north of Harrisburg, for the VisitPA.com Festival and Rassin’ Weekend (formerly known as the Stage Race). It was a great time that lived up to its name.

The venue was an idyllic wooded farm belonging to race promoter Mike Kuhn’s inlaws, the Oesterlings, that had most of us dreaming of living on a similar spread, sitting out on the deck with a laptop “working,” taking a dip in the pond, hanging out in the barn or the chicken coop that had been converted to a workshop.

Mike had built an impressive array of trails snaking all through the 99 acres – a map of them would no doubt look like a pile of spaghetti. Riding the race course was an adventure in sudden sharp turns and logs. What better way to check it out, I figured, than to enter Friday night’s Lupine time trial and see it for the first time at night, alone, with a timer and people shouting “Go! Go!” to add to the drama? Fortunately I didn’t break myself or my bike.

Saturday’s “rassin’ ” action continued with a 12-hour team relay and a 9-hour solo event. Those brave souls who endured that video game-like course for so many laps are the definition of honch. The racing crowd was a diverse mix of everyone from kids on up to retirees, but was heavy on the fast guys and girls, with lots of drama. Mike Kuhn is not only the race promoter, but the director for the dominant VisitPA.com team (including Rob Lichtenwalner and other fast dudes), who battled it out with other pro teams like Bike Line, Bikesport (friends of the Rag from SSWC08 adventures), the up-and-coming juniors of CycleSports/Fast Forward Racing, and “Euro” Aaron Snyder of the Scott East Coast team (recently back from the USA Cycling U23 Development Camp in Germany).

To keep things from getting too serious, the weekend also included a rockin’ cover band and a couple of kegs of Victory brew on Saturday evening, which led to some nice and relaxed socializing. Sunday the fast folks were at it again in the Short Track XC race, turning some incredible lap times despite having thrashed the course twice already. After that was a highly-entertaining slow downhill race that revealed who’d been practicing their trackstands, and the old-school traditional bike toss.

All in all, this was a true grass-roots event (and not just because there was a fair amount of grass on the course), one that combined the best parts of mountain bike culture. I was able to interview some of the key players involved for an upcoming feature in Dirt Rag.

By the way, Justin and I stopped by the Tröegs brewery for a tour on our way up on Friday. Why not check out our office beer sponsor, since it was so convenient? Seeing what all those big tanks are for, exactly, was entertaining and instructive (more on that later), and Chris Trogner himself poured us some samples of their work. The fine folks at Tröegs then pointed us in the direction of Appalacian Brewing Co. not far away for some lunch and more brew sampling. Fortunately the farm at Marysville was not far from these adventures, or we might have had to stop for a nap.

Check out our Gallery for more photos of the Festival.

The next event on the Dirt Rag World Tour calendar made this staffer stand up and say, “Ooh, oh, me, mee!” It sounds like a helluva lotta fun packed into one weekend: the VisitPA.com Festival and Rassin’ Weekend, that is, at Marysville, Pennsylvania.

Rassin’ – that’s “racing,” for all you proper folk, and there are a bevvy of ways you can do it at this Festival. Starting Friday night is a time trial in the dark (but with lights required), Saturday has the 12-hour relay and 9-hour solo races, and Sunday will be the short-track XC day.

But there is also a lot of other stuff going on here, thus the “Festival” – there’s a pond for swimming and fishing, something called a “slow DH” that’s got to be interesting, good ol’ fashioned bicycle-shaped object tossing, and even a band and beverages on Saturday night.

We’ll be in the thick of it with our booth and banners waving. Come see us for good deals on Merch, and for those who sign up for a subscription, special swag! We’ll have Princeton Tec Swerve blinkies and Fuel headlamps, WTB Wolverine tires, Trail grips and tubes, Platypus bladders, and Jagwire cables.

See you in Marysville.

 Total Laps completed 1,832

Total distance traveled 23,449.6 miles

Total elevation gain 2,986,160 ft (565.56 miles)

We just returned from another great weekend of 24 hour racing at Big Bear Campground near Hazelton, WV.  Rolling in around noon on Friday, we saw that many riders arrived early to set up camp and to prepare for the festivities.  This year’s riders lucked out with cool and comfortable days, although rain from earlier in the week lingered as puddles on the old airstrip campground and trails. By Friday evening, the trails were soon churned up by hundreds of riders eager to preview the course.  Soon after dark, hundreds of radios were blaring the Pen’s game. Although we weren’t equipped with a radio, we were kept in-the-know by the crazed shouting and horns in the camp area. Go Pens!

From the early morning on Saturday through the afternoon of Sunday, there were few dull moments. Even when trying to doze through the night, we could hear riders talking about experiences out on the trail or cursing about unexpected light malfunctions. Between the trials competitions, 24 minutes of Big Bear, and the 12 hour race, there were many events to either partake in or watch.One of the most memorable aspects of this weekend was hearing about a rider who has overcome adversity. This incredible and admirable rider is Matt Gilman.  Several years ago Matt became blind due to his diabetes, yet he has persevered and relearned how to trials ride. Since he can only see about a foot in front of him, he carefully inspects the course with his hands before each competition. Check out these links to learn more about Matt and the trials competition.

Although the campground, exhibitors, vendors, result tent, and transition area were bustling through the entire weekend, a rider on the race course could feel miles away from civilization riding in the darkness of the night.  The course was rocky and rooty with peanut buttery muddy sections.  Since the weather held up so nicely, by the time we rode on Sunday late afternoon the trail started to improve.  Because we were out with the last riders, we had a chance to talk to some of the race volunteers at the aid stations.  What a great group of people!One of the best parts of the World Tour events is hanging out with the friends of DR at our expo tent.   As always we had a great number of renewals and new subscribers.  This year our sponsors provided some great treats for them.  Princeton Tec provided the Swerve Tail light, Fuel Headlamp, and EOS Bike Light. WTB supplied GTO clamp-on-grips, Technical Trail grips, Prowler tires, Wolverine Tires, and tubes.

Overall the event was great fun. We had a chance to hand deliver some tasty Troegenator to new friends we made while crashing their camp fires during our night hike. We had the chance to meet and talk about the race with spectators and racers.  And we had a chance to enjoy the trails.  If you haven’t participated in a 24 hour race yet, you’re missing out on an interesting and entertaining experience to say the least.  Check out the gallery.

Photos By Matt Kasprzyk

Last weekend was the 12th annual Cirque du Cyclisme in Leesburg, VA. With events planned for Friday through Sunday, we made plans arrive early Friday morning.  The wife and kids decided to make the trip with me, and the four of us loaded up the family sedan very early Friday and drove south to meet up with Maurice and the Dirt Rag/Bicycle Times van.

A few relatively pleasant hours later we arrived and walked into the hotel lobby which was already filling up with vintage bikes.  Friday’s events consisted of registration, the Sheldon Brown Memorial Fixie Ride and a Charity Auction in the evening. A mid-afternoon downpour kept some but not all fixed riders under cover, and about half a dozen intrepid souls set out, all sans fenders to ride and remember a founding father of the modern day fixed movement.

The auction was a busy evening, with everything from toeclips to complete bikes auctioned off, with the proceeds going to Bikes for the World and the US Bicycling Hall of Fame.

Saturday morning was sunny and clear, and some of those classic bikes went out for a spin.

Dave Wages, Jan Heine, and Peter Weigle presented afternoon seminars, which rolled into an evening of meeting the builders and awards reception.

Sunday morning had more riding, followed by a trip down the road to the county fair grounds for the bike swap and vintage bike show.  Quite a few vendors were on hand, selling parts to put the finishing touch on your latest classic restoration, or a bike on which to base your next restoration.

The vintage bikes were grouped together by time period, and awards were presented for each era. There was also a large contingent of modern builders represented with modern interpretations of classic styles. See the list of winners here.

Parked outside the venue was this great traveling museum.

Next year is already in planning stages for an early June event. Those of you with an appreciation for vintage bikes will be pleased with the both the bikes presented and the knowledge of the attendees. Lots more info and pics are linked here.

On the way home we found this pretty incredible coffee shop in a converted church , Beans in the Belfry. A perfect ending to a long weekend of vintage bike goodness.

It’s that time of year again! Time for the Dirt Rag gang to roll down to the beautiful mountains of West Virginia to attend the 18th Annual 24 hours of Big Bear on June 13th and 14th 2009. Get geared up for around the clock mountain bike racing, trials competitions, and the legendary 24 minutes of Big Bear kids race.

Our world famous Dirt Rag booth with all the trimmings will be a highlight in the expo area. Be sure to swing over to see us and load up on your favorite merchandise at discounted world tour prices.

And by the way, if you start a new subscription or renew your old one, you will receive some fantastic swag from one of our fine World Tour sponsors. Princeton Tec has supplied us with Swerve tail lights, fuel head lamps, and the Macgyver of the light world, the Eos bike light. In addition, our friends at WTB have supplied us with GTO clamp-on grips, Technical trail grips, Prowler tires, and Wolverine tires. Come on down for a weekend full of good times with your friends at Dirt Rag.

Dirt Rag World Tour events at the 24 Hours of Big Bear, visitPA.com MASS Festival Weekend and, Le Cirque du Cyclisme headline an action-packed Mega Event Calendar for the month of June. Find an event near you and join the fun.