event

What it's like to race the MOAT Mountain 24 Hours of Great Glen and why you should go next year

24-hour mountain bike races are few and far between and are some of the most special events out there. They aren’t well known so if you’re hearing about it for the first time here, you’re in the vast majority. 24 hour races involve a full weekend of being a tight-knit community living together in a pop-up tent city next to the course. Families and friends of racers come join in the weekend festivities to support and be part of the party, and there is a huge crew of volunteers and staff who make this whole little city run smoothly for the whole weekend. People start arriving the minute organizers say that the camping areas are open so as to stake out their space, pitch tents, assemble complicated outdoor kitchens for their team.

Before I dive into this event and the details that I can remember, first a massive THANK YOU to the promoters of the MOAT Mountain 24 Hours of Great Glen, (#24HOGG), the volunteers, and every single person who had a kind word to say. I’m leaving out some special moments and people in this post, but it’s already too long and I can’t remember everything right now. Every single person made the difference out there throughout the weekend! It was the best of cycling community and positive vibe from the very beginning until we rolled out of the field we’d called home for the weekend.

NEER’s home base was comfortable with lots of tents, tables, trees, and lights around a pop-up for night time hanging out. The big, red van was hiding behind its large awning. We wanted to be ready for both the sun and rain, and we really hoped predicted thunderstorms didn’t materialize (they didn’t).

Starting at 12pm noon on Saturday, racers battle the course, the conditions, the heat of the day, the dark of night, the wet of the rain, and all of the challenges together. Everyone shares the same course no matter one’s race category, men and women, junior racers to seasoned racing veterans. I love being part of a mixed field of people. Racing is not the reason I’m there, yet this aspect played into my overall good feelings of the weekend which I’ll get into later. The top organized race events of my life have all been an everyone-races-together scenario. Great examples: Unbound and Fat Pursuit. Every group ride I ever do falls into this category too, but right now, I’m talking about racing.


There are a lot of rules and interesting things that surround what a 24-hour race is and how it’s run. I’ll highlight some in this race report. Most racers participate on a team of 2 people, 4 or 5 people. In this race, 72 out of the 456 entrants were 24-hour solo racers. There are 12-hour categories as well. Some multi-person categories are women-only categories, some delineated by age, others are mixed so men and women can be on the same team. For the teams, one team member races at a time, then at the end of the lap, that person taps out to the next team member who races the next lap of the course. The promoters keep track of all of the data surrounding each lap for each person and team. It’s an impressive task to keep track of everyone’s timing, what lap each racer is on, who is on which team, all of that good stuff.

It’s certainly fun to see the stats afterward: how many laps were done at night, what the fastest lap was, who had the most overtakes, the statistics are endless.

I went with a group of people who are part of the New England Expedition Riders AKA NEER. My original intent was to be on a team of 4 others for the shared experience. To make a very long story short, we ended up with 5 people wanting to be on the team so I kicked myself off of it, electing for a solo 24-hour category a couple of weeks ago. This is something I had never, ever considered doing. But once I did it, I couldn’t not get excited about the prospect of racing for 24 hours. Besides, I need to be training for Fat Pursuit and this is ideal.

NEER friends Ben, Mike and I did a course recon ride on Friday evening to see what we’d be in store for during the race. Our other NEER teammate, arrived later at camp so she wasn’t there for the pre-ride.

20 years ago, I attended the 24 Hours at Moab mountain bike race only as a volunteer. It’s one of the first things I ever did as a new cyclist and it introduced me to good friends who I then got into road cycling with. When I was in Moab, I saw pro-level men crack in the middle of the night and quit. My impression was that 24 hours of mountain bike racing is impossible. Fortunately, there’s no rule that you can’t stop at any time, you still get to be in the results. Some 24 hour races have different rules about being on the course near the end, this one didn’t have anything like that.

It’s taken me 20 years to do my first 24-hour race and this is my second mountain bike race ever. Never too late to start. I highly recommend volunteering for one of these races because the camaraderie and community vibe is so great, much of the fun simply has to do with being part of the whole thing.

 

This is Heidi, she and I happened to sit next to each other at the racer meeting held just before race time. She and I were in the same category, it was fun to meet her and chat with her before the meeting started. She last raced here solo 16 years ago! It was neat to see her on course and know the person behind the helmet.

 

On the podium with Jessica Nankman and Lauri Webber. All fresh as daisies at least in this moment for the camera!

Winning the race: my top secret strategy

Work has been out-of-control bonkers with lots of new bikes being ordered (and tax-free weekend is coming up in a few days!) I didn’t have a plan hashed out and hadn’t thought much about the race itself. I was more worried over the logistics surrounding the organization of the 4-person team.


I won my age group (women 41 and over) and was 2nd overall woman. I logged 16 laps. To add credibility to this result (there aren’t a lot of women participants but those who were there took it seriously), the 6th place man under 41 yrs old logged 16 laps as did the 4th place man 41+ years old. In case it’s not obvious from my other race reports (where I’ve come in mid-pack or further back), doing well here had absolutely nothing to do with the experience and my happiness at having done it. But it’s a fun story to tell!


My strategy: go steady and just keep moving. My transitions (time in between laps) could have been faster, but they were a lot faster than I thought they would be. Originally, I thought there would be time to get back to the team campsite, make a sandwich, fill a water bottle, change into a clean/dry jersey and bibs, mosey back to course every other lap. My husband, Rob, was there and he was a saint to meet me at the race tent after every single lap to give me a full water bottle of High Carb Skratch mix (400 calories per bottle), a 1/2 bottle of plain water, and whatever else I might need. He may have slept for 40 minutes total all night. That’s much harder than racing.


I knew I didn’t want to sleep, that was something I wanted to avoid if at all possible. I think I may have shut my eyes for 5-10 minutes during one transition break while sitting up in a chair, but I don’t know if I actually fell asleep during the full almost 25 hours of the race. Yeah, I made a long race longer. Keep reading.


The idea of going back to camp even once flew out the window the moment the gun went off and I realized that this is a race and the competitive part of my brain turned on and I had to at least try to race, and give it my best.

NEER friends Mike, Ben, and I at camp Friday evening. I wondered what was happening here when I was out racing and knew if I returned, I’d never leave to continue racing.

I’m not a technical mountain biker, and I knew other people would beat me in the techy parts of the course. My level of mountain bike riding confidence went up from the pre-ride to the end of the race but I’m still not going to race on boardwalks or wet rocks. I know I have the ability to ride for hours and climb reasonably well so I made sure to take advantage of the carriage road portions, get off of the brakes on descents, and move as quickly through the parts that were above my ability level either by riding slowly or getting off of the bike and walking over/around whatever it was.


Seeing other people out there walking their bikes in places was comforting. No one is doing this thing perfectly, everyone is having their difficulties, and no one seemed to be judging anyone else. All I saw all day and night were kind people being nice to each other and fast guys saying “thank you” when I’d move out of their way so they could keep moving. The fast guys were really fast, it was fun to see them fly. There were fast women and some very strong junior girls out there passing me, too, riding with tremendous confidence.


I watch pro mountain bike racing all of the time on tv. They show the top few riders the whole time, the difficulties people have, even at the top of the sport, rarely get shown on tv. Those courses are so much more gnarly than this course. I think others would agree this ~9.1 mile course was really well designed with a perfect mix of elements and fun spots, whoop-dee-doos, let-er-rip descents. The climbs were hard, the course required nearly constant attention and both hands on the handlebars, thus not many opportunities to take a drink. It was also very beautiful. I have no pictures from the course. This is one time I put my phone away and didn’t look at it for over 24 hours. It was like being on another planet.


Race bike setup FTW

I raced my Seven Cycles Treeline fat bike with 27.5 / 2.8” tires which is also my winter fat bike with a different set of wheels and fork swap. I got compliments on the bike during the race from guys who wished they weren’t hauling the weight of their dual suspension bikes. I doubt any of them could tell I was on a fat bike since the bike doesn’t look fat when mountain bike wheels are on it. The course was ideal for a titanium hardtail since there weren’t any jumps or huge features that favor a dual suspension bike, but staying planted on the wet roots, rocks, and boardwalks was important which the titanium participates in beautifully. With a little over 1,030 feet of climbing per lap, having a light bike that transfers all of my energy into the forward motion of the bike was important. Being in a perfect position and protected by the smoothness of the titanium added to my comfort. I didn’t have any pain from being on the bike for a total rolling time of 21.5 hours. My thumb got sore from shifting the electronic shifter since I was shifting so much. Imagine if it were mechanical shifting! And one of my toes got sore. I have no idea where that came from. No saddle pain, back pain, or any of the other pains showed up that are likely causes of people hanging up their mountain bike for the day.

Race bike set up with its 29” wheels. I took off the extra mount on the handlebars where I usually keep the 360 camera because the steep hills require getting close to the bars to stay balanced. Chompy, the adventurous dinosaur joined in on every lap in my handlebar feedbag.

Gearing: 30t chainring, 10-52 cassette. SRAM Eagle AXS. I was in the 30-52 low gear plenty, especially on Blueberry Hill. That hill is long, steep and the sun baked riders on it since it’s paved. Cruelty. But another reason to love the night laps!

I had debated 29” wheels and 27.5” wheels and decided that since I’ve spent more time on the plumper 27.5”/2.8” tires, those would be my race setup. The 29” wheels are great and very light, but they were new to me 2 days before the race and riding unfamiliar wheels on unfamiliar terrain isn’t smart.

Two of my NEER friends who were at the race have very similar bike setups: Seven Cycles Treeline bikes that are designed for dual wheelsets and both fat tires and this kind of mountain bike riding. Versatility and easy-to-manage bikes that do this kind of thing very well, offer balanced control, confidence, and comfort with all necessary speed. If it weren’t for the confidence my bike gives me, I would not be mountain bike riding, it’s that simple.

Gaining a new identity: Number 9

With my big yellow number, everyone knew I was a solo rider. The whole race I heard “great job solo rider!” And that was so nice to have this constant encouragement and positive vibe from all of these other racers and spectators out there. Most of the other racers were faster than me and they were being so darn nice. I exchanged stories and a few broken sentences with a number of people.

Best story: I met a woman who was doing the race with her husband as a 2-person team. They were trading laps and caring for their 1-year-old! LOVE these stories! I hope that worked out for both of them and their kiddo.

I was still clean on the first lap. This and the other pro photos taken by Rob Vandermark.

There’s so much camaraderie out there across all riders, and there’s even more shared by solo riders. The amount of camaraderie seemed to increase as the race went on as well. At the beginning, I didn’t trust I could do it or that I would want to go past 2 laps. A compliment from someone early on wasn’t anything I felt I deserved because anyone can register for a big ride. I’d just laugh and say, “Let’s just see where I’m at tomorrow morning.” After getting through enough laps, at some point, I could accept that I’d taken on a challenge that wasn’t too big or scary.


One of the volunteers told me really nice things when I passed through the tent in the middle of the night: “You’re having a great race, Number 9.” The way he delivered his messages, he made me feel like I was doing something special. I wish I could have said “thank you” to him at the end of the race. Words matter and in the middle of the night, there aren’t many of them. All of the volunteers were nice and many were part-time cheerleaders too. Number 9 was my name throughout the race and I loved it.


How the race began: Making mountain bikers run!

I’m not a runner. But here we gooooo!!

Many 24-hour races start by having the first person from each team run to their bike. It’s called a Le Mans start. This keeps the start safer since everyone runs at a different pace and bikes are placed at various positions. We are cyclists NOT necessarily runners. I don’t know how to run in my bike shoes! The solo racers plodded their way to their bikes and though it’s been basically forever since I’ve gone on a real run, I felt like it got my whole body moving nicely, blood flowing, nerves shook out on this little run that was probably all of 5 minutes or less to lap the pond and grab the bike.

Racers ran past their bikes, around the lake, then back to where the bike is sitting and then it’s time to find the bike and ride!

The lap blow by blow

I’m not going to bore you with details of every lap. Mostly because it’s a blur now. Here are the highlights of what I can remember:

Lap 1 - 12:00 PM - 1:15 PM

  • Trying to suss out who’s who in the field as we were standing around waiting for the starting cannon to go off. There are too many racers to see all of the women in my field and figure out who looks serious.

  • Once we started on the bike, I saw some go ahead of me, and I saw plenty of 24-hour solo men going around my pace. I was very careful to stay steady, smooth, resist any temptation to go hard. I watched my heart rate trying to stay in zone 2 (endurance, talking pace) as much as is possible without falling over on a climb.

  • The first trail section started and people got jammed up. Lots of people hadn’t pre-ridden the course so it was a surprise to them. Most people were patient with the traffic jam.

  • The course was warm, dry in most places, and sketchy descents were a little better since there had been some rain overnight.

Lap 2 - 1:23 PM - 2:38 PM

  • The fastest laps of the day for me. Dry trails, confidence, freshness.

  • At one point, I was trying to get off my bike and instead slipped and fell. Immediately I got two very serious cramps, one in each leg and I couldn’t move. Two guys (solo riders I think) were there and wanted to help. I explained that all was well, I just needed to get the cramps to go away. I’ve never cramped on the bike before so that was a little unnerving, but after pulling my feet back, the cramps went away and I got back on the bike. All of that drama must not have taken much time given the speed of this lap compared with my others! 1 hour 14 minutes for those of you wondering. And no, this is not fast compared with the fastest lap of the day which was sub 40 minutes. The fastest solo man had a 45 minute fastest lap and 1 hour 7 minute slowest lap. He did 25 total laps. Fastest lap for any woman solo 24-hr was 1 hour 5 minutes.

Lap 3 - 2:47 PM - 4:08 PM

  • I think this is when I got up the nerve to ride the floating bridge. The entrance to the bridge is a bit intimidating and I was certain I’d ride right into the pond which, with the high temps and humidity, would not have been unwelcome. As I started onto the bridge, I heard someone encouraging me to just roll onto it. Turns out it was NEER friend Dave who was also doing a 24-hour solo race riding right behind me!

Riding the bridge makes for great photos. Only problem is that photographer and my super supporter husband couldn’t do both things since the start/finish and bridge are too close together. I was glad he figured out how to capture this crossing!

Lap 4-5 - 4:09 PM - 5:24 PM & 5:42 PM - 6:57 PM

Feast of tortilla and nutella. Great combo except my stomach started refusing food not all that long after this was taken.

  • No memory of these laps except that at the end of lap 5, I felt like I really needed to eat something and few things sounded digestible. Skratch Labs in my bottles and Honey Stingers gummy chews were all I could eat. I tried some fake chicken salad and it went down easily. I think there were some pickles in it. I was craving pickles but hadn’t thought to pack any. DOH!

  • The sun went down somewhere in this time, all racers are required to have 2 headlights starting at 7pm. It’s racer’s choice as to when they are turned on. It’s dark early in the woods!

Lap 6 - 7:11 PM - 8:31 PM

  • Got into the transition area with no problem, got bottles, drank, the usual.

  • Made it about 200 yards into lap 6 when I felt like I was going to vomit. Got off the bike and quickly dispensed of all stomach contents next to the pond. No more fake chicken salad in stomach. But I needed those calories in there. A nice guy who was camping on the course near where I was getting sick came over to offer water and anything I needed. He must be a dad, he asked me if I felt better or worse. The answer was “I think better.” Except I knew I would miss the calories and wondered if my race was over.

  • Found I could continue to drink the Skratch bottle and plain water tasted much better. So I fueled the lap and made it to lap 7.

At dusk it was still bright enough out but under the trees, bright lights were necessary to see anything.

Laps 7-10 - 8:42 PM - 3:18 AM

Eating half of a s’more and staring at the fire. Good scene at Temptation corner!

  • All night laps, all good. I loved the quiet of night, that there were fewer racers on course because the 12-hour racers were done by 1:15am, and so many people were sleeping. The race tent that had been buzzing with activity was quite and subdued in the middle of the night with many fewer racers coming in and out.

  • This was my chance to make up for time lost, I was in 2nd place with 3rd and 4th places not far behind. And it looked like they might be sleeping. It was hard to know. Just keep moving.

  • At some point, it started to rain, I think that might be lap 8 around midnight? (Memory is so foggy). The temps cooled when the sun went down and the rain felt great. Everything got slipperier and the mucky, previously slimy sections got slimier.

  • I just kept thinking about how much I love night riding and was remembering some of the many pleasant times I’ve had on Full Moon rides and other night rides with friends. I find trails easier to ride at night and no, I don’t ride faster (everyone goes slower), but lights focus your attention on the trail, there are no distractions, it’s quiet and peaceful.

  • From 7pm-11pm the promoters had a fire on the far side of the course, and were serving up bacon and s’mores. Rob met me here for a s’more. I ate half and couldn’t get down the rest. At least I tried!

Lap 11-12 - 3:30 AM - 5:06 AM & 5:55 AM - 7:19 AM

  • At this point, I was getting ahead of the others in my race probably because they were sleeping. They probably figured I would, too. Technically, if everyone else is cracked, then I could stop here and get a finish time that ends up with a podium spot. Sounds good to me. I got tired and with the rain, it was chilly after stopping for too long. I was shivering (even with a jacket), and I closed my eyes. Not sure if there was sleep there, but those few minutes of closed eyes was good. I was stopped for 49 minutes and that was almost too much. Rob told me it was time to either go back to the tent to sleep or go back to the race. I knew if I laid down on the (very comfy) air mattress in the tent, I would never wake up. Time to race!

  • Dawn started at the beginning of lap 12 and I never felt even a wink of tiredness after that point.

Lap 13 - 7:25:29 AM - 8:48:55 AM

  • I think I told the judges I hoped this would be the last lap. I’d know when I returned if the other women had woken up and started racing again or if they were done.

  • Not long into this lap (I think it was this lap!), I spied a woman with a yellow number passing me when I was dealing with stuffing my rain jacket into my pocket for too much time. I didn’t know what lap she was on or anything, I just knew that it was close between me and at least 2 others so I couldn’t mess around any longer.

  • Game ON!

Lap 14 - 8:55:28 AM - 10:13:48 AM

  • Up to this point, I was mostly riding to see how long I could stay on the bike and try to make it to noon Sunday. Suddenly, the feeling of racing started, the feeling of chasing and being chased. What a great feeling! What’s going to happen, how will this play out? Time to shift mindset from finishing to how to finish, how to win this thing, if that’s possible.

  • Everyone is awake and racing, maybe they’re fresh, maybe they’re dealing with what I saw in some of the men: 2-hour sleeps are brutal. Wake up to feel worse than before the sleep.

  • I’m trying to do the math on how to make this work. The rule is this: if you come through the finish line before 12pm, you can do another lap. The race ends at 12pm so if you arrive just after this time, that’s your lap count. If competitors have the same lap count, the fastest time wins the race. If you leave for your last lap prior to 12pm, you have to finish before 1:15pm or that lap doesn’t count.

  • With my lap times right around 1 hr 15 minutes, I’d need to get through the next lap with enough time before 12pm to give me time for yet another lap. Not that I wanted to do two more laps, but there was a race happening now and I am here to race!

Lap 15 - 8:55 AM - 10:13 AM

  • Gotta keep moving! Rain stopped somewhere before this I think. Hopefully the sun stays away. The sun was absolutely brutal Saturday and I didn’t want to try to reapply sunscreen.

  • I saw another woman with a yellow number on her bike across the course on the first half of this lap. My heart jumped, I was certain this was the woman who was in 2nd who would be hunting me down. I couldn’t see her number, I just knew the chances were good I was going to have to stay ahead of her in this section since she would get me on the technical portions of the technical part of the lap a little later on. Also, if I saw her at this point, we couldn’t have been that far away from each other on the course. YIKES! RACE!

  • Now I’m trying to move faster and I’m passing by people who are on their last lap and happy to be done. The fast guys were really fast (just like at night) and the slower guys were getting chatty. It was sweet, but I was now trying to race and I was running out of energy to talk in general. Funny change in things from a bit earlier when I was more in that chatty mode.

  • Doing the math figuring out if I’d need to do another lap or not. I didn’t drink my full Skratch bottle since I figured it’d need to last 2 laps. Rob wouldn’t necessarily have more clarity than me on the situation and I’d need to make the next transition very fast.

  • This lap was within seconds of my fastest lap of the day. By playing it safe all of this time, I had more to give to this race…

This is Jessica Nankman from PA on her first lap. Turns out (thanks to Google that I am just now employing to learn who everyone was out there), she is an experienced 24-hour and endurance mtb racer. I’m sure she gambled that I would sleep and that would have made the difference. The odds were in her favor. Rob got this great photo of her that I’m just now seeing! Now that I see this photo, I think I may have seen her on course. One of the people who you look at and you know they have it all together.

Lap 16 - 11:32 AM - 12:49 PM

  • I thought I’d be passing through the tent later than 11:30am, but this timing allowed me a much longer last lap to still get credit for completing this last lap before 1:15pm, the race time cut off.

  • The problem with not doing a last lap is that if the woman who I am sure is right on my heels chasing me crosses the line before 12pm, she gets 1 more lap. That would put us on the same lap and in an actual race during the entire lap for the win. Again, I am pretty sure she’s faster than me, so I can’t let this happen.

  • I have a 46 second transition, I don’t try to find Rob, hope he’s not too confused as to why I didn’t come find him in the race tent like on every other lap, and I take off on this last lap with zest. I’m still sure I’m being chased and am not sticking around to find out the details. I debate whether I’ll pick up my phone if he calls me. He could be calling to say she didn’t make the 12pm time cut so I could stop racing and come back.

  • This last lap is 1 hr 16 minutes, so not far off from my fastest lap. I inquired (without being too annoying or hoped this to be the case) with people I saw on course. as to whether they’d just passed a woman with yellow number. No one had seen anyone. Still, not leaving things to chance, I completed the lap and finished feeling great. And yes, this is how a 24-hour race stretched to almost 25 hours.

The Finish

I was smiling at everyone standing at the end cheering, so nice to see a bunch of people there at the end!!! I felt good and was satisfied with the effort and my race.

The end of the story is that the woman, Jessica, who was the actual person who was chasing was just far enough back that she wasn’t able to take the last lap. Thus, I didn’t have to ride that last lap after all. I don’t remember seeing her out there once the whole race, same with the woman who came in third. So all of the people who were freaking me out who I thought were chasing weren’t the ones to worry about! But having them there and feeling that “being chased” feeling added to the fun.

Jessica was super friendly and said a few things on the podium about the time she slept and I really wanted to spend a whole lot more time digging into the details with her and Lauri who took 3rd to hear their stories of what they’d been through, how long they’d slept, what their races had involved. Pretty sure I wasn’t capable of conversation now being hours since eating anything and a total of 31 hours since sleeping. It was time to rest.

Everyone scattered post-podium and I headed straight for that air mattress for a good, long 2-3 hour nap before breaking down camp and heading home.

Moments after the race, I took a few deep breaths then joined NEER friend Ben in the river just a few yards away to clean up and feel like a new person for the awards ceremony at 2pm. There wasn’t much time to decompress and I didn’t eat anything though I knew food was necessary, it just wasn’t going to happen yet. Cold seltzer water did go down and hit the spot!

What I learned & what I hope you take from this

  • 24 hour races are for EVERYONE. Racers, people who ride mountain bikes but don’t consider themselves “racers,” non-riders, young and old. Sign up for the races, they’re not expensive when you consider it’s a full weekend of camping (10am Friday until 10am Monday), well organized, there’s a t-shirt… it costs promoters a LOT to run something like this on this scale. Keep them in business! Volunteer if you’re not a racer. Take your kids to the kids’ race and kids activities.

  • I felt I had an advantage with my age (46 at the time of the race, 47 at the time of this writing) and experience of being a cyclist despite my major lack of mountain bike-specific experience. I knew how to keep my heart rate low. I don’t know that younger people can tolerate the lack of sleep as well. The point is to race your strengths, give yourself grace on your weaknesses, and just keep moving forward. Everyone is having some trouble out there, you’re never alone.

  • Fuel the ride and go in with a plan and back-up plan with your team/support people & communicate. Practice eating on long rides and make sure to keep the calories coming in however you can tolerate them. I should have had ice cream and pickles at the ready since these foods work well for me when I’m deep into a ride. Next time.

  • Having a bucket of ice to just put on my skin or wash off with would have felt great. If it’s feasible, that’s a treat in between laps.

  • Get to the venue as soon as they say it’s open. Getting in late doesn’t give you enough time to prep everything and get decent sleep prior to the race start. 12pm is EARLY, it is not as late as it sounds given the amount of pre-race prep is necessary.

  • Pre-ride the course before the race so you know what to expect and have a chance to practice anything you’re not certain of prior to needing to race it.

  • Twist your friends’ arms, it’s a good time to spend together. Like the promoters of this race said: Tell your employer you’ll be sick Monday after the race. Truth. It was nearly impossible to think enough to get any work done today. Take time to recover, replenish, and reflect on the event. A whole heck of a lot happens in that 24 hours as well as the many days before it starts.

Savor the experience, grow from it, realize just how much more you’re capable of than you ever thought possible, and make plans to return the following year!

Latest eNews is Out and a quick update

If you aren’t receiving our email newsletter, be sure to sign up for it! Here’s the latest one to check out - there are A LOT of new rides on our autumn calendar and we’re already looking forward to hosting the 8th annual First Snow Ride!

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The HQ van hosted a welcoming party to Dan Schmitt as he rode into town after completing a cross-country bikepacking trip on his Seven Evergreen. The van loves popping up ice cream parties!

It’s been quite a year! We’re celebrating the big, red van’s first anniversary today. We have enjoyed the ability to meet riders all over New England and spec out amazing new bikes with you in an even more dedicated, thoughtful way. The new bikes that have resulted have been so great, and have been treating riders to fun, local rides, and big rides all over the world.

We saw an uptick in S&S coupled bikes that are easy to travel with this year. Getting back to normal has involved making up for lost travel time with the bike during the pandemic.

Bike components are all coming back into stock now, we’re not seeing nearly as many stockouts or lengthy leadtimes on the components you want for your new bike. Seven Cycles continues to crank out frames for our excited riders.

While we work with quite a few people on performance road bikes, it’s very common for these bikes to have more generous tire clearances and handling qualities so the bike can easily double as a gravel bike.

As we transition into autumn and shorter, chillier days, we recommend thinking about your winter cycling.

It may not be the thing you want to think about now, but imagine being excited to ride in the snow, imagine having a chance to connect with your cycling friends in the dead of January. We host absolutely awesomely fun rides on the “worst” days of the year. Seven Cycles’ Treeline bikes are performance mountain bikes, bikepacking bikes, and lightweight, nimble fat bikes as well. Ask for a demo to see just how much riding a Treeline can make available to you, all year.

Ask us about building a Seven Cycles bike for four seasons of riding, perfect for safe, fun winter riding then extending into the best summer riding on all kinds of dirt trails and roads.

Wednesday Bike Ride with the Wednesday Wheelers

Yesterday, our curator, Patria, took the lead for a CRW Wednesday Wheeler mid-day ride. This is a ride group that pedals together every Wednesday at 10am all year long.

We were pleased to be able to host the ride yesterday and meet the friendly, enthusiastic riders who showed up for the ride.

The weather forecast showed rain into the morning, so the group met at 11am for pizza - acquired by the pizza shop next door - then had a 12:30pm rollout for 37 gorgeous, fall-foliage-rich road miles.

Here are some photos from the ride, below! Thanks to all who came out, we hope to see you again soon.

Note: we are looking forward to hosting a Winter Riding Clinic in conjunction with CRW - it’s free and open to ALL - Wednesday evening November 13. Be certain to RSVP now so you get follow-up information about the clinic.

We ride all winter and we hope you’ll join us!

Pre-ride obligatory group shot. More joined in after we took this!

Pre-ride obligatory group shot. More joined in after we took this!

Rest stop to take a breath of fresh air on a quiet back road.

Rest stop to take a breath of fresh air on a quiet back road.

Fall foliage and a great group to make it even more colorful on the roads!

Fall foliage and a great group to make it even more colorful on the roads!

Post ride, those with a bit of extra time ate pizza, drank tasty George Howell french press coffee, and took full advantage of the couch!

Post ride, those with a bit of extra time ate pizza, drank tasty George Howell french press coffee, and took full advantage of the couch!


Mixed Terrain at its best with Honey 100 and the Honey Moon 100

The Honey 100 ride and Honey Moon 100 rides were more than an incredibly fun day (or night) on a bike! Riders discovered trails and back roads they’ve never seen before, saw what it is to ride in mixed terrain in this area (very different from the dirt roads of western Massachusetts and Vermont), ate very well, and shared a lot of memorable experiences.

We’d like to thank Honey Bikes for sponsoring this event, give huge and heart-felt appreciation to our fabulous ride leaders who showed groups of riders the way, acknowledge the very hard-working staff who cooked, worked the food stops, managed the myriad riders; we had 120 registered riders who came out! And we’d be remiss to not mention how much work the route designer did to develop and scout the very special, inspired routes.

Check out some great photos of the Honey 100!

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Riders preparing for rollout.

Riders preparing for rollout.

Iced mochas fresh from Ride Studio Cafe were available at Ride Headquarters and at every stop on each route.

Iced mochas fresh from Ride Studio Cafe were available at Ride Headquarters and at every stop on each route.

The route meeting - talking about the flow of the day and getting ready for the good times!

The route meeting - talking about the flow of the day and getting ready for the good times!

The end of the “funnest” fun ride yielded one group of smiling people!

The end of the “funnest” fun ride yielded one group of smiling people!

Regrouping on a scenic knoll.

Regrouping on a scenic knoll.

Loving the beautiful trails.

Loving the beautiful trails.

The mid-ride food stop saw all of the riders during the day and night rides, and it was exceptionally well stocked with all kinds of food.

The mid-ride food stop saw all of the riders during the day and night rides, and it was exceptionally well stocked with all kinds of food.

Food Stop. Look at that spread! The cookies in the foreground were very special and particularly big hits. The pie and ice cream hit the spot, too, as well as the savory sandwiches and chips.

Food Stop. Look at that spread! The cookies in the foreground were very special and particularly big hits. The pie and ice cream hit the spot, too, as well as the savory sandwiches and chips.

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Celebrating the vista at the top of this hill few people see!

Celebrating the vista at the top of this hill few people see!

Enjoying more great trails. The best pictures couldn’t be taken since it takes two hands to be on the bike through the coolest sections!

Enjoying more great trails. The best pictures couldn’t be taken since it takes two hands to be on the bike through the coolest sections!

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After the ride, no one was in a big hurry to leave, it is a day of riding and enjoying the company of old friends and new!

After the ride, no one was in a big hurry to leave, it is a day of riding and enjoying the company of old friends and new!

Team Dirty Vertigo challenged all of the other teams to a photo contest.

Team Dirty Vertigo challenged all of the other teams to a photo contest.

Team Rippers may or may not have known about the contest, but they were certainly vying for the “most fun” team prize.

Team Rippers may or may not have known about the contest, but they were certainly vying for the “most fun” team prize.

Team Hustle Hive took Dirty Vertigo to task on the photo contest. Not only do they color coordinate together, but they match the pavement, too!

Team Hustle Hive took Dirty Vertigo to task on the photo contest. Not only do they color coordinate together, but they match the pavement, too!

The Honey Moon riders weren’t a team, but they certainly rode as if they were! They had a ridiculously good time out there, lighting up the night - and keeping the good people who were supporting the ride on their toes until 10pm. One couple who cam…

The Honey Moon riders weren’t a team, but they certainly rode as if they were! They had a ridiculously good time out there, lighting up the night - and keeping the good people who were supporting the ride on their toes until 10pm. One couple who came out for this ride had an anniversary to celebrate; the Honey Moon ride couldn’t have been more appropriate for them!

Honey Bikes - Inspiration for the Honey 100

This bike is one of the Honey Allroads titanium bikes, a bike that was seen under many riders for the Honey 100 since it’s most perfectly suited to gravel and mixed terrain riding.

This bike is one of the Honey Allroads titanium bikes, a bike that was seen under many riders for the Honey 100 since it’s most perfectly suited to gravel and mixed terrain riding.

Honey Bikes, builder of titanium road bikes, both rim and disc, gravel bikes, fat bikes, mountain bikes and more, created the Honey 100 years ago to show riders the joy of mixed terrain riding in our area. This ride lives on to inspire riders to get off of the main roads, experience trails, see what it’s like to ride in new places, and get to know others who are into adventure riding and experiential riding, as well.


Honey Allroads gravel bikes have been really well received by everyone wanting a super fun gravel/mixed terrain bike, those wanting a bike that does it all throughout the year, and, with a tire swap, they are also being very happily ridden as disc-brake road bikes.

Honey Allroads Titanium Bikes are the ideal gravel bike because they are:

  • Lightweight: It is as light or lighter than any bike in its price range.

  • Fast: Honey's chainstays are stiff, translating pedaling power directly to the rear wheel.

  • Responsive: The bike is designed to do exactly what its rider asks without rider fatigue.

  • Sure-footed: Keeping the tires on the ground is the best way to stay upright on loose surfaces. This bike maintains contact with the ground, rider confidence is the result.

  • Made in the USA: Honey Bikes are designed and hand-built in Massachusetts.

  • Price: is competitive with any other bike built with this same parts kit.

  • Titanium: This is the best material for a gravel bike frame. Titanium won't rust or corrode under any conditions. It's super durable for rough terrain and treatment.

  • Durable: Gravel bikes experience more stress and frame-testing situations such as rocks being flung up onto the frame and hitting potholes at speed than road bikes.The parts kit is curated for light-weight durability.

  • It fits and feels great: A Professional Bike fitting is included in the price of the bike.

  • Backed by us and our Professional Mechanics: 1 year of labor is included with your bike purchase.

Feedback from Honey Allroads titanium riders has been overwhelmingly positive, with people finding they are doing so much more on their bikes than they ever thought possible, relishing the ride qualities of the well-designed and hand-built titanium frames, and realizing just how nice it is to be able to ride hard and not worry about the bike.

News as of January 4 - Ride Updates and Winter Riding Clinic this Weekend

Topics Included in this Edition:

  • Brutiful Roads Triple - Adventure road ride series that begins in remote locations no more than a 1 hr drive from either here or Ride Studio in Lexington - it will NOT be running tomorrow, January 5, due to rain. This means next Saturday it is likely to be running. Be sure to RSVP so you get the latest news from us as to when it will be running and other very important details!

  • Winter Riding 101 Clinic: Learn how to Enjoy Staying Outside on your Bike. We’re hosting, CRW is bringing snacks and drinks! Be sure to RSVP! Only a couple of spots are left! It’s this Sunday, January 6 3-5pm

  • Nailing Your Nutrition, Riding to Lose Weight Seminar is happening Tuesday, January 15 at 7:00 pm, be sure to RSVP to attend. CCNS is presenting valuable insight.

  • Lactate Threshold Testing - CCNS is offering LT testing on January 15 during the day, be sure to reserve your test slot!

  • Weekly Group Rides for this weekend:

    • SELF-LED THIS SATURDAY: Sunshine Express Road Ride - Saturday Mornings 11:00am Rollout - This ride is self-led if you want to ride, it’s going to be raining, so come with the route.

    • Beowulf Terrain Ride - Gravel bikes, cross bikes, mountain bikes - Saturday Mornings 11:10am Rollout - Canceled for this Saturday due to WET trails. We run this ride when the trails are DRY and/or FROZEN!

    • BiFrost Offroad Ride - Mountain bikes, fat bikes, any bike with studded tires - Sunday Mornings 9:00am Rollout Sponsored by Honey Bikes! - This ride is LIKELY GOING TO BE A ROAD RIDE this Sunday due to wet and soft trails. However, watch our Instagram/Twitter Saturday evening for an update as to what this ride will be for this Sunday morning!

  • Gravel and Winter Bike Feature - Honey Allroads - perfect for winter and gravel riding!

Honey Allroads is the best value gravel bike on the market. Get one to be ready for upcoming spring events!

Honey Allroads is the best value gravel bike on the market. Get one to be ready for upcoming spring events!

Winter News - Start 2019 With Rides and Clinics!

Our latest newsletter just went out. If you’re not yet registered to receive it, be sure to Subscribe Now! We email no more than twice a month. It’s a good way to be sure you’re up on our special rides, weekly rides, and very useful clinics! Check it out!

Topics Included in this Edition:

  • Brutiful Roads Triple - Adventure road ride series that begins in remote locations no more than a 1 hr drive from either here or Ride Studio in Lexington

  • Resolution Ride - Ride on Tuesday, January 1 at 11am, RSVP’s important since we won’t know the best route or bike type until just before this ride due to weather

  • Winter Riding 101 Clinic: Learn how to Enjoy Staying Outside on your Bike. We’re hosting, CRW is bringing snacks and drinks! Be sure to RSVP! January 6 3-5pm

  • Nailing Your Nutrition, Riding to Lose Weight Seminar is happening Tuesday, January 15 at 7:00 pm, be sure to RSVP to attend. CCNS is presenting valuable insight.

  • Lactate Threshold Testing - CCNS is offering LT testing on January 15 during the day, be sure to reserve your test

  • Weekly Group Rides for this weekend:

    • Sunshine Express Road Ride - Saturday Mornings 11:00am Rollout - This ride is on, it's ideal road riding weather this weekend. Two speeds: 17-18mph average and 15-16mph average.

    • Beowulf Terrain Ride - Gravel bikes, cross bikes, mountain bikes - Saturday Mornings 11:10am Rollout - Canceled for this Saturday due to WET trails. We run this ride when the trails are DRY and/or FROZEN!

    • BiFrost Offroad Ride - Mountain bikes, fat bikes, any bike with studded tires - Sunday Mornings 9:00am Rollout Sponsored by Honey Bikes! - This ride is ON for this Sunday since the trails will be frozen. Studded tires are REQUIRED to participate this Saturday for the safety of all.

  • Gravel Bike Feature - Honey Allroads

Honey Allroads is the best value gravel bike on the market. Get one to be ready for upcoming spring events!

Honey Allroads is the best value gravel bike on the market. Get one to be ready for upcoming spring events!

Spring Classics Wrap-Up Party - Happening Here Friday, April 28 - 7pm

Please RSVP Now!

The Ride Headquarters Spring Classics Series has come to a close! It has been an awesome six weeks of epic rides and great camaraderie.  Our participants braved harsh elements, rough roads and fierce competition. Everyone is to be commended for great riding all around.

We'd like to commemorate the end of the series with a party this coming Friday, April 28th at 7pm. We'll be awarding prizes and recapping some of the highlights from each stage.

Everyone is welcome, even if you did not participate in the ride series.  Bring your friends and family. We'll have refreshments and hors d'oevures for all.  Please RSVP here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Competition Final Results

Men's Stage Points Competition

Place Handle Stage 6 Points Stage 5 Points Stage 4 Points Stage 3 Points Stage 2 Points Stage 1 Points Total
1.) Tucker W. 64 90 100 100 90 39 483
2.) jmangieri 100 80 70 60 42 100 452
3.) Chris D. 44 95 80 70 80 81 450
4.) Phillip Stern 100 100 46 48 46 72 412
5.) Robbie 3 19 90 80 100 49 341
6.) Andrew U 52 60 44 38 32 74 300
7.) Martin H 21 55 42 42 36 43 239
8.) Darren Garnier 40 47 20 20 10 70 207
9.) TimM 49 53 20 20 10 51 203
10.) kklasman 63 32 20 20 16 45 196
11.) LeonPalandjian 35 24 50 40 38 1 188
12.) WesTate 3 5 48 46 44 38 184
13.) Cal 19 50 20 44 28 20 181
14.) JayS. 54 38 20 20 10 36 178
15.) jaytheskier 19 5 20 20 48 48 160
16.) Walter T 22 21 20 34 40 21 158
17.) Andrew L 3 5 20 50 50 27 155
18.) Janders 6 5 60 32 34 17 154
19.) Joe Marinelli 3 5 20 20 60 38 146
20.) Dustin Weigl 3 5 20 90 10 1 129
21.) pincince 11 25 40 28 20 1 125
22.) gregonabike 3 5 20 30 24 39 121
23.) Seth Porter 3 5 20 20 70 1 119
24.) stnphoto 11 17 20 20 18 29 115
25.) M_A_T 3 5 20 36 26 24 114
26.) Chauncy 40 13 20 20 10 1 104
27.) myth_jimmy 3 5 20 20 22 32 102
28.) Jon Doyle 3 5 20 20 10 43 101
29.) Lentamentalisk 11 15 20 20 10 22 98
30.) BradDutton 21 26 20 20 10 1 98
31.) Roger 3 13 20 20 10 28 94
32.) Mark 3 35 20 20 10 1 89
33.) JohnLees 14 22 20 20 10 1 87
34.) Nick_NE 3 5 20 24 10 17 79
35.) Pete Yoest 3 5 20 20 30 1 79
36.) jkerbs 12 14 20 20 10 1 77
37.) JJ Cobb 3 20 20 20 10 1 74
38.) James Smith 3 5 20 26 14 1 69
39.) Mike Dietrich 3 5 20 22 10 1 61
40.) Doug Cornelius 3 5 20 20 12 1 61
41.) Bob W. 3 6 20 20 10 1 60

Women's Stage Points Competition

Place Handle Stage 6 Stage 5 Stage 4 Stage 3 Points Stage 2 Points Stage 1 Points Total
1.) ChristinaCarvey 100 97 90 100 80 44 511
2.) IMK 86 54 80 90 90 100 500
3.) LaneMarder 76 100 100 50 100 63 489
4.) Jenny 42 88 70 60 70 31 361
5.) AprilRicciardone 42 7 60 80 60 6 255
6.) CapeCat 9 13 50 70 50 30 222

Men's Spirit Competition

Place Name Spirit Stage 1 Spirt Stage 2 Spirit Stage 3 Spirit Stage 4 Spirit Stage 5 Stage 6 Referall Bonus Total
1.) TuckerWetmore 66 58 53 66 66 66 200 575
2.) Andrewu 39 43 44 46 42 55 150 419
3.) PhillipStern 36 42 46 47 58 64 293
4.) MartinH 47 50 46 44 45 49 281
5.) jmangieri 37 42 43 43 46 33 244
6.) LeonPalandjian 0 40 40 38 61 63 242
7.) Janders 37 53 50 43 14 33 230
8.) MangoNut 33 33 33 33 33 33 198
9.) Robbie 33 33 45 33 44 0 188
10.) AndrewL 53 66 66 0 0 0 185
11.) WalterT 33 52 33 0 33 33 184
12.) Wes Tate 33 33 46 33 0 33 178
13.) kklasman 50 52 0 0 33 33 168
14.) Cal 33 33 33 0 33 33 165
15.) pincince 0 33 33 33 33 33 165
16.) jaytheskier 33 63 0 0 33 33 162
17.) DarrenGarnier 33 39 0 0 41 39 152
18.) Lentamentalisk 60 0 0 0 33 33 126
19.) gregonabike 41 33 47 0 0 0 121
20.) JamesSmith 39 41 33 0 0 0 113
21.) stnphoto 38 40 0 0 0 33 111
22.) M_A_T 33 39 33 0 0 0 105
23.) JoeMarinelli 51 52 0 0 0 0 103
24.) TimM 33 0 0 0 33 33 99
25.) JayS. 33 0 0 0 33 33 99
25.) Roger 33 0 0 0 33 33 99
25.) Chauncy 33 0 0 0 33 33 99
22.) myth_jimmy 56 42 0 0 0 0 98
25.) Nick_NE 33 0 33 0 0 0 66
25.) Mike Dietrich 0 0 33 0 33 0 66
31.) BradDutton 0 0 0 0 33 33 66
31.) jkerbs 0 0 0 0 33 33 66
31.) JohnLees 0 0 0 0 33 33 66
31.) SethPorter 0 33 0 0 0 0 33
31.) PeteYoest 0 33 0 0 0 0 33
31.) DougCornelius 0 33 0 0 0 0 33
31.) JonDoyle 33 0 0 0 0 0 33
31.) Mark 0 0 0 0 33 0 33
31.) JJ Cobb 0 0 0 0 33 0 33
31.) Bob W. 0 0 0 0 33 0 33

Women's Spirit Competition

Place Handle Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5 Stage 6 Referal Bonus Total
1.) Jenny 39 64 53 63 66 66 200 551
2.) LaneMarder 33 66 33 66 60 56 150 464
3.) ChristinaCarvey 33 48 41 53 45 55 100 375
4.) IMK 33 33 33 56 33 56 244
5.) AprilRicciardone 33 33 33 33 33 33 198
6.) CapeCat 33 0 40 0 33 33 139

Men's General Classification

Place Handle Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5 Stage 6 Referal Bonus Total
1.) Tucker W. 105 148 153 166 156 130 200 1058
2.) Phillip Stern 108 88 124 93 158 164 735
3.) Andrewu 113 75 82 90 102 107 150 719
4.) jmangieri 137 84 103 113 126 133 696
5.) Chris D 114 113 103 113 128 77 648
6.) Robbie 82 133 125 123 63 3 529
7.) MartinH 90 86 88 86 100 70 520
8.) LeonPalandjian 1 78 80 88 85 98 430
9.) Janders 54 87 67 103 19 39 369
10.) kklasman 95 68 20 20 65 96 364
11.) DarrenGarnier 103 49 20 20 88 79 359
12.) Cal 53 61 77 20 83 52 346
13.) WalterT 54 92 69 20 54 55 344
14.) AndrewL 80 116 116 20 5 3 340
15.) Organs 71 77 79 81 5 3 316
16.) pincince 1 53 77 73 58 44 306
17.) TimM 84 10 20 20 86 82 302
18.) jaytheskier 81 111 20 20 5 52 289
19.) JayS. 69 10 20 20 71 87 277
20.) stnphoto 67 58 20 20 50 44 259
21.) Chauncy 82 10 20 20 46 73 251
22.) JoeMarinelli 89 112 20 20 5 3 249
23.) gregonabike 80 57 82 20 5 3 247
24.) Lentamentalisk 82 10 20 20 48 44 224
25.) M_A_T 57 65 69 20 5 3 219
26.) myth_jimmy 88 64 20 20 5 3 200
27.) Roger 61 10 20 20 46 36 193
28.) JamesSmith 40 55 61 20 5 3 184
29.) BradDutton 1 10 20 20 59 54 164
30.) Dustin Weigl 1 10 123 20 5 3 162
31.) JohnLees 1 10 20 20 55 47 153
32.) SethPorter 1 103 20 20 5 3 152
33.) Nick_NE 50 10 59 20 5 3 147
34.) jkerbs 1 10 20 20 47 45 143
35.) JonDoyle 76 10 20 20 5 3 134
36.) Mark 1 10 20 20 68 3 122
37.) PeteYoest 1 63 20 20 5 3 112
38.) JJ Cobb 1 10 20 20 53 3 107
39.) DougCornelius 1 45 20 20 5 3 94
40.) Mike Dietrich 1 10 55 20 5 3 94
41.) Bob W. 1 10 20 20 39 3 93

Women's General Classification

Place Handle Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5 Stage 6 Referral Bonus Total
1.) LaneMarder 96 166 83 166 160 132 150 953
3.) Jenny 70 134 113 133 154 108 200 912
2.) ChristinaCarvey 77 128 141 143 142 155 100 886
4.) IMK 133 123 123 136 87 142 0 744
5.) AprilRicciardone 39 93 110 93 40 75 0 450
6.) CapeCat 63 50 120 50 46 42 0 371

Boston Bike Builder Bash

Boston Bike Builder Bash

A Once In A Lifetime Event:  Boston's Best Builders All Together

Join us for a celebration and appreciation of the local bike building scene, what HQ is calling the Boston Bike Builder Bash -- the B4.  Calling these builders "local" is a slight because they are each internationally known and have a global following.  In fact, Boston has the most vibrant bike artisan landscape in America -- maybe the world.  Come check out why that's so.  This is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet the country's best builders all in one place!

When: Saturday, June 3, 7:00 pm doors open

Where: Ride Headquarters, 11 South Main St, Sherborn, MA 01770