By Andy Thompson | May 15, 2012
Saturday was the last volunteer day at the Belle Isle bike skills park. The work remaining is mostly finishing touches to be done by Nathan Burrell and the trail crew. I’ve already talked to two different dads who’ve had their kids on bikes at the park, and they both raved. Here are some pics taken Saturday by RichmondOutside.com contributor Dave Kern.
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Posted In: Mountain Biking
By Andy Thompson | May 14, 2012
Here’s a good way to kick of Riverrock weekend a little early: On Thursday at 7:30 p.m, Red Bull and Trek Bicycle will premier their new mountain biking movie, Strength in Numbers, at the Byrd Theater. The screening is free and open to the public. Doors open at 7 p.m.
A new action sport documentary, Strength in Numbers is a rally call to connect all mountain bikers, regardless of location or language or discipline. The film captures a true way of life, from the world’s best pros to those who are just learning to love the sport. Shot over two years in some of mountain biking’s most iconic locations, Anthill’s signature style combines compelling stories with core action to create a shared experience that unites all riders.
“After almost two straight years of work, all the positive comments we have gotten here have made it all worthwhile”, said the Anthill Crew.
Posted In: Mountain Biking
By Andy Thompson | May 6, 2012
If you’re a local trail lover, you need — and I really do mean need — to check out Terrain360.com, the subject of my column in today’s T-D. The site was just launched on May 1st by three Richmonders — Ryan Abrahamsen, Ryan Emmons and Ross Milby. It’s unlike anything else out there for exploring trails (and soon waterways, too) on a computer. If you’ve used Google Street View, Terrain360.com will have a familiar feel — only the pictures are clearer.
The T360 team is an ambitious lot. Their goal is to have every major Virginia trail mapped by the end of the summer, so keep checking back for more updates. This first pic is a screenshot from the site. It and the others offer a sense of what the trail tours look like.
Entering Belle Isle from the south
Buttermilk Trail
Posted In: Greenways, Hiking, Mountain Biking, Trail Running
By Andy Thompson | May 3, 2012
Credit: RVANews
Nathan Cushing of RVANews has a cool feature on the new and improved Carytown Bicycle Co. shop. Just two doors down from venerable Agees, the shop attempts to be not just a bike shop, but a space that’s “‘almost like Cheers,’ according to co-owner Tim Mullins, ‘”where people can come in, ‘have a beer and talk,’ and watch an international cycling race…”
Whoa, did he say beer? Is that BYOB? That’s pretty cool, as far as I’m concerned. I heard Spike Toler say a similar thing about her new bike shop, Coqui Cyclery, at the intersection of Forest Hill and Semmes avenues, except without the beer. They both want to offer more than just transactions — a new bike, parts, repairs. The guiding philosophy, Cushing writes, quoting Mullins, is, “Let’s create an experience.”
Hopefully, it works for both of them. In the meantime, check out the RVANews piece on Carytown Bikes.
Posted In: Mountain Biking, Road Biking
By Andy Thompson | May 2, 2012
I rode out to Belle Isle yesterday to see how the new bike skills park was coming. Nathan Burrell and his trail crew were out there, as was Ben Blitch, the independent bike park designer who works on projects like this all over the country. Blitch go into town on Sunday for what Burrell said would be 12-straight days of moving dirt, pushing rocks and general bike park crafting. When I was there, they had two skid steers, a backhoe loader and an excavator all going at the same time (I only know the names of those machines because my two-year-old son was screaming them out as we watched).
Burrell said the goal is to be done by Memorial Day, and considering the pace they’re moving at, it looks like they might just pull it off. The below pics are taken by RichmondOutside.com contributor Dave Kern.
Posted In: Mountain Biking
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