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Trail Review: Fountainhead Regional Park Trail

Summary: Perhaps the most popular riding spot in the D.C. Metro area. This trail was built by mountain bikers for mountain bikers, unlike most of the mixed-use trails in the region. The trail was built by the Midatlantic Off Road Enthusiasts (MORE) in cooperation with REI and the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NVRPA) in 1997. It is incredibly well maintained due to the hardwork of volunteers and MORE.

This trail is one of the more challenging in the region and includes many technical hills, including the infamous Shock-a-billy!

MTB Brews. What is your favorite?

Even beer companies are capitalizing on the popularity of mountain biking. Outside Magazine noted in its October issue that brewers are increasingly naming their beers for adventure sports. Most of the brews pictured in the magazine, however, are named for mountain biking, including:

- Singletrack Copper Ale
- Tire Bite Golden Ale
- Fat Tire Amber Ale

Note that all three are Ale. I suppose that is because we mountain bikers are a hearty bunch. I haven't tried them yet,
but when I do I will update the site with a review. If you have tried any let us know what you think. If not let us know what your favorite beer is after a ride!

Do Images of Extreme Forms of Mountain Biking Help or Hurt the Sport?

It seems that growth in the mountain biking "industry" is toward more extreme forms of the sport. Each time I flip through the pages of a cycling or outdoor magazine there are more and more images of mountain bikers soaring off of cliffs, balancing on 6-inch planks, and wearing motorcycle protective gear. Clearly these amazing feats make for some interesting eye-candy, but in the long run I believe these images may alienate the "traditional" mountain biker - riders who are passionate but not extreme.

Don't get me wrong. In every pursuit variety should be encouraged, but how can a sport grow beyond just a few passionate riders if nearly every image portrayed is of some impossible feat that only a few daredevils might ever attempt?
Images such as these Specialized ads will tend to drive most people away from the sport if they have not already been bitten by the mountain biking "bug." Unfortunately, they may also reinforce a largely false notion in the public's eye that mountain bikers are reckless and harmful to trails, hikers, equestrians, etc.

On the other hand, extreme sports are very popular with the 16-24 year-old demographic which could draw a new generation of young people into the sport. Also, extreme mountain biking calls for extreme bikes and components. This means that new and better technologies are developed by manufacturers to serve this high-end niche market and as such are eventually brought to wider markets (even dual suspension and disc brakes can be found on Target and Wal-Mart specials these days).

What do you think? Will images of extreme mounain bike styles such as freeriding, streetriding, and downhill help or hurt the sport in the long run?

MORE announces fall trail work schedule

The Midatlantic Off Road Enthusiasts have announced the trailwork schedule for Fall 2004. In the beginning and end of each season MORE organizes a comprehensive trail work schedule that covers nearly all of the major mountain bike destinations in Maryland and Northern Virginia. If you ride regularly on the trails in this area you should check out the schedule and see if you can lend some time at your favorite trail. If you need some extra incentive consider that you can win a new frame or bike through MORE's 20-20-20 award. Simply spend $20 on a MORE membership, $20 to join IMBA, and 20 hours of volunteer trail work. Last year there were roughly 20 to 30 people that qualified for the award (all of whom won prizes). Of those that qualified one person was randomly selected to win a Santa Cruz Blur donated by a local bike shop. Pretty good odds for only a little bit of time and money.