Campmor H2H Rumble in the Jungle

Racing at Jungle Habitat, is one of the highlights of the year for many mountain bikers. The defunct 70’s safari theme park has taken new form, with 30 years of new growth and vines entangling trees and structures of another era. Jorba, the main force behind the extensive trail planning and building in the park, has done a great job on the trails, and this race shows them off well. Racers were certainly challenged with rocks galore and tight off camber single-track with trees nipping at their handle bars the whole way. And if that wasn’t enough to keep their attention, racers could also take in the historical sites along the route as they would ride past a monkey cage, an amphitheater, to the top of a hill, in between tiger and baboon pens, through fences, past an umbilical cord vine, through a tunnel, into the deer pen and around the 80 acres of crumbling parking lot.

It was nice to see Team Campmor out racing on the trails they helped to build! - Ellen

Team Results
Ed Ceccolini - 1st Pro
Art White - 4th - Pro
Laura Winberry - 1st Exp Wom
Darlene Phillips - 2nd Exp 35+
Ben Williams - 3rd Exp 40
Ellen White - 3rd Exp 35+
Tom Stanowski - 4th Exp 50
Zach Koop - 4th Exp 19
Tahir Thomas - 8th Exp 30
Jeff Coneys - 8th Exp 40
Jeremy Swift - 9th Exp 30
Marianne Santangelo - 1st Sport Wom 35+
Tyler Conlon - 3rd Sport Jr

Campmor H2H Ringwood Fall Classic

Team Results:

Ed Ceccolini - 1st Pro
Joe Azze - 4th Pro
Tom Stanowski - 2nd Expert 50+
Laura Winberry - 2nd Expert 12-34
Darlene Phillips - 2nd Expert 35+
Tahir Thomas - 6th Expert 30-39
Joe Barros - 7th Expert 40-49
Jeremy Swift - 8th Expert 30-39
Ben Williams - 9th Expert 40-49
Marianne Santangelo - 1st Sport Women
Tyler Conlon - 5th Sport Jr


Lauras's report here: http://humblecoalition.blogspot.com/2008/09/swingwood-ringwood-blingwood-and.html

Shenandoah 100

It’s All in the Family

With over 500 competitors attending the 10th annual Shenandoah Mountain 100 the atmosphere was nothing short of a grassroots festival. At the local Stokesville campgrounds a myriad color of parked cars, Porto-Johns, tents and Ez-ups scattered the outskirts of the start/finish area. Saturday’s check-in and registration was followed by a classic pre-race meal of spaghetti and meatballs. Despite the number of hungry riders eager to fill their stomachs, dinnertime was a rather relaxed mixture of conversation and laughter among a gathering of distant members of the same cycling family.

The evening rolled on with the hoot and holler of a rowdy riders’ meeting, and eventually night blanketed the sacred mountains of Virginia. Headlamps and flashlights searched for tent zippers leading to slumber and just before midnight an assembly of clouds decided to deluge the sleeping campers below. Bellows of thunder accompanied illuminating flashes of energy between each drop of rain and the next day’s course became progressively more interesting. The campsite faded into sleep amid sheets of rain and pages of mountain bikers’ dreams.

The following morning a rain-soaked pre-dawn darkness greeted hundreds of five a.m. risers rubbing fistfuls of night from their eyes. The breakfast scene was typical—bagels and boiling oatmeal water, peanut butter and bananas—and within minutes of consumption the diffused light of an overcast day began to stretch itself over those preparing for the trek ahead. Come six-thirty there was just enough light to get a clear view of the multi-colored sea of spandex congregating about the start/finish area. With a simple “go” the click of cleats entering pedals resounded as hundreds of members of the same family embarked on a hundred mile odyssey through the Shenandoah Mountains of Virginia.

No more than ten minutes into the ride did I find myself with a swollen tongue and sore throat after having ejected some sort of bee from the depths of my mouth. Was this a premonition of things to come or a minor hindrance to surmount?—I decided on the latter and kept a steady pedal while attempting to assuage some of the pain with squirts of cool water. It was not until we hit the first singletrack climb that my throat actually began to close, thus restricting the necessary flow of oxygen to my already out-of-breath body—needless to say, I pulled to the side and began to yell in hopes that someone might have the denouement to my particular dilemma. Someone did. Kristin Eddy, who turns out is the second ever female to win an off-road iron distance triathlon, was passing and happened to have a flask each of Ledum Palustre and Apis Mellifica, which when combined form an excellent homeopathic solution for the swelling caused by a bee sting. Thank you, Kristin.

With a freshly reopened throat I settled into enjoying the mixture of singletrack and fireroad descents and climbs, all of them fairly long in length, that straight up begged me to partake in the greatness they had to offer. Throughout the day, several mantras played consistently inside my mind, with frequently interjected guest appearances of a few choice songs. As well, I remained focused on a list of simple yet personal goals: no longer than seven minutes at each aid station; middle ring or nothing, granny gear was not an acceptable option; push the limits of turning; love and appreciate what you are doing (this one goes without saying); complete what you have started. I am grateful to say that all of my goals were achieved, and as a bonus my low expectations in terms of projected finishing time were knocked clear out of the water when I arrived at the campgrounds at 10:58.56 to take 11th in an open field of 40 plus women. I’ll take that for my first shot at a 100 miler.

My goals, however, might not have been so obtainable without, at least, two outside factors: the first was the dedication of all the volunteers at each blessed aid station—the smorgasbord of heavenly comestibles, the tech support eager to lube a thousand grimy chains, the youth and adults alike prompt to refill bottle after bottle with your beverage of choice; the second was Al Yoon, of GFK Racing, whom I encountered shortly after leaving aid station 4 (mile 57). Feeling a little sluggish in the false flats, I asked Al if he minded my sitting on his wheel for a bit. He did not, and for the remainder of the race Al and I would trade back and forth; pacing, pushing, and encouraging one another; devouring, consuming, and rushing through aid stations; keeping the flow rolling and constant. We would finish the race together, high-fiving as our grins crossed the finish line. I am a firm believer that we cross paths with people for a reason, however blatant or indeterminable that reason might be; Kristin and Al reaffirmed my belief, and with that, a hundred miles of riding mountains reached a culmination at contentment and peace. In retrospect, I have come to the conclusion that it was more than simply a solo effort. Rather, it was a family working together towards a common goal, a unity without which I might not have faired as well. Certainly, I could have gone it alone, and physically I did; yet, why deny the fact that we are here to help each other out, to learn from one another? If we begin as family, regardless of the outcome of events, we still end as family, comprised of those who we have affected and those who have affected us; and that, perhaps, is what we must remember to take home in the end.


- Laura


Top Five Men
Chris Eatough 7:14.19
Sam Koerber 7:26.55
Jeff Schalk 7:37.25
Chris Beck 7:39.05
Aaron Oakes 7:41.51

Top Five Women
Cheryl Sornson 9:08.14
Trish Stevenson 9:19.42
Betsy Shogren 9:44.13
Johanna Kraus 9:57.11
Andrea Dvorak 9:59.11

24 Hours Of Allamuchy

Waking up to a beautiful race day....


After nearly a decade of the dreaded Allamuchy rain curse, good fortune finally came to 24 hour racers. Clear skies, cool nights and dry conditions were enjoyed by all. A slightly lighter turn out, made for a festival style atmosphere with the return of the disco ball to the Jorba campsite. While racers embraced the new found dusty conditions, and night festivities, sleep deprivation was still the main challenge. And as always, we ask ourselves afterwards, “why do we do this?” … and then three days and 40 hours of sleep later, we are ready to do it again.

- Ellen

Race Results for team Campmor were:

1st place women’s team – “Team Campmor” Dar Philips , Laura Winberry, Ellen White and Jen Barden.

2nd place corporate team – “Jorba All Stars” Art White and 9 other Jorba board members.

3rd Place 5 person coed – “Yes Deer” Tom Stanowski, Joe Baldacci, Marianne Santangelo, Bryan Petersen, and Steve Kane.



over tired girls getting silly


Jorba board representing


members of "Yes Deer"

Titus Demo at Ringwood

Titus Demo Day at Ringwood State Park, August 2, 2008 - Brought to you by Titus Bicycles, and Team Campmor. Special thanks to Titus Demo guy Mike Wirth, Regional Rep. Bill Cohan, Campmor bike manager and team rider Tahir, and the other Team Campmor riders Ellen, Marianne, and Joe B., who helped make demo day a success!

While our first responsibility was to be on hand to guide riders around the Park as they test rode a Titus, our real agenda was to get on a few bikes ourselves, and put them through their paces. Getting a chance to demo bikes in my home Park was an opportunity I didn't want to miss, so I made the most of it.

My personal race bike is a titanium Racer-X, which I rode as a benchmark on my first tour. I enjoy the precise handling and almost telepathic steering of the Racer-X. The ride, while I wouldn't call it plush, certainly is quite comfortable, with the rear suspension being set up firm, it still absorbs Ringwoods' rough terrain, allowing me to ride it for hours without being punished. Pedaling efficiency rewards the rider, while the suspension lets the tire hug the ground for traction.

On my second tour, I tried a 29'er Racer-X. I have to preface this review with the caveat that I'm not a big fan of 29'ers, having only tried one once before. My first impression was that I felt like I was riding my big brothers' bike, or was driving a large truck. Once I got moving though, things sort of worked themselves out, and I got a little more comfortable. I think the suspension was a little firmer than I like, and I wasn't getting all the travel out of it. At any rate, it felt more like a hard tail than my 26" wheel Racer-X. I was surprised when I tried to wheelie over a log, and could barely get the front wheel off the ground. The skill requires a lot more effort than with a 26" wheel bike. On the other hand, I did notice that those big wheels just keep going over all those "baby heads". Even at low speeds, I could just plod along, and the bike just kept rolling.

I saved the best for last... On my third trip showing folks around, I took out an El Guapo. I was eager to try the "handsome one" and compare it to my current favorite ride - My Yeti 575. The El Guapo was similarly equipped with a Fox 36 Talus fork, which I rode in the full open (6" travel) position. The first thing I noticed was that this is no ordinary 6" bike. For starters, it felt light. I think the test bike came in just over 30 lbs. My Yeti is around 32 lbs. Secondly, the rear suspension is more like the Racer-X, in that it was incredibly tight, and not the least bit sloppy. I can attest to the fact that I did get all 6" of travel, but it climbs like a shorter travel bike. What more could you want in a trail bike? Another tester mentioned that he thought it should be illegal- How could so much suspension feel so light, and climb so well?

My opinion? The Racer-X is a full on race machine that loves to be pushed hard, and rewards the rider with lightning fast response, yet is comfortable enough to not be punishing in rough terrain.

29'er Racer-X? Not necessarily my cup of tea, but then again, I'm not fond of the big wheeled bikes in my home terrain.

The El Guapo Is hands down my favorite trail bike, and I will most likely purchase one for next season.

You may ask where does the Moto Lite (5" travel) fit in? Although I didn't ride one myself, My wife, Ellen, rides one, and she loves it. I might suggest that a rider of smaller stature would get out of the Moto Lite what a larger rider gets out of the El Guapo, without having to deal with the issue of increased stand-over height, and weight. Besides, If you already have a shorter travel bike, like the Racer -x, and want more suspension, then I say go big! Skip the Moto Lite, and go right to the El Guapo.

Art White / Team Campmor

National Championships at Mt Snow

Team Campmor Sweeps the podium in Super-D ...... all on Titus bikes

Team Campmor did a great job representing at National Championships at Mt Snow, Vt, this past weekend. The team earned 8 podium spots including three 1st place finishes. During the past two weeks, the National attending Campmorians worked incredibly well together, washing bikes, prepping bikes, making meals, cleaning up after meals, doing laundry, feeding each other and drumming during the race. Those not racing the next day, gave up beds for floor space with out asking. The teamwork was incredible, and I feel lucky to be a part of this team of outstanding people! Congratulations and thank you all for your support.

My race report here: http://pixyandabike.blogspot.com/

Laura's race report here:
http://humblecoalition.blogspot.com/2008/09/mt-snow-retrospective.html

-Ellen



Team Campmor Results:

Cross Country:
Art White - 54th - Semi-Pro
Ellen White - 1st - Expert 50-54
Laura Winberry - 3rd - Expert 19-24
Tom Stanowski - 3rd - Expert 60-64
Darlene Phillips - 4th - Expert 40-44
Zach Koop - 25th Expert 19-24
Marianne Santangelo - 1st - Sport 40+
Matt Watters - 9th Sport 19-24

Super-D
Darlene Phillips - 1st - Women 40+
Marianne Santangelo - 2nd - Women 40+
Ellen White - 3rd - Women 40+
Laura Winberry - 3rd - Women 19-29
Art White - 7th - Men 50+

East Coast National at Windham

After a fifteen year hiatus, National racing returns to the Catskill Mountains. Attending from Team Campmor: Tom Stanowski, Jeremy Swift, Laura Winberry, Art White and myself. The team earned 5 podium spots, 3 of which were first place finishes.

My report here: http://pixyandabike.blogspot.com/2008/07/east-coast-national-at-windham.html

Race Results:
XC
Art White - 35th : Semi-Pro XC
Tom Stanowski - 1st :Expert XC 60-64
Ellen White - 1st :Expert XC 50+
Laura Winberry - 7th :Expert 19-24
SD
Ellen White - 1st :Super-D 40+
Laura Winberry - 2nd :Super-D 19-29
Art White - 4th :Super-D 40+
Jeremy Swift - 6th :Super-D 30-39







- Ellen