Stories

Powerhouse Restaurant will be hosting a series of bike criteriums in Old Cutters in Hailey through the month of September on the 1st, 15th and 29th. Registration starts at 5pm at Old Cutters park; kids race at at 5:30pm, novice at 6:10pm and adult at 6:40. Registration is free for kids and $15 per adult, food and beverage will be available for purchase. Novice race will include a 10 minute practice round designed for beginning racers to get a feel of riding in a group.

The series of criteriums are being organized by Billy Olson, local business owner and cycle enthusiast, to create more opportunity for Wood River Valley racers to compete as well as train for the annual Crosstober Fest. Olson, also founder of Road & Dirt, an organization promoting fun and competitive cycling events in the Wood River Valley, states, “We are adding the crit series to give the locals an opportunity to get some speed work and practice riding in a group before the cyclo cross season starts. Old Cutters was a great place to hold these... (more)

Rusch crushes her former time and sets a course record to retain her reign as women's champ

Rebecca Rusch, the 2009 Leadville Trail 100 Women's Champ and three-time 24 Hour Solo Mountain Biking World Champion, has scored another high-profile victory � taking top female honors at the 2010 Life Time Fitness Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race for the second year in a row. Finishing the grueling 100-mile race with a time of 7:47:35, Rusch beat her 2009 time by almost 30 minutes, and broke the course record set in 1997 by 11 minutes.

After a chilly early morning start, Rusch says the blue bird skies and temperatures in the high 60s to low 70s were a stark change over last year's freezing conditions.

She spent most of the first half of the race trying to shake second place finisher Amanda Carey. Rusch finally gained a sizeable gap at the Columbine climb.

"I just said it's now or never," said Rusch. "I just knew it had to happen then. And I just put the screws to her and it worked."

Rusch battled through leg cramps... (more)

By Paul Andrews, BI editor

For 10 days Team Mojo took to the road, exploring Idaho's far-flung trails in Sun Valley, Stanley, and the all but undocumented panhandle hard by the Canadian border. We left the MacBook behind. The iPhone was almost always out of range. 

For now, you'll find a minimum of coddling in the Sun Valley region. Give yourself a couple of days to adjust to the altitude and you can make it as challenging as you like, from rollicking cruises along powdery singletrack in the woods to monster hike-a-bikes across scree-laden alligator-back ridges in the outback. Trust us, Sun Valley is as good as it gets. 

Read the rest of the review at Sun Valley 2010: Real Mountain Biking, in Real Mountains

The 9th year is in the books and we crowned two new overall winners--Reid Pletcher and Janelle Conners.  This was our largest racer count in the events history--from the 6 and up all the way through the men's A race-- we had great attendance, great sportsmanship, and wonderful community support.  One word, outstanding!!!  The dedicated women's race added a new element which brought very competitive ladies to the line with racer counts equaling the men's race.  

It must be the water because we are nothing but blessed with talented youth who put a smile on our faces just seeing 40+ kids, ranging from 12 and under, come out each week to race their hearts out.  We have a depth that will keep events like this going strong for years to come.

One trend that is catching on is the growing number of single speeders toeing the line; I guess they are trying to keep up with the 6 & under kids who are all on single speeds.  I think we might need to have a dedicated place on the cup for this growing... (more)

Heading into the last race it is down to a few points separating the podium spots and the ultimate glory of your name on the cup. The last race is worth double points and Sam has already pulled out your worst showing--you know the race you missed because you had to visit the in-laws. 

WRC Race 4 Results

WRC Series Standing after 4 Races

If you have not come out to join in the fun then this is it. Make sure to join us after the race at the Power House Pub for the celebration. One last race to close the 9th year of local short track racings so don't miss out on the opportunity to cheer or try your hand at a little short track. 

Thanks to all our sponsors for the support but most of all thanks to the local fans and families who come out and join in the fun. Have a good weekend. 

LR

The Wood River Cup race series is heating up, and it seemed the weather was finally starting to follow suit, but not for the third race of the Wood River Cup.  Racers and spectators were treated to what some people said "felt like snow", for the race but that didn't dampen the turnout for the race.  The third race was the largest gathering of racers and spectators for the series; 86 racers and well over 75 spectators.  Billy Olson pulled some new tricks and setup a course that was technical, fast, and nothing like anything any of us had seen in the past.

Click here to see:

Race 2 Results

Race 3 Results

Series Standing After 3 Races

After three events the points series is close. Checkout the link below for the details.  Remember that each racer gets to drop one event and the final race is worth double points so anything can and will happen in short track racing.  If you have yet to come out and watch, join us on 6/23 or 6/30 for the final two races of 2010.

Thanks... (more)

When I was in college, there was a rash of stolen textbooks (they could be returned at the bookstore for $$) in the building I was living in. We sounded the alarm and people got creative and started paying close attention and tracking down where the books might have ended up. The perpetrator was found. I picked up the following off the Wood River Bike Coalitions newsfeed which suggests a similar effort is needed here...

$500 Reward for information leading to the recovery of these bikes:

3 of the brand new Scott Voltage pump park bikes were stolen from the BCRD last night. They are brand new, orange and white, single-speed, disc brakes. To add insult to injury, these bikes were stolen just hours after BCRD presented 46 children in the community with brand new bikes. Seriously?!

Cameron Lloyd: We need to put on some real heat. I emailed mayor Randy Hall three weeks ago when my bike was stolen and he never responded to my email. I don't want anything, I just want to make sure that people know this is happening....

The first WRC race of 2010 is in the books. We had 81 racers for Wednesday's event and a solid gathering of fans.  If you haven't come out and watched a race or thought, heck why not cough up a lung, then head on out and join the fun.  We have music and food by KB's to keep you smiling.  Next week is bring a friend to a bike race to watch you suffer with a smile on your face, so don't be seen suffering without a fan to cheer you on--Mom's count too!  Thanks everyone for the support, help with setup, take down, KB's, MCR, and anyone else who helps with the events--even the talent.

Link to PDF race results -  http://freepdfhosting.com/9e3dcb34d6.pdf

WRC Race #2 - 6/9

Don’t forget, all racers need to wear a helmet, sign a waiver, and if racing in the A or B category you will need a NORBA license—you can purchase a single day license at the event. Cost to race in the A and B category is $25 per event or $100 for the 5 race series, $15 for juniors. Overall title is best of 4 finishes... (more)

Despite a fairly rainy month, Mountain Rides is pleased to announce that we had record participation at bike events throughout National Bike Month in May. Below are some of the highlights:

Bike to School Day – The kickoff to Bike Month saw some of our highest participation rates and numbers since the Safe Routes to School program started in 2004. This spring 43% of students participated, up from 16% this fall. Woodside Elementary recorded the best results, with 62% participation. They were followed by Hailey Elementary (43%), Bellevue Elementary (38%) and Hemingway Elementary (32%).

Bike to Work Day – Friday May 21^st was National Bike to Work Day, and the Wood River Trail was packed with bike commuters braving the chilly weather. Once again, Scott USA won our employer challenge with near perfect participation—97% of their employees came to work on bike. Other strong efforts came in from Smith, Marketron, and Rocky Mountain Hardware. Thanks to all of our sponsors for coming out to support the... (more)

Road & Dirt is proud to announce the official start of summer with the 9th Annual Wood River Cup. June 2nd marks the first race of the five race series, every Wednesday in June, which will crown our 2010 short track champions.  So dust off those race plates, squeeze your winter excess into some spandex, and come out and race.  If the view from the pain cave is too much to bear, come out and cheer on the kids—old and new—nothing better than smiles on kids faces as they give it their all. 

Open to all ages---if you can pedal, or be pushed, we want you to come and play.  Thanks to the Shimano Youth Series, all kids 12 and under are free and receive a medal at the finish.  Don’t forget, all racers need to wear a helmet, sign a waiver, and if racing in the A or B category you will need a NORBA license—you can purchase a single day license at the event. Cost to race in the A and B category is $25 per event or $100 for the 5 race series, $15 for juniors. Overall title is best of 4 finishes... (more)

Ketchum local, Rebecca Rusch, was featured in an article on Adventure Racing.

Rebecca Rusch was a long way from Idaho.

She had spent the night on the floor of a wooden shack and eaten, hungrily, a salty, starchy mound of cassava root. A family in a remote village of Borneo had taken her in, as they would any traveler who was obviously tired, dirty and starving.

Rusch, who lives in Ketchum, loves to travel. But she prefers to do it in a sweatier, more unconventional way. She's an adventure racer, a breed of athlete that thrives on racing across unpredictable, exotic regions of the world. Get from point A to point B, however you can: rappelling, running, hiking, climbing, kayaking. Just get there.

Click here for the rest of the story.

National Bike to Work Week is May 17th - 21st, and Mountain Rides will be celebrating with events-- along with prizes and giveaways-- throughout the week.

Bike to Work Day: Friday May 21st
If you're not biking already, make sure you stop by your local bike shop for a tune-up in preparation of Bike to Work Day. Mountain Rides and our sponsors will be stationed along the Wood River Trail with food and freebies. Prizes for the companies with the best effort and participation. Check out our Facebook and Blog for more info, or contact Danielle at 788-RIDE x104 or Danielle@mountainrides.org.

10th Annual Smart Moves Kickoff: Friday May 21st
Join our 10th Annual SMART MOVES challenge to win great prizes, including a 2011 Sun Valley Season Pass! All you have to do is get out of your car— walk, bike, carpool, bus, skateboard, rollerblade, unicycle…you get the idea. Log your trips on our TripTracker or go green (and become eligible for exlusive prizes) by logging trips on Rideshareonline. The challenge runs May 21st through... (more)

In keeping with its strategic marketing goals for 2009/10, one of the many efforts of the Sun Valley/Ketchum CVB is expanding promotion of Sun Valley as a world-class biking destination.  The greater Sun Valley area is home to over 200 miles of some of the best single-track trails in the country, as well as an extensive paved bike path system, and this well-kept secret is about to get a little more exposure to potential biking enthusiasts across the country.  The new SVKCVB efforts include working with local mountain bike champions and enthusiasts on new promotions and a new event – Sun Valley Rhythm & Ride: Bike and Music Festival (SVR&R), which will take place throughout the Wood River Valley, June 24-27, 2010.  The CVB is also helping promote the new Kristin Armstrong Cycle Academy Camp that will be launching in Sun Valley this spring.

One of the Sun Valley/Ketchum CVB’s (SVKCVB) new efforts involves working with local elite mountain bike athlete Rebecca Rusch; one of the SVKCVB’s designated Sun... (more)

We were just about ready for a new season of play in paradise when Mother Nature delivered her bounty this week. We'll take it any way we can get it, but we're still looking ahead to spring and summer riding with our BIKE FOOLS Annual Preview and Kick-Off! Stop by and meet our 2010 mountain, road, cruiser and kids line-up from SCOTT, SANTA CRUZ, ROCKY MOUNTAIN, NIRVE, FELT and RALEIGH...indulge in some free brats and beers, talk shop with the SCOTT factory reps, and hop on a new bike for a test run or two.

Take the redesigned SCOTT CR1 carbon road bike for a spin and experience its comfort-oriented ride, with more comfortable saddles and handlebars that put the sport rider in a position that can be held for a longer duration. Learn about SCOTT's TwinLoc System connecting shock and fork that allows mountain bikers to decide between their travel settings via a handlebar mounted lever. The super and affordable SCOTT Spark mountain bike sets the world standard for a lightweight, race ready, full suspension bike.

While... (more)

These boys have rhythm and they can sure ride. I thought my MTB'ing handling skills were decent until I watched this. This is the most amazing demonstration of mountain biking skills I have ever seen.

Following on the heels of the highly successful 1st annual valley-wide Sun Valley Nordic Festival, a consortium of locals have joined together to create another new valley-wide event, the which will feature 4 days of activities, June 24-27, 2010.

The group’s goal for the Sun Valley Rhythm & Ride event is to create an event that will be fun for the local community, as well as to attract road & mountain bike enthusiasts to the valley.  “This is a great opportunity to help significantly raise the profile of Sun Valley as a premier biking destination and to highlight Sun Valley area’s incredible single track trails”, stated Greg Martin, director of the Wood River Bike Coalition.  “We have seen the success that positive community collaboration can bring to create wonderful events and programs here and we invite anyone with an idea of an activity or event to add to our still developing schedule related to biking and music, to join us in this effort.”... (more)