November 2011 – Page 2 – Cape Fear SORBA

Nov 05 2011 November 5, 2011 November 5, 2011 by Austin Fenwick

The Brunswick Brawl is tomorrow!

Posted in Race

Hello everyone! The Brunswick Brawl is coming up tomorrow so I wanted to do one last reminder about the event as well as information you may need to know.

First of all please remember that we have a time change tonight. Since we are moving back one hour everyone should be well rested for the race. While forgetting this won’t make you late for the race, it will make you significantly early…which may mean you get to help us setup to stay warm! So with that in mind, you may want to remember that clock on your dresser.

Now for the important stuff.

Please remember that the event registration will open at noon with the first race going off at 1pm. You can race both the Mens Open and Singlespeed categories but you must register for both BEFORE the Mens Open race starts. You can not race and then decide to sign up for the Singlespeed and you cannot back out if you registered for both. If you do register for both you will get a $5 discount on each race ($10 total). There are no refunds. Please remember to get there and register for your race at least 20 minutes early. The later people get there the later the races will start. No racers may register with 10 minutes or less to go before race time if you weren’t already in line.

Full race schedule is as follows. Remember start times are subject to slight change.

Open Men’s Category: 1 Hour Race Time, begins at 1:00pm (Racing on the 2.5 mile course)

Single Speed: 1 Hour Race Time, begins at 2:10pm (Racing on the 2.5 mile course)

Beginner Men: 30 Min Race Time, begins at 3:20pm (Racing on the 1.2 mile course)

Women and Juniors(12-16): 30 Min Race Time, begins at 3:55pm (Racing on the 1.2 mile course)

Kids: 1 lap of a modified loop, begins at 4:25pm (modified loop)

Wear your CFSORBA Colors!

Don’t forget that we want you to wear your CFSORBA jerseys for a club photo at the Brawl! Need a Medium or XL? We have one of each for sale at the Brawl this weekend for $52. In addition we will be taking orders one final time for one final batch of club jerseys. The price for them are $52 each. You can fill out the forms and pay at the race or Trail Care Crew Visit next weekend.

Bicycle Gallery will be on hand!

And don’t forget that the Bicycle Gallery of Jacksonville, NC will be on hand providing on site mechanic services and demo bikes! Check out the Brunswick Brawl page on the Cape Fear SORBA website for more details on what bikes will be available!

That’s it everyone! The trail is ready (despite the rain!) and waiting for you. Which brings up the biggest question of all…are you ready for a Brawl?

I am. Bring it on.

Nov 04 2011 November 4, 2011 November 4, 2011 by Austin Fenwick

Open Letter Concerning the Blue Clay Bike Park

Posted in Uncategorized

Dear members and friends of Cape Fear SORBA,

Recently at the Blue Clay Bike Park there have been several unapproved obstacles popping up on and around the trail. These have been the cause of much concern and debate amongst certain club members and we, the Cape Fear SORBA board, felt that it was time to clarify our stance on not only this situation but the rules that this park must run by.

As many of you may know this park began as something of an unapproved park that graduated to the status of county Park over time. During that time several wooden obstacles of differing shapes and sizes had been built there. Sadly, in the not to distant past, there was an accident involving one of those obstacles that has been the center of a lawsuit that the county has had to deal with. Since that time the county has declared that there will be no unapproved obstacles of any kind built at Blue Clay. This was done both out of a concern for safety as well as for liability reasons. Cape Fear SORBA has since developed a solid working relationship with New Hanover County on the maintenance of the park.

Currently no obstacles can be built out there without first being approved by New Hanover County. Because of this the county has asked us to remove any unapproved trail features as soon as they are discovered. We do this not only to maintain safety but also to retain our access to this park and honor the MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) that we agreed to with the county. The MOU is a legal responsibility that the club must uphold. If people continue to build so called “rogue” obstacles on the trail it is very possible for everyone to lose access to this park ENTIRELY. None of us want this to happen.

That is not to say it is impossible to add technical trail features at Blue Clay. The club has recently proposed, had approved, and built a BMX style jump as a part of the Pump Track. The key here is that obstacles must be proposed and built to IMBA/SORBA guidelines and approved by the County. However, it CAN be done if we follow the proper guidelines.

So please, if you see anyone doing any building of any structure or obstacle that seems suspicious please email info@capefearsorba.com as soon as possible to notify us of the issue. We do not want the actions of a few causing the loss of a park to everyone else.

However, for those of you that wish to see obstacles on the trail, there is hope. Part of the plans for the advanced loops at the Brunswick Nature Park calls for wooden structures, log piles, and other trail features that we could not build at Blue Clay. We are going to begin building the next section of trail starting on Saturday, December 3^rd. If you wish to see that section built fast then come out and help us make it a reality. The more hands we have, the quicker the trail will be built. We also encourage you to come out to the Trail Building School with the IMBA Trail Care Crew being held on Nov 12^th to learn how to build long lasting sustainable trail.

Thank you Cape Fear SORBA and remember: Speak, Build, Respect, Ride.

Greg Brinson, President Cape Fear SORBA

Austin Fenwick, Vice-President Cape Fear SORBA

Jay Pearce, Secretary Cape Fear SORBA

Bryan Weinkle, Treasurer Cape Fear SORBA

Nov 03 2011 November 3, 2011 November 3, 2011 by Austin Fenwick

Halloween Ride Report by Armando!

Posted in Group Ride

Here is a little ride report written up by our good friend Armando! His senior project bike ride, the “Halloween Ride” was this past Sunday and we wanted to share the fun with all those who missed out! So enjoy the report and we hope to see you all at the Brunswick Brawl this weekend!

Welcome to the Halloween Ride!

Hello my fellow mountain bikers!!! Here is an update on what went down during the Halloween ride held this past Sunday. The ride had a small twist to it: you could come dressed in costume! As riders began arriving so did the costumes and the setting began gaining its Halloween touch. Once we had all the riders at the park we knew it was going to be difficult to choose the winner of the costume contest so we left it until after the ride. After various pictures were taken and candy was given to the riders, everyone was ready to set off into the evening ride. The ride was quite difficult for some riders who had costumes that interfered with their riding abilities(SORBA EDIT: Ahem who is that clown in the wolf mask anyway?), but everyone managed to finish the ride without injuries.

At the end, two of the riders, Armando and Greg, had a sprint for the finish but Greg’s costume reduced his aerodynamic profile, thus allowing Armando (with the cape) to win. The ride was quite different and fun and we found that the best way to chose the winner of the gift certificates was to vote on it. The first winner was Jere Dearing who dressed up as a pirate ARGHHH. The second winner was Christopher who dressed up as a zombie ship’s captain! Christopher was also brave enough to ride from downtown to the Blue Clay trail and back while dressed up as a zombie ship’s captain. Now then here are a few pictures for you all to enjoy!