Trans-Sylvania Mountain Bike Epic: MTB Stage Racing Arrives on the East Coast

written by: Karen Potter
This May will be the first opportunity for many east coast racers to experience the newest and most exciting trend in U.S. mountain bike racing, a stage race. No doubt many east coasters are grinning from ear to ear, at the prospect of their first 7-day stage race, with, perhaps, a hint of grimacing at the thought of 7 days of grueling east coast singletrack. The Trans-Sylvania Epic will be a first for east coasters and the east coast alike. A 7-day mountain bike stage race has never been tried east of the Rocky Mountains. The Trans-Sylvania Epic takes place May 30 – June 5th. The race is bound to put Pennsylvania on the map as a mountain biking destination.

Race Director Mike Kuhn surveys the Trans-Sylvania trails

Race directors Mike Kuhn and Ray Adams are experienced at promoting and organizing races that are fun, accessible to all levels of racers, and usually include a twist, like the well-known Iron Cross event that Mike originated which, includes the infamous “Spiral of Death.” They also have ample experience as pro mountain bike racers and as directors of one of the most successful amateur mountain bike teams, visitPA.com (now PAValleys.com). Drawing on their vast knowledge and experience the race directors feel confident they know how to tackle an Epic race.

When asked what he felt would be biggest draw for this race, Mike Kuhn emphatically responded, “the Trails!” The Trans-Sylvania epic will be staged just outside Stage College, Pennsylvania, which is set in a spectacularly beautiful mountainous region. Anyone who has raced the Wilderness 101, which is 45 minutes east of State College, knows there are plenty of hills in central Pennsylvania. Both lowlanders and highlanders will be on equal footing given State College’s elevation of 1150 feet above sea level. The Wilderness 101 features trails that are extremely technical, even for the hardest east coasters. The trails are certain to challenge the abilities of all riders…but Kuhn assures there is plenty of mix to appease a wide range of trail appetites.

Wooded Pennsylvania singletrack, a sight riders will get accustomed to

The seven days of racing will include stages with technical riding, smooth twisting roller coaster/pump track like riding, climbing, ridge riding, and flat open rolling sections that will take riders through historic train tunnels and the amazing Amish countryside. The stages will be 25-45 miles with exception of first day’s 11-mile time trial. And the “twist” for this race comes on Day 5 with a Super D stage broken down into 4-5 mass start Super D events with cumulative time counting for the day. So, really, this is a stage race accessible to all riders of all abilities, whether you’re a climber, a descender or a technical aficionado. The organizers along with Frank Maguire, State College's own Mid-Atlantic IMBA rep, have made creating a course that is all about fun and leaving people with a good taste of Pennsylvania’s vast trail offerings the number one priority of Trans-Sylvania! In addition, the race will primarily be staged out of the campground race headquarters, so there’s no packing up and settling in each night.

The Scout Camp Dining Hall will be a popular place during 7 days of mountain bike racing

Another strong appeal to this race is the location. It’s within a days drive from, well, a huge chunk of the country. That’s certainly appealing to many riders who have experienced the difficulties and expense of flying with one’s bike. Simply put, it’s not fun. It’s much easier to pack everything in the car and go on a fun journey. But for those who need to fly, Kuhn and Adams have partnered with Bikeflights.com – a new company that specializes in bike related trips and happens to be based in Stage College. Kuhn pointed out that “anyone booking travel through Bikeflights.com will not only receive pricing that is typically better than what you’ll find on other travel sites, but also bike shipping services and trip insurance that can cover the entire cost of the travel and entry fee.” And with a hometown race with a hometown company, they’re likely to be taking personal care of race participants.

After researching the Trans-Sylvania Epic I am left to wonder - is it May yet? The Trans-Sylvania Epic is sure to be an exciting and unique event. It’s also one of the most affordable seven-day stage races, costing roughly $1,200 including food and lodging. Check it out at www.transylvaniaepic.com.

photos courtesy of: Trans-Sylvania Mountain Bike Epic

Alpine Epic Mountain Bike Stage Race, NZ – Day One

Hogg and Williams Victorious After Tough First Day

Navigation errors and misfortune thrive during the first day of the 2010 Alpine Epic Mountain Bike Stage Race yesterday with Tony Hogg and Mark Williams taking two stage wins from defending champions Kashi Leuchs and Marcus Roy.

Leaders: The three lead teams – Team R&R Sport (Mark Williams and Tony Hogg), Team Yeti NZ (Marcus Roy and Kashi Leuchs) and Property Syndication (Ollie Whalley and Brent Miller) pass a high country hut on Inverary Station during stage one of the 2010 Alpine Epic Multi-Stage Mountain Bike Race (Photo: Derek Morrison Photography)

The wins, on sub-alpine routes that travelled from Mt Somers to Rangitata Gorge, came as a surprise to the R&R Sport team of Hogg and Williams.

"We were behind two teams coming into the last dash to the Rangitata River, but we got there and there was no one else there," Williams, of Queenstown, said.

Hogg and Williams finished the first stage in a time of 3:32:18.

Roy and Leuchs, of Team Yeti NZ, were slowed by a poor navigation choice that left them languishing in a swamp while the third lead team – Property Syndication – saw its riders, Ollie Whalley and Brent Miller marred by a string of misfortune.

"I realised we were lost coming into the Rangitata River, then I blew my tyre out and my drink bottle disappeared when I crashed so I had no water," Miller explains.

"I went through a dark patch for about an hour – I had no food, no water and I was bleeding."

Crossing the Rangitata: Riders are ferried across the Rangitata River on Wednesday after stage one of the five-stage 2010 Alpine Epic Multi-Stage Mountain Bike Race (Photo: Derek Morrison Photography)

After leading the end of the stage Miller and Whalley lost at least an hour looking for water and the waiting raft at the finish of stage one.

"I thought the raft was to the left and I was loving the tailwind we had – until I realised we should have gone upstream, and so we had to ride all the way back into the wind," Whalley laughs.

In the following stage Miller and Whalley broke a chain and flatted at the same time.

"Someone didn't want us to win today – then my chain breaker needed a 4mm Allen key, which we didn't have with us," Miller adds.

About midway through the first stage Hogg stopped the lead riders in their tracks when he came off at speed in a rut and was thrown several metres down a bank.

All three teams rallied around what they suspected might be a serious injury, but Hogg soon remounted and was able to continue the race with a couple of gashes to his left knee and a hematoma on his left hip.

"Everyone came back to help me out – that's just what mountain bikers do," Hogg laughed.

"I thought we were going to be calling the helicopter in for him," Roy said.

We went from a bad incident, to just trying to limit our loss, to actually winning it, Hogg said.

Poor luck: Team Property Syndication Ollie Whalley (left), of Dunedin and Brent Miller, of Christchurch reflect on a day of poor luck – they went from leading stage one to a series of misfortunes that left them more than an hour and a half behind after the first two stages (Photo: Derek Morrison Photography)

Hogg and Williams won the time trial – an 18km sprint in a time of 43:18.

Leuchs was not concerned by the time he and Roy lost in the first stage.

"There are four big days in this race and a lot can happen – we saw that with Ollie's team today," he said.

The field of almost 80 riders will embark on stage three at 8am on Thursday morning, which will take them around Mt Peel and finish in Ashwick Flat 78km later.

For full results and info. visit www.alpineepic.co.nz

Product Review: Specialized Pro Women’s Mountain Bike Shoe

Written by: Jennifer Hanks

Finding a comfortable high-quality mountain bike shoe is a feat; for women it is even harder. Most bike product manufacturers simply do not offer the same quality in women specific gear as they do for men. And a shoe is one area where a men’s version just doesn't size up. In my search for the perfect shoe, I purchased a pair of Specialized Pro Women’s Mountain Bike Shoes.



In the past, I’ve worn the Sidi Women’s Dominaotor 5. These shoes were comfortable enough, but I didn't like that the mountain bike version did not offer a carbon sole. I’ve also worn the Shimano M225 shoes for three seasons. The Shimano shoes have a nice stiff carbon sole, but they weren't offered in a women’s specific model and were quite wide for a woman's narrow foot. I would have to crank the velcro toe straps around to get a secure fit and then cut off the excess. I’ve also had my share of foot problems. In 2008 I suffered from sesmoiditis, which was quite painful and required holes cut in the footbed of my shoes to relieve pressure. More recently, I sprained my foot in cyclocross and a comfortable shoe became imperative.

For that reason I started my mission to find a new shoe for 2010. After some Internet research, I settled on the Specialized shoe. Kudos to Specialized for actually making a high-end women’s specific shoe. I like that the shoe has a carbon sole, good tread for those dreaded hike-a-bike sections, a narrow fit and a fully adjustable ankle strap. The shoe is available in half sizes to ensure a perfect fit. Advertised weight: 640 gram/pair.

I rode these shoes for several weekends of binge mountain biking in St. George, Utah. The shoes were a snug fit and more than comfortable enough to not irritate my sprained foot while being incredibly stiff - just the feel I like when pedaling.


My favorite feature about the Specialized shoe was that they were narrow enough for my long, skinny feet. Even the insole, which advertises a varus wedge, metatarsal button, and longitudinal arch support, was quite comfortable for an out-of-the box insole. The only thing I did not love about these shoes was the stiff plastic ankle strap that puts some pressure on the anterior ankle when walking. I think the shoe would have been even more comfortable if there were a bit of padding on the strap, but then again that would increase the weight. If I continue to find this irritating, I plan to cut the strap back a bit. Actual weight for these shoes was more like 718 grams, however this is still lighter than my Shimano M225 which weigh 882 grams.

Overall, if you’re a serious female mountain biker and willing to shell out some cash ($260) for a high quality and comfortable shoe, the Specialized Pro Women’s MTB shoe may be for you.