Month of Mud #3 Grove City Community Park

Month of Mud #3, Grove City Community Park was 100% cross-bike territory. The race was a combination of park road black top, park lawn routes designated with plastic ribbon, and a short section of jeep trail double track. The race was fast paced and no one was letting up. It featured one major climb that was certainly middle ring territory if you put forth some effort; but I witnessed many tired sport class riders pushing or climbing in their granny. The race featured at least one run up near the start, this was after the course left the black top. There were also a couple of barriers in the lawn section. This race also included a short feature lap at the start of the race around the park's asphalt that allowed the field to spread apart before the course entered into the more confined run up section. The feature lap was greatly appreciated. This is something a few mountain bike races I know could stand to include to spread out the racers before the entire field piled into a tight single track jam up.

Bavington, Month of Mud #2

Had great time at the Bavington mountain bike time trials. This year's course was changed to add more single track and eliminate the long stretch of road that took you back to the race start area. Here was the course layout: The course started in it's usually place, in the parking area at the intersection of Haul Road and Five Points extension but this year the race ended where the trail comes out across the street. Here's what was different; As you followed the loop clockwise near the top of the loop the trail was diverted. Instead of going out onto Haul road the trail was re-routed taking you a little further North leaving you out in the field at the Kramer and Haul Road intersection. For a short piece the course continued down Kramer towards the rc airport and took a right up the double track. Soon after you were back into the woods on single track. This time when the course emptied out onto Haul, instead of heading back towards the start you took the trail off to your left that is just a few yards down; Forcing you to carrying your bike and scale up the steep, steep section. This added probably another mile and a half of single track to the course. Overall the course was a fast eight miles with most riders finishing well under an hour.