Blue Ridge Parkway

Monday was a great day for a ride here, but even a better day in the mountains.  I opted for a run from Cumberland Knob to Doughton Park and back, but felt good enough for a few extra miles when I got back to the X.   I had to get some gravel in, and a beautiful gravel road was discovered, Crownridge.  Heavenly, parallel to the parkway road that has quite a few steep ups and downs on it.  I may be the only person moronic enough to get my legs torn up by thorns and stinging nettles on a road ride.  The temptation to check out one of the streams alongside the Parkway was too much for me to bear.  Alas, no trout spotted in what looked to be a very likely spot.  All in all a good day on the bike, a few photos to share:

Doubleshot Doublehump

When I woke up this morning, the prospects for a ride looked dismal at best.  Cloudy and rainy at the house...so without a whole lot of thought, when I got the text from Mitch saying he was out, I went back to bed.  After slumber, the day looked brighter, so I decided to head north and do the Doubleshot road loop along with a climb of Sauratown.  Coming down Moore's Springs Road, I had a Tacoma pull up alongside, and lo and behold, a light shone down from heaven and Dudley appeared.  I figured that he was heading to MST to do some trailwork or get in a mtb ride.  With some quick deliberation, I decided to forgo the stop at the campground and head up to Hanging Rock.  I made it up in pretty decent time (for me), and headed back to the campground.  I stopped and shot the breeze for a few with Dudley and Tony, then headed back up Moore's Springs Road to climb Sauratown.  I took a few photos with the crappy iPod:

View from the top of Mickey Road, Brown Mountain in the distance. 

Dudley, rocking the Autodrop Invitational Jersey that Sean made for the MST crew last year. 

Shakedown!

I knew that I had something special waiting for me when I got back from vacation this weekend.  Brown Santa brought me most of a bicycle, to be built up with parts I've had for a while matched with some parts I've picked up over the past couple months.   After getting to a point where I could do no more with the tools I had on hand, I ventured to Doc Wheelies and we completed the build in short order.  As it sits below with pedals and cages, the bike to be dubbed "Cash" is 19lbs and a bit o' change.  I'll do some fine tuning over the next couple months leading up to the Breakdown, but there isn't much I'd like to change about it.  Look for a long term review later on this autumn!

As a side note, Erich and I have been busy working on getting things planned for our fall race.  The Autodrop Slingshot will go off October 27th from Bob's Big Gas Subs and Pub in Winston-Salem.  The checkpoint based road race was a hit last year, and with new checkpoints and challenges this year, it is sure to be a day in the saddle to remember!

MST Trailbuild

After a week's vacation growing sideways and rotund on shrimp and grits in Hilton Head, I was amped to get out and swing some tools today to build some trail.  The crew worked on a fantastic section of trail on the campground-side of Moore's Springs Road.  This short section must have 6 or more switchbacks and at least as many berms; a thing of beauty.  There was a glimpse of the Stokes County Yeti, however fleeting, but I am certain it was him...  

                                           Beware anyone who nears his lair.

What dat be?

Something new is coming...this is a foretaste of the feast to come.  Anyone not in the know want to gander a guess at what the frame, fork, or setup will be?  There is one hint in the photo, and you don't have to look closely.

Long time no see!

It's been a hefty long time since I have updated this blog.  As you will notice the URL and title has changed.  I first started this blog a few years back in the thinking that Steve and I would be starting a frame building a company, but that was not to be.  So, it was time for a change.  Clawhammer is in reference to two of my favorite ways to spend my time: riding in Pisgah, and listening to bluegrass.  Anyways, all that out of the way, everything has been going well, it's been a great summer with some big changes on the horizon.  I have a new mountain bike on the way, but sold the Big Mama about a month ago...this is the first time in over 7 years since I have not had a mountain bike.  It's been rough!  Needless to say, two-wheeled ventures have been limited to that of the skinny-tired variety.  The other day I got out for a nice ride in the mountains with Jim.  

Jim snapped this photo of my in Blowing Rock with Grandfather Mountain in the distance

Same ride, same place, different view

I have also been doing some running. My new favorite (read: brutal) loop is from the lake at Hanging Rock up to the summit of Moore's Wall.  It is about 5 miles and takes every bit of an hour to run.  Well, at least for me it does.  Though tough, the view from the top is every bit worth it. 

Jasper, my German Shorthair, has been growing like a weed and is now weighing in at a brutish 75lbs with still quite a bit of growing left to do.  He will be embarking on a journey of his own in about 6 weeks.  He will be spending between 6 and 8 weeks with a trainer at a hunt club in Snow Camp.  I'll be joining him on the weekends to help in the training process.  This blog, though mainly about cycling, is progressing to include all outdoor pursuits.  I will, hopefully, if training goes well, have some photos of this guy carrying some quail and pheasant back to me.

IMBA Trail Care Crew Weekend!

This past weekend, the IMBA trail care crew (Steve and Morgan) made a visit to Moore's Springs Trails and helped put together a fantastic weekend. After a couple sessions Thursday night and all day Friday, Saturday's classroom portion of the weekend took place at Singletree Inn. Taking the winding gravel road to the top of the ridge afforded some amazing views, but only once to the top did I really get to appreciate the full 360 degree views.


Johannah and Bill were kind enough to allow us to all crash their hunting lodge and learn about proper trail building techniques. Once through the classroom sessions, we descended back to Moore's Springs and got to work on a new stretch of trail that will eventually connect the south side of Moore's Springs to the North (or Campground) side. This was, by far, the most well-attended trail build that I have been to. Novant/Forsyth Hospital who has become one of the sponsors of the trails brought out about a dozen volunteers. All told, there were about 30 people busting their butts making a new sinewy section for Stokes County recreation.



Austin and I took to our normal routines of taking out any larger trees/brush that is in the way of the corridor (read: hitting things with an axe-like tool called a Pulaski). Then, once that work was finished, we proceeded to carry large rocks from one place to another to build a retaining wall for a switchback. By the end of the day, we were pretty exhausted, and for me, a requisite soaking in the creek took place:


Sunday's festivities included a group ride of MST with Tony, Dudley, Steve, Morgan, Derek, Brent, Mitch, Monte, Billy, and John.

Tony, with just a glimpse of HeyDuke in tow.


IMBA's Steve crossing the creek.


Dudley looking like a big kid having sooooo much fun!


Derek making it look so easy, he can ride it one-handed!



After the ride, it was over to CLMer Brad's place to watch the Tour of Flanders...poor Cancellara...

Two Months

As the updates to the blog have been sparse, one (yes, my total readership) can probably deduce that I have been busy as of late. The Autodrop Doubleshot went off this weekend with a cannon bang...yes, a cannon. So far, the word from racers has been positive, and it has Erich and I pumped to start planning our next event. I finally got out for a ride last night, albeit a slow fat one, but a ride nonetheless. Tonight, it's time to join up for the Clemmons crew and have a fun group ride. With temps in the upper 70's and low 80's the next few days I look forward to sore legs and sunburnt lips! Here's to riding again, more posts coming soon!

Here's a teaser of what went down this past weekend.

MST Doubleshot '12 Race Teaser from michael mcqueen on Vimeo.

Another MST Ride!

Scouting the course for the Doubleshot. Took Lorien to explore with me, she hadn't been out on a ride with me for a while, she did great!



Tired, and back in the X.

MST Trailwork

Got out today with a crew of about 8-10 for a good session of trailwork. This new section that runs alongside of Cascade Creek is going to be some of the most scenic yet!


For those not already in the know, there is a preview ride next saturday of the Autodrop Doubleshot course. We will be riding two laps of the mtb course, then heading out on road bikes to check out the road course. More info can be found on the book of face. All are welcome, join us for the ride, the bonfire afterwards, or better yet, both!

Stokes Road Ride

E and I met up at my place this morning for some great January riding. Somehow the weather decided to be fantastic 70 degrees in January...amazing! We set out with the goal of riding some of the road course for the upcoming Doubleshot. The loop is only 13 miles but has over 2100' of climbing. Should be an interesting war of attrition!

Anyways, here are some shots I took:





The copilot was along for the mapping of the course



As an aside, I am trying to sell some mtb stuff. Particularly my Salsa Big Mama
MTBR ad can be found here

2011 Year in Review

This is one of my favorite posts to create each year. It allows me to look through all of the cycling/outdoor photos I've taken throughout the year, remember the rides and events and then choose some of my favorites for each month. I've had some great rides this past year with great friends, and my supa-awesome brother. I've been fortunate enough to have ridden in at least eight different states on both mountain bikes and road bikes.

January: Battenkill training ride, getting in some wet gravel miles




February: Toilet Bowl Duathlon




March: Multnomah Falls outside of Portland, Oregon




April: Preriding the Tour of the Battenkill course. Cambridge, NY




May: Mitch and Erich on the Old Toll Road outside of Montreat, NC




June: Erich and I on Dr. Rob's Tandem. He and his bride rode away after the reception on this, and E and I just had to test it out.




July: Mountaintop view from Sauruatown Mountain. This was the final night of the Rapha Rising challenge. Tough.






August: Erich at the Moore's Springs Trails Danbury (or Westfield depending on who you ask) NC





September: Greenslick in Bent Creek outside of Asheville, NC





October: Doughton Park, NC

Of course I had to put in a couple extras for October from the Autodrop Invitational






November: Relaxing by the Kerr Scott Reservoir near Wilkesboro, NC




December: Solo ride on Sam Scott Road in Shoals, NC

Rapha Festive 500k: The Ride to Redemption

Totals: from December 23rd until December 31st
Distance: 514 kilometers (321 miles)
Elevation Gain: 5510 meters (18072 feet)


Ride #1- Rural Hall to Brown Mountain 63k
Plans fell into place to get together with a small group of like-minded individuals at Frank's Pizza in Rural Hall. We kitted up and headed north towards Brown Mountain. The climb was short, but it was definitely a slog. Two weeks ago, the rear shifter on my bike broke, and I've been waiting on a warranty. The reason I mention this is because I borrowed a bike from a friend (Thanks, Dr. Rob!) The gearing is quite a bit different from my Giant. Giant Compact-11-27, Rob's Seven Standard 12-25. It was great to get out in a group and intermingle a variety of cycling types.

Erich at the top of Brown Mountain enjoying (?) a mini coke!

Ride #2- Lewisville to 601 Solo Ride 59k
Nothing much to say about this ride, its a typical tuesday/thursday stretch of road. The most memorable aspect of this ride was what happened afterwards...Turkey!


Ride #3- Pfafftown Pyrennes Solo Ride 32k
Christmas Day ride around Pfafftown. These roads are some of my favorites because there is such little traffic, they are incredibly smooth, and lined with beautiful farms. Kilmurry Hill, Beroth, and River Ridge are the top three by far.


Ride #4- Lewisville/Watkins/Williams/Grapevine Loop. 103k
Day after Christmas burner. I met up with some other cyclists in Lewisville for a 30 miler. After riding back into town with them, I turned around and headed back out in the same direction. Spinning around some of the beautiful scenery that is the Piedmont of NC, I passed West Bend Vineyards. Up Grapevine at the end of the ride had me reminiscing about last years training for the Tour of the Battenkill. I must have ridden Grapevine about a thousand times in February and march of last year to get ready for the Battenkill.

Ride #5- Lewisville/Powerline/Wyo Loop. 81k
I met up with Whitney and Dudley to get in some good mileage in a brutal wind. We headed straight out of town and into the 20-25mph wind for the first 28k. All cyclists know, the only good thing about a headwind, is the tailwind when you turn back. We rocketed back into town after hitting two loops out in the direction of Yadkinville.

Ride #6- Orchard Gap. 29k
Solo ride to get in some recovery. I headed up to the Blue Ridge Parkway with the intention of going slow and just enjoying the scenery. I ran into another cyclist who talked me into descending down from Orchard Gap and into the Piedmont. We made the trip an out and back, so my recovery day included a Cat 2 climb...slightly ridiculous?

View of Pilot Mountain


Boundary Road, an excellent gravel road that parallels the Blue Ridge Parkway



Overlooking Hanging Rock and Sauratown Mountain from the Parkway
Ride #7- City Loop/Tanglewood Loop. 82k
This was a good ride. Perfect weather, relatively calm winds, sunny, and a good riding buddy. Erich and I headed out from his place and towards the south side of town. We continued out into the country and ended up in davidson county and by Tanglewood. After about 45 miles we stopped in at Cycletherapy to shoot the breeze with Mike and Rob, then headed over to Starbucks. It was good to take our time and average a reasonable pace. Erich was my training partner (for those of you who end up here who dont normally read my blog) for the Tour of the Battenkill last year. So many of our rides felt like we were just beating each other up, so anytime we get out now and have a friendly spin, its great!

Ride #8- Lewisville/Watkins/Williams Loop. 66k
back in with another group, we left out of town to fantastic weather. By the end of the ride the temp was in the low 60's, perfect winter day. I had at one point during the challenge said that I felt as if I was cheating having such nice weather, and couldnt imagine having completed it had I lived back North. The group ride was good, and just as we rolled back into Lewiville my 500k was complete, but I decided to do another short loop since it was so nice out.



What a fantastic challenge this was, thanks Rapha for throwing this out there! I'm excited to do the Rapha Rising challenge again this summer, I have some crazy ideas of how to gain the elevation already brewing in my mind.

Stokes/Surry Gravel Ride

After yesterday's Mistletoe 5K (which did not go all that well), I wanted to get out to do something relatively chill today. I headed out to the Shoals VFD to park, and get in some good gravel from there. Along the way, I met this guy: I call him Murphy.



Erich and I have been working hard again over the last couple of months getting things ready for our next foray into race promotion. T-shirts should be here this week, Jerseys before Christmas, and we have a website launch tomorrow! I'll post up a link here from the blog to the Autodrop Doubleshot. Should be a good weekend of both dirt and asphalt!


Photo Dump: