“On Richmond’s Wheel – A Celebration of Cycling” will be released this June 27 at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. It’s a project that I began back in 2010. The first self-published book came out in 2012. With the 2015 World Road Cycling Championships coming to Richmond in September, I felt like the book needed to be expanded to really connect with the world audience. Aynsley Miller Fisher co-wrote the new book to include more material on the culture of cycling in RVA. The book’s publisher, Wayne Dementi of Dementi Milestone Publishing, is the perfect person to take on the task of describing all things unique to Richmond.

Riders from Endorphin Fitness out for a pedal session.

So, you’re thinking, it’s a book about cycling in Richmond. Yes. And no. Yes, because cycling has become an important part of Richmond’s culture. No, because much of what makes cycling great in RVA has nothing to do with riding a bicycle.

Richmond has these great events that people from Central Virginia have been a part of. “On Richmond’s Wheel” describes many past events that no longer exist. It describes what riding a bicycle means, and meant, to Richmond.

When I talk to people about the book, I get to listen to fond memories of Richmond’s past. Then I get the question, “whatever happened to that ride?”

I began researching cycling in Richmond to celebrate the long running and popular Bryan Park Training Series. This is a weekly Tuesday night training event that is kept simple and is reasonably priced.

“It’s like an Amish barnraising,” said Matt Marchal, of the Altius Cycling Team and long-time promoter. “You cannot put a value on the work done on this race.”

Riders from the U.S. National Team climb the famous Libby Hill cobblestones. Credit: Richmond.com

The volunteers who run Bryan Park make racing there special. The current promoter of the series, John Messersmith, said of the volunteers, “Wendy (Hawkins Conner) brings a competence, an enthusiasm and a love for the racers that simply cannot be purchased at any price.  The racers feel it, we feel it and it makes the difference between merely a race and an event look forward to being part of.  Likewise, Tom (Balaban), Carolyn (Gobles) and Dave (Richards) are integral parts of the series and their mere presence raises the comfort level and enjoyment of the races.  So much so that it is palpable at the start line.  Our team members and other volunteers who man our corners are not just warm bodies occupying space.  They know the racers, they cheer for them, they heckle and they share both the excitement of success and pain of being dropped with folks as they roll through corners.  Our volunteers are a critical component of our success and absolutely essential yet it has virtually nothing to do with economics.  They are essential because they are the personality and life of our series; they elevate it from merely 18/25 laps around a loop to an evening you don’t want to miss.”

Dick Howard, who is essentially the father of modern bicycle racing in Richmond because of his work promoting races and cycling events, began the Bryan Park Training Series more than 40 years ago. The race was initially a Richmond Area Bicycle Association event.

The world will be watching when the UCI World Cycling Championships come to Richmond in September.

Then the race was taken over by Team Richmond. Then it was taken over by the small club PDO (no one remembers what PDO stands for). Then it was jointly run by Richmond Ciclismo and PDO. Then Richmond Ciclismo. Then Altius.

More than 40 years of racing at Bryan Park. The race was almost snuffed out a few times.

“Twenty percent of the people do 80 percent of the work,” Howard said. He was describing why the Capital Classic, a popular road bike race in Byrd Park, stopped. He said he couldn’t get enough people to volunteer for this elaborate race.

I can’t talk about Richmond’s cycling history without bringing up the importance of cycling to the city in the 1890s.

I find it interesting that one of the cultural differences between cyclists of the 1890s and the Richmond cyclists of the modern era is how race organizers and judges are viewed. In the 1890s, the judges are mentioned in high regard and the competitors are barely mentioned. Today, the competitors are the story and the judges are rarely mentioned.

I also find it interesting that Mark Junkermann created and promotes the cyclocross race in Pocahontas State Park called “Monster Cross.” This is a race that he would love to race but never has. Too bad because Mark would do well in his own race. All the joy of riding the event is Mark’s gift to you.

Aynsley, the co-writer of On Richmond’s Wheel, did a great job summarizing the work of many of the can-do advocacy groups in the city. Frankly, I needed her help. There are so many groups and too many projects going on in the City of Richmond for me to wrap my mind around.

Dementi Milestone Publishing recognized the importance of your cycling passion. The second edition of the book, “On Richmond’s Wheel – A Celebration of Cycling,” was made to show the world that Richmond’s cycling culture is unique but is as passionate, if not more so, about cycling than anywhere else in the world. You disagree?

As I’m typing this, another news flash comes across my computer. Bud Vye received the Governor’s “Lifetime Achievement” Transportation Safety Award. When Bud is not riding, he is walking around the General Assembly lobbying on cycling’s behalf.

The 2015 World Road Cycling Championships is around the corner. How many times have you been asked, “Are you going to be in it?”

How did you answer? Mark doesn’t ride in the Monster Cross but how should he answer “Are you in the Monster Cross?”

Hey Richmond, the World Championships is YOUR race. What are you going to do?

Here’s something. Go to https://richmond2015.volunteermanage.com and volunteer to help.

Or go to www.rvahosts.com. You see, not all of the bicycle racers coming to Richmond in September are millionaires. They are just passionate cyclists – like you. RVA Hosts gives the people of Richmond and opportunity to help racers make Richmond their home.

Richmond’s passion for cycling made On Richmond’s Wheel a success. Thank you. If you would like a copy of the book, please check first with your local bike shop or any of the sponsors of your favorite event.

A racer navigates the mayhem on Buttermilk Trail.

It was a lot of fun riding around with Trey Garman, XTERRA’s marketing/media maven, and Jesse Peters, local photographer extraordinaire, during yesterday’s XTERRA East Championship race here in Richmond. We zipped around the course, trying to catch the male and female leaders as they passed certain key spots. We started on Belle Isle for the swim, watched the bike portion in three or four spots, then the run in a couple. It was hot as heck, but a good time. Here’s Garman’s write-up along with my pics. (I shot the video above at the infamous “rock face” party zone on Buttermilk Trail as fans waited for the racers to come by.)

Josiah Middaugh and Suzie Snyder captured the 17th annual 2015 XTERRA East Championship off-road triathlon pro race titles on a hot and humid day around the James River Park System.

Riders make their way over Reedy Creek in Forest Hill Park.

Both came from behind out of the water, took charge on the bike, and held on during the run.  It’s the second career Richmond win for Middaugh, who last won it all in 2008, and the first-ever win on the XTERRA U.S. Pro Series for Snyder.

The elite race started an hour earlier than the amateur race, right at 7:50am in the warm and shallow waters of the James River.  There was a spot in the middle of the river that had everyone running across water – quite a sight for those watching from underneath the CSX Railway line or across the river on Belle Isle.

Craig Evans led the pro men out of the water on Belle Isle, midway through the swim, followed by Ben Collins, Brad Zoller, Braden Currie, and Branden Rakita.  Those five would post the quickest swim times (roughly 15 minutes) but Middaugh was only about one-minute back and got in the mix on the bike right away.

Men’s champ Josiah Middaugh on the run.

“This is a really challenging course for me,” said Middaugh, who lives and trains at altitude in Vail, Colorado.  “It’s really different than what I train on all the time so it’s always presented a really good, hard challenge for me.  I won it one year when Conrad (Stoltz) had a flat tire, it was on Father’s Day, but it’s been a while.  I wasn’t able to do much pre-riding but luckily I’ve done this race like nine times or something so I felt like I knew the course, just wasn’t practiced at race speed on it.  So I felt pretty good and surprisingly, I’ve worked on my technical skills a little bit and that’s starting to pay off.  Keeping weight on my feet and getting around those corners.  Today I had no problems, that’s the big thing. I’ve had a lot of mechanicals here in the past but today I made it through the course unscathed.”

Middaugh may have been one of the few racers today who didn’t go down at some point.  Runner-up Braden Currie from New Zealand said it was all he could do to stay on his bike.

“That was a tough day out, I tried to do what I could do and I just didn’t have it,” said Currie, who came in with three straight wins at XTERRA New Zealand, Australia, and the Southeast Champs. “I’m a bit gutted really. I would have liked to been a lot closer to Josiah.  It’s a bit annoying to fall off so much at the end, but that’s racing.  Haven’t had the best few weeks so I’ll just take it as it is.”

There were goats in the James River System along the course. That’s correct — goats.

Without the seemingly invincible duo of XTERRA World Champs Flora Duffy and Lesley Paterson in the line-up, the spotlight seemed destined to shine on either Emma Garrard or Suzie Snyder.  Those two have finished 2nd and 3rd, respectively, at four of the last five regional championship races.

Garrard was coming off a brilliant effort winning last weekend’s Mountain Games in Colorado, while Snyder was still not 100% from her crash at last month’s Southeast Championship that bruised her ribs and strained her shoulder.

The two posted identical swim times and headed out on the bike behind Sara McLarty, Christine Jeffrey, and Catherine Sterling but it was all Snyder after that.  By midway through the first lap in Forest Hill Park (about mile four) she had passed everyone and put two minutes on Garrard.

These dudes seemed to be enjoying themselves waiting for riders on Buttermilk Trail.

The madness on Buttermilk Trail last year as fans watch riders go by.

If you’ve followed XTERRA’s history in Richmond, you know that in the past few years a raucous party zone has popped up on Buttermilk Trail along the mountain bike course of the off-road triathlon. As you can tell from the pictures here, this isn’t just any party zone. Every year it seems like, more crazies come out of the woodwork to cheer on, and sometimes heckle, the riders as they pass that narrow section of trail.

Well, I guess the demand for that space is now such that another party zone is planned for the bike course at tomorrow’s XTERRA East Coast Championship race. I got a text from one of those crazies today saying that a large group had tested out a new location during last month’s Urban Assault MTB race. They went to Forest Hill Park, where the trail crosses Reedy Creek just below Patrick Henry Elementary School and across the street from Crossroads Coffee. It’s a tricky crossing, and the rocks will be wet, which should mean more than a few crashes.

“We’re taking it up a notch this year,” he said.

The creek crossing in Forest Hill Park where fans will set up a second party zone. A wooden bridge near this spot was washed out by a storm last year. Credit: Alex Modestou

What that means, exactly, I’m not sure. But if you’re in the market for a Sunday morning spectacle tomorrow, head to either the Buttermilk Trail (below Riverside and Southcliff roads) or the Forest Hill Park Trail where it crosses Reedy Creek. The races start at 8 a.m. You won’t be disappointed.

It’s XTERRA weekend in Richmond, and that means off-road triathletes from all over the world have descended on RVA to test their mettle on the James River (1K swim) and it’s surrounding trails (20K mountain bike, 10K run). To quote Trey Garman, XTERRA VP in charge of media relations, “XTERRA has been racing in Richmond since 1999, and the city has firmly established itself as the sports’ finest urban adventure with a hip city culture that compliments ripping trails and the unpredictable James River.”

Here’s some more from Garman on what to expect at the XTERRA East Championship on Sunday:

Josiah Middaugh on Buttermilk Trail. Credit: Jesse Peters

The course itself annually attracts professional and amateur racers from across the country and around the world to discover the epic trails in the James River Park System – where they are greeted by a raucous bunch of bike and trail fanatics who annually throw a trail party at the trickiest section in Buttermilk Heights known as “Rock Face.” They blast music, BBQ, dress in costumes, scream, shout encouragement, and blast on vuvuzela’s to the delight of riders all day long. 

As for the run, it has been best described as the “Fugitive 10K” because of its similarity to some of the chase scenes in the movie The Fugitive including river crossings, rock jumpings, the “Mayan Ruins” stair climb, and train track crossings.  There is simply no XTERRA course in the world like the one in Richmond. 

A solid pro field is in RVA to take on the challenge highlighted by Josiah Middaugh, who won the 20-24 age group race back in 2002 before turning pro, won it all in ’08, and has finished in the top 3 here five times.  Middaugh is fresh off his eighth straight GoPro Games Ultimate Mountain Challenge title in his hometown of Vail, Colorado last weekend (as is women’s XTERRA star Emma Garrard).

Middaugh will be up against Kiwi great Braden Currie, who’s been perfect so far this season.  Middaugh and Currie had an epic race at the Southeast Championship last month, going neck-and-neck from the bike all the way through the run and into the finish line.  Currie, who took the tape in Alabama, says he expects another close one on Sunday here in Richmond.

“The swim is a bit shorter so Josiah will be out of the water not too far behind, and the ride is so technical that there is only so much time you’re going to make on that ride and not a huge amount of long climbs that Josiah sinks his teeth into and really likes so that’ll play a little bit in my favor, so then it’ll come down to the run.  We’ll see, should be a lot of fun,” said Currie.

The party scene on the bike route makes Richmond unique. Credit: Jesse Peters

After Josiah and Braden there are a lot of guys to mention, like Craig Evans who has been in the top 5 here five times and will be competing for the last time as a full-fledged pro.

“I’ve been close a few times here,” said Evans.  “I’m excited to race, and I came to fight this weekend.”

Chris Ganter has been hot this year, finishing third at the first two regionals, the tall Canadian Karsten Madsen was riding great in Alabama last month before a crash and a trio of flats took him out of contention, Kiwi Olly Shaw has had some time to comfortable here in the U.S. and the new look courses, Branden Rakita – the consummate professional has lots of experience here, regulars Ryan Ignatz, Brad Zoller, and Alex Modestou are in the mix, plus Ian King in his first pro race and road tri star Ben Collins making his debut in the U.S. Pro Series.

The women’s race will see a new champion emerge as none of the past XTERRA East winners are here.  There’s no Flora Duffy (last year’s champ), no Lesley Paterson (2013 Champ), no Melanie McQuaid or Jamie Whitmore (both four-time winners), no Shonny Vanlandingham (2011), no Renata Bucher (2010), nor Jody Mielke, Anke Erlank, or Kerstin Weule.

There is, however, Emma Garrard and Suzie Snyder, both eager to take home their first XTERRA U.S. Pro Series win. A couple of fast Canadians – Christine Jeffrey and Brittany Webster – are sure to put them to the test.  Five other women in the top 10 of the Series standings will start with Kara LaPoint (4th), Maia Ignatz (6th), Sara McLarty (7th), Debby Sullivan (8th), and Catherine Sterling.  For local knowledge look no further than hometown favorite Emily Bashton, who’s been racing in Richmond since 2000, and Rebecca Blatt who got her doctorate in medicine at the University of Virginia.

It’s supposed to be a scorcher on Sunday, with temps in the 90’s and the humidity to go with it, so just to finish will be an accomplishment for all involved.  Add in the unpredictable James River, the crazy fan-base in the forest, the one-of-a-kind obstacles and a host of finely-tuned XTERRA elites and you’ve got all the right ingredients for another amazing edition of XTERRA in Richmond.  We’ll document the elite race on twitter @xterraoffroad #xterraRVA starting Sunday at 7:40am EST.

This year’s Cap2Cap, the annual ride/fundraiser for the Virginia Capital Trail Foundation, was a roaring success, according to foundation Executive Director Beth Weisbrod.

The 100-mile, 50-mile and 25-mile ride options brought in a record 2,400 (or so) participants. Only the century-ride option didn’t set a new attendance record.

The bridge over I-895 in Varina is one of the few in that section that is complete.

“I’m trying to figure out which conclusions to draw,” Weisbrod said. “We sold a ton of beer. Everything was a Hardywood brew. The jerseys flew off the shelf, too.”

Surveys sent after the race showed a 93-percent satisfaction rate, Weisbrod added. “So, I’m happy about that.”

The Cap2Cap is the foundation’s largest fundraiser in support of the Virginia Capital Trail. But the money raised by the group doesn’t pay for the construction of the trail itself. State and federal dollars do that, and VDOT is in charge of overseeing its construction. I got a chance to see the progress up close a couple of weeks ago when I rode my bike from Deep Bottom Boat Landing to Richmond along Route 5.

My first thought was: Wow, they’ve done a lot since I was last out here. But that was quickly followed by: Man, they still have a lot to do to hit their projected completion date of the end of August. At the very least, officials have said it will be done by the time the UCI World Cycling Championships come to town in mid-September.

“VDOT continues to assure me that [the trail] will be substantially complete,” Weisbrod said. “What that means is that all the asphalt will be done.”

Progress continues in fits and starts on the Varina section of the Virginia Capital Trail.

I passed a number of bridges in that Varina section in various stages of completion, and with less than 100 days to go, I wondered if those might not be more iffy than the asphalt.

“The bridges worry me a little bit, but I still think they’ll be done,” Weisbrod said. “What is not included in [substantially complete] is the landscaping. They’ll be doing that until the end of the year.”

So, we’ll keep our fingers crossed that when however many thousands of visitors descend on Richmond in September, they’ll be able, should they choose, to pedal a bike east of Great Shiplock Park. (That’s where the trail stops now.)

Should those visitors choose to stay a couple of weeks after the races, Weisbrod added, they could join us locals for a big ribbon-cutting on October 2nd and trail party on the 3rd.

In RVA, near Rocketts Landing, asphalt is going down. Credit: Justin Doyle

“We’re gonna have a formal ribbon cutting somewhere along the downtown Richmond section,” she said. “probably Shiplock park. We’re hopeful Senators Warner and Kaine will be there. Their offices have said it’s too early to commit but they really want to be there. Then we’re going to do a big party up Pear Street by the Lucky Strike building.

“Then on Saturday, all the localities along the trail are scheduling celebrations, so that if someone wants to ride from the Richmond to the Williamsburg end they can hit each celebration.”

This Saturday, our friends at Riverside Outfitters will open their Brown’s Island Outpost for the fourth straight year. Last year was a kind of watershed for the location: Rentals of mountain bikes, kayaks and standup paddleboards jumped from 900 the year before to 2,300 between roughly Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends.

“Ducky” trips from Brown’s Island to the 14th St. Takeout are now one of the offerings at Riverside Outfitters’ Outpost. Credit: Rich Young

RO owner Matt Perry attributes some of that to being open seven days a week (as opposed to four in 2013) but even more to the word of mouth the location has built in three years. Now, he said, people know that Brown’s Island is a place they can go for an hour to paddle around in the flatwater below Belle Isle. Tourists are discovering it, as well, and taking bikes along the canal and over to Belle Isle and beyond.

Perry added that all the equipment is new this year and that rental options and rates will remain the same this year — mountain bikes are $10 per hour, SUPs and sit-on-top kayaks are $15.

But there is one cool addition to the Outpost’s offerings. Starting on June 15, RO will offer what they call “Walkup Whitewater.” At 11:30, 1:30 and 3:30 — for $25 per person — they’ll be running guided trips in inflatable kayaks, a.k.a. “Duckies,” from Brown’s to the 14th St. Takeout, taking on the famous Pipeline Rapids along the way.

Connor O’Donnell, a Monacan High and William and Mary grad who’ll be in charge of the Outpost this summer, said they even hope to have remote control boats for kids too small to rent kayaks to play with in the canal.

For more information, check out the Riverside Outfitter’s website.

Bike to Work Day is coming up next Friday (May 15).

If you ride a bike often or you’re into bike-related issues, I highly recommend BikeableRichmond.com. Today’s post highlighted the upcoming Bike Month events, something I was about to post on myself.

Here’s BikeableRichmond’s highlight list (and make sure to sign up for his newsletter when you go to the site):

Monday May 11 – Downtown Bike Lanes meeting

May 12-14 – Bike Counts

Thursday May 14 – 5Point Film Festival opener to Dominion Riverrock

May 15-17 – Dominion Riverrock

Friday May 15 – Bike to Work Day Rally with Mayor Jones

Friday May 15 – Bon Air > Downtown Bike Train

Saturday May 16 – Church Hill Bike Parade and Rodeo

Bike Month aims to promote more of this.

Today marks the launch of Bike Month in the Richmond region. Bike Walk RVA is in its second year of coordinating a full month of bike-related events, with the help of dozens of volunteers from all over the region.

Events range from family-friendly neighborhood events, like kids’ bike parades (aka ‘Kidical Mass’), to rides with history, food, and even Star Wars themes. Activities will also include group bike commutes and bigger festivals like Dominion Riverrock (May 15-17). With over 30 events planned so far, there is something for everyone in different parts of the region.

“Bike Month is the time of year when Bike Walk RVA can have a little fun encouraging grassroots volunteers and enthusiasts to not only focus on building safe spaces for people who walk and bike but enjoy the social and active benefits of getting out to ride,” said Brantley Tyndall, Community Engagement Coordinator for Bike Walk RVA. “Understanding that Richmond’s Bike Month is part of a national movement helps folks feel like part of a bigger vision – that anyone, anywhere, should be able to enjoy riding at any time for any reason or trip.”

Click here for a full list of bike month events, and to see the Bike Month poster.

Richmonders ride through Monroe Park during Bike to Work Day 2013. Credit: Phil Riggan

Bike-Friendly Business District Announced as Part of Bike Month
Also in celebration of Bike Month, a group of businesses in the Bellevue neighborhood along MacArthur and Bellevue Avenues have partnered in collaboration with Bike Walk RVA and Bellevue resident and BikeableRichmond.com blogger Jason James to form the ‘Bellevue Bike-Friendly Business District.’

It will serve as the city’s first self-proclaimed bicycle-friendly business district, and participating businesses will offer discounts and other special deals for people who arrive by bike during the month of May. Participating businesses will be identified by window-clings displayed in their front windows starting May 1.

“As a resident of Bellevue, among the things I love about the neighborhood are the many restaurants and shops within biking distance from pretty much anywhere in Northside,” said Jason James. “It’s already a pretty bike-friendly area if you’re traveling within it, and yet I get the feeling that not many people use bicycles to run errands or visit local shops and restaurants. The idea is that people might be tempted to try it if they have a little extra incentive. ”

Click here for a map of participating Bellevue businesses and nearby bike racks

Do you know who Joey Parent is? If you’ve spent much time outside in Richmond over the past few years, you’ve probably passed him on the trails or the water. Parent leads the Outdoor Adventure Program for VCU. I wanted to share this video from Hunter Davis because A) It’s really well done and B) It’ll introduce you to one of the local leaders in RVA’s outdoor recreation scene.

Now that the weather is warming, our friends at Home on the James and Crossroads Coffee and Ice Cream are bringing back a popular movie series: Bike-In Theater.

From their press release

It’s bikes. It’s movies. It’s beer and fun! Bike-In-Theater is back this weekend at Crossroads on Saturday, April 11 for an evening of Adventure Cycling. The show starts at 7 p.m. with Joey Parent and Paul Hansbarger (Wanderlust Gear) presenting a multimedia exhibit on Bikepacking.

Following their display (and a couple beverages), we fire up the screens with a couple locally-edited films including the highly anticipated GAPCOT edit from Richmond’s nicest outdoor personality, Max Posner. The evening concludes with Mike Dion’s feature film ‘Inspired to Ride’, which chronicles the inaugural self-support TransAmerica Race!

Coqui Cyclery will be on location joining our Bike-In-Theater block party to make sure everybody who attends has a great time. Best of all, it’s free! Ride bikes, drink beer, watch movies: Bike-In-Theater.