Where did 2014 go and where are we going in 2015.

    Where do I start? As a whole there was lull in the mountain bike scene in St. Joe in 2014. It seems now, in retrospect, that it was a very wet start to the year and our riding time was quickly replaced by trail work and preparations for the Robidoux Roundup. As fate would have it, rain canceled the event and ended what was to be the last Roundup MTB race as for now.  Over the next couple months the trails were tidied up and riding was hit and miss due to rain.

    Tuesday Night group rides were down in attendance most of the year, but for those who did show, we had some epic rides while introducing some new riders to our awesome trails. Our trails continued to be manicured nicely by the volunteer hoard, which is greatly appreciated. The Trail scavenger hunt made another appearance, about a month later than in 2013 but appeared to be successful and entertaining for all. Despite being canceled earlier in the year, the Robidoux Roundup did make an appearance, but in the form of a cyclocross race. Well attended , it was a success and we also got a more permanent CX course in the process. Hopefully it will be an even bigger event in 2015, but time will tell.

     2015 has started off pretty well , with a fair amount of riding taking place and the emergence of Fatbikes on the trails. As people are setting goals for the year, several are getting a good start to reaching those goals for the up coming season. Time will tell, but this is going to be a good year and I will be more diligent in posting this year.

New in 2013

    Quite a few people have asked about or commented on the status of the Corby North Trail.  As far as I know, construction of the walking path is complete and the new sections of the trail have been laid out or already implemented, including the 85ft underground tube that we will ride through going under the walking path.  The new Corby North trail will have the same old corby north characteristics with a lot of new terrain and slightly more distance without ever having to cross the new walking path.

     Also, there will be new trail in the Sunbridge/River trail.  It is still in the planning phases but should be available for the Bike Festival on May 25 & 26.  We have a lot of unused territory on and around that trail system, so we want to optimize what can be built over there.

      The St. Joseph Bike Festival will be held on Saturday May 25th and Sunday May 26th.  Anyone wanting to be involved in the 2013 St. Joseph Bike Festival, meetings are the 3rd Tuesday of each month at Horizon Cycling at 6pm.  Planning started back in September of 2012, but there are still several opportunities available for those who are interested.   In 2013, the St. Joseph Bike Festival will also host the 2013 Robidoux Roundup MTB race, as well as the Kids Tour of St. Joseph and several other events.

      Last, but definitely not least, Trailwork! Trailwork days are usually announced via the STJMTB(st joe mountain bike) blog or the Joetown MTB Facebook page.  Anyone that does go out and do trailwork , please post when and where and how long you worked at one of these two place so we can keep track of how many volunteer hours go into maintain our trail system.  Any questions or comments, just comment to this post.

   

What's Going on in Joetown!

What's going on in Joetown? BikeFest is what's going on!!!!!! Yes, that's right, the St. Joseph Bike Festival planning is in full swing and picking up steam. A large group of area cyclist have been meeting for several months and we are beginning to see the fruits of our labors. Sponsors and Vendors are already being lined up and the festival has a verbal agreement with a local band to perform at the festival's closing.

I would guess that a lot of you haven't heard about or heard anything lately about the bike festival. So, on May 18th & 19th at Krug Park , St. Joseph will hold its first bike festival. The festival is going to be a huge undertaking and will require the help of many volunteers from the cycling community. If you want to volunteer, respond to this post with your contact information and our volunteer coordinator will contact you. We need as many volunteers as possible, but don't worry , we only want a couple hours of your time so you will be able to enjoy "Your Bike Festival".

In the past week the Bike Festival has received some good news. First off, we found out that the St. Joseph Parks and Recreation choose the Bike Festival as one of their four events to sponsor for 2012! That is great news, that is going to help us immensely. After that, the good news kept rolling in, the Mark Reynolds Fund also stepped up and sponsored us and took over some very important responsibilities . We also found out that the Bike Festival would be host to another wildly popular event, the first race of The KIDS TOUR of St. Joseph. All that is exciting news and just the beginning to what is surely to be a great event.

Are you excited yet? Come and be part of the excitement! Bike Fest planning committee meetings are every other monday with the next meeting being February 27th. Come out and be a part of what's going on in Joetown Cycling. Check back to this blog for new and exciting information about local cycling . Keep the rubber side down...