Trans-Sylvania Epic - Stage 3

State College, PA
Trans-Sylvania Mountain Bike Epic Sunday May 30, 2010
by: Joseph Castle

TSE Stage 3 - The 45 Mile Gravel Road Ride

This stage started with pouring rain that left us nice and wet before the beginning of the race.  We started at the 7 Mountains Camp Ground where we are staying and took a long scenic ride through the PA Valley area.  We passed through a couple camp grounds and a local town, Coburn, where the Wilderness 101 takes place each July.

I climbed over five thousand feet in 5.5hrs.  It was a long day that reminded me of a road ride with some single track mixed-in.  The single track was rocky and slick but not too bad.

Definitely had to consider the amount of braking while going downhill.  At one point, the back of my bike was sliding down the hill almost parallel to the front wheel.  It was quite a balancing act.  A simple let off of the rear brake took care of the problem but only increased the speed.  It was scary but fun.

One racer missed one of the markers on the course and ended up hitching a ride with a Park Ranger.  The Ranger put her back on the course where she missed a turn and she finished the stage in 7hrs after doing 55 miles.  She was rewarded with a map and the dinner awards presentation.

About halfway through, I decided to take it easy a bit and recover from the previous day. Overall, I felt pretty good for the day.