Behind the Bars - February

February brings Valentines Day and gets our hearts all pitter-pattering for the things we love. Mostly we love hero-dirt, clean hydration-pack tubes (blech!) and buttery smooth drivetrains. Thinking about all the things we love gets us in the mood!  In the mood for Spring... get your minds out of the gutter.

We love Spring and know you do too.  It's right around the corner, hang in there, it'll be here before you know it.  In preparation for those first few days to get out & ride, consider taking the ole Shred Sled into your local bike shop now.  Don't wait!  Your local shop can get your bike ready for Spring and you'll be all ready to go first chance.  Keep in mind, that first weekend of nice weather gets everyone to the shop for a quick tune-up and that means longer lines to get your bike trail-ready.

Along those lines, we love a good wrencher.  That one mechanic that just gets you.  If you don't have a fav, we suggest visiting your local bike shop & getting to know the crew there.  If you have a preferred bike brand, that could be a good place to start but don't overlook the simple convenience of a shop that's close to home.  Maybe there's a shop that sponsors a team you'd like to be involved with and that could warrant a little longer drive.  Each shop has it's own unique flavor so find one that's a good fit for you.  The bike shops of Central Ohio are HUGE supporters of your local trails so be sure to support those who support you!  

We love our Volunteers too! As we get ready for Spring, we're looking at the calendar to better prepare Trail Cleanup days and we would love to see you there!  Keep an eye out for those events on the Facebook & IG channels, check in with the Events tab at www.combomtb.com and of course we'll let you know via e-mail when those dates firm up.

There's so much to love about our MTB Community & it's going to be a great year!

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A Message from Heidi

Pss can you hear that? It's the quiet buzz of mother nature getting ready to burst!  The birds are chirping, time to wake up from hibernation. Folks we have almost made it thorough the belly of the beast. The dark days, frozen rain and trails that refuse to freeze simply won't be missed. The days are getting longer and the sun is shining a little brighter. Spring is coming and so is the hope that we will be able to ride outside and not have to wear a million layers to stay warm. It's time to shake the winter off and not look back!

Since this winter didn't play nice we had to cancel our Winter Race Series. We turned to the one place that the weather is always guaranteed!  Inside!  Our Goldsprint Series kicks off this Sunday at Nocterra Brewing, the second one is March 1st at North High Brewing and the finale is March 7 at Brioso Roastery and Coffee. What is a Goldsprint you ask?  It's when two riders compete against each other on bikes that are on rollers with fixed forkstands. Each race is 30 seconds of all out effort with friends watching your progress on a big screen.  Be prepared for a spirited crowd with lots of cheering  If you show up in a full kit you will get some bonus swag and much deserved heckling! These races are for anyone that can pedal a bike not just mountain bikers!  Commuters, spin class junkies, neighborhood cruisers, hipsters, BMX punks and even roadies are welcome!  Yes you heard it, even roadies are welcome.  We can all be friends!  Sign-ups start at 4pm, qualifying rounds start at 4:30pm and finals begin at 5:30pm.  We will have special grudge matches to help give finalist a chance to catch their breath.  Cost to compete is a cool $10. We have two categories for both women and men Fast Cat (expert) and Cool Cat (intermediate/beginner) Top finalist in each category get some swaggy swag and yummy baked goods!  We will also have some fun raffle items. So bring some cash!

Are you just getting into mountain biking or have some bad habits you want to break or just want to brush up your skills?  Then Dirt School is for you!  The dates are set for April 25th, May 16th, June 20th and July 25th. Registration will go live in March. Dirt School is taught by COMBO members and Board Members that are BICP Certified MTB instructors including myself. The skills we teach build a strong foundation for riders to continue to grow their technical skills for years to come.  We cover the fundamentals of mountain biking, practice those skills in an open field and then go on a guided trail ride.   Over 350 people have attended our Dirt Schools and clinics in the past 4 years.  We even have two Dirt School graduates on our board this year!  We will add a few Shred Schools (intermediate skills) as we get more into the year.Happy Trails,

Heidi Coulter

COMBO President

Click Here for GoldSprint Dates & Info!

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Did you know that you can now report maintenance issues directly from the trail?  Just navigate to the Trail Conditions page at www.combomtb.com and you'll find a new link at the top of that page.  Simply let us know what the issue is whether it's a tree down or washout & approximately where and we'll get someone from the Trail Crew on it ASAP!

COMBO is a 501c3 non-profit that relies on the generosity of donors like you who support the local mountain biking community.  From Trail Projects to Races to Beginner Education, COMBO is committed to building and enhancing riding opportunities in Central Ohio.

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