THE DIRT on the 1st MTB Pelotonia Ride, Horns Fest, Fall Trail Tips, + MORE!
Welcome to The Dirt, your favorite monthly newsletter. If you wanna get informed, get outside, and get involved in your local Central Ohio trails, then get "the dirt" from us.
Different Bikes. Different Trails.
One Goal: END CANCER!
As an 18-year Pelotonia rider, getting the chance to help bring mountain biking to Pelotonia for the first time was a pretty incredible point of pride.
COMBO worked alongside Pelotonia and ORCA to create a route at Bailey’s that was equal parts fun and challenging. But what made the weekend really special was watching the mountain bike community show up.
The biggest pillars of our community formed Pelotons. Gators hosted an absolutely incredible Pelotonia Kids event. Volunteers stepped up everywhere they were needed. We even got Dan Monnig from Paradise Garage to DJ in the middle of the woods.
Because that’s what this community does. We show up.
I feel incredibly lucky to work in a space filled with people who are solution-oriented, generous, inclusive and, maybe most importantly, just really fun to spend time with. There’s a culture around mountain biking of digging in. In the 90's we had to dig in for land access. In the 2000's we had to dig in to build our own trails. It's at our core. Connecting that culture with Pelotonia’s mission was something really special.
Pelotonia’s mission already has an incredible team behind it. This weekend, it felt like the Marvel team just picked up another superhero for the fight. And the MTB community is ready to help.
Tricks and Treats at Horns Fest This Weekend
What started in 2022 as a partnership with Trek Bikes has grown into something truly special. Horns Fest is more than a mountain bike festival. It’s a celebration of everything we love about riding, community, and one last hoorah on the hill surrounded by the fall leaves.
What began with a weekend of camping, cookouts, food trucks, live music, epic jump contests, and costumes has grown into something bigger than we could have imagined. This year, the hill was packed with families, kids, balance bikes, youth jump contests, trick-or-treating, local and national vendors, and more stoke than ever before. Seeing this event grow year after year is incredible and we’re already fired up to start planning next year!
But the excitement goes beyond one weekend. COMBO has been hard at work building relationships with organizations across the state that secured a $400,000 investment in revamping The Hill and we’re seeing that pay off in a big way! Yesterday, we saw it in the smiles on riders’ faces, the confidence built on the carpet, the consistency of the engineered features, and the comfort that comes from sharing time in the woods with an incredible community. This is what investing in the riding experience is all about.
To everyone who came out, volunteered, supported, sponsored, set up a booth, brought the family, cheered from the sidelines, or simply showed up ready to ride THANK YOU. You are the reason Horns Fest has become the epic MTB festival weekend everyone looks forward to all year.
The stoke is high, the memories are made, and we’re already counting down to next year. Until then, keep riding, keep building, and keep showing up for each other.
See you next year at Horns Hill! 🤘🍂🚵♀️
IT’S TIME TO CELEBRATE
OUR TRAIL HEROES!
Join us at Lost in the Woods on Sunday, October 25th from 12pm-2pm, for a full day of celebrating the amazing people who keep our trails fun, safe, and ready to ride!
SHOP SPECIALS —
COMBO Members: 10% OFF
50+ Volunteer Hours: 15% OFF
100+ Volunteer Hours: 20% OFF + 2 FREE BEERS! 🍻
🍔 FREE COOKOUT FOR EVERYONE!
Come hungry, hang out, and help us celebrate the incredible COMBO Community!
A huge THANK YOU to all the dedicated volunteers who put in countless hours building, maintaining, and improving the trails we love to ride. Your hard work is appreciated!
Great trails happen because of great people!
Trail Day at Chestnut Ridge on November 14th
COMBO is hosting monthly Trail Days at Chestnut Ridge on the 2nd Saturday of every month. Check out the event page for need to know information beforehand!
Trail Day at Alum Creek on October 25th
COMBO is hosting monthly Trail Days at Alum Creek on the last Sunday of every month. Check out the event page for need to know information beforehand!
