Deer season is fast approaching, and you know what that means - time to break out the fluorescent orange spandex! (If you are a mountain biker, that is.)

As if riding in the woods was not dangerous enough to begin with, now we have to do it while hunters are out there ready to shoot any big and brown fast-moving animals. If you want to stay as safe as possible, here are some tips:

1. Wear a fluorescent orange vest, gloves, or whatever else you can find. (Do not dress in all brown or black, or use a white seat!)
2. Do not ride in the woods around dawn or dusk, as those are peak hunting times. (Not to mention, it would be harder to see you anyway.)
3. Ride in areas that are zoned to not allow hunting. (Although if you encounter hunters in these areas, watch out, because you just caught them breaking the law and they might not be happy!)
4. Ride on Sundays or holidays when hunting is prohibited. (Varies by location; check local laws.)
5. Use a bike bell. (Deer get spooked easily, so make noise to keep them away from you. Also, hunters might think you’re a dairy cow and avoid shooting you.)
6. Carry your cell phone. (Just in case.)
7. If you see a herd of deer, hit the dirt! (You never know when someone will start shooting.)

Here’s to a safe hunting season!

I just found out about 24 Solo, a new documentary on Chris Eatough and his quest for another 24 hour solo championship. It’s from the producers of Off-Road to Athens, so it should be good. I’ve been a fan of Chris for a while since he races in my area (Mid-Atlantic) and is simply amazing to watch.

The video isn’t done, but here’s the blog: http://www.24-solo.com/blog/

I recommend checking it out, it has some really good stories!

It’s funny seeing this though, because I had an idea like this a couple years ago! But alas, someone with more production experience beat me to it!

Everything is good though because now I’m working with the VisitPA MTB team which is really cool. If you want to see a short, low-budget intro to the VisitPA team, take a look at this video. Look for something longer coming in 07 or 08!

I just found another cool blog - that of Ernesto Marenchin, an MTB endurance racer. The cool thing is, he rides for Speedgoat, a cool bike shop in the Pittsburgh area. [ie. not far from me]

It’s basically his personal blog where he talks about riding and racing and all that, so I’m going to keep checking it out. Hopefully I’ll pick up some good enduro racing tips and get the inside scoop on where all the races are!

http://sologoat.blogspot.com/

I spent last week in Marysville, PA for a big mountain bike stage race and festival weekend put together by the VisitPA MTB Team and High Speed Cycling. This was the event’s third year and definitely the best yet! If you’ve never been there, you don’t know what you’re missing. An MTB stage race including four races, lots of fun races, a pond and creek, campsites, live music, a bonfire, and of course - free beer!

If you want to see a neat little video from the 2005 race, featuring members of the VisitPA mountain biking team, check this out: