Community: Mid-Ohio Valley

Mountwood Park -- Sunday, April 3: Several dozen mountain bikers from across West Virginia and Ohio showed up at the Mountwood Park marina trailhead for the Simonton Windows Challenge at Mountwood mountain bike race course pre-ride. A jam-packed parking lot signaled that the opening race for the West Virginia Mountain Bike Association's 2011 race series will likely be very well attended. This year's Challenge will also be a dual-points race for both WVMBA and the Ohio Mountain Biking Championship race series, so racers from multiple states across the region are expected to participate.

Race director Duane Jones of the River Valley Mountain Bike Association noted before the pre-ride that "It was awesome to see so many people in attendance," and that he expected "great things for next week's race."

Mike Torreyson, a Beginner class rider from Charleston, West Virginia said, "Next week will be my first mountain bike race, and it will set the bar for the beginning of my racing career." He also noted that he was very anxious to see what Mountwood's course had in store for him.

Peter Kotses, a vet expert class rider and co-owner with his wife Meredith Erlewine of race sponsor Parkersburg Bicycle, said he was "happy to be here," and was "getting excited just thinking about next week's race" on his drive here from Athens, Ohio. He also mentioned that he was interested in seeing all the excellent work that the River Valley Mountain Bike Association had put into Mountwood's trails since he'd ridden here last.

Having moved this year from the Junior class to the High School division, racer J. D. Barnette noted that it was going to be "great to ride a longer course this year to see how I do." Barnette was the 2010 WVMBA points series Junior class champion.

The 2011 Simonton Window's Challenge at Mountwood will be held Sunday, April 10 at Mountwood Park in Deerwalk, West Virginia. Registration begins at 9:00 a.m., and racing action begins at noon. If you haven't already, plan to attend to either witness or participate in one of the region's best races on one of the best courses in the state. See you there!