2012 Drummer Invitational Race Results!

Our 2012 Drummer Invitational Race at our test tracks was a success.  We'd like to thank everyone who participated and an extra big ups to Doug for hosting the after party at his stellar pump track in the drummer 'hood. 

The results are in! 
To view 2012 results, click here.

To view 2011 results, click here.

To view 2010 results, click here.

April Wrap Up

April was a busy month.

•   2012 jerseys went into production. Big thanks to www.vomax.com for replicating the '11 edition of the team jersey.

• I finally got a real trail bike built up. Rode it today for the first time a week and it is a lot of fun.

• Two trips to Plattekill that included awesome weather, my truck rolling out of a Stewart's, a dog urinating on Oliver's bike ; almost and the inspection of some new jumps on the Pro GRT course and Skid Marks.

• Bolton is ripping right now.  1 min runs, 2 min runs, 3 min runs.

More Importantly the Spring Invite has been scheduled and with the new work to the Power Lines it will be an awesome event.

After the Spring Invite the season is into full swing as Mt Creek and Plattekill host Pro GRT / Eastern States Cup Races races back to back.   May looks busy too.

xc loops / BV Tester

This weekend was gray and dull but stayed dry in VT unlike in NY where the Plattekill Work Weekend got postponed due to weather and snow.

Finally got the new xc bike dialed in completely. Only got to ride town loops but there was plenty of stuff to try and to compare to my old xc bike.

Went and checked out BV Saturday afternoon. Still some crust left but not enough to keep the wheels from rolling. I was a little nervous when the 28mm stem showed up (really short); but once I rolled it down the stair of the apartment I knew it was a good move. BV Laps agreed with the stair test, despite the dust n crust the trails felt good just like mud.

80* in March

Winter showed up late and left early. It must be Friday for Mother Nature this year.

Sick new jumps on the Power Lines by Ill Phil, Doug, Colman and Riccio.

Even the snow up in VT is gone as I ripped town loops in the dry dry dirt.

Hopefully Bolton Valley melts off soon. Little birds also brought great news last night but you will have to wait another week to get the official word.

Pre Season Update

The Grand Prix, Pro GRT, Eastern States Cup and select Gravity East Series events will be the bulk of the team's schedule.

• The Eastern States Cup begins May 20th and runs smack into October. Competitors will visit Jiminy Peak, Massachusets, Mount Snow VT, Killington VT, Pats Peak NH, Atttitash NH, Plattekill NY and MT Creek NJ as they chase points for State Titles and the Overall Series. www.easternstatescup.com

• Drummer Racing has added another Keene, NH ripper to the squad of 11 strong. Long time hucker ; Jon Parenteau will be competing against teammate Doug Wilson as both hope stamp the Cat 1 40+ class their own.

The snow is melting quickly and in the 50's the past two days in VT. I don't think we have seen the end of the snow but the end is near. Drummer was 90% clean on March 10th as XC laps were made over slushy ice flows between defrosted dirt. It was awesome to have half the team out on xc bikes.

Bikes in February

Nothing like it. Sliding on slush and defrosted loam through the forest silently only brake squeaks and yelps.

Specialized for 2o12 and Fresh Fish!

• Just got the word from Morgan Hill that Drummer Racing will continue to be supported by Specialized Bicycles.

• Bruce @ Andy's Cycle has also agreed to continue supporting the team as we head into our 9th year our shredding and dominating east coast downhill racing.

• In other news Eric Clark and Rob Westover have joined the squad and will compete in Cat 1 30+. We all known Rob from our Sinister days and Eric comes to us from North East Racing Alliance. The Cat 2 Eastern States Cup Champ moves into Cat 1 30+. The team excited to welcome both for '12.

Post Season

• This post season has ruled. Plattekill stayed open for freeriding until December 6th. The final weekend was awesome made some tweaks to the Fox RC4 and my Boxxer. Made the bike ride much more like my hardtail.
• Thanksgiving resulted in giant pumptrack sesion at Doug's house. With massive xc loops on Drummer.
• Riding this far into the winter makes for a more shorter winter. In mid march of this year the Demo's first saw Drummer.
• Had two consecutive weekends of Snow on Saturday followed by dirt on Sunday. Big ups to Lenny for the demo of a Santa Cruz Nickle on a cold cold day somewhere in New England.
• Massive XC Loops will continue into the New Year on Drummer Hill. Monday the 26th was Epic on all accounts with a pretty heavy crew.

2011 Season Highlights!

• Racing wise, Oliver and Zach led the way. Zach made a major dent in qualifying at the 2011 U.S. Open, then found himself placing 31/50 in the finals. http://diablofreeridepark.com/images/pdf/2011DHFINAL.pdf

• Oliver managed to put down a 12th place qualifier at National Champs against a talented Pro field, but couldn't keep it together on Sunday. http://www.vitalmtb.com/news/news/2011-USA-National-Championships-Downhill-Qualification-Results,355. Last winter Oliver adventured through South America as a bike guide. This winter Oliver is undertaking a more serious challenge as he is part of a 4 person coed team that plans to row across the Atlantic, hike numerous mountain ranges then hop on road bikes all in the name of charity for Epoch Expiditions. http://www.facebook.com/EpochExpeditions

• Zach and Oli also placed 10th and 8th respectively less than a second apart at Gravity East Race #5 @http://gravityeastseries.com/Sugarbush.pdf , on a track that had gone mad and from moon dust to slop overnight.

• Doug did well racing on home turn in NH and placed 3rd in the NH States Champs decided by races held at Attitash and Pats Peak. Doug was also bitten by the pumptrack bug and its infectious skills are already evident in his DH riding.

• Colman Lamb in his first full season got a crash course in racing DH and passed taking Cat 2 junior VT State Champs with him and numerous other podiums along the way. 2012 Prediction: Colman will be beating Doug next year on the regular by solid margins.

• As a team it was great an awesome to witness Sammy's achievement to be riding downhill about 4 months after massive trauma to his lower leg and ankle while practicing at the Pro GRT @ Highland MTB. Sam will be spending his winter in New Zealand making up for lost time. 2012 Sam will be on it.

• Drummer Racing finished the year strong at the Eastern States Cup Finals @ Plattekill as Meredith and I both took 2nd for the series cat 1 19 29. Mer was only off the win by 2 seconds with a fall. Go Meredith!I had a wreck in my run also and placed 5th, 5 seconds off 2nd place. Not bad but cost me some box and that was the story for 2011 as crashes and mechanicals kept me off pace.

• The team would like to thank Specialized Bikes - Andy's Cycle for the 2011 Demo 8 . We all loved the bike and it did everything we asked and never whimpered

• 661/Sunline/One Industries for providing functional gear that works and keeps riders safe and in control.

• We would especially like to thanks resident racing orthodontist and team member Doug Wilson for helping with the jerseys and making the team look better than ever for 2011.

LEaves

Riding in leaves is like riding on ice. They rule and they don't at the same time. Massive xc loops.

National Champs! Holding it down for the east coast

Reporting to you from the lap of luxury in our full on factory style 1970's condo where we have no cell service or tv, but occasionally have wireless! Phil, John, Jordan, Hig, Stacey and myself are quite comfortable here with our super plush wrap around couch, microwave oven, one of the first dish washers ever made, atrocious wall paper and trinkets, ample hot water and great pressure. We even have a deck for all our pimpin rides. So far the south has been treating us well. Everyone is incredibly nice, things are very affordable ($300 for 4 nights in our condo), great views, and the weather has been exactly what we all want for an east coast National Champs - sunny and cool during the day, rain at night. The course is awesome, the course is awesome, and once more for good measure - the course is awesome. AND MUDDY. A great mixture of everything; some hauling ass ski slope with drifty turns, a long tech rock garden, big jumps and hucks if you choose to do so, berms and tons of peanut butter mud switch backs with hub deep ruts - time to get loose and over the back ladies and gents. Ample choices for line variety, certainly with some risky moves to shave off those milliseconds.

We are completely exhausted from riding so much but the course is such a blast that it is hard to stop. Rather out of character for me to say, especially for such a high profile event, but I am having a blast, loving the course and actually very pumped with my riding. In fact, everyone in our group is riding very well. Phil, Hig and I had qualies today. Unfortunately phil flatted putting him at the back of the pack, Hig had a bad hang up with a tree in the rock garden putting him around 25th, I had a good run - missed a few lines in the top woods and certainly need to give the last 30 second berm and pedal section a lot more effort but ended up qualifying 12th. Phil is hoping to kill it tomorrow, with a good run he should be able to get top 5. Hig is hoping to shave a good 10 seconds hopfully keeping him in the top 15 and I am hoping to stay in the top 20. Jordan is riding very fast and controlled in the mud, if it stays wet the west coasters could struggle and he could possibly have a podium finish in Cat 1

Slalom was awesome to watch, sick course. Great atmosphere, music and fireworks tonight along with 33 micro brew beers on tap. For $25 you get a glass and it is all you can drink. If I step foot anywhere near this tonight it will ruin my chances of doing any riding above meow 2 tomorrow so I have made the decision to stay away from the pretty talking southern girls and all you can drink micro brews and instead update ya'all and go to bed early. We are all completely exhausted from a combination of slaying peanut butter ruts and crushing pulled pork sammys.

So as we sit here discussing line choices and thinking over the course the question of the night is wet or dry tires tomorrow. Everyone has been running cut spikes but this afternoon was hot and burned a lot of the wetness away. Tomorrow looks to be the same with racing not starting until 3pm. Weather forecast tonight: DRIZZLE (fo shizzle - thats actually what is says.)

peace out

Rallying the old school peeps.

This weekend may be a reprieve from racing, but Drummer Summer continues with impromptu DR alumni reunion / training sessions all over the northeast. The boys are at Sunday River on Saturday and the girls are ripping down Kingdom Trails. All who can at Highland on Sunday. Party trains like what! These wheels never stop turning.

Washkevich, get on this!

2011 Whiteface 5k

Oh yeah the big boy is here as we head across the lake to the mountain that can be seen from BVT. Hosting the 9th round of the Eastern States Cup and the 3rd round of the Neh Yok Champs Whiteface is the event of the fall race season. That was a tough one. Awesome high speed grass terms after a slogging through a swamp before finishing with some berms, roots, and some speed. This season has been a tough one for the team. Lots of race run falls and mechanicals, not to mention the absence of hype master Sammy Cee. Both Zach and Colman flatted out of the gate. Oliver crashed still placed well. Doug was steady as was Jack. http://usacycling.org/results/?permit=2011-2726 The party moves on this weekend to Highland MTB Park. Expect some old faces to show they know how to ride a bike.

WOOO MOUNTAIN DEW!

See anyone we know? Click below!

2011 Killington Gravity East Series Race Video

by Jason Scheiding