July Racing Heatwave!

Ash Cave in the Hocking Hills of Ohio was a nice break from long work days.

 While the Carr Fire is blazing it's way through the Golden State and the rest of the West is en fuego this week, Ara and Vegas Bob have been enjoying the fast racing action from So Cal to Colorado.
Bob pulled out a win at the Over The Hump race, and depending on tonight's season finale, may actually take home the series! Big thanks to HB Velo Cyclery for helping VB with a hardtail to race. Visit www.hbvelocyclery.com for their group rides and races.

Vegas Bob FTW at last week's OTH race!

Vegas Bob wrote this after taking 1st at the OTH race:

"#thrilled with my #WIN at the second #OTH race last night!!!
The #broiling #hothotheat took its toll, but not on me. #VegasBob in the hizzy!
#somelikeithot #itsadryheat #imthefirestarter #nowwerecooking
#hotchacha #burninforyou #hottimeintheoldtowntonight
#firstplace #race #mtb #dirt

Thank you to @hbvelocyclery for the sweet ride #khsteam29 and the race support. #redmeansgo #justride
And thanks to all my #backboneracing #sponsors for everything you do, and my #teammates for help keeping me #motivated
#backatit next week, see you there!"

VB getting his groove on during the OTH race.

Bob also took home a silver medal at Round 2 of OTH:

"#ecstatic with my 2nd Place finish at the first race of round two at #overthehumpoc @raceoc. The #firstandonly run into #limestonecanyon suited me well with long #sustained #climbs and lots of #falsepeaks that #demoralized other riders.
Huge ups to @hbvelocyclery for providing me with Candy’s own @focusbikes #ravenmax. Apparently #29inchwheels are a thing now #whoknew? #bigwheels #speed, #carbon #hardtail #quickness, and #shimanomtb #sweetness, it’s the ultimate tool for the job. #justride

Thanks also to @tazmanrod 📷 and whoever gave me 💪🏽! Lol
#backboneracing
#backboneadventurecycling
#brewyardbeerco
#sigmasportusa
#kendatires
#xpedo
#ryderseyewear
#kmcchain
#hyperthreads
#7idp #7protection
#mojosoaps "

IS THAT JIMBO? Jim and Ara in Crested Butte this month.

Ara has been roaming the western U.S. this month, racing and visiting the likes of Jimbo Roff. He got to ride Park City, Crested Butte and Grand Junction again this year, and other breathtaking parts of the country. Check him out on Facebook and Insta as "Backbone Fuzz." Ara was up in Big Bear last weekend for Crafts and Cranks as well, and dropped a silver medal finish! Ara's partneship with Wingspan Cyclery in Simi Valley (www.wingspancyclery.com) has been great this year, and he even has been dropping a podium or two with The Path bike shop in Orange County at the NON DOT races.

Fuzz at the Breck Marathon XC event, where he would take 5th.

The Breck 100 Marathon XC race was a doozy, and The Fuzziest came home with a 5th place podium spot. His report is as follows:
"5th place in Cat1 Men's Breck 100 Marathon and WOW! Could be one of the toughest races I have completed; singletrack, roots, rocks, steep climbs, long gradual climbs, and the elevation. Kenda Tires USA Regolith and Honeybadgers were flawless again especially with fresh Orange Seal Cycling to keep the punctures/flats away. Wingspan Cyclery bottles were key for keeping hydrated and calorie intake.
Can not say enough Thank You's to Jimbo for the support, really felt like the old days back at home, especially the finish line beer!
Thank you to all the well wishes and tips for the course. Matthew Smith, you were spot on with the info, thank you!
Backbone Adventure Cycling
#kendatiresusa #ridekenda #xpedo #sigmasportusa #iamaroxstar #ryderseyewear #norcobicycles #wingspancyclery "

Nice.

The NON DOT series is hugely fun, and Fuzz raced all 4 for a nice overall position there. Vegas Bob also came out to ride and assist for some of these events.

"That is a wrap on the Non Dot Adventures race series for 2018! Really have fallen in love with this 4 race series down in Orange County. Great environment, upbeat staff/volunteers, family-oriented, and best of all the courses are so fun!
Thank you Andy Lightle, Jon Kearley, Missy Kearley, and the rest for making this unique and enjoyable mountain bike series.
Thank you Kenda Tires USA and Roger Hernandez! Forgot how fast my Felt Bicycles Doctrine1 is with #saberpros. Troupe Racing, Tim Vangilder the Luge on Ice tasted so refreshing today after the race. The Path Bike Shop Race Team for the support and killer kit today, appreciate the cheers! My hero and words of wisdom, Mike Franze!"


The Golden State Series has been prolific for the Fuzziest as well, with frequent podium spots having constantly in the running for an overall spot on the box.

"Good times all around up in Big Bear for the Gold State Round #7-Series Finals. Hot and dry conditions made it into a game of survival on the Endurance race... bonked hard on the second lap but was able to regroup and finish strong. Dan Blurton of The Path Bike Shop Race Team took the win in Cat1 XC and the overall, congrats buddy!
Backbone Adventure Cycling Kenda Tires USA Roger Hernandez SIGMA SPORT USA Xpedo Ryders Eyewear Brewyard Beer Company LLC Wingspan Cyclery
Look for a GoPro video edit of the race soon..."

Ara bringing "The Rage" on his Felt hardtail.

Ara's season recap today is a great overview of a stellar season of racing.
"That is a wrap on an amazing mountain bike race season! Roger Hernandez and Dan Blurton #kskmart, you two made it so much fun this year and couldn't have done any of this without the support on and off the bike, thank you! Go get it at #Leadville100 buddy!
VisionQuest : 5th / 68
Epic Rides : Whiskey 50 Open Men – 32nd/174
Carson City Off-Road – 29th / 132

Breck100 : Expert Men 5th
SocalEndurance 12hrs of Temecula w/ Timari Pruis Allen – 1st place COED
Gold State Cup Endurance Series : 2nd Overall
Bonelli – 2nd
*Fontana City National – 12th
Santa Ynez Valley Classic – 2nd
Big Bear Shoot-Out #1– 2nd
Big Bear Shoot-Out #2- 1st
CraftsnCranks Series Final – 2nd
Non-Dot Adventures : Series Winner – Expert Men 36-49
Whiting Woods TT – 1st
Caspers Wilderness – 1st
Aliso+Woods – 2nd
Santiago Oaks – 1st
Quick n’ Dirty Sagebrush Safari : 12th Expert Men 16-39
Race 📸 by : Philip Beckman pbcreativephoto.com"

Mark Thome has been posting some stunning photos of the Montana countryside, as he heads out in the evenings. Bozeman looks like an amazing place to live if you are a cyclist! I have been working a lot, and squeezing in small hikes and road rides when I can. A recent trip to Ash Cave and Rockmill was a great way to clear the brain before another week of craziness.

Beauregard enjoying some free time at Rockmill.