Racers will attack Dragon Back Sunday by Frank Walters
From the April 13, 1994 edition of The New Castle Record
The Broad Run area of Jefferson National Forest is a good place to see wildlife: deer, bear, turkeys, and such. On Sunday, April 17, it’s a good place to see wild life, like something straight out of soft drink commercial, during the Diamond Back Dragon’s Back mountain bike race.
The Dragon’s Back is the first installment in the second annual Mountain Dew/East Coasters Virginia State Championship Mountain Bike Series. Sponsored by Diamond Back, one of the world’s premier builders of mountain (or off-road) bikes, the Broad Run course promises excitement for riders and spectators.
For the uninitiated, mountain biking is the hottest craze to hit cycling in decades.
A mountain bike is basically a 1950’s or 60s-era fat-tire Schwinn that has been stripped of its fenders and beefed up with knobby tires and 18-to-21 speed gearing. Given that a decent touring model starts in the $400 range, and race-ready bikes often cost $3,000 or more, it is obvious the technology runs somewhat deeper than the basics. Frames are made of titanium and other jet-fighter type materials: tires are computer engineered to maximize traction and handling; high-end bikes even feature shock absorbers similar to those under a car.
But pedals still power the beasts, no motors allowed.
The Dragon’s Back race will start at 11:30 a.m. on Forest Service Road 224 in the heart of Broad Run. FS 224 is the first road on the right side of U.S. 311 north of the Dragon’s Tooth parking area; it is marked with a Wildlife Road sign. From 311 it is approximately a six-mile drive along the winding, dirt-and-gravel road to the race staging area.
“The road will be closed for the start,” says Kyle Inman, race organizer and promoter. “Spectators should get there early.”
Novice racers will ride the road toward 311, do a short side loop on what inman describes as “a moderately challenging single-track trail,” then race back to the start.
Advanced riders will traverse the road and side loop, then climb North Mountain via Deer Trail, a narrow path with a 1,500-foot elevation gain that makes for a challenging hike, much less a bike ride. Then they take a left on the rocky, technically demanding, North Mountain Trail and follow it to a left on Turkey Trail. The exhilarating descent down Turkey Trail leads back to FS 224 and an approximately two-mile dash to the finish.
“It’s only about 14 miles, but it feels like 40,” Inman says of the course, which demands not only superior aerobic conditioning but also deft bike handling skills and far amount of courage.
The Dragon’s Back race gets it name, and tough reputation, from the undulating, up-and -sown ridgeline of North Mountain, which Inman says looks like the backbone of a dragon. Allow your imagination to wander as you look at the mountain from 311 and you can envision the dragon’s head lying at the popular Dragon’s Tooth hiking area, the neck winding up the main ridge of the mountain, and the body and tail stretching along the horizon.
For cyclists, the race is a very long dragon with an exceptionally rugged physique. For fans it is an unusually good opportunity to actually see much od a mountain bike race.
Except for the start and finish, most mountain bike events tend to be nearly as challenging for spectators as for competitors. Good vantage points are generally hard to reach and it is difficult to see much of the action after the racers string out along the course.
The Dragon’s Back course affords many viewing opportunities along FS 224. There is an especially good spot at Deer Trail, where the racers veer from the rad onto the single-track loop then circle around to begin the climb up North Mountain.
Watch for the course to quickly separate the contenders from the pretenders.
The contenders include Carol Waters, who Inman says is a Masters World Champion from Massachusetts, and the East Coasters team, which is fielded by one of the main series sponsors. Men’s champ Gunnar Shogren, a professional rider for the Diamond Back team, won all three races in the 1993 series and will be a solid favorite if he competes this year. Inman says Shogren has been racing in New Zealand this spring and may not enter the Dragon’s Back race.
Beyond winning and losing, the real attraction to the Dragon’s Back race is the opportunity to get plenty of fresh air and excise while enjoying some of the most stunning scenery in the region. In that regard, at least, the novices and the experts are equal.
