January 25, 2008, Fairbanks, Alaska, -15 to -30F, 66 miles, 5,000 feet climbing: Camping trip in the White Mountains

Temperature is -15 as I head out on the snow and ice covered road to the trail head in the White Mtns, where my friends Tom and Malcolm will park and ride the 12-mile sled dog and snow machine trail into a USBLM cabin I’ve rented for Friday night. North winds wail, air temperature is sinking and the January bloodless sun is scraping across the top of the Alaska Range, 100 miles to the south, providing only psychological warmth. The road part of this 9 hour freeze fest is one of snow packed or ice covered surfaces, but after 5-plus hours of crossing snow choked Tanana Uplands hills, Boreal forest, the ice-locked Chatanika River and climbing the Eliot Highway to Wickersham Dome I pull into the trailhead. Two mushers with their sleds and 20 or so dogs are returning from a romp on the trail.

The spell of darkness is upon me, along with an oppressive -20 F or less as I deflate my WTB Weirwolf LT 2.55s. These fat badboys are the super in dicey conditions. Unless you want to go for a fatbike, Weirwolf 2.55s are the best 26 or 29er tire: it’s directionally stable, floats well, and has strong, supple sidewalls. I’m going to need all the float I can get on these trails. The next 12 miles takes 3 plus hours, but to my thrill: I’m ridin’ it!

The red moon is slowly rising and the temperature is slowly dropping. Hoar frost glistens in my headlight as I alternate in awe between the absolute desolate, white indifference and the deafening silence of this black spruce-covered permafrost country. Tires crackle out a report that tells me that this snow is COLD.

I make the cutoff to the cabin, pushing the steep, barely broken trial to Eliazar’s cabin. I haven’t seen any sign of people for nearly 4 hours, only two sets of bike tracks laid down on the Wickersham Trail on sled tracks.
Tom and Malcolm have a fine fire crackling, invite me in for a hot drink and we while away the night telling trail lies and watch the scarlet moon carve a path.

Riding the 12 miles out in the morning light is an entirely different world from the dark eerie isolation of 12 hours earlier. Rolling is tough at -25 to -30 F, but because of these frigid conditions we see not a soul.
Once at the trailhead I have enough sense to ride home in the truck. My brain isn’t completely frozen.

Note: Rocky Reifenstuhl is preparing to race the 1,100-mile Iditarod Trail Invitational. The event, which starts on February 25, will be Rocky’s 21st year competing in the Iditarod Trail bike race. He has won the prestigious event eight times.

On September 01, 2007 America’s most prominent female mountain bike racer suffered a horrific crash and soon realized she was paralyzed from the waist down. The WTB-sponsored rider and 2006 downhill national champion was airlifted to Denver’s Health Hospital where she underwent a seven-hour back surgery. Although Tara’s doctors reported that she might never walk again, she has been attacking her physical therapy with the same enthusiasm and positive attitude that made her such a popular—and successful—bike racer.

It has been four short months since her life-changing crash and Tara is already proving the doctors wrong by moving her legs. After spending months as an inpatient at Denver’s Craig Facility, Llanes is finally back at home, but she still has a long way to go. The medical costs attributed to this sort of tragedy are almost as crippling as the injury itself. Our support means a lot to Llanes. If you would like to contribute emotional or financial support please visit Tara Llanes Road to Recovery.

WTB sponsored riders Katie Compton and Rachel Lloyd dominated the U.S. Cyclocross National Championships yesterday in Kansas City, Kansas. In the epic, icy battle Compton set a fierce pace from the first lap. The only real challenger of the day was Marin-county native, Rachel Lloyd.

Compton, riding a WTB Silverado saddle, finished 22 seconds ahead of Lloyd, who was riding a WTB Shadow V saddle. Nearly a full minute passed between Lloyd and third place finisher Georgia Gould.

Yesterday’s victory marked Compton’s fourth National Cyclocross Championship title. She is ranked second, globally, in UCI points. Compton, Lloyd and Gould will be representing the United States at the upcoming Cyclocross World Championships.

Later that day in the men’s elite race, WTB-sponsored Team Kona rider Ryan Trebon crashed out of contention. The 2006 National Champion was on his way to defending his title when he collided with another rider. The impact knocked Trebon unconscious. He didn’t take long to come to, but departed the race after the crash.

Sam Hill    Sabrina Jonnier    Fabien Barel    Nicolas Vouilloz    Steve Peat    Nathan Rennie    Duncan Riffle    Tara Llanes    Ryan Trebon    Adam Craig    Jared Rando    Amiel Cavalier    Wade Simmons    Thomas Vanderham    Marie Helen-Premont    Ben Boyko    Fionn Griffiths    Tracey Moseley    Catherine Pendrel    Ryan Leech    Seamus McGrath    Rachel Lloyd    Mark Weir    Jason Moeschler    Forrest Arakawa    Jiro Nakamura    Ryan Condrashoff    Curtis Beavers    Kyle Widemann    Jackie Baker    Bobby McMullen    Katie Compton    Ariel Lindsley Scabigail Hippely    Yuri Hauswald    Alison Gannett    Shaums March    Mike Jones    Geoff Gulevich    Jordie Lunn    Ryder Kasprick    Robbie Bourdon    Carlin Dunne    John Cowan    Dave Watson    Jamie Goldman    John Waddel    Kirt Voreis    Mark Hendershot    Harlan Price Tyler Morland    JD Swangeun    Jason First    Jason Cardillo    Dillon Clapp    Nicola Cranmer Giana Roberge    Shelly Olds    Team Successful Living    Nerac Pro Cycling    Sempre Duro    Eastside Cycles    Team Arete

Interested in sponsorship? Click here to find out more about racing with WTB.