Road Trip – Ashland 12 Mile Super D

Jun 11, 2009

Holy crap I just finished a run with Eric Carter and Myles Rockwell! Growing up, these guys were in my magazines and I thought they were so bad ass racing DH on 60mm forks and repping skin suits. Man I’m glad the fashion has changed and the bikes are better, but these two still rip hard and it’s events like the Ashland 12 Mile Super D that bring us all together. Ok let’s rewind a few weeks to how this story starts and gets to today’s point in time.

Read on to hear about our trip so far,

Post Sea Otter I was talking with Tyler Morland and saying how great Ashland is for riding and that we try to hit it up at least once a year for a lap or a loop on our way through. He proceeded to mention that this year SRAM has fully gotten behind the Ashland Super D and that he’d be attending it mid-June and that we should talk further down the line about a road trip. The better part of two months float by and the phone rings last Friday the 5th of June. “Hey Tyler Maine, what are you doing next weekend?” “Like on the 13th and 14th? I think that’s the Ashland race or I’ll hide out in the valley. Why?” “I’m heading to the Super D in Ashland, you coming?” “Oh dang man I am killer busy with the site news right now, I think I may have to skip out, but I’ll let you know” Click, Click.


Forward a few days and the site is caught up-ish, my bags are packed (minus my camera charger and USB chord-DAMN!) and I’m hoping in the B-Labs van. Destination – Ashland Oregon for the Super D event. The Super D in Ashland is going into it's third season and I'm pretty excited to be here for the event. It runs from Mt. Ashland back to town via forest service roads and bad ass single track for 12 miles. Last year Mark Weir took the win by completing the run in just over 35 minutes, and I'd like to point out that today I did a run and I was out there for just over an hour. I guess that means I'm half the man as Mark Weir. Dang!


Today we pulled into town and picked up John Dawson and Myles Rockwell and headed straight to the top of the mountain for a lap after a day in the van. I was so stoked to be doing a run with Myles, Eric, Evan, Tyler and Nathan as they are all rippers and the trails ahead I knew were going to blow our minds. Off the top, the course runs full tilt for just over 2 miles down fire roads and then into the only sustained climb of the course - about 7-9 minutes of medium grade grunt and you're back into the woods. And the course just keeps going and going and at the end you are greeted with a great stop at Lithia park in town. 12 miles and hundreds of smiles!


Everyone held it all together except Myles who on the way to the parking lot ran in to the back of EC after he'd gotten stung by a bee. Over the bars and yep a big ol' welt from the bee and a bunch of laughs from the rest of us. Alright that's the wrap for our arrival in Ashland, lots will be happening over the coming days including a 3 miles chainless DH race on Saturday! I'll keep you all updated from here in Ashland!


Happy Trails,
Ty