Sat, June 27th (Venice, FL) - Remember that pesky water crossing on the BoldyGo trail in the Carlton Reserve? Well, it's still there but you no longer have to get your feet wet. A trail addition has been added that bypasses the creek and the steep rollers but reaches a newly built wooden bridge that spans the water farther upstream. Hoorah for trail progress! A dozen members of the Sarasota County off Road Riders (SCORR) carried an 800 pound log, equal to half a telephone pole, through the woods to a selected location. This pole was used as the core of the wooden bridge which was built on site. The bypass has been cleared and will allow riders to choose the hard route over the rollers and through the water or the easy route over the bridge. This bypass will be especially useful in the deeper summer months when the water crossing becomes impassable. Yours truly was on hand to help out and I also managed to take a full array of pictures that show the construction proces...

The world often changes without us noticing right away. Hindsight is the lens through which we identify when something new had started. Only then do we appreciate its significance. Many years ago in New England I was exploring the woods in an area that was somewhat off the grid. I heard a rumor that people used to ride mountain bikes there so I wanted to look for signs of old trails. After several trips I finally stumbled upon what can only be described as an illegally built freeride park. It was full of high jumps, wild rollers, daredevil skinnies and a ten foot high wooden berm. It had long since been abandoned with no sign as to who the builders were or if they would ever come back. The nails had rusted, the wood had grayed and cracked. The story of how it all came into being might be lost forever. That was the world before Strava. The internet has changed the way we shop, date and do business. It has also changed the way we ride. Or more specifically, it has chang...

The weather report was looking rather ominous on Saturday March 29th, 2014. It was to be the day of the 'Build Your Own Bike' pub ride hosted by the Sarasota County Off Road Riders. Cyclists were encouraged to scavenge together old klunkers with spare parts in a rusty soup of ingenuity and labor to build the ultimate pub cruiser for under $100. The angry skies parted ways only minutes before the gathering began. Riders met at the Gazebo in Centennial Park on Venice Island and displayed their patchwork of frankenstein creations. While the weather made for a lower turnout than hoped for, those who did arrive brought the good stuff. The cruisers ranged from those with outlandish geometry to those that were almost painful to observe. There was a bike painted with chalk in which people were encouraged to write their names on the dusty frame. One cruiser was so caked in rust that you needed a tetanus shot just for looking at it. One rode seated straight up reaching...

The boys from SCORR are at it again! Their famous pub rides are becoming well known not only for great places to eat and drink but also for the creativity of the themes. This might be one to top them all - The BYOB pub ride is coming! It means "Build Your Own Bike" and it is a competition! It's time to get your wrenches working, start cruising garage sales and scan Craigslist. The Sarasota County Off Road Riders are having their first Dedicated Pub Ride Bicycle Build off. There is a $ 100. G r a n d   P r i z e for the Best Overall Bike! The Rules     1. Build a bike that you would be proud to ride at the next pub ride. The crazier, the better. 2. Think accessories, paint scheme, cup holders, music, light show, rust etc. 3. Don't spend more than $100. Prizes will be awarded for Ugliest , Biggest POS , Cheapest Rebuild , Rustiest , Girliest and of course there is the $100. Grand Prize for the Best Overall Bike. The BYOB Pub Ride happe...

The Sarasota County Off Road Riders have been leading rides, building trails and hosting races for the past three years but now they are legit, online that is. In addition to their Facebook Page , you can get ample information about them on their New Website! The website displays photo galleries from their many events which include pub rides, night riding and the 3rd Annual Piggy's Revenge Off Road Challenge. There are also links to area bike shops, bike clubs and contact information. Plus music videos! If you have ever wondered about the joy of mountain biking or if you are traveling to Sarasota County, this site is an easy jumping off point for exploring new trails or trying a new hobby. Exciting things are happening in Sarasota County and now the door has been opened for everyone to come inside. www.scorrider.com

Success breeds access. That is the theme at the T. Mabry Carlton Reserve, a enormous park purchased in 1982 for the purpose of natural resource protection and nature based recreation. Nowadays nothing is more nature based than Mountain Biking. The most successful trails in the Reserve as of late have been built by SCORR or the Sarasota County Off Road Riders. A steady pattern has developed at parks across the country. Local riders assemble into a MTB group and then seek the right to build on State or Public lands. This can sometimes be a long, tiresome process but with good reason, the park managers need to know that the groups are sincere, responsible and capable. Often times the new trails attract a larger crowd, bringing new life to the park and economic growth to the neighboring towns and businesses. Earlier this year SCORR was given permission to start building Mountain Bike specific trails in the Carlton Reserve ( Read the Trail Building Story Here ). These chan...

Welcome to the creepiest time of year. October is a ghoulish month that awakens our senses after a long, hot and overly wet summer. As the Florida flooding subsides and the humidity fades, that is when the freaks and frights return in the night. The question is, are you ready for some challenges that will chill the bones? I present to you 2 amazing events to fill your party calendar for All Hallows Eve. Both combine the outdoors fun of athletic exhilaration with the unnerving allure of costumed creativity. The events take place on back to back weekends, one involves running and one involves biking but both of them embody the essential spirit of Samhain. The first great challenge is Howl at the Moon 2, a sequel to the last year's Halloween 5k trail run. However, this is no ordinary jog in the park. Just before the sunrise on Oct 19th, hundreds of costumed runners will line up at Ann Dever park in Englewood and then charge into a haunted forest full of Zombies! You ...

For many it seemed to be a typical Saturday evening in the City of Venice, the streets were clearing, the sun was setting and the mood was relaxed. Then, out of nowhere, dozens of bicycles buzzed by. Road bikes, Mountain bikes and even a BMX bike casually cruised down the side streets filling the Island with a whole new crowd of smiling faces. Who was this mysterious peloton? They were the second gathering of the SCORR (Sarasota County Off Road Riders) pub ride which included the owners and employees of Real Bikes Venice , Real Bikes Englewood and Bicycles International Venice . Eric Claussen displaying the new bike trail signs SCORR is the group which recently crafted 4 miles worth of Mountain bike trails in the Carlton Reserve park. This particular pub crawl was put together to raise money to pay for the signs that will be posted on those trails. SCORR volunteers, wearing the camouflage shirts, made sure no rider was left behind as 60 cyclists traversed the streets...