For a couple of folks who have asked, I’m sorry, no, Cumberlandworx is not a ‘real’ thing. But, grassroots racing is alive and well on the rock. But, there are plenty of awesome shops within easy driving distance. But, there are also plenty of good folks at Van-isle-based brands like Forbidden, Marin Canada, Farside Components, WZRD, and whatever D’Arcy O’Connor is up to. 

There’s also a huge enough field in downtown Cumby to house a tent city for BCBR, so I don’t think space is an issue. I think there’s plenty of local mountain bicycle culture to run an awesome alternate event, maybe celebrating average folks who just love to ride bikes in the forest.

I suppose what I’m saying is there’s currently no such thing as #Cumberlandworx. 

Our trip to Cumberland is quickly coming to a close and we managed to escape the fourth straight day of riding without last-lapping ourselves. The Clairebarian did have a high-side crash on a technical climb worth crying about but after we untangled her from her bike, pulled her back up onto the trail, and had some hugs she went back and tried it a few more times. 

With fresh(er) legs I think she would have had it. Claire brought a lot of skills to Cumberland but the kilometers and kilometers of Blue trails interspersed with moments requiring calculated bravery have been huge for her confidence. We made it a shorter day today and the highlight (other than Space Nuggets) was hitting the full Crafty Butcher line again. 

I also scored a bit of a confidence boost today rolling a rock section on a trail called Bonestorm. It’s not particularly steep, braking traction was fantastic, and squirrel catcher blind uphill entrance is by far the most psychologically challenging component but it’s the first time I’ve really talked myself into something since my injury in January, and hitting it was the most ‘back’ that I’ve felt so far. 

Tomorrow Nina and Claire are taking a well-earned rest day but I’m fighting a vicious blend of too many months of my bike and two few minutes of riding left before we leave so I’m subjecting my day-5 legs to an adventure with a local I know through Nice Guy Geoff AND Bikeroom-Jeff. What can I say, some of us just collect J(G)e(o)ffs in our lives. 

The thing that has certainly garnered the most strange looks from other riders, over our Cumberlandworx experience, is the fact that our family has been sporting full-face helmets. The Clairebarian and Nina remove their chin bars for gravel and tamer single-track climbs like Sobo no Michi but for the most part, we’ve all been sporting full coverage helmets. 

My lid doesn’t have a removable chin bar so I’ve been sporting it from door-to-door. Frankly, it fits and breathes so well three excuses not to wear one. 1) it simply doesn’t fit – though there are a lot of pads included to make it happen. 2) it costs too much money, and certainly, that’s a potential barrier with any trail-riding friendly full-face. 3) we all know that how we dress to mountain bike is a form of performance art and a full-face doesn’t fit with everyone’s chosen character. 

I won’t jump in and re-write my pending NSMB.com review of the Kali Invader 2.0, but it’s a rad option for folks looking for more protection from a trail lid. There’s no difference between it and an open lid in terms of hearing other trail users, or nature, and the difference in warmth and breathability comes down to two little u-shaped pads. 

And yeah, I can very much understand how the fellow on a rigid single speed sporting a full-face helmet riding Blue trails seems out of place. But I can’t help but think that really shouldn’t be the case.