Cumberlandworx 2025: Day 6
Parent-patrol left at 6:30am this morning. It was wonderfully cool as I pulled on my sweat-salted pack and dragged myself onto my bicycle and performed a full ’airing of excuses’ for Colin. To put it mildly, I wrecked myself yesterday. And no amount of anything but rest was going to be a difference maker.
Now I’m not saying he didn‘t hear me clearly. Or even fully process what I was saying. But it’s instincts over intentions once untethered from grom duty. There was nothing that was going to slow down the SB160 and we set a pace up the climb. Him happily turning the cranks and me suffering in his wake.
Now, it ended up being a fantastic ride. Great trails, great company*. Race Rocks & Felicia were the one-two punch trail-highlight of the trip this year. I’m working out how I’m going to hit them again before we leave. Colin was flying, I was dying, we both were smiling. What more can anyone really ask from Day 6?
I’ll say here that the Magura Gustav brakes were excellent in the steeps yesterday, but really shined through today. Yes, in terms of the full-on stopping power but also speaking of the gentle application of the said power. I was far from firing on all cylinders and the combination of the ArctuHawks geometry, my 170mm Durolux RC+, and the Gustav brakes saw me through the other side.
*{Shout out to Ffej, our third amigo for the Cumberlandworx 2024 Parent-Patrol ride on the Queso Grandes. Hope to see you next year!}
It has been a long time since I reached the level of trashed I was at the end of the morning. Aching. Creaking. Happy. As we rolled back to base my companion made a quip about what an epic trolling it would be if our families were ready for ride number two when we returned.
I laughed. But it was at least partially out of fear.
As it turned out, everyone was feeling their days, at least a bit, and we had time to caffeinate and prep all the bikes. That family bike mechanic’s job is never really done. Some tire pumping, sealant adding, chain lubing, and bottle filling later we were ready to rock.
You know how there are group rides you are assuming will be a bit of a circus and somehow they run smoother than you’d ever expect? Yeah, I’d never actually experienced that either. But we rolled out, and returned, with five smiling kids and seven smiling parents of various abilities. That’s after a Sobo climb and a proper loop of Cumberland blacks & blues.
It goes without saying that I was destroyed before we started but somehow I felt better and better through the ride. Everyone was having so much fun. So what if I’ve tweaked muscles I didn’t know I have? Pain is temporary, and my physio has open appointments.
Then we took the whole show to Love’s for ice cream. I had a scoop of salted caramel on top of a scoop of lavender blue all stuffed into a waffle cone and it was ridiculous. Great ice cream is extra ridiculously amazing when you’re beaten down.
Claire’s riding so well this trip. All the groms are riding so well this trip. It’s been awesome to meet new friends and also watch the ‘old’ ones progress year after year.
{I’ve confirmed that no one has any tricks to stop them growing like weeds.}
We’re down to a day and change for this year’s Cumberlandworx and I suppose it’s as good a time as any to make a pitch for bringing your family to ride here.
There are plenty of awesome places to take yourself riding. Come visit the North Shore! Let me know when you’re around and if I can make it work lets pedal! But if you’re balancing mixed skills, mixed strength, and mixed stoke, this is the place.
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