Bikers to go to extremes at freeride competition.Byline: Lewis Taylor The Register-Guard It sounds harmless enough, but "freeriding Freeriding 1. An illegal practice in which an underwriting syndicate member withholds part of a new securities issue and later sells it at a higher price. 2. The illegal activity of buying a stock and selling it before paying for the purchase. ," a sport in which mountain bike riders jump off 15-foot-high ladder bridges, is no carefree pedal through the park. "It's the adrenaline rush," says Corey Sherwood, 18, of Eugene, one of the top freeriders in the area. "It's doing things your parents don't want you to do. And, "you can get some exercise while you're doing it." Sherwood, whose "exercise" includes bombing down staircases and riding off buildings while wearing plastic body armor Noun 1. body armor - armor that protects the wearer's whole body body armour, cataphract, coat of mail, suit of armor, suit of armour armet - a medieval helmet with a visor and a neck guard , will be one of the dozens of amateur riders competing at this Sunday's Collins Cycle Shop Indoor Freeride
"It will be full of color not of the white race; - commonly meaning, esp. in the United States, of negro blood, pure or mixed. See also: Color ," promises Jay Loew, co-owner of Collin's Cycle Shop. "There will be a lot of jumps and different kinds of skills," he adds. Skills or stunts at Sunday's event will include encounters with narrow bridges or "skinnies," teeter-totters, launch ramps and other wooden obstacles. Course designer Hollis Brake also has created a wall ride, a 15-foot-high drawbridge drawbridge: see bridge. and an equally tall "step up" that requires jumping on and off a raised platform. "I've been waiting for one of these (events) to happen ever since I started riding," Hollis says. "I think it's kind of like a family. We all cheer each other on." The bikes ridden by Hollis and other competitors at Sunday's event resemble motorcyles with their elaborate suspension systems Noun 1. suspension system - a mechanical system of springs or shock absorbers connecting the wheels and axles to the chassis of a wheeled vehicle suspension . The aluminum-framed cycles are often outfitted with disc brakes for easy stopping in messy conditions and triple-walled wheel rims that can withstand big drops. The bikes cost anywhere from $1,600 to $5,000, but that doesn't seem to matter to enthusiasts such as Stephen Joseph Glass, a co-organizer of Sunday's event. "I had been mountain biking for about 13 years and had been getting bored with it," Glass says. "I felt like I had done what I could on the local trails, but now I'm learning again." Those who still have a lot to learn will be able to boost their confidence Sunday at a noncompetitive "skills arena." The area, sort of a playground for bikers, will have smaller bridges, ladders and berms to practice on. Sunday's event will offer competition in several categories, including beginner, intermediate, women-only, 17-and-under and 35-and-older. A group to watch will be the Frequent Fliers frequent flier n. One who travels often by air, especially on one airline. fre  quent-fli , which will
feature the top five finishers from all the different categories.
The bridges that will be a signature element of Sunday's competition are inspired by the elevated planks that line the forests in the North Shore area around Vancouver, B.C. where the sport of freeriding was born more than a decade ago. Once used by riders to get from one downed timber to another, the bridges evolved into bike paths. Riders looking to push their luck even further began constructing steep ramps, spiraling paths and other rough-hewn wooden structures. Salem and Hood River The Hood River is a tributary of the Columbia River in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Approximately 25 mi (40 km) long from its mouth to its farthest headwaters on the East Fork, the river descends from wilderness areas in the Cascade Range on Mount Hood and flows are both hotbeds of freeriding. Astoria also offers a course. Local riders say the sport is picking up steam in Lane County. "We are a little bit behind the curve, but it's the fastest growing segment of mountain biking," says Glass. "It's exciting to watch, and the young people seem to be really into it. The 13- to 25-year-olds are really excited about this kind of riding." Organizers of Sunday's expo are hoping the event will help fuel the local freeriding scene, which has largely existed underground. Riders frequent hidden trails and outlawed urban spots such as the Hult Center stairs, and travel out of town to freeriding meccas, including the Black Rock Trails, a legal riding area outside of Falls City Falls City is the name of several places in the United States:
To help promote the sport locally, Loew is launching the Willamette Valley The Willamette Valley (pronounced [wɪˈlæ.mɪt], with the accent on the second syllable) is the region in northwest Oregon in the United States that surrounds the Willamette River as it proceeds northward from its Freeriders Association, a membership organization that will debut at Sunday's event. His hope, he says, is to one day create a local trail system like the one in Falls City. COLLINS CYCLE SHOP INDOOR FREERIDE What: Extreme mountain biking competition and expo When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday; registration begins at 7 a.m. Where: Livestock Building, Lane Events Center (fairgrounds n. pl. 1. same as fairground. ), 796 W. 13th Ave. How much: $2 for spectators, $30 for competitors, $15 for skills arena Information: Call 342-4878 Also: For information on the Black Rock Trails system, call Santiam Bicycles at (503) 363-6602; for information on freeriding, go to www.nsmb.com |
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