Laurel Lake, KY kicks ass.

Please, go out to BC to enlist in the free-ride scene. However. if you have the pioneer spirit, a healthy set of lungs and a love for lush vegetation, check out a choice piece of the 270-mile Sheltowee Trace National Scenic Trail.

Reminiscent of a bygone era that witnessed the extensive drowning of pristine bottom lands, the 6000+ acre Laurel Lake is home to a tremendous piece of single’. The trail along, above and below Laurel Lake State Park is surrounded by the Daniel Boone National Forest.

We can’t tell you anymore, because you need to earn your way onto these trails. No big signs, no easy maps. Only resourcefulness will get you here.
Now, we will let the pictures do the talking.

Norris Dam State Park in KY. has many memories!

When mountain biking’s national attention was on Cali’, the mountain boys back east had their own scene going on. Norris Dam State Park was hosting mountain bike races in the early 90’s. With a 12-mile loop, ‘the Norris Challenge’ quickly became known for the biggest climbs, and fastest trail in the region.
Bio Wheels’ first expert race in 1993 was 36-miles long! That was a long race back then. By the time Joe Moore and I finished, the whole race was over and everybody was gone.

I often look back on that race and wince.
Lining up next to John Stamsted, and a bunch of other fast guys. Plunging down the 1 mile gravel start, trying to stay in the front row to avoid being overtaken by the cloud of dust (some guys were wearing dust masks on the line, I think they had pink Answer stems, too). Just a few clicks down the road, the peloton drifted around a corner, and I got bumped into the ditch at big-ring speed. I remember it vividly. Drifting, drifting “ohhh no…”.
I flew over my bars and rolled down the gravel road, coming to rest in the fetal position staring at the backs of the racers flying by. It was at that moment of zen that I felt the impact of a bicycle on the center of my spine and watched a rider whiz over me through the dust cloud. He skipped down the road, leaving skin and profanities scattered about.
Once we determined we were safe from the onslaught of more racers, the 2 of us verified the others condition. ‘Are you OK?’ We scrambled to our bikes. (That unfortunate guy fell back on the first climb and must have dnf’d, ‘cuz I never saw him again.)
Once coasting down the road again, some of my injuries revealed themselves. My mood had morphed from the optimism that fills me going into most races, to a survival mode. I had lots of blood, dust and sticky stuff all over me. A few miles later, I reflected on the guy who hit me. I realized the sticky stuff that had adhered my shorts to my saddle was Ultra-Fuel. I then understood the reservoir had sacrificed itself for my spine, emptying its nutrient-rich contents into my chamois.
Late in the 2nd lap, just before the Lake Loop, I ran into friend and roommate, Joe Moore. He laughed “What happened to you?” After I told him, he lit up, “that was you!”. Flushed with humility, I suggested we finish together. Cheerily, he agreed and we rode the next 2 hours. I had ridden across N. America, but never felt so beaten from a ride. As we rolled along, focusing on big air over speed, Joe and I engaged in group-ride banter. After 3 hours and 45 minutes, we rolled across the finish line, but it was’nt there! Every single car was gone. No crowd cheering the last finishers, just late afternoon insects. Had it not been for Joe’s presence, I might have been scared.

Since then, I have ridden Norris a dozen times. We have been using Norris as a great way to break up the drive between our 2 stores. Located just off of I-75 in Northern Tennessee, Norris Dam State Park contains approx. 25-miles of dirt roads and trail. While the roads are well maintained, the singletrack has fallen into disrepair, with many trees having succumbed to the Pine Beetle epidemic.
Check the following pages before attempting to ride Norris, as hunters round there have first dib’s on the calendar ‘round here.

Here a few pics