I’m working on a long recap for SouthernSpokes.com to fill everyone in, thank a whole boatload of folks and get started planning for next year! Here’s some key highlights that I feel sum up things for my readers here.

• A ton of women’s raffle prizes, and everyone that bought a raffle ticket won something
• Kids rides, women’s rides, fat bike rides
• Waffles and Nutella
• Really good BBQ
• No hail
• Campfire stories
• A guy that rode 140 miles from Columbia, SC just for the festival

This is the first festival of its type in the Southeast. The goal is to create a weekend around southern cycling. One of the last weekends before school hits, and a great weekend to spend the weekend in a gorgeous park with some of your best cycling buddies. Location: Lake Norman State Park, Troutman, NC Demo’s from Salsa Cycles and Surly Bikes  Exclusive first look for consumers and most bike dealers for the 2013 Salsa Cycles, we will also have some Surly Bikes on hand. Group Camping at LKN State Park – Friday & Saturday Nights  Friday Night:  Open house and food at Museum of Mountain Bike Art & Technology (MOMBAT) in Statesville. Roughly 10 minutes north of the park. Saturday & Sunday : Salsa & Surly demos, southeast cycling vendors on hand to show off their goods there is no SALES of any sort allowed on the state park property. Saturday events:  Specific ride times leaving out of the parking lot, including mountain bike beginner, intermediate, advanced and kids, and a couple road rides. Suspension Experts on hand to help people properly setup their own bikes and the demo bikes Saturday evening a movie showing at either the group campsite on a big projector screen or at the community building. • food wherever the movie is • raffle wherever the movie & food is Sunday:  Scavenger hunt around the LKN area, a kid friendly version in the park and a longer version that will take cyclist outside the park. Other notes:  Weekend passes are limited to 110 people. All proceeds will be going to our local SORBA chapter who has built the trails, Tarheel Trailblazers and the local Trips for Kids Charlotte. Website: SouthernSpokes.com Registration: SouthernSpokes.Eventbrite.com $35 for full weekend of camping and awesomeness $15 for Saturday

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Legs were moving much better today on the road bike. A good mellow 2 hour endurance pace with some spin up intervals towards the end. Really enjoying the Foundry Auger. Full write up will be coming soon as I finally snapped some decent pictures during my ride today.

Tomorrow starts the build phase of the summer with goals of cyclocross in the fall. Roughly 15 hours on the training plan this week from the coach, my main goal this week is to get back on the pony and find that confidence in my legs again. Mixed with a ton of prep work, phone calls and meetings with dealers to prepare for 2013 product…this will be a couple busy weeks!