Tread Fest 2018, Augusta Maine
by Rick Harbison • June 27, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed Treadfest 2018 at the Bond Brook Trails in Augusta this year. I've been to these trails a few times now, but never had a chance to do the race. The single track is incredibly fun, twisty turny, hilly, etc. Normally I poke around and explore the trails, so it was unique privilege to blast around at full speed with no decisions to make �� just follow the course.
I teamed up with a riding buddy of mine (Jake Riley) to do the team event. Most of the races I sign up for are longer, 1-loop endurance mountain bike affairs, so it was a pleasant change of pace to do this format �� taking turns doing laps on a 6 mile course at maximum effort. Another aspect I couldn't help but appreciate is the amount of single track. For the longer races it's usually a mix of single track, dirt road, road, etc. This race is comprised almost entirely of single track.
Jake and I each put three laps in at around 38-40 minutes per lap. Fortunately no mechanicals or major issues, aside from some clumsy handoffs of the velcro anklet (mostly my fault), and we ended up getting 2nd place for the team division.
Overall, there's great camaraderie at this event. It's a special place and a special race. Looking forward to having another go at it next year!