Onion River Sports - Outdoor Gear & Apparel

Are you at peak riding or running fitness this summer?  Come test your fitness with an epic evening of “casual sprint racing” up Cliff Street in Montpelier!  This year there will be alternating riding and running heats, with a final face-off between the top four riders and runners.

Sunday, June 3rd 2012

Registration: 4:00 pm, Day Of Race

Race Start: 5:00 pm-7:30pm

Where: Court St. and Hillside Ave, Montpelier VT

Course: Straight up Cliff St. and Corse streets in Montpelier.  This short stretch of uphill is one of the steepest climbs in Montpelier and is sure to instill pain in the best hill climber, especially when done repeatedly!  The starting line is at the bottom of Cliff Street with the finish at the top near the Hubbard Park gate.  Riders will cool-down through Hubbard Park and loop around to the start via Winter, Elm, and Corse Streets; runners will head back down the course.

Racers will compete in heats of four, determined by random seeding, and will be placed for the next round according to their finishing place.  The number of heats will be dependent on participation, but most likely will be between 2 and 4.  Top finishers will be awarded with unique prizes and gift certificates.  While this is a competitive event, all ages and abilities are welcome!

If you are not up for racing, please feel free to cheer on the racers up the hill.  The atmosphere is jubilant and festive, not unlike big bike climbs in European road races! Bring your noise-makers, cowbells, and pom-poms.

We will also need at least 6 volunteers to help us at the start and to marshal the course during the race.  If you are interested in helping out, please contact Carrie (events@onionriver.com).

Registration: Register day of starting at 4pm.  Race fee $10.

Questions: Contact Carrie or Kip at Onion River Sports at 802-229-9409 or events@onionriver.com.

Friday Night Fix

April 22, 2012

Here it is folks!  The full details on our Friday Night Fix series, from Flat Fix workshops to Ladies night clinics to everything you ever wanted to know about your brakes.  Bike season is in full swing and it would be a shame to miss out on rides due to a maintenance issue!  Friday’s kickoff flat fix workshop went quite well, and the rest of the season should be just as great!

All clinics are held right here at the shop from 6-7 pm and are led by Onion River staff or highly qualified “guest lecturers.”



June 8, 6:00-7:30pm at Onion River Sports

Ladies’ Night

Join us for this women-only evening of refreshments and bike maintenance! Kelly Ault from Mountain Moxie is the talented and knowledgeable instructor for this event. She will begin with instruction on how to fix a flat tire and then she’ll discuss preparing your bike for a big ride or race. Did you take your bike out of the car the morning of only to discover your brakes are now rubbing on your wheel and your shifting isn’t quite right? Kelly will help you troubleshoot—and learn quick fixes for—some of the bike problems you may encounter on the start line or the start of your ride.

June 29, 6:00-7:0pm at Onion River Sports

Flat Fix and Troubleshooting #2
Have you once again found yourself stuck on the road, a tire lever in this hand, a patch in the other, your pump between you teeth and not knowing what to do next?  Then this is the clinic for you!  Our seasoned mechanic will give you an overview of fixing a front or rear flat tire, help you identify what flat-fix gear you’ll need to take with you on your ride and give you the skills to fix that flat yourself!  They’ll also help you self-diagnose other basic bike issues by showing you what to look and listen for, time permitting.

*While you don’t need to bring your bike to participate in this hands-on tutorial, you’re more than welcome to!


July 13, 6:00-7:30pm at Onion River Sports

Ladies’ Friday-the-13th Night!

Join us for this 2nd women-only evening of refreshments and bike maintenance!  Our female instructor will begin with the basics on how to fix a flat tire and then she’ll delve into shifting and braking issues and possible causes and solutions. Anything else you’d like to know about riding in general, ride diet, training or how to select the right type of bike for your riding style? Come to this fun-filled evening!

August 3, 6:00-7:00pm at Onion River Sports

Flat Fix and Troubleshooting – Encore Edition
If you missed the first and second Flat Fix clinics, here’s your chance to catch up! Since you’re still having trouble getting your steed up and running after an unfortunate encounter with a broken bottle, then this is the clinic for you!  Our mechanic will give you an overview of fixing a front or rear flat tire, help you know what flat-fix gear you’ll need to take with you on your ride, and give you the skills to fix that flat yourself.  They’ll also help you self-diagnose other common bike problems by showing you what to look and listen for. Know the GU wrapper or dollar bill trick? If not, come to this finale event!

Weekly rides are just starting up here at the shop, and we have a pretty spectacular line-up for this riding season, whether you are an old pro or just getting into it.  All rides are free, anyone under 15 must be accompanied by an adult and anyone under 18 must have a signed parental permission form.  Please come in proper physical condition to ride depending on the ride, bring water and a snack, and dress appropriately for spring conditions.  All riders must wear helmets.

MONDAY NIGHT: ORS Cyclocross Cruise, 6pm.  (Starts Monday, April 9th) Check out a new part of Central Vermont’s uniquely beautiful dirt road network each week!  Rides will leave shortly after 6:00 pm from the Onion River Sports parking lot (Montpelier) for a roughly 1-2 hour cyclocross ride. Ride pace will be fun and moderately casual, but the terrain around Montpelier certainly has its share of elevation change! We’ll gain heights of land, descend, and then do it again!

TUESDAY NIGHT: Cycling 101 with Linda Freeman, 5:30pm.  (Starts Tuesday, April 17th) Ready to get out of the gym and onto the road?  Want to ride with others at a relaxed pace and not get left behind?  Looking to balance your aggressive training days with a more social ride?  Need tips on how to ride safely, check your bike fit, find a century training plan, deal with traffic, acquire new cycling skills or polish the old ones and learn more about your bike? Just simply need the courage to get out there?  Join Cycling  101!  First ride will leave the Montpelier HS parking lot.  All levels will be accommodated.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Onion River Sports Mountain Bike Ride, shortly after 5pm and/or shortly after 6pm. (Starts Wednesday, April 11th) These intermediate to advanced level rides are led by the ORS staff and travel to different area trails each week. Car-pooling will be an option and some rides will definitely be local where driving isn’t required. Email kip@onionriver.com to be added to the ride email list.

Onion River Racing Wednesday Night World Championships, 5:30 pm. (Already started)  Fast ride with town line sprints and KOM just-for-bragging-rights competitions.  The route is announced at ride time.  Bring all necessary supplies to get home on your own to the Onion River Sports parking lot at 5:30pm, along with your A-game.  Check out Onion River Racing’s webpage (www.onionriverracing.com) for more information.

THURSDAY NIGHT: Onion River Racing Thursday Night Nationals, 5:30 pm. (Already started) Pace is at zone 1 & 2!  No-drop ride!  The route is announced at ride time, meet in the Onion River Sports parking lot.  Check out Onion River Racing’s webpage (www.onionriverracing.com) for more information.

Help build the Cross Vermont Trail by running or cycling 15, 30 or 60 miles on scenic dirt roads through productive farms and woodlands!  The Central Vermont Cycling Tour, Formerly the Eco Bike Tour, will start at Morse Farm and make loops through the beautiful fields and farms in the area.  Registration includes great local food at a post-ride buffet, convenient rest stops, well marked courses and fun.  New for this year is a time clock, allowing riders to set goals and partake in a little friendly competition.

The Tour options:

  • The Short Tour (14 miles) starts at 10AM. This course is 88% gravel/dirt, is great for families with children (no big climbs), and has 1 rest stop.
  • The Medium Tour (33 miles) starts at 10AM. This course is 83% gravel/dirt, has about 3,000′ of climbing, and 3 rest stops.
  • The Long Tour (59 miles) starts at 9AM. This course is 91% gravel/dirt, has approx 6,020′ of climbing, and 3 rest stops.
  • Runners (14 and 33 miles) Run with the bikers!  Both running options start at 9am.
  • All riders & runners must sign in on the day of the event, rider and runner check-in begins at 8:00 AM. Please plan on arriving 30-45 minutes before your tour begins.

And an added bonus, bring your bike to Onion River Sports, with proof of registration, for a discounted pre-ride tune-up!  We will also be donating a bike for a raffle, so enter to win something great (exact model to be determined).  Other great raffle items donated by Millstone Trails, Kingdom Trails, and Slopestyle Ski and Ride in Montpelier.

Registration is now open!  Registration fees:  $75 (family), $60 (individual) and $30 (junior) with discounts for early registration.  Free for children 12 or under.  Venue opens at 8 AM.

For more information, contact Eric Scharnberg, 802-498-0079, eric@crossvermont.org or visit our website http://www.centralvtcyclingtour.org/.

Sponsored by Cross Vermont Trail Association, Onion River Sports, Morse Farm Sugar Works, Vermont Farm Tours, Magic House, Misty Knoll Chicken and many others.

August 11, 2012

11th Annual Harpoon Point to Point to benefit the Vermont Food bank

25, 50 or 115 miles

The Harpoon Point to Point is a day of bicycle rides across the state of Vermont to benefit the Vermont Food bank. The 115-mile ride starts at the Catamount Family Center in Williston, the 50-mile ride in Bethel and the 25-mile ride is an out and back from the Harpoon Brewery in Windsor. All riders finish at the Harpoon Brewery for a BBQ with fresh Harpoon beer.

More info: hp2p@harpoonbrewery.com, www.harpoonpointtopoint.com