A.E.LANDES PHOTOBLOG

That’s right… The ’101. Dirt, rocks, fire roads, heat, summer, over-extending yourself into a hot mess, and creek-soaking at the after-party. This year, I did not have a wedding scheduled in the afternoon, so I was able to dedicate the whole day to covering the race (and by whole day, I mean from 5 AM to 8 PM). With all day to work, getting the start, the Three Bridges, the Sassy Pig, and the Second Tunnel was no problem (just look out for the chicks-in-bikinis-and-beer-chugging-bros a mile from the finish). Now, staying around long enough at these locations for everyone to come by was tough, but hopefully everyone will be seen. It would be great to get out from behind the camera one of these years… Check out the photo collections below!

Here is the highlight gallery from the 2011 Wilderness 101.

And the full collection, with prints and downloads available here: 2011 Wilderness 101 Complete Collection.

Crushed! Mud and wind and cold and a stream-crossing-that-felt-like-a-river and mud and cold. Did I mention there was mud? After the course changed from rocky Michaux to a ‘much smoother’ YMCA Camp north of Carlisle, everyone thought they were getting off easy. However, the freezing temperatures mixed with Zach Adam’s insatiable appetite for drive-train destruction led to moments of glory, and all the riders demanded my humble respect during this four hour lap race. Of course, these circumstances led to many great photo opportunities, indeed.

Here is a link to the Michaux Mash 2011 Print and Download Collection.

NITERYDER. It’s another great event put on by the great folks over at Plum Grove Cyclery. This time, it’s racing by moonlight and headlights, and I am trying not to jump out of the dark like Sasquatch. It took much longer to get every shot set up and balanced, but this race was much more about experimenting with the strobes and trying to produce some visually spicy work. Without blinding the racers. Some things worked, and others did not. All that aside, it’s always great running into familiar faces out at the events – bros from the bike shop and a Trans-Sylvanianite made late night appearances.

Check out the highlights from Plum Grove Cyclery: NiteRyder 2011 here.

Or the Complete Collection for Prints and Downloads is found here.

Yeah, this photo about sums it up. Snow, snow, snow. Crusty snow, then powdery snow. It turned this mountain bike race into a free-form running stampede of mud-cleats and knobby-tires. And regardless of the weather and conditions, it was still a lot of fun. Not quite as epic as the snowstorm that came in mid-race last year, but I love the giant fields of snow with those lone cyclists treading through it. I had fun and judging by the smiles, the riders had some silly good times, too. Also, I think Number 11 might need to get some new friends.

Here is a link to the Gallery from Plum Grove Cyclery’s – Snotcycle 2011.

And the Complete Snotcycle 2011 Gallery for Prints and Orders. Again, if you don’t see yourself, email me (info@aelandesphotography.com) and I will see what I can find!

IRON CROSS VIII. What I found to be most disturbing about this race is the amount of people that *smiled for the camera… I mean, you spend a grueling 62 miles on a cyclocross bike (most ‘cross races last 30-45 minutes, right?) over all kinds of terrain and about 7,000 feet of elevation gain? Mike and Zach, the Evil Promoters, must have it out for everyone – the Wigwam Rock Wall and a nasty bit of ending single-track should be a red flag to their, um, ideas of ‘fun’. Glad to see everyone survived, even though my boy Mike Festa flatted twice (I think that second wasn’t quite so accidental). And a shout to Team Freezethaw for sharing some of that Troeg’s booty winnings with me.

Here is a quick highlight Gallery from IRON CROSS VIII – 2010.

And if you have the time, here is IRON CROSS VIII’s Complete Collection and Product Order Site.

Ahh, another year, another ’101. At least this year they had drier conditions to race in, as I am sure not many racers missed the fog and soggy rocks. Like clockwork, the leaders came bombing in a little before 9 AM, and the steady stream of riders crossing Three Bridges and the Stupid Rock Garden lasted past 10. Shooting conditions were ideal, as I was able to use the bright spots in the trees to create the speed streaks. And it was great seeing the familiar faces out there riding.

Here is a quick gallery from the 2010 Wilderness 101 Mountain Bike Race.

And if you have a lot of time, here is the Complete Gallery and Print Order Site for the ’101.

As always, if you don’t see yourself here, just send me an email and I will see if I can find you. Thanks!

Blistering heat? Choking dust? Hill climbing for eight hours? Sounds about right for the Marysville MASS Mountain Bike Race. Jeez, I did one lap for fun and went through all of my water and just about keeled over. Throw in a nighttime time trial and a short-track race on Sunday, and that’s a killer weekend. I got lots of goodies (photographically speaking) throughout the weekend, including shots from the Slowest Downhill Challenge and the Huffy Toss. Kudos to Mike Kuhn and team for another great race (remember the Trans-Sylvania Epic? Same promoter!).

Here is a gallery of the Marysville MASS Mountain Bike Race highlights.

And see the Complete Gallery and Print/Download Ordering here.

Wow – I really cannot tell you how much fun (and work!) this week has been! Hanging around this kooky crowd may have affected (or infected) my brain – truly, I am already craving next year’s race and blacked it out from my professional and social calendars. The front image is from one of my favorite racer-through-the-stream set-ups, and not to mention Leadville 100 Champ Rebecca Rusch in this image (name-drop here!). The final days of the Epic were amazing, with crushed souls and cracked Chris King headset races littering the Central PA forests. Looking forward to next year with Mike and Ray at TSE 2011!

Here is the highlight reel from the Trans-Sylvania Epic: Day 5-7.

And for those of you without jobs and a healthy mountain bike obsession, the TSE 2010 Complete Gallery.

The Trans-Sylvania Epic is most assuredly one of the highlights of my year. One week of stage race mountain biking in State College with plenty of rocks and roots to eat… *yum*. Lots of photos, lots of stories, and lots of sleep after exhausting days. And it’s only Tuesday. Here are the photos from Day 1 though Day 4, with hot stages and rainy downpours.

Check out the gallery here: Trans-Sylvania Epic 2010: Day 1-4.

And for all of you with a lot of time (and wanting to order prints and downloads), here is the Complete Trans-Sylvania Collection.

Most people started off with smiles and laughing, but after thirteen silly hours of mountain bike racing, there weren’t too many happy faces to be seen. Actually, there were some, but those people were hanging out by some of the massive bonfires and drinking beer at the end. It was another great time for mountain bikers in Leesburg, VA, and the setting offered a wide variety of lighting and backgrounds (a photographer’s playground). I was trying some more non-traditional shots, involving flashes and wide-angles and long-exposures, so hopefully if you raced, you will see yourself posed in the most flattering position: rubber side down and bib shorts up.

Here is the cream of the crop: Plum Cyclery Baker’s Dozen 2010.

And here is the complete collection of images, with the ability to purchase/download images: Baker’s Dozen 2010 Complete Collection. If you don’t see yourself, send me a shout and I will see if I can find your number.