The Brown County Breakdown is a combination mountain bike and bluegrass festival that annually brings together men and women, young and old, experienced and not to Brown County State Park in Nashville, Indiana. Designated as an IMBA "epic" location in 2011, Brown County is one of the top mountain bike destinations in the world and the Breakdown is the perfect excuse to visit the area!
The Breakdown is a fundraising event for the Hoosier Mountain Bike Association, a non-for profit organization dedicated to promoting responsible mountain biking and working towards the goals of common land access and natural resource protection in Indiana and has been run by grassroots event promotions company, Sub-9 Productions, since its 2005 inception. A husband-and-wife team who have been active in cycling advocacy for over a decade, Sub-9 Productions is helping to grow the sport of mountain biking and promoting fun and unique cycling events in the Midwest.
The 8th Annual Brown County Breakdown officially kicked off on Friday, October 12th as folks from across the country began to arrive and setup their tents at the exclusive Start/Finish campground near the State Park pool house. The HMBA is given special permission on this one weekend a year to setup a mini city of mountain bikers. Riders from across the United States have been represented at the annual event that has even drawn some international participation!
Many participants return each year for the premier mountain bike event. They look forward to seeing past friends and riding buddies and meeting new ones to share in the adventure. It doesn't take long for camping neighbors to become quick friends as they share stories from previous years and begin their planning for the upcoming Sunday ride. By Friday evening folks settled in for the first of seven live bluegrass bands scheduled throughout the weekend on the main stage at the exclusive Start/Finish campground.
The Whipstitch Sallies were first to take the stage and entertain guests with their vocal harmonies and sweet bluegrass sounds while Big Woods Brewing Company of Nashville, IN supplied the Friday night libations. Next up was Cody Diekhoff, aka, Chicago Farmer, who's solo pickin's brought the crowd to their feet and had everyone singin' along.
On Saturday, participants and park visitors alike enjoyed free access to one of the largest bike and product demos east of the Mississippi. Folks liked up to test ride some of the newest bikes - and a few other options - to hit the market. Riders took advantage of the beautiful weather and perfect trail conditions to test ride a variety of bikes from both large and small manufacturers. The 2012 demo included Cannondale, Scott, Giant, Trek, Trek Women, Niner, Kona, SRAM and REI!
The Saturday festivities continued with the Hocking River String Band who kicked the evening off in style while plenty of beer flowed at the Upland Brewing Beer Garden. The lively Ohio based band brought the crowd to their feet and set the tone for an evening of fun. By the time New Old Cavalry took to the stage the crowd was plenty warm and there was hardly a soul not singin' and dancin' along.
While Sunday morning may have begun with high winds and a looming threat of rain, it still did not deter over 470 riders from taking part in the 8th annual fund-raising event. Trails were in great shape, but participants watched carefully overhead as trees swayed - and occasionally fell!) in the 50+ mile per hour wind gusts. As the day wore on weather conditions improved and the sun began to peak through the clouds. The threat of rain skirted right around the Brown County area and riders lucked into a beautiful day with fall colors nearly at their peak. This year's route took riders into new territory and participants rider over 45 miles enjoyed the beautiful views within Yellowwood State Forest. It was a new and exciting change as this ws the first time Yellowwood has ever been opened to mountain bikes!
Throughout the ride participants were greeted by bluegrass musicians organized by our good friends at Weed Patch Music. These fine folks continue to brave whatever weather is thrown at them each year to give riders a special treat. Whether climbing to the top of Aynes or riding along the valley toward Hesitation Point, participants hear the picking and singing of traditional folk music along the way.
With three special pit stops spread throughout the route, an abundance of food is always available. The first top is the Hesitation Point SAG where baked goodies are provided by the Friends of Brown County State Park and mechanical support is available from West Trails Bicycles. The Nebo Ridge Hidden Cabin SAG is a favorite amongst riders and folks lined up for the pb&j's and mini Subway sandwiches courtesy of Nebo Ridge Bicycles and listened to the live bluegrass playin' on the front porch. Joe's Cycles once again provided free mechanical assistance at the Hidden Cabin while Bicycle Garage Indy supported the new Crooked Creek SAG where HMBA's Grill Master Kirk once agained offered his ever popular Breakdown burgers and brats. Back at the Start/Finish, riders encountered a huge hog roast and spread of fixin's from legendary Jug's Catering!
As riders returned to the Start/Finish area they were greeted with more live music on the main stage from Flatland Harmony Experiment, White Lightning Boys and the Indiana Boys. Once checked in, riders picked up their commemorative t-shirt and were informed if they won a special prize in the random sponsor raffle.
Here are this year's big winners:
Cannondale RZ One-Twenty courtesy Cannondale and
Nebo Ridge Bicycles
~ Tracy Smith (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Niner EMD Frame couresy Niner/Bicycle Outfitters Indy
~ Shawn Strange (Fishers, Indiana)
Kona Big UNIT Frame courtesy Kona Bikes
~ Sara Gatewood (Covington, Kentucky)
Avid XO Trail Brakes courtesy SRAM
~ Bradford Douglas (Anderson, Indiana)
Go Pro Camera courtesy Indy Cycle Specialist
~ Aaron Caveglia (Rochester, New York)
~ Susan Arnold (Carmel, Indiana)
Bontrager Race X Lite 29er Wheelset courtesy Trek
~ Justin Lehmer (Fishers, Indiana)
REI Tent/Camping Package courtesy REI Castleton
~ Paul Steele (Chatham, Ontario, CAN)
Industry Sponsors
Cannondale ~ Niner Bikes ~ Trek Bikes
Giant ~ Kona ~ Scott
SRAM ~ Zoic ~ SKS Germany
Local Bike Shop Sponsors
Nebo Ridge Bicycles ~ Carmel, In
Bicycle Garage Indy ~ Indianapolis, In
Bicycle Outfitters Indy ~ Indianapolis, In
Indy Cycle Specialist ~ Indianapolis, In
Bicycle Station ~ Columbus, In
Joe's Cycles ~ Indianapolis, In
West Trails Bicycles ~ Miamitown, Oh
Local Business Sponsors
Upland Brewing Company ~ Bloomington, In
Big Woods Brewing Company ~ Nashville, In
REI ~ Castleton, In
Jug's Catering ~ Indianapolis, In
Weed Patch Music ~ Nashville, In
Friends of Brown County State Park
Brown County IGA (Nashville, Indiana)
CORA Mountain Bike Patrol (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Eden Outfitters (Nashville, Indiana)
The 8th annual event was another huge success raising over $20,000 for the HMBA - for the second year in a row. The HMBA's largest fundraiser has now brought in over $90,000 for the local organization!
We want to thank our amazing crew of volunteers who signed up to help throughout the weekend. It takes an army of folks to mark and unmark the course, setup and tear down the demo and Start/Finish areas, check riders in and out of registration, run the sag stops, pick up trash, park cars and more! There is not enough thanks to give these folks who continue to step up year after year and we know we could not pull off an event of this nature without their ongoing support.
We also want to be sure and thank More East Design for once again creating a memorable t-shirt logo and Two Pedals Photography for capturing the event on camera for all to see. Be sure and check out this year's photos and purchase your 2012 souvenir book to remember your time at the 8th annual event!
Mark your calendars now for September 27-29 and we'll see you at the 9th annual event!
Cheers,
Tania and Jonathan Juillerat
Event Directors
Sub-9 Productions
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