Full Time Dad, Part Time Bike Racer Wins Vermont Overland Pavé Madness

On Sunday July 9, 2017 First Stop Board Barn Team Athlete Mike Barton won the Vermont Overland Pavé Madness, a 23 mile epic mountain / fat bike adventure ride comprised almost entirely of rocky, muddy, and climby Class 4 (unmaintained) roads! The race, which took place between Plymouth and Reading, Vermont, featured ridiculously steep climbs and manic rocky, muddy descents as well as roads that looked more like riverbeds rather than trails. This was Mike Barton’s second win of the year, previously winning the Tour of Battenkill event.

First Stop Board Barn Brand Director, Randy Elles, followed up with Mike after the race: “I finished first at the VO Pavé Madness on the Cannondale Scalpel - epic, muddy, and brutal event.  The race featured a beaver dam crossing (up to your chest in water for 600 feet), flowing river beds littered with baby head rocks, and lots of technical climbing and descending (over 3500 feet in 23 miles).  Being able to switch the suspension on-the-fly allowed me to hammer the downhill sections, and accelerate on the climbs and rollers. Double bottle cages on the full suspension were an added bonus to stay hydrated” Barton said.

Mike Barton, of Hanover, NH beat out local favorite and professional cyclist Ansel Dickey of Woodstock, VT who was riding the 2018 Cannondale Slate SE. The full time dad, part time bike racer has worked as an R&D Engineer at Creare for 14 years and counting. He feels blessed with a very supportive wife and energetic 3-year old twin girls that keep them busy. When he’s not racing bikes he enjoys spending the day with his wife and kids, especially towing the girls in the bike chariot to all sorts of funky adventures, and tackling masterful home improvement projects.

This is just one of the great events organized by Peter Vollars of Vermont Overland this year. The ride was led by Land Rovers of all vintages, and some amazing photos were captured by professional photographer, Reese Brown, of Woodstock, VT.

 Next up; The Overland on Sunday August 27, 2017. The Overland is a 49-mile dirt road timed bicycle adventure ride featuring 5,600 feet of climbing, seven sections of “Vermont pavé” (unmaintained ancient public roads), a beautiful rural historic ski area start/finish, and a lively after-party. Open dirt roads, amazing scenery, and an epic course unlike any you’ve ever ridden before, all within a beautiful Vermont pastoral setting which starts and finishes at the Suicide 6 Resort in Pomfret, Vermont.