Midwest MTB Racing Recap

This weeks report is a special report from Revolution's Cycle and Ski, Ben Doom, who competed in the USA Cycling National 24 Hour Mountain Bike Championships.

On October 1 and 2, 2011, Colorado Springs hosted the National 24 Hour Mountain Bike Championships at Palmer Park. I was fortunate enough to tag along with local Cannondale Factory Team rider, Mike Schroden, and his wife, Angela (eight months pregnant!). Mike and Angela have been hopping all over the Midwest the past three years preparing for this race, starting out with 12 hour and then transitioning into 24 hour solo events. Mike would ride and Angela tended the pits, making sure Mike had what he needed. My job on this trip was to assist Angela in this area.

Palmer Park as a 24 hour venue is unique in that it is all within city limits. Not many areas can host a 24 hour race with a 13 mile loop in the middle of town! The course itself was littered with 1’-2’ drops, off camber descents and climbs, cactus, baby head rocks, 80+ degree dry heat during the day and 45 degrees at night. Not a problem for the locals, but it also has a starting elevation of 6500 feet, climbing 1300 feet per lap. Unfortunately the event had its issues too. The biggest was the lack of online timing. The timing in general was a mess until 19 hours of racing had passed. Pre riding the course was not easily achieved either, since the city would not let the course get marked till Friday evening. But overall the event was fun, and in the end, as is usually the case, it worked out.

Thinking Mike would take it easy on the customary lemans start, I was surprised to see him in the front pack of runners scrambling to find their bikes. Mike came in on his first lap only a few minutes behind solo leader, and eventual winner, Josh Tostado. At the end of the second lap Mike was concerned with back pains and switched to his Cannondale Scapel. The next several laps clicked right on by. After I stopped getting in Angela’s way and got the groove of what needed to happen, we became a fairly well oiled machine.

As night overcame the day we switched Mike’s bike for one with lights. It was here we let Mike know he was in 4th place. Several hours later we had to inform him the timing was messed up and he was maybe in 7th but we were not too sure, as were the time keepers. Mike appeared undeterred by the news and pedaled off in a trail of blinking lights. During the late night and early morning hours I thought for sure Mike would take a rest of some sort, but again he proved me wrong. The most Mike stopped was maybe 10-15 minutes. Enough time to eat some hot soup and toss on some knee warms. Mike was not the only persistent rider out there. Many of the other solo riders knew the timing was a mess and that no one could afford a break, in fear of losing precious ground on the other riders. Mike’s longest lap was around 1 hour 30 minutes. When he didn’t appear at 2 hours I was getting pretty nervous -- mechanical, injury? Turns out he got a flat and was unable to get his CO2 to work. After jogging for a bit someone tossed him another CO2 and Mike was back on his way. This was to be Mike’s only mechanical. I mean, I was his mechanic after all!

In typical endurance athlete fashion Mike was warmed up and was ready to go around 20 hours in! It’s a bit fuzzy but I don’t think he stopped at the pits the last 4 laps. The timing was almost all figured out and we were able to tell Mike he just moved out of 7th and was closing in on 5th and better. The first time Mike rode through the pits and didn’t stop I got goose bumps and super amped. I knew it was go time. I wanted to jump on my bike and ride with him so badly. But I maintained my position and waited his return. Upon coming in for his final lap Mike realized the urgency and decided to pound out another lap, which is hard to do when many others were calling it quits. Time was a real issue too, as Mike had to finish his lap by noon or it wouldn’t count at all. Mike rolled under the finish banner with several minutes to spare but no energy -- it was all on the course.

Mike ended up getting 6th place at the National 24 Hour Solo Championships, only missing 5th by 11 minutes and 4th by 16 minutes. Of course this brings up the flat and every racers questions of “what if” and “if I only”. But I have to say I was very proud to be a part of Mike’s phenomenal efforts at this year’s National event. After a quick pack up and shower we made our way east and back home. Yep, Mike drove the first two hours, then I two more, and we called it a night. Plans for the “next” race have already been tossed around but the memories and experiences from this trip will linger for some time.

Mike Schroden is also a co-owner (along with the author Ben Doom and third partner Harry Forsyth) of Revolution Cycle and Ski in St. Cloud, MN.

Angela is due at the end of October.   (Photos from Ben Doom)

Looking ahead

Next weeks final report will include a special interview with US Mountain Bike Hall of Famer and three time Chequamegon Fat Tire 40 winner, Steve Tilford.

Keep the wheels moving!

About the author... Jay Richards maintains a very active lifestyle. He somehow finds time between managing a full-time resort (Maplelag) and bringing up a family of four boys with his wife Jonell, to compete in both mountain bike and a few cross-country ski races. Jay rides for Maplelag Resort, manages the Maplelag/Paramount mountain bike team and enters his 21st year of racing and promoting mountain bike races.