Midwest MTB Racing Report
A quiet weekend in the Midwest on the mountain bike racing front. A handful of Midwest riders making the trek west for the USA Cycling Mountain Bike Championships including some solid placings by Wisconsin riders. This weeks shorter report takes note of a few mountain bike related items and a look ahead.
USA Cycling Mountain Bike Nationals
The 2013 USA Cycling Cross-Country Mountain Bike National Championships concluded Sunday at Bear Creek Resort in Macungie, Pa.
In all, over one thousand unique riders made nearly 1,500 total starts and over 60 national champions were crowned through the four-day event.
Probably the most inspiring result, to me, was that of Frederic Schmid who won the Masters 80+ category in a time of 1:18:50. I think we can all agree just to be able to ride a bike at 80 years of age is something we all hope we are able to do but riding a mountain bike over roots, rocks and challenging terrain is awesome. Nicely done Frederic.
Paul Bunyan State Forest
Last week I was in the Akely area and stopped by the Paul Bunyan State Forest (PBSF) for a mountain bike ride. I try to get there a couple of times in the spring when the sight lines are good and the bugs are not active. The PBSF area has been mentioned in previous reports but always worth a mention for the incredible network of trails for riding. The area was developed for ohv traffic but many mountain bikers from the area take enjoyment of the dirt bike specific trails, especially the more technical ones that see less traffic, for what I feel is the best kept secret for mountain biking in the Midwest. If you are looking for purpose built like riding, you won't find it here but instead rocks, roots and. Recommended to ride during the week to avoid ohv traffic which in 23 years of riding here, I have yet to encounter a dirt bike.
Rain most of the day had the trail wet but the mostly sandy and rocky terrain made for a good technical ride....never a bad shred here! It is possible to ride close to 80 miles of singletrack type trail without riding the same trail twice!
Paul Bunyan State Forest
Trail Map
Related: Minnesota Bike Trail Navigator website
Dollars for Detroit Mountain
The Detroit Mountain Recreation Area is moving forward on bringing year round silent sport activity to the retired ski area. The former alpine area hopes to gain a new life after receiving sponsorship from the city of Detroit Lakes, exempting the project from paying property taxes. Key factors in the DMRA group to move forward is no long term debt and low operational costs. 
"The project is feasible only if the development costs can be paid through grants and private contributions and gifts and that there are no ongoing property taxes. The ski and tubing facility will generate the bulk of the revenue, along with camping fees and possible fees for mountain bike trails", stated on the website. DMRA group has received pledges from businesses totalling over 4 million dollars and hopes to raise an additional million dollars to begin construction as early as this fall.
In addition to downhill skiing and tubing which would be the primary sources of revenue, plans are for up to 10 miles of purpose built mountain bike trails.
When I first started mountain biking, Detroit Mountain was one of the local areas we used to ride. We would run time trials during the week and the steep hills were great training for the hilly course in Minnesota, and harder than any climb seen in the Minnesota series. It is always great to see new mountain bike trails being created but I have a hard time with the property tax exemption, paying a large amount of property tax myself to operate mountain bike trails privately.
Looking ahead
The Afton Avalanche is one of the longest running mountain bike events in the state. The original trail system was constructed over a decade ago and has seen continual growth and improvements over the years. The trails are maintained by Afton Alps Ski area and a group of dedicated volunteers. Many participants over the years regard the Avalanche as the toughest race in the state series. The continual ups and downs combined with challenging single track sections keep your eyes on the trail and hands on the bars. Not many chances to relax and grab your water bottle because the hills keep coming.
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 23rd year of racing and promoting mountain bike races. |