Midwest MTB Report
It wasn't the best weekend for mountain biking for trails sensitive to wet weather and high volumes of rider traffic, forcing mountain bikers to grind out miles on the road. In addition, heavy rain earlier in the week forced promoters of race #10 in the Minnesota Mountain Bike Series to move to Murphy Hannhearan but unexpected heavy rain on Friday night had promoters and park officials making the difficult but right decisions to cancel the rate outright and avoid the trail getting nuked and good call for racers coming from farther away. The race has now been rescheduled to this coming weekend. Details in the Looking Ahead segment of this weeks Midwest Mountain Bike Report as well as highlights from the Marji Gesick ultra endurance MTB event in the UP and a handful of news and notes items.
Marji Gesick
I made an attempt to get a exclusive report from the Marji Gesick, but folks are still bonked. Rightfully so, one of the more challenging endurance events in the Midwest if not the country as racers shoot for the coveted custom built belt buckle, awarded to any rider cracking 12 hours.
(Photo: The coveted Marji Gesick belt buckle)
Organizers report many comments echoing this statement: "I've done Leadville twice and it doesn't even come close to being as tough as this ride is! Great job guys for putting together a true sufferfest!" Long time professional Tinker Juarez, still ripping it nicely at age 55, took the win in 10 hours 12 minutes and four seconds. Just a minute 30 seconds over second place finisher Matt Acker. Jan Roubal, Peter Karinen, and Luke Tjosvold rounded out the top five respectively. There were 20 riders to crack 12 hours. No female riders under 12 but overall winner in the female division went to Cary Lowery who spent 13 hours, 28 minutes and 17 seconds on the bike on some of the most authentic singletrack in the midwest. Lisa Randall, Jennifer Neuschwander, Kim Chapman and Leah Vanderlinden rounded out the top five in the women's division. 23 belt buckles were claimed. DNF rate was 54%. Course length was coming in around 110 miles. Elevation 11,000k, according to race organizers.
Tinker Juarez recap (from Facebook):
I did the second annual Marji Gesick 100. I was very happy to hear last year there was around 150 rider and this year 600 riders. I'm so happy to see how much mountain biking is growing all over USA . It's was a beautiful race and the trails where mind blowing and amazing , endless berms, 80% single track roughly, super twisty lots of roots, rocky so much Forest I hardly ever seen the Sun the whole day and started hurting around mi 90 with so much energy focusing to be smooth and not hitting trees all day and Punchy climb that add around 12,000ft after riding all day. I'm super stoked I won and believe me it was very close the whole entire race. Matt Acker from Michigan new how to Shred the trails so i felt better riding behind local knowledge. There was no room for mistakes and we both where feeling it. I decided now or never to make a move and started a small gap that got longer and longer, but when I miss Arrow lost over 5 mins after turning around and asking a volunteer I new winning was over since losing to much time, I started feeling wobbly need to focus now just to finish and not give up second place. I started feeling a little better noing it almost over and the volunteers where saying I was in first place and I said I was in second and Matt was leading I just kept focus and past the last feed zone since it was off the course out of view so i kept going and didn't realize that's where Matt stop for a few minutes. I just wanted to finish and had one more steep climb and one more poker chip to grab at the top of the hill before I headed back to the finish line. When I saw second place heading up climb that I was going down I new he was close, I had to give everything in me to win and when i seen the finish line it felt like gold from those hills I ridden all day. Great competition make winning feel awesome even with the suffering at the end of 10 hours of racing. I don't want to forget the race promoter Todd Poquette for taking good care of me and treating me with so awesome trails. Of course there are so many other people I want to thank for making me feel like part of the family. I'm just blessed and thankful to have new friends from Michigan. I hope to see you next year. PS, I cherish this buckle above all my other buckle that I won in my racing career. Thanks to everyone of my sponsors who keep me going everyday
(Photo: Legend Tinker Juarez at the finish)
Couple of blogs to check on later in the week for race recaps: Ben Doom, Steve Hamlin
Two Hundred Twenty Two Mile Tahoe Traipse
Barry Buhr was one of the riders to compete in the Marji Gesick, this was coming on the heels of competing in an epic ride in Tahoe, CA. just days before the Marji Gesick! Barry had a great post on Facebook that he agreed to let us share on the MW MTB report. An excerpt from the report...
This original idea of this trip was just to ride "Rose to Toads" with my friend Brian. His wife Lisa and my other friend Tom would maybe join also. Its about a 60 mile ride which is very reasonable but, as with all the rides around there, its still harder per mile than most midwest stuff. There is just so much hike-a-bike. It gets insane at times. If at any point, you're asking why 222 miles in 5 days could be tough..you need to just get out there and see.
Well anyway, I had that plan, and then Brian ended up breaking his hand but I was committed to the trip. So I started thinking about adding onto the ride and making it a 100. Early into the planning for that, I realized I could make it a 150. Then, I found a Strava ride where some guys did a full loop all around the lake and before I knew it, I was planning a multi-day semi-assisted bikepacking adventure. The full loop part really steps it up because then you have to do a lot of jeep trails, which are largely unrideable on bike. Big thanks to Tony who actually replied when I messaged him via Strava. See, social media can be a good thing!
(Photo: Riding on Armstrong Pass with a fresh dusting of snow)
The plan ended up being to start Monday at the top of Mt Rose, do the Rose to Toads ride with the group and then I would ride to my friends house in South Lake and stay there for the night. In the morning I would load up with my camping gear and head out for the next three days/ two nights on my own. I would finish the ride on Thursday back at Brian and Lisa's house on the outskirts of Truckee. This plan would end up changing on the fly.
Read Barry's full report including route map and a great set of photos
Lookout Mountain Trail Opening
This past weekend was the grand opening of the new mountain bike trail, Lookout Mountain, located just outside Virginia, MN. The Laurentian Divide Recreation Area serves as the trailhead for the Lookout Mountain Trail and Laurentian Divide Fitness Trail which includes a 15 mile hiking and skiing trail system and a ½-mile fitness trail with 7 exercise stations. Additionally, the Lookout Mountain Bike Trails feature 5 miles of dedicated mountain bike single track and over 6 miles of multi-use rideable ski trail. The recreation area features scenic overlooks, 4 picnic sites, an Adirondack shelter, interpretive signs and restrooms.
Minnesota Brown Report
Mesabi Daily News Article
Looking Ahead
As mentioned in the beginning, the original race scheduled at the new Lake Rebecca mountain bike trail was cancelled last weekend due to wet conditions. The race was moved to Murphy but now has been rescheduled to this weekend back at Lake Rebecca.
(Photo: Building of new Lake Rebecca mountain bike trail)
Another event to take note as part of the Three Rivers Park District Mountain Biking Program is a ribbon cutting on the same day as the series race, starting at 2:30 pm at the singletrack trailhead. Note to those traveling by horse: Where the horse trail crosses the Recreation Area entrance, ride on the road to the trailhead. Horses (and their riders!) are welcome at the ribbon cutting.
The energetic and optimistic Woolly Bike Club will be hosting Woolly Day this weekend at the Woolly trail system. Group rides, brats, cake, and a evening fire a few of the highlights celebrating a great mountain bike season as the Woolly folks are already looking ahead to the cooler months to come and fat biking, prepared nicely by their custom trail groomer.
(Photo: Buffed Woolly)
Although the deer fly season is long gone, thankfully, there will be plenty of fast chasing at the Deer Fly Chase located at the Hickory Ridge trail system. The event is hosted by "CORBA" on a course offering scenic trails with beautiful scenery. Race director Noah Miachelson reports: Looks like I will have the past three winners back to battle it out this year - Swanson, Lillie, Fitzgerald. and at this point the weather is looking great" Reports from previous participants coming in as a old school classic mountain bike course with a nice grass roots feel and down to earth promoters.
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/LaMere/Paramount/Jake's Bikes mountain bike team and enters his 26th year of racing and promoting mountain bike races. Have an event or mountain bike related information to share from the Midwest? Feel free to contact Jay at |