Midwest MTB Report
The mountain bike season is in full swing with bigger festival events now complementing the series races. The big Epic Bike Fest weekend occurred this past weekend and this week we're checking in with Jenna Rinehart who shared highlights from her two races at that event, as well as a reflection on the UnBound Gravel race she participated in as part of her involvement with the Life Time Grand Prix series. Also included in this week's report is a quick recap from the Redhead Mountain Bike Park for race #2 in the Minnesota Mountain Bike Series, an article touting the world’s toughest mountain bike races, and a look ahead to a busy end of June.
Epic Bike Fest, UnBound Gravel Reflections with Jenna Rinehart
This year's Epic Bike Fest featured both a mountain bike race and a gravel race the following day, with the 37-mile mountain bike race featuring many of the top riders in the Midwest as well as a few out of state riders competing on the CAMBA singletrack. The men's race in particular featured tight racing action until the end with a little bit of drama involved as a few riders got off course.
In the women's race Jenna Rinehart rebounded from her UnBound race and took the win in convincing fashion over the rest of the women’s field.
We touched base with Jenna for her reflection on the race and thoughts on the UnBound event.
It’s been quite a few weeks for you! Going in to the Unbound event, it looked like you had put in a great training block and everything was looking great. I was following along on the time checks and was pretty sweet to see you running first after the first 30 miles. That had to been motivating but I am sure you were cautious with your emotions knowing there were a lot of miles ahead?
Yes, training went really well going into Unbound. I was able to get a 120 mile ride, a 150 mile ride, and several 100 mile days in. I actually had no idea I was riding in first place. When we hit the big mud section at mile 11 everything was chaos. The pro women started 2 minutes behind the pro men but the women actually rode the first 10 miles 90 seconds faster then the men's peloton. So when we hit the 4 mile mud section there were 15-20 pro men scattered all over the place trying to clean and run their bikes. Unfortunately this really split apart the women's field. We got so mixed with the pro men it was hard to keep count of what position you were in. Someone would get a good line for a bit and shoot ahead only to come to a dead stop and be stuck in thick mud a bit later. After the 4 mile mud pit I could only see pro men but thought there were other women up the road.
When I would pass media or spectators they either said nothing or just said good job but never told me what place I was in. It wasn't until Sofia came up to me in a pack of pro men and told me this was the front of the women's race.
It sounded like there was some great sportsmanship along the course, kind of like everyone is in this together even though you are racing against each other people are still “helping out”?
Yes, I experienced some really great sportsmanship out there and afterwards. When I was pulled over puking in the ditch several riders asked if I was OK and one of my competitors actually stopped and stayed with me for awhile and gave me her ice she had gotten at the previous feed zone. A few of my competitors and friends reached out afterwards to see if I was Ok. This race is so hard that even though you are competing against each other you also need each other's help to get to the finish line.
Did you feel taking on too much nutrition early was the reason you had issue later in the race?
I was so concerend with not bonking and making sure I got enough nutrition that it never crossed my mind that I could overdo it. I usually tend to underfuel in races but I had been warned that if you don't keep up on it at Unbound you will be in trouble later in the day. I had practiced with Skratch Labs Super High Carb drink mix in my bottles in training. But while training I also was taking in water in a hydration pack. For the race I decided to put the drink mix in my hydration pack plus another bottle on my bike. My other bottle was water but I didn't really drink it as it was so caked in Mud. I think ultimately I took in too many carbs with not enough water for what my body could handle and got some bad gut rot. From mile 65ish to 80 my body started to shut down. When I got to the first aid station at mile 80 I felt horrible and could not take in anything. But I was still in 5th place at that point so I tried to continue on. Shortly later I found myself in the ditch puking in 90 degree heat and felt I couldn't carry on.
After having some time to think about the event, what was the biggest takeaway?
This event was so crazy I think I'm still processing it haha. It’s pretty cool to see a small town in Kansas host the biggest most prestigious gravel race in the world. The course is really beautiful and it’s so nice to see the Midwest getting some attention in the cycling world. The logistics and what goes into preparing for this event is huge. Just trying to pre ride sections of a 200 mile loop was overwhelming. Everything you need to carry with you, bike prep, support crew at the feed zones etc... takes so much planning. It's really so much more than just a bike race. There is a lot of controversy and drama in gravel right now and the sport is growing so quickly. Even though I fared well in the mud section I’m not sure I agree with the race directors decision to send us down when there was an easy reroute. That really ruined a lot of people’s day and I think we could have had a more exciting women’s race. The course is already incredibly hard with 205 miles and some real rugged roads. It’s a little more of an adventure/survival race with hiking etc.. and maybe that’s what they are going for. I think I would give it a go again sometime and would really like to finish it.
Do you feel like you recovered relatively quickly from the race and was more the the nutrition issues?
Yes, I had never really experienced stomach issues in a race before and my body just shut down like that but thankfully once I got some water in me and a couple days of rest I was feeling back to normal. I think if I had tried to continue on I might have really dug myself a hole that would've taken a while to recover from.
Going into the Epic Bike Fest weekend, did you feel like you had the jam to be at the front or was there a bit of an unknown?
I was feeling pretty good going into the Epic races. I was able to get a good mountain bike workout in midweek after Unbound to remind myself what those short punchy mtb efforts feel like. All that Unbound training has given me a good deep base for the season. Then it's just a matter of doing a little more specific workouts to gear up for different types of races.
What was the key factor or moment to pull away in the mountain bike race to take the win?
One cool thing they did for the Epic Fest this year was how they started the Elite Wave riders. They started the elite men and women together but they had a separate spot blocked off for the women to line up. I thought this was a great way for the women to be able to chat a bit and see who was in the field for the day instead of being mixed with the men and not really getting to see who is all there. A little before the gun went off they removed the tape and then we all started together. Another nice thing is they started the next wave 2 minutes back so it seemed a little less stressful and spaced out better. I thought this better allowed the women to get on each other's wheel into the single track. Last year I started a little too hard and never really recovered from the first big effort on the Birkie trail and just kinda went backwards all day. This year I really focused on pacing myself a little better and letting myself recover in the first section of single track after the hard Birkie trail start. About half way through the race I started to really pick off riders and move through the men's field. This was super motivating and gave me more motivation to keep pushing hard. I never had any updates on what the time was back to the next woman but I just focused on moving forward all the way to the finish line.
The gravel race the next day sounded like a crazy ordeal with a stick getting stuck in your wheel? Had to be a bit scary and I’m glad you were able to “walk away” from it!
The gravel race is so cool! It's rough and rugged and what I would call a mountain bikers gravel race. You definitely need a combination of skill and fitness. This was my favorite race I did last season so I was really looking forward to racing it again. You never know how the legs are going to feel on day 2 of racing. The neutral start was nice to warm up but once we hit Rock Lake Road it got really hard. It took a few climbs to get the legs warmed up but then I started to feel really good. I was in a group with Justin and a couple friends so that was super fun. The course has sections of snowmobile trail that is pretty rough. About 25 miles in I was riding 3rd wheel and some sticks were flying around. I was standing on a little riser when one must have gotten in my front wheel and locked it up. It slammed me over the bars pretty hard and snapped off my rear brake/shift lever. It happened so fast that it was a little scary. I'm a little sore in my lower back and neck but thankfully not hurt worse. I was really bummed to not be able to finish the course and missed the fun singletrack but sometimes that's just how racing goes.
What’s on tap next until the next Life Time Grand Prix race in Utah?
Next up is getting in some specific training for the efforts needed for Crusher in the Tushar. We don't have long climbs here like in the mountains but some longer threshold workouts into a headwind can help simulate those efforts. I'm not sure if I'll jump into any other races before then but we'll see how work and training is going.
Will you plan any altitude training or is it not high enough to worry about it?
I really wish I could get away to acclimate as you climb to over 11,000 feet in this race but I won't be able to make it work with my work schedule. I'm planning to show up last minute for this one and see how that works. If I can make it work with my schedule I'm hoping for Leadville I can get out and acclimate for a couple weeks.
I imagine with more focus on more events, as you posted, there has been a lot of ups and downs but have a great attitude on the process and learning from it. Overall, are you satisfied how things have gone despite the few setbacks in the races?
I've been riding a wave of some ups and downs lately but that is how racing and life goes. You need so much to go right to pull off a good race and some of it is not in your control. I think it makes you really grateful when it all does go well. I told myself when I had a good race at Sea Otter to just really soak it all in and enjoy it because there is not a guarantee that will continue for the rest of the season. These races are all so different and the level of competition is so high. But that is why I wanted to do this series. To really get pushed and get the opportunity to race with so many strong women. I've definitely gone a little back in forth about how I feel with my DNF at Unbound. Sometimes I'm Ok with it but then you read other accounts of people overcoming so much adversity and still somehow finishing. I know it's easier to feel regret when you are not in the moment and recovered. It's important to learn from it and move on because there is so much racing left. The fitness has been there and good for all of the races I've done so far so I'm really happy with that.
Another Year on the Line, MNMBS #2: Redhead
A couple of weeks ago I towed the line for year 33 of racing mountain bikes. The occasion was race #2 in the Minnesota Mountain Bike Series and was held at the dramatic Redhead Mountain Bike Park just outside the iron range town of Chisholm.
I competed in the Elite race with a couple other dozen riders. The temperature was extremely warm, especially considering our fast transition from winter to summer with little if any spring! Keeping cool and hydrated was the focus of the day considering the heat.
The course was a very nice blend of the progressive fast tech singletrack, a couple of raw cut cutovers with a touch of slow tech, and fast flowing descents, the final one ending at the picturesque mine lake before nearly a mile long climb back to the finish.
I took it “easy” on the start before riding into the race to make for a competitive finish. My wife Jonell was along and was crucial support to provide fresh ice cold water and ice bags to put on the neck and back to keep the core temp from redlining. Always good to see familiar faces at the races and meet new ones. A super cool place to race and ride and if you haven’t been up there yet, a must do for Minnesota mountain biking.
Duluth Enduro Series
The Duluth Enduro Series is off to a great start with two races in the books and has the Duluth mountain bike scene glowing. A new timing system has been implemented that is working great and helping draw more riders to the event when previous years had issues with correct results. The second race was held this week at Spirit Mountain and organizers report:
“What a rad night out at Spirit Mountain for the second enduro of the year, it was so fun to see everyone smiling and shredding!Thanks to everyone who showed up and showed out to make it such a great evening.” Tom Miller expanded: We may have broken records at the second stop at Spirit Mountain. A total of 120 riders registered with 30% being FTW (Femme, Trans, Women). Huge shout out to everyone who made this happen…The COGGS Enduro Committee, 18 members of the Continental Bike and Ski Shop Crew who came out to volunteer and race, Sponsors who supplied beverages, Ski Hut who supplied awesome prizes and a photographer, Continental Ski and Bike for sending staff out for tech support and a chill zone, K and B Grilled Cheese coming out to fill hungry bellies, and absolutely awesome shots by Mike Lepps photos and drone footy by Ryan Rumpca. So stoked on this one. As for the race from my perspective, it was some spicy competition in the advanced class, with probably at least a dozen riders vying for coveted podium spots and the 3D printed medals. I had a great race, let ‘er loose and finished 6th, which I’m happy with given the stiff gravity competition in Duluth these days.”
The next stop in the series is at Brewer Park on June 27th. The races are free but a COGGS membership is required.
World's Toughest Races
From Bike Perfect:
"The world’s toughest events take the bravest of riders across hundreds of miles, traversing dust-covered plains, up thousand-meter-high mountains, through dense jungle, over snow, and into water, with even the most hardened professional riders finding themselves pushed to their limits when taking part."
"Here are five of the most grueling and hardcore mountain bike events from around the world, never to be underestimated with some having stringent entry criteria, these beauties will challenge every ounce of your mental and physical strength."
Looking Ahead
Minnesota Mountain Bike Series: Border Crossing
Possibly the most popular race course in the metro area, Whitetail Ridge near River Falls, WI is the host for race #3 in the Minnesota Mountain Bike Series. Always with a large turnout, the course features numerous hand built challenges on a fast track to make for an exciting day of racing.
Wisconsin Off-Road Series: Ora Trails Fest
"Nestled in the bluffs overlooking the mighty Mississippi, the Ora Trails Fest features heart-pounding climbs, wicked fast descents, and long-lasting stoke for everything in-between."
"This year’s race is completely new to the series and will feature two days of racing in La Crosse, one of the most picturesque cities in the state."
Chequamegon 100
"CAMBA is back in 2023 with one of the midwest’s most iconic mountain bike endurance races, the Chequamegon 100, traveling along the singletrack of the Sawyer and Bayfield County Forests and the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. This race celebrates our CAMBA Trail System!"
"Race options: Participants can choose one of 4 distance options to match their personal endurance goals; approximately one hundred, sixty-five, thirty or fifteen miles of sweet northern Wisconsin dirt, with the great majority of each distance being on singletrack. NEW to 2023…the 15 mile MINI Cheq100!"
Lutsen 99er
The Lutsen 99er is set for another weekend of racing offering a variety of distance options. While the event is currently sold out, registered riders should be prepared for all types of conditions and weather as the event is always held rain or shine. There is also a new starting area this year which has organizers requesting that riders are patient with the changes.
Keep the Wheels Moving!!
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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 mountain bike team and enters his 33rd 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 |