Midwest MTB Report
A busy weekend of mountain biking as Mother Nature delivered once again primo riding conditions. This weeks report includes recaps from both first series races in Minnesota and Wisconsin, a trail report from the Paul Bunyan State Forest, mountain bike related items to note and a look ahead.
Buck Hill Birch Bump
Buck Hill served up World Cup style racing for the first Minnesota Mountain Bike Series race next to the buzzing 35W interstate as racers took on the hilly course that featured sandy corners, plenty of dust and even a touch of mud thanks to a pile of manufactured snow that was melting under the unusually hot day. Rebecca Sauber, riding for Chikoot Cafe and Cyclery, dominated the women's field winning by over 4 minutes. Seasoned grizzled Vet Jeff Hall showed any youngsters they need to train harder and smarter as he took yet another win in the Elite class. What was most interesting about Hall's win was the bike he was using. Jeff was using a "half fat" bike which will be the rage the end of the season and in to the winter. Jeff's dad Mike provides a full report on the race and ride:
Buck Hill is a Classic. I raced Buck back in 1988, I believe Jeff raced the beginner race in 1989.
When we approached this week-end, the thought process was to keep it simple, the previous week at the Decorah Time Trials, Jeff raced on his LAMERE mid-fat, 3.25 tires and rigid frame. The bike was fast and the terrain was vertical with fast descents, he got second behind Brian Eppen. The key was that he was faster then last year on his time.
When we set up the bike for Buck Hill the thought was to increase the acceleration on the climbs and quicken the cornering. Came up with the 3.25 on the front with a 2.8 on the rear. What we noticed from the first rides Riding on the LAMERE Cycles Fat Bikes was the acceleration on any climbing and the agility in the trees on the singletrack. Geometry is spot on.
The start was fast with a small group off the front, the first lap was the fastest of the day for Jeff and the leaders at just over 16 minutes for the lap. Jeff stayed in the middle of the group and rode into the race, it took a bit for him to get the legs going, he's commuting 250 miles a week on a bike, so he decided to ride into the race and stay up front with the group. There was a pack up front for the first 3 of 6 laps including Jesse Rients, Jonathon Falkowski, Mason Basco and Dominic Talerico. That group was turning mid 16 minute laps, the 4th lap is where Jeff made a slight push and created a small gap, about 10 seconds.
Jeff remarked that the top of the course reminded him of some of the Vermont National MTB races with the melting snow and running water creating a bit of mud. Then with the dry and dusty conditions at the bottom, the tire selection was a good choice. His rigid LAMERE, which is actually the same frame he raced all winter on 4 and 5 inch tires, climbs like a goat on the steep vertical sections. The large tires and light bike enabled Jeff to rock the singletrack and he turned 2 fast laps in the low 16 minutes after the 1 hour mark creating a minute gap on Jonathan. He kept the pace and turned all laps in the 16 minute time frame. His bike was predictable and handled all the different conditions.
The top 5 Men were Jeff Hall 1st, Jonathan Falkowski 2nd, Jesse Rients 3rd, Mason Basco 4th and Paul Hanson surged up to 5th.
To sum it up...Buck Hill is a Classic, a large part of the Minnesota Series and of course over the years the Penn Cycle mid-week series. There has been one heck of alot of knobbies rolling over the hill and through the woods including mine back in the day with the "Finish Line Finders". Shout out to Curtis Patak and Tim McGrath, they put a "Finders" jersey on Jeff in 1989, now "LAMERE" is Jeff's ride.
Iola Bump and Jump
Iola Winter Sports Club was host for the first series race in Wisconsin which has become a racer's favorite for the season opener. Nathan Guerra's massive off season training paid dividends as he took the win over a talented field including fellow 30 somethings fast guys Brian Matter and Tristan Schouten. Cooper Dendel won the women't elite over a field of 6 females. After a taking a year off from racing. Casey Hildebrandt dialed in the training, started a new team and posted an impressive top 10 finish. Casey reports from Iola:
2015 marks a new beginning of my race career. I took some time off last year and didn't think I would race again. This winter I founded The Underground Project, a development cycling team and now I'm back, fully motivated and training smart. Things are looking good for the season and my biggest goal is making the USA U23 CX World Championship team this winter. For the time being, I'm racing WORS to build some much-needed fitness.
Fortunately, WORS is stacked with great competition and is always a throwdown. Iola is one of my favorite circuits in the series and I got in some laps on Saturday to check out the course with my little brother. The course is always sandy, but it was ultra dry and dusty. FAST FAST FAST.
It was hot out Sunday. 75+ degrees was way warmer than we've had in Wausau. I sat in the car for a while and did a shorter warm-up. With a Pro license I was able to get a call-up, which helped tremendously. I was second row, but just didn't have it. Everyone was flying and I was not. I picked an awful line on the loose, gravel start climb, which proved to be costly. I was farther back than I needed to be on the first singletrack section. I moved into tenth after a few sections and stayed there for most of the race. With the heat and a long year off, I decided to play it smart and take it slightly easier than I typically do. When the last lap rolled around I felt very fresh and started making moves. I moved into ninth place, but was unable to catch anyone else in front of me. There was a lot of lap traffic, but they all were great and made the awkward situation easy for both parties. Thanks to everyone who made those passes very comfortable.
The lap traffic situation can be an issue for some, but I think it's important to remember that we are all out there to shred so let's play it cool and be kind to each other. I do my best to announce it early and be kind about it so we can all have fun. I appreciate everyone who sacrifices his or her race time to keep mine rolling smooth. It really does mean a lot and I value each and every time it occurs.
My best finish in the Pro/Elite field was ninth in 2013; I was psyched. However, this result left me somewhat bummed. I'm very happy with how much I've improved some things, but I'm very motivated to move up even more. Things are looking good for the year!
Of course, thank you to everyone who supports me and makes this possible! Thanks for reading! MUCH LOVE!
US Nationals Marathon MTB Championships
While Todd Wells and Rose Grant took home gold in the USA Cycling National Marathon Championships Pro divisions last weekend, what was most impressive to me was 82 years young Frederic Schmid adding another National Championship to his collection. Schmid was in the saddle for over 7 hours which is simply incredible.
We featured Frederic in a interview on skinnyski.com Midwest MTB Report a few years ago and checkout a video of Fred preparing for US Cyclocross Nationals earlier in the year. An inspiration to all riders, all I can say is keep the wheels moving.
Paul Bunyan State Forest
Buck Hill was one of the first mountain bike races I competed in 25 years ago and I was really hoping to make the trip south but it wasn't to be in the cards. Instead, I had a sweet off road adventure with fellow Maplelag team members Steve Wenzel, Matt Engen and Greg Ames on the weekend. I've featured mountain biking in the PBSF before which is a trail system catered to ohv enthusiasts but in all the years I have ridden there, I have yet to encounter a throttle twister. The first time I rode here was with Steve 25 years ago, only missing a half dozen times or so since then and not much has changed other than more trails!. The PBSF features almost 100 miles of dirt bike made singletrack which happens to be quite fun for mountain biking! I know of only a handful of folks that have ridden here making it a hidden gem in the state of Minnesota for mountain biking. Matt, Steve and Greg were all on fat bikes which is a wise option for the terrain that features sand, pomegranate size rocks and sticks and twigs to always be on the lookout for. We rode just over a 15 mile loop of the 40 mile NW section. One of the best times of year to ride with very little underbrush, no bugs and usually cooler temps. Plenty of wood ticks though!
You Are What You Eat
The website "Vitals" posted a article back in March that was recently highlighted in Ski Post newsletter, outlining certain foods to eat for endurance athletes including mountain bikers. As usual the comments provide as much if not more information from various people for different ideas that is worth reading. Read the full article.
Trails Don't Build Themselves
Have some acreage you would like to build trail on or looking to become a certified master trail builder? Out There Shop posted information on partaking in a trail building course to be held in northern Wisconsin with Danny Deetz in partnership with the Wisconsin DNR.
Crank Sisters
The Jr Crank Sisters Girls Mini Camps and Crank Sisters will be offering free fun and educational beginners mountain bike camps for girls who are entering 4th-6th grade this Fall. These mini camps focus on basic bike skills and hopefully will spark a strong love of biking and interest enough for them to join a team with the MN League when they reach 7th grade! Cost is free with donations to the MN League Crank Sisters program encouraged. First session starts on June 9th. Get more information.
Adapted Mountain Biking
Three Rivers Park District is dedicated to providing recreational activities for people of all mobility levels. Join a group on Sunday, May 17, from 6-8 p.m., at Elm Creek Park Reserve, Maple Grove, to try adaptive off-road handcycles. Explore the 2.2-mile adaptive trail built specifically to accommodate wider and more stable arm-powered bikes. Meet at the trailhead for an open ride. This program is free and open to all ages. More details.
Looking Ahead
With Mother's day on Sunday, the schedule is light. The Wisconsin Endurance Mountain Bike Series (WEMS) kicks off its season opener in Glenbeluah at the Greenbush Trails featuring 3, 6 and 9 hour races in the Northern Kettles Endurance Challenge hosted by Team Pedal Moraine.
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/Podiumwear mountain bike team and enters his 25th year of racing and promoting mountain bike races. |