***SPORT/COMP/ELITE/MARATHON*** will ride almost the same course this year as they did in 2015 (minus all the rain...we hope). We will start with a lap around the soccer field to stretch things out before we dump into West Ridge. (Sport, Elite and Marathon will not ride West Ridge on their first lap.) This section is fast, but gruelling! There are some fast, fun, tricky decents, but "what goes down, must come up", so there are several short steep climbs and one long climb back up the the school.
You will transition to our upper singletrack sections though the school yard, walking path and a paved bike path. You will take a hard left in to the "lower meadow". This is a false flat that will take more our of you than you expect. Once you enter Riegel Park, you will enjoy some smooth, fast singletrack highlighted by a section of local basalt rocks, which are the remains of the last glacier to shape the St Croix River Valley. Use caution through the rock gardens because pinch flats, rolled tires, sidewall tears and bleading shins are common...if you aren't careful. Some more smooth and twisty singletrack will lead you to a gradual climb through some grass ski trails toward our on-course aid station.
Since we are skipping Wissahickon this year, you will now jump on the Gandy Dancer for a half-mile, so grab your bottle or a gel pack and grab someone's wheel as you head to our newest singletrack, Erratic Rock. You will now enjoy 1 1/4 miles of flowy fun. The first section is a long gradual climb that will help separate the group, but you are rewarded by a great high-speed, berm'd up decent back down to the railroad bed that will have you smiling from ear-to-ear.
Another short section of Gandy leads you back to Big Oak (which is where our trailhead is located), your last section of singletrack each lap. It is fun and twisty with several fun A-B lines to choose from. A-lines will have an obstacle that will be faster to ride, but if you are in traffic, the B-line may allow you to sneak past a few competitors, so choose wisely. The lap will finish with you hammering a 1/2 mile of snowmobile trail back to the Start/Finish area.
Please print these maps, if you are heading up to pre-ride. The course is marked all year, so Sport/Comp/Elite/Marathon classes will ride almost everything. We will put up temporary signage at key intersection for all classes soon
***KID'S COMP & CITIZEN*** These classes will ride the same course as described above with the following exceptions. Racers will not ride West Ridge, but will head straight to Riegel Park. While in Riegel Park, racers will not ride the Rock Gardens, but will take the B-line cut across. From the Gandy Dancer, racers will go straight into Big Oak (avoiding Erratic Rock), then ride the snowmobile trail back to Start/Finish area at the High School. Kid's Comp will ride 1 lap and Citizen will ride 2 laps.
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