Five-0 Wrap

The 9th Annual Dakota Five-O was another year of great racing, broken records, and a broken nose! With 389 riders there are going to be some great stories in 50 miles of mountain biking. Some of the highlights for me outside the Smokey Bear start, was 9 year old Cade Quigley's 5hr 51min. finish! He is a local rider that has a big back yard to practice in. Speaking of youngsters my daughter Sierra rider #13 age 13 completed her first Five-O in an impressive 8hrs. See me now, See proud Dad.

Oh yeah the broken course record was done by non other than local fast moma Nancy Busching Blazing in a 4hr. 34min. women's record. Earning her $350 cash and a Garmin Edge 705 GPS system donated by QuarQ Technology a local Spearfish cycling company.

The last three riders crossed the line around 11 and a half hours. We took those three riders names and drew for the Spirit of Todd Andrew award the sweet cruiser bike! Tami Crist from Minn. was the winner. These 3 women toughed it out to the very end not knowing or maybe knowing there was nothing left in the park for them. We let them finish and they were awarded for the effort. The farther you go the better it gets, Five-O love...

Over $4000 in cash awarded and many prizes raffled again this year. Thanks to all the support of our sponsors to make this possible. What about our volunteers!? Wow they totally give it up, to make the riders feel like rock stars.

We have continued to grow beyond our expectations are making big plans for the 10th Annual Dakota Five-O in 2010. Stay tuned in and Ride Your Bikes Everywhere!

Five-0 Trail Prep

New 2009 Dakota Five-0 Art Work, thanks again to Les Heiserman. Les continues to crank out some original designs with lots of detail and deep deep meaning. He has done loads of art work for cycling in the Black Hills. The Ridge Riders logo from 1985, to a ten year state championship series in Deadwood, SD. A ten year series in the Bearlodge Mountains, Black Hills, Wyoming, and now the 9th Annual Five-0. You've got to meet this guy, his art work is a good introduction.

We have been trying to get a new section added to the Five-0 and have put lots of work into it, but it will have to wait for the next year, 10th Annual. We have run out of time and the red tape with the US Forest Service has proven again to take too much time for approval. It will be very nice when done. If you would like a visit to this area or help with trail work, stay in touch.

We will be using the same course as the last 8 years, which is pretty excellent mountain biking. We will have a hand groomed line on the Citadel Slide, that takes some technical ability to ride. It is a short tech section, but will make you pucker. The course in general is in very lush conditions with all the rain. We will continue to hand groom sections and weed eat the tall stuff. Hope to see you on the trail. There pre-riding it now!

Summer Solstice Cyclism

4th Annual Tinton Trail Time Trial Stupor D

Kicking off summer with some summer solstice cyclism! 100 riders came out to celebrate the longest day of the year. 30 kids in the 17 and Under and 14 women,for many it was there first race/ride! 5 Stiders, and many youngsters on the kids course. Some heated battles took place in all classes. The course drops over 1500' in 6 six miles of mostly tight windy singletrack. Winning times were around 20-22 minutes. Many prizes given out thanks to local sponsors, bike shops, and artist, etc.... Kids Rock. Hammer Time...

Way Cool Juneior

Tuff mountain biking in the rain and sleet, but part of mountain  biking from time to time.  I have  been riding the cross bike much more, it is my primary "road" bike.  Good for trail soaked days.  Rails, gravel, and road, dirt and grime, Takes a Lickin keeps on Ticken.  Not something you already don't know, just stoked on it myself at the moment. 

4th Annual Tinton Trail Time Trials Super D, June 21st!  I have caught the trail dry a couple of times this year, and it is in good shape.  I will get out next week and groom the snow bent saplings and rough areas.  A couple of things I didn't mention in the website or flyer was great camping at trailhead.  Enjoy it while you can, it has been a real quiet Trailhead for years.  In the future it may be become an ATV dump off point....  Following?  At the Stupor D we will be tapping one of the finest microbrews available to trail riders. Crow Peak Brewery Tinton Trail Ale, or possibly Five-O Stout?  Thanks to this fine establishment!  It should go well with the barbeque.  Kids Race, Singletrack, Barbeque, good camping, Summer Solstice Cyclism!  Come and celebrate, ride a bike... 

Joe Etzkorn the local wrench at Rushmore Mountain Sports is getting hitched up with Leslie, Officially June 20th!  He has been an ASSet to the Five-O Aid Station #1.  This is Joe and Leslie at Big Hill Trailhead 8th Annual Dakota Five-0, providing the aid!  Good luck making the Stupor D the next morning!  His idea!  

 

Ramblers hosted the Crow Peak Challenge May 31st.  It is a good ride!  If you're in the Northern Black Hills, and want a good tech climb with views and descent to match, be sure to get it in!  I had a great clean ride up with only two dabs.  Not so clean on the gravel ride home.  Some aggressive passing led to a handlebar tap and I was down, Big Ringing to Bell Ringing.  High impact gravel slide out.  7 Stitches in the leg and 3 in the arm.  Luckily I was able to pull off a century 4 days later as a gimped Rapha host. 

This Week's Way Cool Junior!  More to come from Junior.

Rapha Continental Riders showed up last week and rode the Black Hills North to South.  It was a pleasure to ride with the crew.  I thought for sure when I was contacted they wanted to ride the Five-O course.  I came up with an alternative, that worked out to be a great route.  Let me know if you're interested in doing this one.  There are several shuttle services available to accommodate vehicle shuttles.  Ending at the Custer State Park Game Lodge was  a nice touch.  Where the Buffalo, Elk, and Mountain Goats roam.  Great Watering Hole, TATANKA!

L. to R.

Luke Kretchmar, Robert Andre, Aaron Erbeck, and Tony Pereira.

Pleasure to ride with you!

Daniel Wakefield Whiteshoes Pasley, lensman!  

I look forward to seeing his Black Hills shots.

Raphafaria!

Lots of Rides Going Down, hope to see you out there.  Summer is around the corner..go big!  The farther you go the better it gets!

Trail Scouting

I stayed home from snowboarding at Beartooth Pass this Memorial Weekend to partake in the BH Fat Tire Festival, and it was good. Hill Climb on Friday night had about 30 gluttons for punishment. It was just under a mile of gravel road climbing, no tech, just hammerfesting. Winning times were around 7 minutes something... Micah from Colorado took the win. Sat. m0rning was the xc race. The expert course was to be about 20 miles which turned out to be 15. It was also on M Hill and had some great trail with technical sections. Good course for the middle of town. My daughter Sierra did the beginner 8 mile course and loved it. Great to see her enjoy riding and racing. She won, lots better than me. Couple Colorado guys took the top two places with some locals biting at their wheels. Lots of rides going on during the days.

Super D on Sunday went well, some shuttles provided some practice runs down a 2 mile course. Some pedaling was involved to keep it real. Not sure how it all went down, but there was some winners. No injuries to speak of. Pretty fun weekend, nice to see someone else sweating it. Thanks for supporting Mountain Biking!

I have been scouting some reroutes for the Dakota Five-0, per the US Forest Service. The Citadel Slide, the most technical descent in the Five-0 will be replaced... Depending on approval it could add some time to race but the scenery and trail should be worth it. Besides we will have another great trail to ride. I will keep you posted as it develops!

I have been fortunate enough to gather some more sponsors. Quarq Technologies will be donating a Garmin Edge 705 for the fastes man and women! More prizes than you can shake a fork at for all others from the likes of Dakine, Pearl Izumi, Ellsworth Bicycles, and all the local bike shops. Summer is around the corner and I hope your all finding time to RIDE!

O-Nine Time to Shine -April Showers, May Flowers and Rides

http://www.blackhillsportal.com/npps/story.cfm?ID=2970

Pasque  Flowers in Pasque Alley along Tinton Trail May 4th.  State Flower Power...

Another Shot on Tinton Trail near an old apple orchard.  Speaking of Trails make some comments by the extended date May 18th.  

Whitewood Road Race this Sat. May 9th- Directions check the local shops (a few flyers around) or call the director 605 642-4277 or 639-1683.  Long Loop 35 miles, short loop 17.5.....

It's on Better Hang On... Signs of summer coming and going.  Make the Most of it.   BHMBA is getting after it this weekend with Storm and Fat Tire Festival Memorial WEEEEkend. 

The Storm Mt. race is on for Sunday, May 10. The course is now marked, and a pre-ride is scheduled for Wednesday, May 6 at 6:30 PM. The race starts at 9:00 AM sharp, with registration taking place from 8:00 - 8:45 AM. For both the pre-ride and the race, please park in Rockerville, across from the Gaslight. If you can’t make the pre-ride on Wednesday, head out there any time and check out the course.

LaFramboise Island Mountain Bike Race

Pierre, SD

Saturday May 30, 2009

 

In case of heavy rain race cancelled

8:30 – 10:00 Registration

10:15 Race Meeting

10:30 Race Begins

This will be a lap race on essentially flat terrain.  One lap = appx. 5.75* miles.  The course is a combination of tree-lined, narrow and twisting single-track and open, wider double-track trail.  It’s not a really tough or difficult course, but is fast and does have some tight corners and fun, challenging spots.  It should be an enjoyable race for riders of all ages and abilities.  The course is located on LaFramboise Island Nature Area, at the end of the causeway separating the island from the City of Pierre.  It is a natural Missouri River island, owned and managed by the SD Division of Parks & Recreation as a Nature Area.  The island is on the Lewis & Clark trail and was visited by Lewis & Clark!  The island and its course are also great for nature viewing, bird watching and easy recreational riding.  

Back in the Saddle

Nice to be riding again.  The trails are still curing out around the hills, but the cross bike has provided the "fix' I need.  More good gravel cruising around Spearfish that you can comprehend.  Yesterday cranked out a ride from Rochford, SD population 15 down the Mickelson Trail to the old ghost-town of Mystic and on to Hill City.  Turned around and rode it back...  Out scouting a one day, north to south Black Hills road ride.  Rapha riders are coming through to feature a Black Hills Ride.  They do a real nice job with the photography and cinematography, capturing the spirit of the rides.  Hope to show them a good one day sample of what we got.  The riding today won't lack any opportunity for colorful pics and historical mining culture. Very Nice, sure to bring a camera next time....

The US Forest Service extended the comment period for the proposed travel management here in the Black Hills. Take a look at the alternatives and make a comment by May 18th. Google Black Hills National Forest Travel Management. The Forest Travel management issue really is huge. Get familiar with the issues and make an imformed comment. Once the new rules are established it will be hard to close them! Next lesson learn to paste links into this window...

Yearning for some more dry singletrack. Rode Lookout Mountain today and it was good, to be back in the dirt, where my heart is at. The trails are old and well worn, and drain well in the spring. A new fresh loop would be nice around the summit.
We need to organize some trail work and finish Hopa Mesa Loop.
I'm Rapha here!
pj

9th Annual Dakota Five-0 prep

It's been a long cold winter in the Black Hills, and I liked it, but it's time for the trails to dry out!!
Prepping for the upcoming Tinton Trail Time Trial Super D, June 21. Summer Solstice Cyclism, come out and celebrate the longest day of the year and Father's Day!
9th Annual Dakota Five-0 Sept. 6, 2009, Putting the labor back in Labor Day Weekend. The ride has continued to grow with nearly 300 riders in 08... I am seeking sponsors for this year's event, if your interested contact me from the website. This is the hard part of the job.
Lots of trail work coming up as it dries out. Hope to see you out there.