May Day, May Day, Calling All Trail Builders!!

Are the Trails dry yet in the Northern Black Hills??... Hell No, not this weekend! But a couple Ridge Riders spent the weekend pounding in trail on the new section of the Dakota Five-0 course. It was raining, snowing, blowing, and muddy with bits of sunshine. Good day for working new trail.

We'd love some help with getting the areas that need benching in done. There's about a half mile of tough trail building remaining! It's getting really exciting to see it take shape with great views and loads of flow, can't wait to ride it. Trail Work days will be posted on Dakota Five-0 Facebook page or at the local bike shops. Over and Out!!

Let It Shine! Create a rhyme!

Howdy fella Five-0 ers... The snow is starting to fall off the trails and the gravel is starting to dry, so time to crank out some smiles. I have become a fan of riding the roads and gravel as of the last couple years. Must be becoming more mature, but I used to hate roads and gravel. Now I truely like the fact that you can crank out more miles in a shorter amount of time and end up in totally cool places farther from home. The Black Hills offer hundreds of miles of great secluded gravel and road cruises. Not to exclude mentioning all the singletrack and firetrails, but they are still wet for the most part,, well at least for the next week or two's.

Rapha visited the Black Hills last year and wrote up a little bit about a ride from Spearfish thru the Black Hills to the Custer State Park Game Lodge. It was a nice Black Hills century with about 20 miles of gravel on the Mickelson Trail to help break up the pavement. They shot some great pics and it was an honor to host this great bunch of riders. They were very impressed with the quality of the ride and the scenic hills riding.




We have some exciting news for all the fast men and women. Again this year Quarq Technologies out of Spearfish will be awarding a Garmin Edge 705 GPS to each the fastest man and women. In addition the winners will also receive $250 cold hard cash! Check out our cash and prize guidelines on the Five-0 webpage for further info on how we award deep and equal cash to men's and women's classes!

There are a couple events that I would like to share with you from the surrounding area.

The Ridge Riders will again be hosting the 5th annual Tinton Trail Time Trial Super D, June 20th 2010!
This is a 6 mile super d on the Tinton Trail, duh. Riders are started in one minute intervals and sprint for the bottom of Tinton Trail.

Black Hills Fat Tire Festival May 28th-30th, Rapid City, SD.

Loads of rides and races going down Memorial Weekend.

Fresh Singletrack on Cowboy Hill, urban IMBA project!

Check it out...


LaFramboise Island Mountain Bike Race
Pierre, SD
Saturday May 22, 2010 (week before Fat Tire Festival)
In case of heavy rain race cancelled
8:30 – 10:00 Registration
10:15 Race Meeting
10:30 Race BeginsThis 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.
Pre-registration is not required, but if you plan to enter & ride, if possible, as a courtesy please let John Simpson know ahead of time for planning purposes. Thanks!
For more information contact: John Simpson @ H=605/224-7054 or C=605/222-0338 or jrsimpson@pie.midco.net

My name is Steven Aesoph. I am the race director for XTERRA Pipestem Creek, the most recent addition to the Mountain Region of XTERRA. The race date is June 26, 2010 in Jamestown, ND at the Pipestem Dam and Lake project.
http://www.pipestemxterra.com/

Ground work is beginning for the Terry Peak Downhill events. There looks to be 3 weekends where riders can enjoy lift accessed mountain biking at Terry Peak Ski Area. One weekend in June, end of July and the final race weekend sometime following the Five-0 in September. I will post more info as it becomes available.

So there you have it folks some of the rides are starting to unfold for 2010! Time to get out and start enjoying the spring riding or turns. Hesitation Is Devastation 5 Months until the 10th Annual Dakot Five-0, get registered and train up for the hand up. The website should have some updated info in the next week or two's, so stay in touch!

Don't Fret It Shred It!
Just wrapped up the 3rd Annual Mikey P Jam and it was a ski and snowboarding extravaganza! Riders came from near and far to display their best tricks at the local Terry Peak Ski Area.

Yo Yo Yo Let It Snow

I know this is a bike blog but I love the seasons. I hope your making some tracks, wether it be biking, snow or both. It has been some time since posting and alot of things are going on since then. We have been getting around to some changes for the 10th Annual Dakota Five-0. We have decided to go with a new on line registration process and it is up and running. There will no longer be registration morning of the Five-0!! Be sure to get in on the early registration reduced rates and secure your position. We are limiting the number of riders to 500...

If you did not receive your 2009 T-shirt be sure to contact me. I sent out T-shirts to out of state riders and left the others at local bike shops. (You should have been contacted or left phone messages).

Les is working on the Oh-Ten design for the 10th, I am sure it will represent well. Thanks for checking in, I will continue to post updates as the trails begin to dry.

If your interested in spectating or participating in the 3rd Annual Mikey P Jam check the website and holler back with questions. It is a snowboard and skiing slopestyle event at Terry Peak Ski Area. Mikey P was a child hood friend who took the snowboarding world to new levels.

The kids are getting rad! Be sure to check it out, if in doubt air it out!

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!