Course updates from NMMBA

Course updates from NMMBA

As the Northern Michigan Mountain Bike Association works to bring you the best Iceman Cometh Challenge course possible, we’re providing updates on current conditions through race day!

What a difference a week makes! Even with some warm temperatures, we saw just enough rain over the past ten days to have a huge impact on the course. In mid-to-late September, sand was the word, as it always is in early fall. This year was no different, and perhaps a touch worse; sections from Kalkaska to Dockery Road were, in the opinions of many, some of the slowest we’ve ever seen!

Luckily, a mix of cold nights and rain have gotten the course into great shape, and aside from the infamous sand pits that you just know are coming, there’s nothing out there that will make you feel like you’re at the beach.

Tom and the crew were out putting in the finishing touches on the new Water Bottle Hill Bypass. That new section of trail is bench cut and riding faster and faster every week. While it does criss-cross the old bypass, you won’t have any trouble staying on the right trail thanks to a few blue flags places at all the pertinent intersections. While the segment is too close to the previous trail to be accurate, this should give you a good look at where the bypass is on the course.

Another big confirmation from the weekend is that we’ll stick with the same Wall Bypass used in the 2017 edition race, taking a long, lazy bend left before the Wall and hopping on a few bits of two-track and singletrack before rejoining the 25km just about a half-mile from the infamous Boonenberg climb. That one-two punch is always tough, especially after a few fast miles from Williamsburg Road and onto the 25km itself.

Finally, the finale. While it’s unmarked and very tough to follow at the moment, you can count on a serpentine, sinuous sprint through some winding singletrack from the time you enter Timber Ridge, nearly leave it entirely, then come back to the line after going over and under two shipping containers!

While plenty of people were out enjoying the course, Melissa from Michigan Mountain Biking Association was at Timber Ridge helping put on the Iceman Clinic this past Saturday. 30 riders got a little instruction and a lot of confidence ahead of race day, and were treated to hot brats, chips, and a great time by MMBA and Keen Technical Solutions.

Support the MMBA today.

Support the MMBA today.

The Michigan Mountain Biking Association gathered their new board members and Chapter Advisory Council members for their 2019 strategic planning session on Sunday near the new DTE Energy Foundation trail in Chelsea, Michigan. It was an exciting day, spent talking about mountain biking in Michigan and planning about the future of the MMBA and the goals the group has for 2019.

The long-term future of the MMBA is bright, we have an energetic board with the ideas and vision to lead Michigan mountain biking forward and secure long-term funding for the organization. The short-term issue is cash flow…

The work the MMBA does is important to all of us. This summer MMBA executive director Melissa Werkman, the only employee of the organization, was instrumental in getting the obstructed license plate bill through the state legislature and signed into law. No longer can you be pulled over for having your license plate blocked by bikes on your hitch rack. Thank the MMBA for that one.

Now… you can’t specifically join the MMBA itself.

The MMBA wants you to join your local bike club, that money stays local and gets put to use on your home turf, providing your group with money for grooming, insurance and whatever else is needed right at home. Individual bike clubs like the Shoreline Cycling Club in Ludington and others listed at MMBA.org then choose to support the work of the MMBA by joining the Chapter Advisory Council. If your club isn’t supporting MMBA, talk to your board members, they should.

But what you can do is make a donation right now. Think about the work of the MMBA and how important it is to have an executive director with connections across the state and in our state capitol. Whether it’s the license plate law or negotiations with the DNR about trail access or E-Bikes, we need that representation.

Now take a minute and think about the price of a six pack of Bell’s Best Brown Ale, $10 or 12 bucks right? And worth every penny! Will you buy the MMBA a six pack to reward them for the work they’ve done this year? Is the work the MMBA does worth a six pack of Bell’s to you?

(Disclaimer: Melissa is not actually going to buy beer with the $10 bucks you send, she’s going to put it in the operating fund, you’re going to get a tax deduction as the MMBA is a 501c3).

We want everyone who opens this email to send the MMBA ten or twenty bucks, but we know everyone won’t, but if HALF of you follow through, then we can help the MMBA get through this year and give them some breathing room to do the work they need to do.

Thanks.

Iceman.

Transfer deadline is 10/12, MMBA Clinic for new riders on 10/13, Wave assignments on 10/19, Iceman Store closing on 10/26.

DTE Foundation Trail, two thumbs WAY up!

The Bell’s Iceman is Sold Out, now what?

The Bell's Iceman is Sold Out, now what?

For the 30th year in a row, the Bell’s Iceman Cometh Mountain Bike Challenge has sold out. What does that mean? Can you still sign up? How?

1. Iceman and his team run a heck of an event. It’s super fun and as popular as ever.

2. Yes.

3. When you sign up at this point, if there are transfers available, you get in and someone else gets out. Just like that. Should the number of transfers get to 0, then your entry is held in a queue, and you are not charged, until one of the 4,000+ riders decides they can’t make the party for one reason or another. When someone decides to get out, you get their entry and they get a refund. Minus a small fee, most of which goes to charity. We’ll stop with the transfer madness mid-October. Then we’ll get cracking on wave seeding.

Iceman Gear orders are delivered in person at SRAM Ice Expo packet pick up

Iceman Gear orders are delivered in person at SRAM Ice Expo packet pick up

Just a reminder that the Iceman Store is open, and that orders placed will be delivered to you personally by our Iceman Staff at packet pick up. The items aren’t event delivered until October. Please spare us the call in three weeks asking, “Where is my 2018 Iceman jersey?” They’re still in production.

Update Your Ice Society Info Now!

Update Your Ice Society Info Now!

Why?  We asked our Search & Rescue Guru Roger Putman to explain the importance of this info to our search and rescue teams:

“When I was on the Navy’s sport parachute demonstration team, it was always the “unexpected” incident that made it necessary to react quickly and decisively. Lack of pre-jump preparation, casual equipment inspections and the absence of a thorough emergency plan could lead to very bad conclusions. Although we had our share of malfunctions and “what the hell” incidents, it was because we always because put safety and precaution first and foremost that none of these situations resulted in serious injury…..or worse yet, a ride in the back of a black Cadillac station wagon’.

That is why we are upgrading our Iceman protocol and safety measures to add your emergency contact information to the sticker on the back of your race number plate. If you are injured and in urgent need of medical response, it saves valuable time so our medical teams can efficiently and quickly ensure your treatment and transport if necessary.

So besides being prepared for the “unexpected”, dressing for severe weather, making sure you are hydrated and having a spare tire, chain kit, charged up cell phone and a complete toolkit, help us to help you by checking your emergency contact info on your Iceman Social account and by ensuring the sticker on the back of your plate is correct at packet pick-up. Have a safe and successful ride.”

Thank you for helping us keep safety first.
Roger Putman – Bell’s Iceman Search & Rescue

New to the Bell’s Iceman?

New to the Bell's Iceman?

New to mountain bike racing and the Iceman Cometh Challenge or Slush Cup? The MMBA is pleased to offer the first clinic geared specifically toward first time racers on October 13, 2018. This 4 hour clinic will include mountain biking fundamental skills and bike handling instruction provided by certified coaches, race prep and etiquette discussion, a course preview and a lunchtime cookout.  Register here. 

https://www.facebook.com/events/281945582383403/

BELL’S TWO HEARTED RECOGNIZED

BELL’S, TWO HEARTED RECOGNIZED

Bell’s Brewery was named in the 2018 Best Beers in America survey conducted by Zymurgy magazine. Now running in its 16th year, the survey asks members of the American Homebrewers Association (AHA), which publishes Zymurgy, to choose up to five of their favorite commercial beers available for purchase in the U.S.

Bell’s earned the #1 spot in the Top-Ranked Beers category with Two Hearted and the No. 4 spot for Hopslam Ale. This is the second consecutive year that Two Hearted has claimed this honor. It came in second to Russian River’s Pliny the Elder for seven straight years previously.

Bell’s was also #1 in this year’s Top-Ranked Breweries list.

“This is an incredible honor, one that means a great deal to me personally and to everyone at the brewery. We have never sacrificed quality and this is a testament to the hard work and dedication from everyone involved in getting this beer to our fans,” said Larry Bell, president and founder.

“As brewers, the members of American Homebrewers Association can discern the subtle differences between a good beer and an outstanding beer,” said Gary Glass, director, American Homebrewers Association. “Zymurgy’s Best Beers in America survey showcases which commercial beers are truly the best of the best out there, and all the breweries who made the list should be proud.”

The American Homebrewers Association has worked on behalf of the homebrewing community since 1978 and celebrates a membership of 46,000 homebrewers.

Bell’s general store has been supporting homebrewers in Kalamazoo and beyond since 1983 and predates the brewery. Larry Bell founded our company originally as a homebrew supply store.

Race TC’s finest Singletrack @ TC Trail Fest!

Race TC's finest Singletrack @ TC Trail Fest!

Love singletrack?  Wished you could ride the trails you see crisscrossing the Iceman course?  Here’s your chance: Traverse City  Trail Festival!

The second annual Traverse City Trail Festival presented by Short’s Brewing takes you onto 40 or 25 miles of unmarked singletrack, starting and finishing at beautiful and rustic Ranch Rudolf. That’s right, this is the only day of the year that these trails are marked, giving you the perfect chance to follow some of the best trails in Northern Michigan. 

It’s a celebration of trails, bikes, and our mountain bike community, and we mean everyone! Both 40 and 25-mile distances offer the option to race, or just tour at your own pace with friends. There’s also an 8-mile kid’s race presented by Norte, as well as a balance bike drag race! 

Registration for the 2018 Traverse City Trail Festival is open right now!

The TCTF is the biggest fundraiser of the year for Northern Michigan Mountain Bike Association. Our region’s trail stewards build, maintain, and protect trails from Bellaire to Leelanau County, Traverse City, and the Cadillac Pathway. NMMBA also grooms over 50 miles of trail all winter long, offering year-round non-motorized recreation opportunities for individuals and families.