Minnesota Mountain Bike Race / Bluff Riders Charge

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The start of the mud bath @ 9:00am, with rain all night. Jeff and Owen lined up and headed up the hill into the woods. Jeff raced the marathon and Owen raced the kids comp.

 Owen rocked the course in 35 minutes and a 4th place, he was on his rigid Salsa running a set of knobbied 1.85 tires. He said it was fun and he stayed upright the whole race.

 The young guns slayed the mud course and cleaned up for the awards. 

 Hangn' with the youngster is a good time, wearing a few of my items, hat and vest watching for his dad.

 Jeff coming out of the woods after the rain stopped, the clay, mud was thick. At the beginning of the race with the rain, the trail was in good condition with the wet conditions. Lap times were about 20 minutes, 3rd lap was about 30 minutes and the 4th lap was about 40 minutes. Got a bit thicker and sticker as it dried out. Then with a brief rain shower, the trails improved and the laptimes dropped to about 30 minutes, then once again slowed as the mud thickened. Jeff and Heath were together on the last 2 laps. Heath edged Jeff by about a minute.  

 OK...it was a mudder this day.

 The race tent camp. Nice to have a roof over your head in this weather.

Back Roads...Ride On!!

Off-roading on 2 Wheels / Enduro & Fat Tire

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 A late night logging road ride.

The next day out on the backroads, good to get the Suzuki out in the woods again.

Spring Time in the Valley

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BMW R 1200GS Doing What it Was Built For...Adventure

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Very good day on the Beemer out on a ride in the country along the Minnesota River. Dang it's a nice way to spend an afternoon.

Minnesota Mountain Bike Racing / St. Croix Woolly Mountain Bike Race

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An early season sighting of Jeff Hall in the woods with a number plate zip tied to a mountain bike. It has been several year since Jeff and I have been at a Minnesota Mountain Bike race this early. The plan is to race the Minnesota races and contest some of the major midwest MTB events. The tent came out of storage and we're back on the MTB circuit.        

 Jeff's son Owen and I were the crew today, setting up the camp, handing up water bottles and snapping a few pictures. Owens' riding a Salsa Cycles bike, I've got a Surly Pugsley and Jeff is racing on a Foundry Tomahawk. Representing 3 of QBP's bicycle lines, the fat tire, 26"Salsa and Jeff riding on 27.5" wheels.

 Race conditions were dry, sunny and warm with temps in the 70s. The course was dry and fast with some flat sections out in the wind. Hollywood got the holeshot and led the elite field onto the singletrack. It broke down into a 3 man race at the front.

   Top 3 in the woods, mid-race.

 

 They have a good trail network in St Croix Valley, we were able to ride between sections of the race course. Owen putting the hammer down to keep up with the Pugsley.

 Jeff taking it home for 3rd place finish.

Good to go out for a cool down ride after the race. Good day on the bikes.

Ride On!!

Critters of the River Bottoms on a Rainy Day on the Mountain Bike

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Great to be in the woods along the river banks on a rainy day. One can move along quietly and the animals seem to be calm in the quiet woods. The foliage is still in the Spring mode so it is easy to observe the critters. The mountain bike with me on board does not alarm the animals so it is great to stop and watch them. 

 It is great to have your own island. The Canadian Geese can use the outside of the Beaver lodge as a nesting site and be safe from most predators.

 This deer moved slowly to place the tree between it and me. Not alarmed, it moved along through the fallen trees after it checked me out.

 This pair of Canadians already have their brood to teach the ways of the river to.

 

The knobby tired American Mountain Bike at rest along the river.