Dakota 50

Dakota 50

A group of Justin's riders headed out to Spearfish South Dakota over the labor day weekend for the Dakota 50 and came home with a podium sweep! We traveled out & camped with out friends from Alchemist Threadworks who gave us all the race tips & info.

Justin's sweeps the "geezer" podium

The Dakota 50 has grown to a major event, selling out this year with a 600 rider cap. It may have become  one of the  richest MTB races in the US with a prize list over $25,000. The pros may disagree with this value as there is not even a pro category & the money does not go to the pros. The cash prizes are distributed over all age categories & there are drawings form the top 3 in each category for SRAM XX group sets,  shocks etc.

John Bliss

Toni Geer on the typical Dakota 50 single track

The course is fantastic. It may be blasphemy to say in the MTB world, but perhaps there is too much "floweybutterysmoothalicous" single track. Yes - I said too much. There is very little opportunity to pass ever in the entire race but you really can't complain about the riding. After a brief neutral start there  is a 3 mile gravel road climb. The 50 veterans know this is a critical piece as at mile 3 you dive into single track & will be there for about 40 miles. The course trends gradually upward on twisty narrow trail for about 20 miles - a few steep kickers & a few ripping DH sections. After about 20 miles the trend is downward with  very fast twisty descents & a few open forest service roads. There are 2 steep climbs on the way home - the worst being at 35 miles climbing up to the "bacon station" for a slice of bacon & a PBR swig of beer before the last 10 mile rip home. The entire race is fast, heads up riding - no hour long climb slogs. They have a ton more oxygen than we do with a start around 3500 feet making the event even more pleasurable.

Michelle Bliss

Drew Geer entering the early single track

Kelly McGrew led the Justin's train out up the gravel climb. John Bliss was a bit under the weather & had to temper his start. My legs were not happy at all in the really cold morning air but I knew Kelly was right & I suffered to hand on his wheel up the gravel positioning climb. Kelly made the brilliant move to the front of the main chase group just at the entry to the single track moving us into the top 20. Things did bind up here even at the front of the race. I'm sure just 20 or 30 riders back was tight & slow. Kelly set a nice tempo in our group of 10 chasers & my legs recovered. As there is no passing - really - we rode in pretty much the same order for 12 miles. The tempo was quick, climbing at 10 - 12 mph & descents at 30. Kelly missed one quick right hander about 15 miles in & that single dab knocked him off the train for the rest of the race. He chased about 2 minutes back, reeling in a rider here & there. My legs got stronger as the miles ticked off & I actually held my position all the way through the finish. In the first 2 hours of riding there it stayed "brisk" & we rode through vast meadows still glistening with frost. It warmed up but never got hot. After the tough little grind up the the bacon station, the final 10 miles is all descent on smooth single track. This is full speed descending - the ear to ear grin kind of riding.

Kelly McGrew leads Drew Geer at the head of the first chase group

We finished up 1, 2, 3 on the 50+ podium: Geer, McGrew & Bliss. I was 18th overall with Kelly just back at 21st & John just a few more slots behind. Michelle Bliss was around 7th in the large & super fast ladies field. Toni took a high speed tumble about 20 miles in & pulled herself - rattled but no big injuries.

This needs to get on your race list. It is a class event & really fun riding! Start planning on 2012.

Mt. Rushmore is just a quick side trip - well worth the detour on the way out