Gravity Slave returns this weekend

Tear the chain off and let it roll

What better way to put all that extra weight you put on at the Fall Festival of Beers and Chili Cook-Off on Saturday to use than racing in the second annual Gravity Slave on Sunday, September 11.
The Gravity Slave is a three-stage gravity-fed race on several of the downhill tracks in the Evolution Bike Park at Crested Butte Mountain Resort.
“It utilizes the green, blue and black trails,” explains Evolution Bike Park manager Christian Robertson. “It’s all gravity-fed.”
There are two major caveats though.
First, it’s a chainless event.
“You have to take the chain off your rig completely,” says Robertson. “You may even want to take off the derailleur.”
Second, competitors must use the same bike on all three stages. While one stage may favor a full downhill bike set up with 10 inches of travel, another may be more amenable to bikes with six or even four inches of suspension.
The first stage will link Luge, Awakening and Warming House Hill. Then riders will return back to the top for stage two riding Timeline, Awakening, a section of Warming House Hill before finishing with the jump line and final section of Avery.
Stage three is Avery all the way, top to bottom.
“Go with what you’re most comfortable with,” advises Robertson. “You can ride it on a cross-country bike if you’re a good bike handler. A guy could show up in spandex and be the spoiler.”
The lowest cumulative time after the three stages takes the title.
Registration for the Gravity Slave is $25 and will be held from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Elevation deck. The cost includes carbo-reloading refreshments at the awards party.
The trails will be open for practice from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. as well with the first stage slated to start at 1 p.m.
“Line choice is huge,” says Robertson. “Stay off the breaks. It’s all about momentum.”