The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Spend some time in the pain cave, and enjoy the colors
Get ready people because it is on like Donkey… ah, forget it.
The annual CB Classic is this Saturday, September 22 at 7 a.m. It is possibly one of the greatest mountain bike group rides available in the good ol’ US of A.
The CB Classic strings together 100 miles of bike riding, most of which is single track, in three continuous loops.
Mind you, there are a couple of tweaks to the route this year.
First of all, with Vinotok on the same weekend, the start/finish line has been moved to the Post Office parking lot to give space for Vinotok preparation.
“We don’t want to mix Lycra and paganism until later in the evening,” says group ride organizer Dave Ochs.
Second, Ochs hopes to keep the same order of loops with Strand/Deer Creek back to town on loop one, 403/401 back to town on loop two and the Dyke/east Wagon Trail on the third and final loop. But that has yet to be determined.
No matter what the order is, Ochs has changed a few things for this year on two of the loops.
“New this year, we’re doing every bit of 401,” says Ochs. “And we’re gonna can the Wagon Trail section. It’s too misleading, too confusing and the track goes nowhere.”
Ochs is talking specifically about adding in the final section of 401 from Rustler’s Gulch to Judd Falls and cutting the section of Wagon Trail on the west side of Kebler Pass—you know, where the elves live.
Participants in the group ride will still ride the east portion of the Wagon Trail that parallels Kebler Pass road though.
Also new this year, a mini-CB Classic group ride where participants can still get a great tour of the local single track yet avoid the pain threshold.
The mini is Strand and Deli Trail back to town for loop one. Then head up the rec path to ride all of the Lupine Trail and the Upper Lower Loop back to town and finishing with a ride up Kebler to the Y before turning back to town via the east section of the Wagon Trail.
There is, of course, one other option.
“Teams of three are encouraged to do the Classic,” says Ochs. “It’s a great way to do it. You get out there and throttle down for one loop for your team, hand it off and hit the Brick Oven.”
As always, the Brick Oven will be providing a perfect spot for hanging out during the race and Avery Brewing Company will provide the necessary liquid carbs.
Ochs asks that all participants get to the post office parking lot by 6:30 a.m. to sign up with the ride discussion at 6:45 a.m.
How hard could it be?
“Just show up,” says Ochs. “The leaves couldn’t be better, it’s a yellow brick trail out there.”
