Big Mountain Enduro to hit Crested Butte

Catch the latest craze in mountain bike racing

The Crested Butte five-day Enduro is not for the faint of heart. Repeat, not for the faint of heart and you must be in great physical condition and have expert level bike handling skills and must be used to big days on the bike.
The five-day inaugural event September 3-7 will blend high-altitude backcountry adventures mixed with most of the biggest descents in the area. Expect to ride some of the most challenging and scenic trails in North America, several of them often ranked as top ten trails in the U.S.
Most backcountry stages will start around 9,000 feet in elevation, some days climbing and topping out above 12,500 feet, so get your lungs (and cameras) ready. We anticipate 30,000 total feet of descending over the course of five days. Expect to climb a good portion of that vertical, plan for full days on the bike and big mileage, where you’ll need to be relatively self-supported and capable of navigating maps in remote areas.
This event will encompass a heavy pro field and the largest cash payout of any 2014 BME event. We bring you the first of its kind in North America, so get ready for the 2014 Crested Butte Ultra Enduro.
Riders will be challenged with five days of racing, four of those days deep in the backcountry, with big climbing transitions that will take you to the top of the world, overlooking majestic peaks.
The fifth and final day of racing will be held at Evolution Bike Park, also the place for awards and festivities. This will be a stand-alone event and not a part of the Big Mountain Enduro Series’ overall rankings.
This special gem of a place tucked deep in the Rockies and surrounded by wilderness, holds the longest running bike festival in the country and is a true mountain town with more miles of singletrack than any other location in the country. Legend has it that Crested Butte is the birthplace of mountain biking and we are going to take you back to the roots of riding big mountains at high elevations around Crested Butte.
Registration includes:
—Shuttles on backcountry days
—Lift ticket for Evolution Bike Park
—Coffee and beer
—Breakfast and lunch
—Custom Mavic Crossmax/BME jersey
—Annual subscription to Mountain Flyer Magazine
—Large awards ceremony/raffle
—Guided adventure of a lifetime
In the spirit of enduro, course profiles will be given out the week of the event. Exact trail information will be released on Monday, September 1 at noon before racing commences, thus giving riders one day to scope out trails and form their race strategy.
Expect to average 25 miles per day, 5,100 feet of climbing and 6,700 feet of descending, with two or three big stages per day.
All shuttles will depart from the same convenient location in town each day and return riders back after the day of racing when applicable.
For more information check out www.bigmountainenduro.com.