MiMBR Michigan Mountain Bike Racing

More than 500 racers gathered at the Deep Lake Campground in Middleville on Sunday, April 19, for the 20th Anniversary Yankee Springs Time Trial. The event, which traditionally begins the mountain bike racing season in Michigan, draws riders from across the state and serves as a fundraiser for the Western Michigan Chapter of the Michigan Mountain Biking Association (MMBA). It’s also the first race in the MMBA Championship Point Series.

Michigan’s weather can be unpredictable at this time of year, and race day was no exception, with temperatures in the 50s and a steady drizzle after being 70 and sunny the previous day. While the wet conditions tempered the sandy sections, they also added a wrinkle in the form of slick roots and rocks.

Still, the rain couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the racers as they lined up to start. Elite racers started one at a time at 10 a.m. with experts not far behind. The Elites and Experts rode two laps, while all other classes completed one lap.

Elite riders lined up at 10 a.m. to get a head start on the hilly, 62-mile course. Both Expert and Sport riders rode a 31-mile loop; Elite riders completed it twice. The last to start were the Beginner riders, who took off en masse and rode an abbreviated 19-mile course. The field boasted a variety of mountain and cyclocross bikes, single speeds, fixed gears and tandems.

The race was a mixture of scenic gravel roads, a short section of two-track punctuated with messy sand pits, and winding pavement. The country roads running through Barry County and skirting Gun Lake were a perfect venue for a race, particularly at this time of year when most mountain bike trails are still drying out. Although the course wasn’t closed, traffic for most of the route was light.