The Bike Course Information
Bike Leg Sponsors
Location:Matanuska Lakes State park trail system “the greenbelt” www.matanuska-greenbelt.org
In the works- see the maps at www.matanuska-greenbelt.org site for an overview of the trails.
Photos of Bike Course
Required Equipment: Helmet
Reccomended Equipment: Sunglasses, gloves, tire repair kit, pump
Sponsor:Backcountry Bicycles of Palmer. www.mountainbikealaska.com
Contact: tony@mountainbikealaska.com
Shop telephone: 746-5018
Description of the bike course:
The bike course is a 13 mile dirt trail that loops and twists around the Matanuska Lake trail system, over to Crevasse-Moraine and the Moose Berry Mesa, finally working its way back to end where it began. You will ride up and down steep trails, around trees, and very near campgrounds. The course feels fast and you must stay mentally engaged or you might hit a tree, fly off a cliff, or end up being offered a hot dog and root beer at one of the camp sites.
Parts of the course are only wide enough for one bike. If you are not comfortable with your biking skills, consider giving the trails a test ride before the race.
The bike course starts at the Matanuska Lakes State Park parking lot and takes off towards Kepler Lake and the University of Fairbanks Matanuska Experiment Farm. Be prepared for spectacular views however, stopping to take pictures during bike course is not recommended, but is not strictly against the rules of the race. If you must stop, get off the trail and maintain the safety for yourself and others.
Do I need a Helmet?
Yes! USAT rules require a helmet. It must be strapped on at all times during the bike course.
What Type of Bike do I need?
Knobby tires are highly recommended. The experts at Backcountry Bicycles www.mountainbikealaska.com in Palmer can answer all biking questions. Be aware that these are the same trails used for the “24 hour race” for the last 2 years.
Bike Passing Rules/Safety- BIKES YEILD TO EVERYONE– the trails will be open to the public at all times so please use caution and ride alert.
There will be portions of the bike course that are not wide enough for 2 bikers to ride side by side. If you are the faster bike behind someone you want to pass, wait for a safe time to pass. Typically faster bikers tend to be more experienced so don’t expect the slower biker to just magically get out of your way.
When the bike path is wide enough for 2 or more bikes, ride as far to the right as possible. While passing a fellow biker, yell “On your right” BEFORE you come up next to them. We don’t want to spook anyone or have them crash into you or a tree. So please be courteous.
If you are slower, feel free to pull over to the right to let people pass you. However, make sure you yell, “I’m pulling over” LOUDLY so the person behind you knows you are stopping so they don’t ride up your back tire and leave tread marks on your neck. If this does occur, there are two Chiropractic offices sponsoring this event. Check them out!
Wasilla area sponsoring chiropractic clinic: Alpine Chiropractic www.alpinechiro.net
Palmer area sponsoring chiropractic clinic: BIONIC Chiropractic www.drbionic.com
Can I Draft on the Bike Portion of the Race?
You can’t draft on the bike course. This is a USAT sanctioned event, meaning that technically you must stay at least 3 bike lengths behind the bike in front of you. We recognize it can be challenging to keep 3 bike lengths behind in a course such as this, so just do your best to be safe. We will not be monitoring for drafting because functionally there are very few points on the course that it creates an advantage and forcing a pass in 15 sec may not be practical depending on the trail. Please keep in mind, the other cyclists will know when you are attempting to “cheat”. Please keep it sportsmans like. “Even a dog can tell the difference between being triped over and getting kicked”
- UP DATED JULY 18–Same as “24 Hour Race”
