The Wicked Witch of the East came back! This roaring downhill, streaking cross-country, groaning uphill, splashing over-the-waterbars, chase-through-the-woods, mountain bike race returned July 31 to Sugarbush South. In its fourth year, this NORBA (National Off-Road Bicycle Association) sponsored race attracted 250 riders from all over New England. Just ask the participants who gleefully pedaled their hearts out for a chance at a prize or just the recognition that comes with doing well in a race. This year, the Wicked Witch was a one-day cross-country race. In its first three years, it was a two-day stage race: actually four races run over two days: the infamous hill-climb, cross-country, downhill, and time-trial.
Racers are categorized by skills: beginner, junior (14-18), sport, experts, and veterans (the 35 and over crowd). Women race against women, men against men. The prizes are equal. Last year, one 12-year-old was the only racer in her class and won, by default, first, second and third places!
This popular race is sponsored by the Mad River Riders, an eclectic bunch of environmentally-correct pedalers. Eclectic if you consider their professions from writers, photographers and artists to lawyers, accountants, moms, electricians, builders, carpenters, insurance people, innkeepers, and shop-owners. In other words a basic cross-section of any town’s population.
Face it, there are some riders who delight in Class-A thrills hurtling down the mountainside at breakneck speeds. But they are not all of them; those are generally the race fanatics. Most bikers’ thrills come from enjoying nature in its most natural form. They use their specialized mountain bikes (just try to hit those logs and rocks without shock absorbers!) to get around and see more of the wilderness at a time. It doesn’t hurt that it is a relatively safe sport (mountain bikers always wear helmets) and packs a lot of exercise into a short time span. A two-hour ride can take them miles around the Mad River Valley along hiking paths, ski and logging trails over and around the mountains.
Bikers are especially environmentally aware as any deterioration of the woods and trails ruins the pleasure they get from riding them.
The Riders were initially formed as a racing group in the 1980s. Re-founded sometime around 1990, with 70 people attending the first meeting, these riders have been racing mountain, as well as road bikes, all over the country, although mostly in New England. Some of the riders have gone on to richer sponsorships in bigger states. Peter Weber and Jen Mynter are first class nationally-known racers. As was Geo Bullock, until he retired last year. All former Riders.
Willem Jewett, one of the re-founders of the Riders, describes them as “good stewards of the land who go out, ride and have fun.”
Primarily the Riders were a racing club with affiliations with USCF (United States Cycling Federation for road racers) and NORBA (for mountain bikers). Lately, they have been less a racers’ group and more a bike enthusiasts’ group. They hold Tuesday night rides for the hearty, often going out for several hours and then sharing a potluck dinner at the nearest riders’ home. Wednesday nights are the MOB rides (Mothers on Bikes), as in “give Mom a break.”
By word-of-mouth, the Valley has become a mecca for out-of-staters coming for the justly famous rides. Unfortunately, there aren’t any, as yet, complete trail maps to hand out. As the popularity of mountain biking has soared, it has created problems with a few landowners. Bikers unfamiliar with the terrain may use trails that owners have asked not to be used. Or the bikers may get lost and come out near someone’s home, annoying the owner.
To remedy this situation, the Riders have been working on land access and landowner’s concerns trail by trail with the owners. Some landowners prefer that their trails remain private Riders trails, others are happy to let the public use them. Weekends are spent improving trails, building bridges over streams, and generally making the existing trails safer to ride. They are mapping their public trail system for the benefit of the out-of-state riders.
To alleviate landowners’ fears of loss of the right to their land and liability the Riders have been working with the Mad River Path Association to license the right to use the trails for multi-recreational use: cross-country skiing, horse-back riding, and hiking, as well as biking. This keeps the trail open for sports and allows the landowner to keep the rights to his or her land. Otherwise, the landowner could lose the trail rights to public access. As to the liability issue, it is state law that landowners who allow the public to use their property for recreational purposes cannot be held responsible in case of an accident.
The Mad River Bike Shop in Waitsfield has been the unofficial hub of the Riders, as everyone ends up there for one reason or another (busted cables, “tacoed” wheels, new tubes...). There is a special hotline used to tell the riders where the rides are and where to meet. They hold monthly meetings at American Flatbread in Waitsfield, one of their “tougher” assignments (sure).
As to the races, quite a few of the Riders race regularly and hold national rankings. No doubt one of the factors drawing new riders and racers is the camaraderie. Stories abound of racers with a popped tire, or other catastrophe, being tossed the required tool to get them back into the race. And the tools get returned, one way or another.
On May 29, the Riders held their first road-race attracting 165 racers in six classes. Using police and volunteers to insure the riders’ safety, the race was considered a huge plus for the community. Next year, the sponsors plan to enlarge the race.
Thanks to the Mad River Riders, the Valley is becoming a great vacation spot for yet another sport. One that anyone who can ride a bike can participate in and enjoy.
Go for it!
© 1994 Kitty Werner