Third and fourth IMBA Epics are long, memorable days in the saddle

IMBA Trail News
Volume 12, Number 4
September 1999

Epics program will expand in '00

If you like eight-hour off-road rides with lots of elevation change, you'll love the Gauley Headwaters Epic in Slatyfork, West Virgnia, and The Big Boulder Ride near Downieville, California. These two all-day mountain bike adventures were recently recognized and celebrated as IMBA Epics.

The West Virginia IMBA Epic, held August 4 in perfect weather, attracted nearly 50 riders from all over the U.S. to the Elk River Touring Center in Slatyfork. After splitting into four groups, participants pedaled up and down the 4,000-foot peaks of the Allegheny Mountains in the Monongahela National Forest. Technical rock-strewn sections and wet roots presented a continuous test of balance and agility. Most of the ridersmany of them members of East Coast IMBA affiliated clubsrode well into the shadows of afternoon as they covered more than 30 miles and 5,000 feet of climbing. A long, final descent carried everyone to the valley floor and The Elk River Touring Center where the West Virginia Department of Tourism provided dinner.

The Sierra California IMBA Epic, which attracted 50 riders to Downieville on August 12, may have been the toughest of the four rides in the '99 series. Many of the participants took seven hours to go the distance. Talk about balance: this ride included more than 7,200 feet of climbing, but also included an unforgettable 15-mile, two-hour, downhill singletrack on the two-year-old Big Boulder Trail. Representatives of a half dozen California IMBA affiliated clubs
participated. Also along were editors of Bike and Mountain Bike magazines, and Mountain Bike Hall of Famers Gary Fisher, Scot Nicol of Ibis and Max Jones.

The IMBA Epics program, which this year included designated epics in four states, is sponsored by Patagonia and RockShox. Selected rides utilize trails on public land that are generally open for recreational riding. Thus, cyclists who aren't able to attend IMBA Epic celebration rides are encouraged to pedal the epic routes on their own. Maps of each of the rides are available locally.

IMBA, RockShox and Patagonia created the Epics to promote big adventure mountain bike rideslong, scenic loops that are revered by enthusiasts. These are the type of rides that inspire advocates to keep working on challenging trail access and management issues.

Here's the list of '99 Epics selections:

• The Edge, Fruita, Colorado
• The R3 Ride, State College, Pennsylvania
• Gauley Headwaters Epic, Slatyfork, West Virginia
• Big Boulder Ride, Downieville, California.

The IMBA Epics Series will return in '00 with as many as eight Epics designations around the world. Again, the concept is to recognize great rides and encourage mountain bikers to enjoy them.