With one final weekend before the Iceman Cometh, it’s Out and Back time in Northern Michigan. 

The trails almost clogged with Weekend Warriors making their pre-race reconnaissance missions with just over a week to go until the nation’s largest one day mountain bike race takes off November 3. If you aren’t sure of how to ride, just follow the furrow with bike treads in it and you should be able to navigate from Kalkaska to Traverse City without too much trouble. The course’s new sections, most notably a by-pass near some logging and a refreshed finish section in Timer Ridge, are good to know but won’t play a massive factor in your race.

There are a ton of rides heading out from Timber Ridge, Einstein Cycles and other locales this weekend. Timber Ridge will continue to run its shuttle service, but the true Traverse City tradition of the Out and Back is perhaps the most acceptable form of checking out the course. About an hour and a half out on dirt roads and however-long-it-takes-you-to-do-it, plus a few minutes to catch your breath.

kolo t.c. will be taking a one-day vacation on Friday to prepare for Iceman Cometh Week, which starts Monday at 7am or so. We will have a some predictions, forecasts, rider interviews and insights, plus the unveiling of the 2013 theme for the revamped kolo t.c. logo.

If you’re heading to The Lowell 50, and you should be, bring some hot chocolate. Race recap for Lowell will be up Saturday evening, as you’d expect.

Until then, get prepared. Get your head straight. And enjoy every ride.