Here’s the official unofficial, unlicensed itinerary for the Out’n’Back for October 15!
This thing is going to sneak up on you, so make sure your kids’ soccer game is covered and your wife’s pilates-kickboxing class doesn’t conflict. On October 15, anywhere from 2 to 200 mountain cyclists will depart Timber Ridge at 9am for the annual rite of passage. Taking gravel roads to reach the metropolis of Kalkaska, and returning on what is probably the Iceman course, it’s a pilgrimage unlike any other…because most pilgrimages tend to start or end at churches.
There are Out’n’Backs nearly every weekend, so if you can’t make it, it’s cool. This is just an ideal time to do it; it’s a week out from Peak2Peak, a week after the Michigan Mountain Mayhem Gravel Grinder, and but close enough to the Iceman that conditions will largely be the same as race day…you know, maybe.
Plus, we’ve got some cool stuff on offer from our pals. If you aren’t up for a full Out’n’Back, the dudes from up.bike are offering a FREE ride to Kalkaska in their custom trailer! Just sign up for their newsletter to be entered, and we’ll announce the winners a week out.
The ride full O’n’B is a big ask, and we’ll have just one sweeper. We suggest adopting the Buddy System and sticking with your pal, through thick or thin or mechanical. If you need to help recruit a buddy, or want a FREE entry to October 21’s Peak2Peak, just share the event page on Facebook!
We’re also giving away some sweet Brockmiller Elite Endurance socks at the ride, plus everyone who RSVPs will be entered to win a strength class punch card to join Lauri at the Hive this offseason!
For the ride, we’re asking that anyone willing and capable park at Breakaway Cafe and ride up to the ride start at Timber Ridge to reduce our parking impact. You can join the ride up at 8.25, and it’ll take 15-20 minutes to take the neighborhoods up through what we call the Northwest Passage.
Wes Sovis will be leading a ‘headstart’ group from Timber Ridge at 8:45, which will mean a more casual pace to get to Kalkaska. This is a great group if you’ve never done the O’n’B before, or just want to save a little in the legs for the return trip.
The rest of us will leave Timber Ridge at 9am SHARP (like, razor) and be in Kalkaska by 10am. We’ll take a two-minute pause to snack, water the weeds, and get #STOKED and/or #AMPED before taking on the course back to Timber! The lead group will shoot for a 1:55ish time, with our ‘sweeper’ group aiming for 2:30. If you show up, there’s almost certainly a few people your speed, so just keep pedaling and have fun.
Timber Ridge is really cool, guys. Be cool back, and park responsibly, stay out of the way of traffic, and get yourself in there and buy some snacks before or after.
Keep track of news and updates on the Facebook Event page and on Strava.