The Cadillac Pathway is about to become the center of the Michigan mountain biking world, and our locals have the home field advantage ahead of September 22!
This past Sunday, Glacial Hills played host to over 300 racers in the second event in the NMMBA Trail Series this summer! The three race series is designed to highlight the diverse, challenging, and fun races that Northern Michigan Mountain Bike Association offers in Traverse City, Bellaire, and Cadillac. Each trail offers its own flavor, its own challenges, and its own test to riders of all abilities. From the flat and very natural feel of the Traverse City Trail Festival to the flowy, rolling trails of Glacial Hills, we’ve already seen some unique riding and very different winners at each race.
Now, we’re bringing the fun to the Cadillac Pathway for the Bear Claw Epic. You may have already noticed some extra trail maintenance the past few days from Erik and Michele as we work to make sure the Pathway is in great shape for our normal day-to-day traffic, but also the influx of racers that will swing through for a few laps before race day. If there are any trail issues, please let us know so we can tackle them quickly!
After the previous two stops, the Pathway is almost a mix of both Glacial and the TCTF. It offers plenty of rolling climbs like Glacial, plus a slightly wider path than TCTF that means a lot of chances to pass and ride an aggressive race, or easily cruise past slower riders from different categories. It’s a course that really rewards riders with a lot of horsepower; last year, Sean Kickbush handled things from the gun en route to a big win ahead of Cody Sovis. Previous winner Jorden Wakley just so happened to be the winner this past weekend at Glacial, and he’ll be tough to beat on the men’s side at BCE.
Of course, the real race of the day is the Bear Cub Epic, our kid’s race with Norte Youth Cycling! The Bear Cub Epic is divided between ages 6-10 and 11-14, as well as the Strider Bike Sprint for kids under 6. It’s always the most fun event to watch, and we really encouraged racers and spectators to give the kids a lot of cheers, encouragement, and cowbell for showing up.
Ready to go give the course a look? The 2018 BCE course is marked in eco-friendly pink spray paint, so it’s easy to put in a few laps over the next couple of weeks. Make sure you get yourself signed up for race day and bring a friend, too!