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The Pikes Peak Guy

Ring the Peak date will be Oct. 1

Mountain Bike riders will have the opportunity to challenge themselves against everything Pikes Peak can throw at them in the inaugural "Ring the Peak 100(ish)K" endurance ride coming Oct. 1, 2011.

Event host Ryan Kohler, a senior coach at Carmichael Training Systems, said the ride will likely take place sometime around the second week of August. Cyclists will negotiate a route that includes tough climbs, rocking descents, technical singletrack and plenty of elevation.

"This is not an event that an inexperienced rider will want to jump right into," he said.

An exact route is still being determined, but Kohler's event site, RingThePeak.com, does contain a map of the proposed route.

The new ride will be part of the Colorado Endurance Series, which offers unique events with a relaxed vibe. Ring the Peak will not be timed, entry is free (more info below), there will be no aid stations or volunteer support crew. There are official rules and rule No. 1 is: All riders must be friendly and must always display a good attitude before, during, and after the event. Please, no whining, no complaining, or any other B.S.

The Forest Service has capped the event at 74 riders.

Kohler said Colorado Endurance Series events generally start early in the morning at a breakfast-type place and finish late in the day at restaurant (that serves good beer). He said locations interested in hosting the start or finish, can contact him at Ryan.Kohler.MS@gmail.com.

Kohler answered a few questions for PikesPeakSports.us

How did the idea of having a Colorado Endurance Series race in Colorado Springs come about?

The idea of hosting an event with the Colorado Endurance Series came about because I love these grassroots events that just draw a bunch of fun people who like to do epic rides on their mountain bikes. No fees, no aid stations, no reason to not have a great day on the bike! Colorado Springs is a gem when it comes to mountain bike trails and the past few years have seen a nice increase in the MTB events put on by local race directors. So this event will be a great way to bring more folks out, some of whom may have never ridden here before, to enjoy some of the great singletrack the Pikes Peak region has to offer.

How do riders register for the event?

You have to go to either the Colorado Endurance Series website or the Ring the Peak site and then click on the registration link. From there you enter something like "count me in", or "I'm in", etc. along with your full name to be registered. Because of USFS limitations, there is a cap at 74 riders for this event. Entry is free, and there are certain rules all riders should abide by.

We have a lot of trails in our part of the world, but you have chosen to "Ring the Peak." What attracted you to this route?

We do have a lot of trails in our part of the world, but the Ring the Peak trail is, so far, the most complete version of any official-type of trail that goes around the Peak. Also, to satisfy the "epic" nature of this ride, I thought this trail would be perfect. It has big, steep climbs, some burly hike-a-bike sections, and descents that will have you grinning ear to ear. While it is not 100-percent complete and we may not use all of the available trail during the event, I wanted to have the majority of the event on this trail because it was specifically built for this purpose - to take you around America's Mountain. The exact course will limit paved and dirt road sections as much as possible so we can stay on singletrack most of the day.

This will be one of several events in the Colorado Endurance Series, which has its own unique format. Can you tell us how this event differs from a race?

This event is intended to be a non-commercial, recreational use event, held on parts of USFS land in compliance with USFS Special Use Rules and Regulations. This will differ from your standard mountain bike "race" in that it is not officially timed, does not offer aid stations, does not require volunteers, and costs nothing to enter. For that reason, as a recreational activity, we can hold this event, but not call it a race. Plus, holding it as an "event" helps to keep the camaraderie high, and with events like this, that makes it more likely that participants will be successful and have a really fun day on the bike.

This event won't differ a lot from some of the other Colorado Endurance Series events as far as the format goes. Similar to the Crested Butte 100, for example, it will involve some high-altitude riding over epic terrain, offer a truly backcountry feel to the ride, and provide amazing scenery along the way. Unlike some of the other events in the series, it will be one massive loop, so participants will need to be self-sufficient for the entire day.

What dates are you looking at and when do you think your event date will be finalized?

I am looking at August for the date...probably around the middle of the month. The exact date will be finalized in January. August will give us more daylight and will make for a good evening after the event, not having to worry about cold weather or anything if we finish at an outdoor location.

The route length is about 100 kilometers (62 miles), will it be doable by a variety of cyclists, or is this an experts-only deal?

Great question on the distance and difficulty. The planned route will be around 60-70 miles. The event is called the Ring the Peak 100(ish)k, so we'll see how it works out...and leave the "ish" as the key word! ;-)
The difficulty level will be high. This is not an event that an inexperienced rider will want to jump right into. However, I will provide bail-out points for riders who might want to do a shorter course. Overall though, the rider who will do this event will be experienced with backcountry travel, be confident fixing mechanicals in the wilderness, and be physically and mentally prepared for a lot of hours on the bike. The trail is marked well and gps files are available and I will post that on the web site as soon as possible.