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Review: Black Hills Fat Tire Festival

 
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 4:37 pm    Post subject: Review: Black Hills Fat Tire Festival Reply with quote

Read below for a full review of the 2009 Black Hills Fat Tire Festival from Rapid City, SD.
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ctxguide
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 4:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I spent two years as a backpacking and mountain biking guide in the Black Hills of South Dakota in 99 and 2000. So, when I heard about the mountain biking festival, I packed my bags and headed west.

There's mountain biking in them there hills!

The BHFTF was a 3-day amateurish event that tastes world class trails through the granite infested ponderosa forests of the northern Black Hills. The organizers did not appear to be that concerned about hospitality or hosting a professional event. However, they were all avid mountain bikers willing and able to lead groups of riders through some of the best trails on Earth. If trail riding is your thing, this is the place to go.

Even though there was some rain, the magic of the Black Hills are the dry trails. Yep, they stay dry even when raining; no mud or slick conditions like what would have happened back in Connecticut.

Victoria Lake 15: This was a 17.5 mile loop with several monster hill climbs and fast screaming descents down fast switchbacks. There were mild technical riding sections easily overcome by momentum. This was also the most enjoyable trail of the bunch.

Storm Mountain: A classic 10-mile trail ride that starts off easy and ends with a bang. The trail begins over fairly non-technical singletrack and then after the midway point turns into some gnarly riding ending with a hair-raising natural dirt halfpipe. This is a must-ride.

Shanks Quarry/Bone Collector: An average ride for most of the 10-mile trip with the exception of Bone Collector, an intense technical riding test through tight and twisty singletrack over rugged granite outcroppings. As a super-technical trail riding officianado from the east, I was most pleased with the difficulty and ridability of Bone Collector. I just wish the entire 10 miles of trails were such a work of art - Bone Collector was about 2 miles of riding.

M Hill: This was a nearly treeless hill on the north side of the festival site at Founders Park. The venue boasted some of the best non-technical singletrack that I have ever ridden. Most of the ride was fast with tight banked hairpin turns along steep exposed slopes. Riding M Hill should be done with sunscreen, plenty of water and without the threat of thunderstorms due to it's exposed topography.

The festival easily fostered friendship among the community of mountain biker enthusiasts. I met a wide range of riders from all over the country and enjoyed their company. There were also respresentatives from Trek, Kona and Giant offering up some of their best bikes as demos.

I highly recommend the Black Hills Fat Tire Festival for avid trail riders that are not that concerned with bells and whistles.
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