One person remarked that there wasn’t more climbing because the elevation change remained the same. Elevation change and distance traveled are not the same thing. The elevation gain from the start to finish is probably about 400 feet. However, steep descents and not-so-steep climbs will easily put you at much more distance climbing. This is something that all of the Keweenaw races have in common. They all have more climbing than descending, where distance traveled is concerned, and two of them start and finish at the same elevation.

I have never “bagged my community.” Even though I have expressed my unhappiness with this particular race course, I never made a negative remark about how the race was run or how the trails are. The people who run races in the Keweenaw do an excellent job. The trails are also incredible. I have always maintained that Churning Rapids is a great trail system, and I have praised the new singletrack that was built in time for the race. I have also always boasted of the incredible cycling community in my area.

Am I going to stop doing the Keweenaw Chain Drive? Probably not. That doesn’t mean I have to approve of the race course. The world will go on.

My race started off well for the 16-mile competition. I began climbing, as is always the case, and kept climbing. There was an occasional downhill, but it was usually short and quick. The climbs, on the other hand, lasted forever. At one point, towards the end of the race, I thought to myself, “Okay, this isn’t fun, anymore.” The Keweenaw Chain Drive transformed from one of my favorite and most highly recommended races to a not-so-favorite personal hell. There was simply too much climbing, and I spoke with several riders of varying abilities who agreed.

To really understand my frustration, you must first understand what it is about mountain bike racing that I prefer. Unlike road racing, which is predominantly an aerobic competition where constant uphills make more sense, mountain bike racing encompasses so much more. Sure, you have your brutal climbs, and nothing less should be expected, but fast descents are equally as important in a race. Not everyone can descend well. In fact, many people can’t descend well.

The perfect mountain bike race has a pretty equal mix of smooth and technical, up and down. The Keweenaw Chain Drive was just about the perfect race. Now, while it still has a phenomenal mix of smooth and technical, it smote the downhill element and shifted favor towards those who aren’t necessarily well-rounded riders. In other words, I prefer a race that focuses more on varying skills rather than one ability, such as climbing.

To be fair, I will freely admit that I am not a strong climber. Even if I were a strong climber, I still wouldn’t enjoy it. What makes mountain biking fun for me is riding on the edge of control, something that is very rarely done by anyone riding uphill. I like the adrenaline rush I get from traveling at high speeds through the woods. THAT is fun. This year’s Chain Drive course took a lot of that fun away from me, this year.