Riding Guides!
As we wind down into spring, many people are going to start asking – where is the best place to ride? Where are the best trails? Is Lake Superior cold? While I can’t definitively answer the first two, the third one is a yes, and I can guide you for the other two to help you decide for yourself!
-Miners Park is a new trail system just completed last year. It is within the heart of the city, only a mile from the heart of downtown. It features roughly 10 miles of XC flow loops, circling around several of the mining pits left from the mining age in Ironwood. It has good elevation change, and plenty of views across the mining ponds and cliffs around the park.
-Copper Peak is the closest to gravity riding within our major area. A 1 mile climb from the road, or a warm up loop that takes you down by the river to add another mile takes you to the top of the hill, right at the base of the copper peak jump and top of the lift. Beautiful views across the forests and views of Jackson Creek Summit and Black River Basin gives a unparalleled view from the top. On the way down, you can pick from a more flowy XC track or a more feature rich Gravity track. The lift also has bike hooks to carry you to the top without needing to climb.
-Wolverine is the best old-school hand cut trails available. Featuring a few loops of old school rocky and rooty terrain with tight tree maneuvers and plenty of climbing, it is a more challenging set of trails. Crossing over the backside of Powderhorn mountain, it features ample elevation to make use of the technical terrain available on their trails.
-Winman is stretching the definition of local, but is well worth the 40-minute trip. They feature 23 miles of smooth, manmade XC trail spanning all abilities and types. From the beginner friendly Winman One and Roller Creek, to the aptly named Bridge trail, their main jump lines of Send it and Air mail, technical descents down red trail, or head-to-head competition on twins, they have something for everyone. Words cannot describe the vibe though; everyone is always friendly and down to have a great time and a fun ride.
Mondays just got a little bit better
For the whole time that we have had the blog, it has come out on Thursdays every other week. Now, that all is going to change. Starting at the next blog (1/1/24), it’s going to be posted on Mondays. Along with that, I’m proud to finally reveal the next big series from Hobby Wheel – Trailhead Talks! Taken on location at the local trailheads, it will be a longer video podcast on the off weeks from the blog. The first one will be out next week, on Thursday, 3/28. After that, they will be on Mondays on the off weeks from the blog. We’ll cover everything from the local riding, more news from in the blog, and of course some good ole’ podcast banter.
News from the Trails
Now onto our news segment, there’s only one new bike this week, but its big. Specialized released their redesign of the epic platform, now known as the epic 8 and Epic 8 Evo. These refreshes come with their own host of improvements, from upping the travel to 120 Front and Rear on the Epic 8 and 130 Front and 120 Rear on the EVO, to in frame storage, to new slacker geo, the Epic 8 is designed to go fast and have some fun while doing it. It comes in a full range of colors and prices, so stop on by and take a look!
it’s been busy here, as you’ve probably seen from our socials full of people with their new bikes. All the planning for Trailhead Talks is finally paying off, and I know you’ll love this series.
Happy Adventuring!
-Peter
