2021 Race Day Information

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It’s here! The 2021 Traverse City Trails Festival p/b Short’s Brewing is this Sunday, July 25. 

We’ve put together everything you need to know in one spot to make race day less stressful and run smoothly. 

First, we want to thank everyone for signing up and being a part of this event. Especially after the past year and a half, we have been anxious about the event’s reception and about our ability to put this race on safely. We ask that you stay home if you are feeling in sick in any way this weekend and to contact us if you believe you may have had a COVID-19 exposure before or after the event so we can communicate accordingly. 

Race Venue

We’re so happy to be back at the Ranch! Ranch Rudolf is located at: 

6841 Brown Bridge Road, Traverse City, Michigan 4969

Parking will be in the fields to the south of the ranch. Please follow the directions of our parking volunteers and signage.  Do NOT park on the shoulder of any road or enter the Ranch on race day.  There is no parking in the downtown ranch area. 

Registration

Online registration closes Wednesday, July 21. 

We WILL be offering in-person registration! You’ll have two opportunities. 

Early packet pick-up will be available Saturday, July 24 at Wild Card Cycle Works from 1-4 pm. You’ll also be able to register, and make sure you fill out a waiver! 

You can also sign up on race day from 7am - 8:30 am. 

Start Times

All 28-mile races start at 9 am. 

All 15-mile races start at 9:15 am. 

All Tour riders will start AFTER the 15-mile racers. 

We ask that our two race waves seed themselves accordingly. Faster riders up front, slower riders in the back. It’s more fun for everyone, and faster, to be in the right spot. That opening hill should help to sort things out! 

The Course

The course will be marked with color-coordinated arrows. All 28-mile events will follow blue arrows and 15-mile events will follow yellow arrows. If you forget, look down at your number plate; hey, it matches your distance. 

You can see the 2021 28 mile route here. It’s worth having on your GPS unit for additional peace of mind. 

  1. This is a single-track race.  If a rider catches you or asks please help him or her pass you. 

  2. There are more gravel road sections in the 2021 TCTF than past years, please remember to respect the imaginary center line and do NOT cross it.  Also, LOOK BOTH WAYS when entering a gravel road.  There will be no traffic support on the gravel sections and YOU are responsible to stay safe.

  3. There is only ONE exception to the imaginary center line rule and that is at the start of the race.  The entire road is closed for your passing and sprinting pleasure.  This is the ONE TIME you are allowed to use the whole road.  There is no excuse for not getting the position you prefer in the peloton.

  4. During the race you will cross some paved roads.  There will be crossing guards at each of them.  However, the last 2 miles of the race has several places where racers will use the SHOULDER of Ranch Rudolf Road.  You are NOT allowed to use ANY of the paved surface.  There will be stakes and ribbon to remind you but in case the ribbon gets pulled down, you must know you may NOT use the paved road.  The course goes in and out of the woods during the last 2 miles and racers could easily miss a piece of single track and become disqualified.  If you stay on the gravel shoulder you can’t mess up your race. 

  5. If you are waiting to “make your move” on the final descent into Ranch Rudolf, remember the imaginary center line rule is in effect because cars could be travelling up the hill while you are racing down.  There will be a corner marshal directing you out of the single track and down the hill.  He will also be watching for racers crossing the centerline.  Don’t do it!

Awards + Food

Awards will be given to the top three in each category! 

Ranch Rudolf will have a limited pub food menu and staff due to covid weirdness so please be flexible.  Our normal post-race cookout will return next year if covid continues to be stamped out.  Beer will also be available and provided by the ranch in the main lodge.  Bring cash credit cards are SLOW due to poor web service! We’ll also have NMMBA merchandise for sale, as well as some neat stuff from Thule, up.bike, and other sponsors to check out.

Deals and Discounts!

Below you’ll find information about all of our sponsors this year. As you make purchases for bikes and for life, check this list first. These are the businesses that support our trails; let’s do our part to support them. 

Not making any purchases soon? Hey, that’s cool. Then we ask that you take five minutes to:

  1. Follow one of these companies on social media that you don’t already follow. 

  2. Leave one 5-star review on Google of a business here that you LOVE!

  3. Send the website link below of a business you dig to a friend who needs some of THAT in their life! 

 

Anne Schwartz

https://www.anneschwartztc.com/

Free coffee!

Bayfront Beach and Bike

https://www.bayfrontbeachandbike.com/e-bikes

Bearclaw Bicycle Co.

https://bearclawbicycleco.com/

Brick Wheels

https://www.brickwheels.com/

Cherry Captial Cycling Club

https://www.cherrycapitalcyclingclub.org/

City Bike Shop

citybikeshop.com

Kinetic Fitness

https://www.kineticfitnesscoaching.com/

One free training/consultation!

Max's Service

https://www.maxsservice.com

Mimssion Cycles

https://missioncycles.net/

20% off everything!

MMBA

mmba.org

Pure Pilates

https://www.purepilatestc.com/

1 free class with purchase of Getting Started Private Package!

Q+M

https://qandm.agency/

FREE *DON'T* Service!

Ranch Rudolf

https://ranchrudolf.com/

Short's Brewing Company

https://www.shortsbrewing.com/




Suttons Bay Bikes

https://www.suttonsbaybikes.com/

20% off everything!

Terry Porter - Life Coach

https://terry-porter.com/

10% Life Coaching or Marriage Coaching Package

Thule

https://www.thule.com/en-us

up.bike

https://up.bike/

20% off!

TCTF2021

Wild Card Cycle Works

https://www.wildcardcw.com/

10% off apparel and accessories for two weeks post-race!

2018 TCTF Race Day Handbook

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Everything you need to know to be ready for the Traverse City Trail Festival on July 21! 

The second edition of the #TCTF is Saturday, July 21. As expected, some of the best bike-handlers in Michigan are already confirmed to make appearances in the 40 and 25-mile races, with dozens of riders also electing to enjoy the day at a more leisurely pace in the tour categories. To make it easy on everyone, we've tried to put together a comprehensive one-sheet (well, page) to make it very easy to sign up, show up, and savor every second of the big day. 

Registration. Online registration is available through Byte Events until 10 pm on Thursday, July 19. Late registration will be available at Ranch Rudolf, along with early packet pick-up, from 4-7pm on Friday, July 20. There is day-of registration from 7-8:45am on race. There is no registration for the Intergalactic Balance Bike Race for kids under 8 years old, which takes place at 1pm. 

Registration and packet pick-up for the 8 mile kid's race will be open during the times noted above, as well as from noon until 1pm! 

Location. Ranch Rudolf is located at 6841 Brown Bridge Rd, Traverse City, MI 49696. The start/finish venue will be located on the ranch's main street; just look for the big NMMBA/Short's Brewing banner. 

Parking/Camping. Parking for packet pick-up and race day will be available in the large field south of the Ranch. Go past the entrance about 100 yards and you'll see a volunteer who'll put you exactly where you need to be. Please refrain from parking near the entrance of the Ranch itself, or along the road. We've got plenty of pasture to place everyone off the pavement! 

Course. The 40-mile course is 39.5 miles. The 25-mile course is 27.5 miles. The race begins heading west out of the ranch and onto Brown Bridge Road; at the top of the climb, races will turn right to enter the Muncie Lake Pathways network. 

40-mile racers follow pink arrows; your number plate matches. 

25-mile racers follow blue arrows; your number plate matches. 

You can pre-ride the courses with the 40 mile GPX file and 25 mile GPX file. NOTE: There may be slight changes to these files on race day. Follow course markings! 

Aid Station. Cherryland Accounting and Forty-Five North Winery with both be volunteering at aid stations. 40 milers will see the same aid station twice; the 25-mile race will see only one aid station. Both aid station will have food and water, however, we recommend you start the race with the water and food you need to finish your distance. Bring a flat kit and tools; even if you don't know how to make a specific repair, the more people we have with the materials to do so, the easiest it will be for a good Samaritan to help out! 

Schedule of Events. Please pay attention to YOUR start time: 

40 Mile Race starts at 9am, with a mandatory rider's meeting at the start line at 8:45.
25 Mile Race starts at 9:30, with a mandatory meeting at 9:15. 
The Intergalactic Balance Bike Race will start at 1pm. There is no registration; listen for announcements starting after the other races have started.
8 Mile Kid's Race starts at 1:30pm.  

Awards will begin immediately after the conclusion of the kid's race! 

For both of the races, please seed yourselves accordingly; Elites first, Expert second, Sport next. Please be respectful and courteous of ALL racers, riders, and trail users you may encounter on the trail. A polite hello, a wave, and a ding of the bell will help spread our good vibes far and wide! 

ALL tour riders will start at 9:45am, with a mandatory meeting at 9:35. IMPORTANT: Please do NOT leave early! Your chip will not be activated until 9:45, and we need to know who started in order to know who is still on the course later in the day. We will not let any tour riders leave later than 10am. 

Race FAQs. 

Is the 25-mile race the 'beginner' race? NO! The 25-mile race is no walk in the park, that's why we offer an Expert category at that distance. At roughly 90-120 minutes of racing, it's on par with what is considered a standard cross country race; if we were to join the Championship Points Series, this is the distance we'd use. Expect to see some incredible riders take on the 25 mile. 

Are there places to pass? The climb up from the Ranch certainly helps to line things out, and it's a relatively wide opening stretch through Muncie Lakes. All racers should be courtesy to other athletes on the course. If you want to pass, announce yourself and communicate politely. If someone wants to pass you, remember, it's probably a really good idea to cooperate, hop on their wheel, and hold on, which means you BOTH are going faster. 

What bike should I run? If you have the option, many riders would prefer a full suspension bike for this race, although hardtails performed the best in both the 40 and 25 mile races in 2017. We'd also recommend bringing a full flat kit and consider using a hydration pack. With so much singletrack, it can be hard to drink out of a bottle safely under race conditions. 

If you're in a bunch, remember that the final four miles feature some gravel roads and two-tracks, so there is time for wide-open racing before the short singletrack section at the ranch. 

Tour FAQs. Please make sure you roll over the timing strip at the start and end of your ride. We're using the timing system as a secondary means of accounting for all riders in the woods to make sure everyone is safely back at the Ranch. We will have a sweeper, but it's important everyone helps us keep track by following these instructions. 

Results. Results will be available online right here. 

Social. Stay up-to-date with NMMBA on Facebook and Instagram using #NMMBA and #TCTF