Out'n'Back Season Kickoff: Thanks For Riding, Everyone!

Now it’s Out’n’Back season. This past Sunday, we had over 100 riders kick off the run-in to the Bell’s Iceman Cometh Challenge with bikes, brats, and a bit of pond jumpin’. Traverse City is a town that loves the outdoors, and with good reason. We have access to trails, lakes and streams, and a thriving community of outdoor enthusiasts who are always up for anything. The culmination of these endeavors is the Iceman Cometh Challenge. Now celebrating its 30th edition, this thirty-mile point-to-point mountain bike race from Kalkaska to Traverse City. The race sees nearly 5,000 riders of all ages and abilities show up and give the race a go, and many of those riders spend the weeks leading into the race to get ready. Nearly every weekend from Labor Day to race day, riders ride out from the race’s finish Timber Ridge to the start in Kalkaska, then hop on the course itself to get back. These rides are a sort of pilgrimage, and many locals put in a two, three, even a half dozen of these throughout the fall. We decided to kick things off in style, and our pals showed up in force!We had over 100 riders make the full ride, a 47-mile round trip grind, and plenty of others do their own version of the course to get back in time for the grill! With the rain letting up just in time for the ride, there was plenty of mud and wet sand. That didn’t dampen sand a bit; we still had a blast! Once back at Timber Ridge, we had brats, beer, and a bike jump. The Norte kids showed off their aerial skills, though it was our own Marc Brunette who really set the bar! Ted Shaw and Matt Morse manned the grill, while Northern Michigan Mountain Bike Association’s new Cantina served up smoothies. Traverse City has an incredible community, and we’re proud to be a part of something like this. From everyone at Keen, thanks for making it everyone! Now it’s Out’n’Back season. This past Sunday, we had over 100 riders kick off the run-in to the Bell’s Iceman Cometh Challenge with bikes, brats, and a bit of pond jumpin’. Traverse City is a town that loves the outdoors, and with good reason. We have access to trails, lakes and streams, and a thriving community of outdoor enthusiasts who are always up for anything. The culmination of these endeavors is the Iceman Cometh Challenge. Now celebrating its 30th edition, this thirty-mile point-to-point mountain bike race from Kalkaska to Traverse City. The race sees nearly 5,000 riders of all ages and abilities show up and give the race a go, and many of those riders spend the weeks leading into the race to get ready. Nearly every weekend from Labor Day to race day, riders ride out from the race’s finish Timber Ridge to the start in Kalkaska, then hop on the course itself to get back. These rides are a sort of pilgrimage, and many locals put in a two, three, even a half dozen of these throughout the fall. We decided to kick things off in style, and our pals showed up in force!We had over 100 riders make the full ride, a 47 mile round trip grind. With the rain letting up just in time for the ride, there was plenty of mud and wet sand. That didn’t dampen sand a bit; we still had a blast! Once back at Timber Ridge, we had brats, beer, and a bike jump. The Norte kids showed off their aerial skills, though it was our own Marc Brunette who really set the bar! Ted Shaw and Matt Morse manned the grill, while Northern Michigan Mountain Bike Association’s new Cantina served up smoothies. Traverse City has an incredible community, and we’re proud to be a part of something like this. From everyone at Keen, thanks for making it everyone!