The Quicksilver Classic Biketoberfest at Silver Lake Park near Wilmot, Wisconsin took place this weekend with beautiful weather accentuated by the early fall colors beginning to change on the trees. The Silver Lake Trail Club of the Southeast Wisconsin Trails Alliance(SEWTA) hosted the Wisconsin Endurance Mountain Bike Series(WEMS) race all day Saturday, and racers and volunteers camped out in the Park Friday night. Racers competed in 3, 6, and 9-hour categories to spin as many laps as possible around the mountain bike course throughout Silver Lake Park's single track mountain bike trail system.
^Racers, volunteers, organizers, park officials, and
friends & family all came together for a wonderful weekend celebrating mountain biking and the community of people drawn to it in Southeast Wisconsin. All ages, genders, and bike abilities enjoyed some light-hearted competition in the endurance challenge to complete as many laps as possible within each rider's hourly length category. The course wound throughout Silver Lake Park's top-notch single track mountain bike trail system and up to a nearby hilltop pavilion in the Park were all of the festivities were centered. In this picture above, the 3-hour category is making their start onto the course to join the 9- hour and 6-hour riders already deep into their laps.
^The snake of 3-hour racers joining the course down the big grassy hill descending from the pavilion festival area to enter the single track trail system at the bottom of the hill.
^Friends, family, and volunteers hang out at the hilltop pavilion bumping with music, food, beverages, kiddy course, games, and all around good spirits on a gorgeous day in an amazing park in the corner of Kenosha County's park system.
^Race organizers took shade under the tent for the long day of recording laps as racers come through the finish gate each spin around the course. These folks are true champions of the day.
^A jubilant cheering section took a quick break from going bonkers for their club mates, neighbors, and brand new friends from around the region as each pedals through the pavilion area of the course through the lap gate.
^A pit stop for bannas and water along the course is pictured above. It is a big day for the racers to be going and going in the saddle all day. The course is littered with pit stop areas along the way for racers to refuel and get off the bike saddle from time to time. They don't want to pit stop too long though or they'll start to fall behind in the race for the most laps.
^Strategy and knowing one's own boundaries is all part of the thinking part of the race. It is not just all blood, sweat, and braun. The smartest racers also give themselves an extra advantage at snagging podium spots to win swag and trophies like these laid out in the picture above.
^The kids had plenty of fun too. Some extra Strider bikes and obstacles provided by the local coach of the Westosha Central Composite youth mountain bike race team added some fun to the weekend for all the kids in attendance. (Click here for a fun video of the team)
^Bike decorating, a kids course, and plenty of candy as well as the onsite park playgrounds gave the kids plenty of things to bounce around to in order to satisfy their excitement in running all over the festival grounds.
^Start the kids young!
^This picture shows a racer coming through the lap gate with the crowd of folks hanging out at the pavilion, cheering him on, enjoying each other's company, and grubbing brats and beers from local sponsor 75th Street Inn to support the Silver Lake Trail Riders.
^Mom and her boys chilling under a shade tree.
^Single track glory in the woods!
^mmmmm... beer... brats... pretzels...
^Event T's!
^Solo racer bombs down the grassy hill under a canopy of fall colors beginning to change in this picture above.
^Silver Lake Trail Club's Goddesses brought a wild and crazy factor to the cheering section. Ladies having that much fun brought a lot of smiles to a lot of faces.
^Fat tire biker grinding it out up a hill in the woods.
^Fall in Wisconsin... doesn't get much more naturally beautiful then that.
^This racer pedals it out into the finish just under the gun to make his lap count!
^If ya didn't get that last lap in before this clock struck 17:00:00(5pm) then it didn't count! Strategy comes in there. Would hate to come in at 17:00:01!
^The people were the greatest part of it all. As it is with most events like this. Racers enjoy the light-hearted competition. Some love how it pushes them to get better, or last longer, or get stronger, but most of all the people seemed to be more concerned with having a lot of fun, a lot of laughs, and plenty of high fives.
^This dude was a beast in the 9-hour category, and not just for his healthy beard and fro.
^It wouldn't be Biketoberfest without a stein hoisting competition!
^A true test of arm strength, but mostly a whole bunch of fun and laughs as stein hoisters try to outlast each other.
^The mountain bike community is growing fast and strong in this region of Wisconsin, and the Quicksilver Classic Biketoberfest was yet another example of why. All those who came out on a beautiful day in Silver Lake Park to show their support for the Silver Lake Trail Club of SEWTA had a wonderful weekend of fun on mountain bikes and each seemingly left with full bellies, big smiles, joyful hearts, beat legs, and just plumb-tuckered out all around from so much fun.
For more information about the Silver Lake Trail Riders Club of SEWTA click here, to check out the Wisconsin Endurance Mountain Bike Series, click here, or for more information on Silver Lake Park, click here.