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Dirt Rag Articles
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Ten years is a long time no matter how you shake it. Raccoon Rally was initially a road race until 10 years ago when the Western New York Mountain Biking Association adopted the race and adapted it to the cross-country ski trails of Allegany State Park. Currently, Raccoon Rally is the largest annual XC mountain bike race in the state of New York.
Nestled in the scenic hills near Salamanca, NY, Raccoon Rally serves as the primary fundraiser for one of the finest mountain bike associations in the world. While the nearby trail system of Ellicottville (designated as one of this year’s I.M.B.A. Epics) offers a wealth of challenging singletrack, Raccoon Rally’s mellow, XC ski trails allow riders of all skill levels to compete. It is not uncommon to see fathers and sons or mothers and daughters racing side by side on the 14-mile beginner course, while the sport and expert level riders must traverse 23 and 28 miles respectively.
As this year marked my second visit to Camp Allegany, I was already familiar with the lay of the land. Last year, however, I did not have the opportunity to ride the previously mentioned Ellicottville trail system. On Saturday, the Dirt Rag crew consisting of Karl, Carol and myself, struck off with a map (our route skillfully highlighted by WNYMBA president Jon Sundquist) and rode amazing, technical singletrack for three solid hours.
The first day of summer proved to be an excellent opportunity to discover southwestern New York’s forest, which was brimming with lush green foliage and painted with wildflowers. I began to understand where Ellicottville’s fabled Roots, Rocks and Ridges race got its name, as we encountered plenty of roots and rode along ridges, though I kept asking myself, “Where’s the rocks at?”
On the very last leg of our ride, I found the rocks I craved. Judging by the map, I had assumed the hardest part of the ride was over since it appeared we would be riding downhill, parallel to the road that we began our ride up. I doubt I need to explain the old adage about assuming, however I quickly found myself grinning madly despite the sweat stinging my eyes. I personally love the feeling of bouncing over miniature boulders, pointing and sticking my front wheel onto the nearest flat topped rock and then, for a fraction of a second riding a nose wheelie across it before the back wheel hits and it is again time to wheelie, point and shoot.
Eventually the terrain smoothed out and pointed downwards, giving way to an incredible downhill section that featured smooth rounded whoops perfect for jumping. One final double track section, littered with wildflowers, led us back to the parking where Karl got a flat tire. How lucky was that?
Saturday night is traditionally a big night for roasting marshmallows around the campfire at Camp Allegany, however it seemed that the 10th anniversary celebration would be a quiet one as a number of WNYMBA members, like Rob Hillyard for instance, were introducing newborn children to the spectacle that is Raccoon Rally. The campfire burned quietly into the night, and thankfully so, since we had a 7 pm wake up call.
Sunday was traditionally good for business as the XC race drew over 450 racers, plus friends and family. Jamis donated a frame and Rocky Mountain bikes donated a complete bike for the raffle, which was popular as ever. Almost equally popular was the free swag Dirt Rag was giving away with subscriptions, including products from Salsa, Arrow Racing, Michelin, New Sun and Accelerade.
Thanks to our sponsors, and thanks to the great folks of WNYMBA for hosting a great event. For more information on WNYMBA and Raccoon Rally, visit www.wnymba.org. I can’t wait to come back next year!
Click here for a gallery of 2002 Raccoon Rally photos.
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