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Melting Mann: Lives Up Its Name

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It was a brisk 30 degrees on the morning of March 8th as racers lined up for the Melting Mann: A Race Through No Mann’s Land. The course, whose main attraction is Mann Rd., consisted of conditions ranging from dirt roads iced completely over to frozen rutted mud that would grab your tire in an instant. As the temps began to warm up and the course got well-used the frozen mud turned into the real deal, speckling racers with dirty faces and muddy behinds. WSI was well represented at the event taking home several podium finishes. Overall, it was a great event, and riders are looking forward to next year’s challenges in the Melting Mann.

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David Goff placed second in his AG for the 22.7 mile course.

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David Goff Sr. placed 4th in his AG for the 32 mile course.

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Peggy Haas was the first female finisher on the 22 mile course with a respectable time of 1:32 (and that was all done on about an hour and a half of sleep).

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Kellie Kramer placed 4th overall in women and 1st in her AG on the 32 mile course with a time of 2:09:08

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Dwight Denisiuk raced the 32 mile course in the single speed division with a time of 2:14:21

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The Traveling Circus: featuring the Bearded Ice Man

The Circus made the trip to Ypsilanti for stop #3 in the Michigan Fat Bike Series at Rolling Hills. I lined up for the 45 minute B Race with the intention of starting slow and working my way through the field. The first lap was faster than anticipated on the group split quickly. I kept the chase group in site for the first couple of laps, but the leading 4 were gone and stayed gone. The course was a mix of wide open turns and steady climbs. My 5 inch Surly Tires (thanks to Team Active) kept the rubber side down on the icy turns. I kept the effort high on the dicey course for 6 two mile laps and finished 6th image

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imageout of 12. After a 30 minute rest, it was time for the Duo Open race with my friend Brian. We are pursuing the point series championship and needed to snag some points after missing stop #2 at Pando. We alternated hot laps for 90 minutes on the melting and muddy course and finished 4th on the day, keeping us in the lead for the overall point series.
#4: Even die hard mountain bike racers need to dial in their running skills every now again. 2 weekends ago (sorry for the late report) I lined up for the “not so frosty” Frostbite 5K in Vicksburg. Top Priority Goal: Enjoy chilli at the post race part. Second priority: Personal Record. The uphill mass start got the heart pumping early and I kept the effort high for a 23:11 finish time, 10 seconds faster than my fastest 5K from a couple of years ago and 1 spot away from the podium.

#5: The latest stop on the Michigan Fat Bike Tour was Addison Oaks County Park. A few miles from the home of Kid Rock, Addison Oaks has a web of well-groomed and fast flowing fat bike trails. 18 degrees at the start line, only 4 points separated the top three Duo Open teams. Our competition made the trip to Marquette for the Polar Roll and Brian and took advantage with a 2nd place finish. Next stop: Pando Winter Sports Park in Rockford Michigan.

~Dan Frayer