| Above, Josh Blum of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, makes his way along the snow covered Night Shift race course on Saturday, Nov. 11. The streaks of light are a result
of timed exposure of the rider's headlights. Photo by Mark Hirsch
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The brightest work
The Night Shift
Forty-nine hardy souls hit the dark & slick MTB trails of Decorah, Iowa
by Mark Hirsch
What event has 2,000 watts of light, 98 wheels and Jesus action figures on the prize table? The fourth
annual Night Shift bike race, held in Decorah, Iowa, on Saturday, November 11, that's what.
By this time of year, most bicyclists have stored their mountain bikes, dusted off their skis and cleared a cozy spot in front of the fireplace. If not, their bikes are likely attached to trainers in the basement.
Not so for the 49 hardy souls who braved a wet and frigid evening to race singletrack trails at the fourth
annual Night Shift, co-sponsored by Oneota River Cycles and the Decorah Parks and Recreation Department.
With 2 inches of snow and temperatures hovering around 25 degrees, the bike shop's Rich "Deke" Gossen ran down the final checklist of instructions before sending competitors out into the dark of night.
"If your headlight malfunctions, we have three loaners at the timing table. If you break down or can't finish
the race, please check in so we can account for all participants," Gossen said.
With a simple "ready, set, go," the racers took off in what looked like a land-based meteor shower, their headlights streaking through the forest.
The course sent riders up a steep, snow-covered access road leading to the top of a hill and the single track of the Van Peenen Park trail system. Three laps provided a 7.2-mile ride through pine stands on a
snow-covered hillside overlooking the northeastern Iowa city of Decorah.
La Crosse, Wisconsin-based cyclist Jen Whitedog, 26, repeated her 2005 performance by winning the women's race. Whitedog, who rides her mountain bike year-round, said, "Night snow rides are the best. I ride all winter long at night. With the snow, it's pretty bright even without a headlight."
Describing the tight and narrow trails winding through the pine trees, Whitedog added, "It reminded me of a
short track race. The snow added a twist to the course. It was very fast and I don't remember using my brakes."
Participants ranged from seasoned Wisconsin Off-Road Series (WORS) racers to first timers. The majority of participants were riding geared bikes but several rode 29er single speeds and one participant ran on skinny cyclocross tires.
In preparation for the snowy conditions and running a 32/20-gear combo on his Surly single speed, Dusty
Bennett of Dubuque, Iowa, chose a pair of 3-inch rims with Large Marge tires.
"The wheels were a little heavy to get spinning, but on the start with my wider tires, I was able to get off in the crusty snow and pass a lot of racers," Bennett said. "Any other time, the shorter lap course might have been boring. But with the snow at night, it was a blast."
Riding a single speed Gary Fisher Rig, cyclist Josh Shively, 34, of La Crosse, established a quick lead and
completed the entire three laps without a challenger. Shively, who was also last year's men's race champion, said, "Decorah has a great trail system. The race course covered some ultimate singletrack."
About race director Deke Gossen, Shively said, "Deke is a tri-state mountain bike racing icon and his events are always top notch. There is great camaraderie and I can't think of any other race where we finish and hang out together for hours."
Judy Syverson of the city parks department was a little worried at first that the snow and cold would scare away participants. But in the end, they had just one shy of last year's record of 50 racers. Of the 49 that started, all but two riders finished the race – a pretty good completion rate considering the amount of ice and snow that built up on cyclist's drive trains as they negotiated the course.
For Gary Stone, 46, of Decorah, Iowa, the Night Shift was his first mountain bike race. It proved to be a challenge for a recreational rider who gets out on his bike once a week. Stone said he thought about dropping out due to back spasms on the first lap. But thanks to "stubbornness or stupidity," he said he was able to finish.
"It was fun and I would do it again," Stone said.
Following the race, the riders, volunteers and friends gathered at T-Bocks Bar and Grill in downtown
Decorah for sustenance and the awards ceremony. The race paid cash to the top six men and women while age winners received framed plaques. Adding to the fun was a prize drawing for all participants where the prizes ranged from carbon fiber handlebars to edible gummy chickens.
Reflecting on the success of the event, Gossen thanked the city and the volunteers. He also thanked the racers.
"It would have been a real easy night to have an excuse not to ride, but 49 of you weren't looking for an excuse. It was slippery, it was wet and overall it was very dark," he said.
Mark Hirsch is a professional photographer who hosts the annual Block House Roll mountain bike race on his farm south of Platteville, Wisconsin in early October. He and his twin brother, Jon, have for several years placed among the top men's tandem mountain bike teams at the Chequamegon 40 and clinched the
win in 2005.
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