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Rides

Sundance and Bearlodge Mountains Ride

Friday, May 28, 2010
Are you traveling to Rapid City for the Festival along 1-90 from the West on Friday, May 28th? If so we have a ride for you! Why drive straight through when you could stop and ride the Bearlodge Mountains outside of Sundance, Wyoming. Our friends in the Sundance area are putting on a ride for us on Friday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.

So stop the car and get your riding shoes on and start your festival on the west side of the Black Hills this year. Riders will want to take Wyoming Interstate 90 exit 185. Your group leaders will meet you in the parking lot of the Rapid Stop which is the gas station located on the South side of I-90 at exit 185. They will be leaving at 1:00 PM from the Rapid Stop on Friday, May 28th. The ride will begin three miles up the road at the Reuter Trailhead in the Bearlodge Mountains and follow moderate single track trails for approximately 10-12 miles. This ride is just a sample of over 50 miles of mapped trails the Bearlodge have to offer. For more info or to RSVP for this ride contact Dave Schrall at 307-290-0364.

This ride is an intermediate ride.

Mickelson Rails to Trail Ride (MTR)

Saturday, May 29 and Sunday, May 30th

This ride is for the intermediate and advanced bikers with a yen to see all that the Black Hills has to offer. This 109 mile rails to trails ride flows through the heart of the Black Hills. The Mickelson Trail follows an abandoned railroad bed, and climbs gently through jagged cliffs and pine forests.

Centennial Trail (EPIC) 60

Known as Trail No. 89, the trail is a lasting legacy of South Dakota's 1989 centennial year of statehood. Its 111-mile length explores the diversity of South Dakota. This is the longest trail in the Black Hills. You'll experience old growth forests, sunny meadows dotted with wildflowers, towering granite crags and remote canyons. With luck you'll see turkeys, deer, elk, mountain goats, and bighorn sheep.

The section of the Centennial Trail that stretches between Sheridan Lake and the Alkali trailheads is fast becoming classified as an EPIC ride. For those who know this section of the Centennial, it has everything: fast-flowing downhills, steep, short climbs, boulder hopping, creek crossings, step-ups, step-downs, and some of the most incredible scenery in the Black Hills.

This advance to expert ride will cover two days:

Saturday, May 29 - we will ride from Sheridan Lake (Dakota Point TH) to Nemo TH, about 28 miles
Sunday, May 30 - we ride from Nemo TH to Alkali Creek TH, 32 miles

Van leaves at 7:00 a.m. each morning from Founders Park. Come take a ride with our tour leaders as we bike this 60 mile section. Van-supported with water and snacks provided. Each rider should carry a water, patch kit, pump, and rain gear. You will need to provide your own lunch - we will have cold storage in the van.

The Centennial ride is included with your All-Festival Pass. Transportation Costs: $45.00 (Pre-registration required on or before May 15th.)

Single Track Rides

In four days you will be able to ride more gnarly single track than possibly anywhere else in the lower 48. We have developed the festival single-track tours for features they include along the trail, as well as the quality of the ride. We have beginner to double black diamond rides as well as rides for all you free riders.

Local guides equal local rides. Experiencing the Black Hills with local hospitality is very important to the Fat Tire Festivals' success. We pride ourselves on our western hospitality and want to share that excitement with you.

Do you want to ride single track all day and do nothing else? All single-track tours are free and open to anyone. All other events are ticketed events including the socials, film festival, races and are included when you purchase an All-Festival Pass. You will still need to register and sign waivers for your single-track tours at the registration tent Friday, Saturday and Sunday. All rides will leave and return to the Festival Headquarters at Founders Park. (Festival sponsors do encourage car-pooling.)

Are you coming with a group and want to ride as a group? We can assign you a local guide to get you on trail and show you the sights. Email us at info@bhfattirefestival.com in advance and we will match you up with a guide just for your group. (You might have to buy one or two beers however.)

On Your Own Rides (O.Y.O.R.)

Want to ride on your own or with your friends? This year you can. All festival trails will be marked and maps to the trailheads will be supplied at the registration booth at the Festival venue.

New this year: Bring your Garmin GPS unit and download the trails. Fear of riding new areas without a local guide can now be overcome with the GPS unit. We have all the local trails mapped with a Garmin GPS unit and you can download them into yours. Don’t have a GPS? You can rent one of ours with the trails already loaded. GPS rentals available at the Registration booth.

Festival Trails will include: Centennial - Storm Mountain - Victoria Lake - Cowboy Hill - Saint Martins - Skyline Wilderness - Shanks Quarry - Buzzards Roost - Bull Dog - Bone Collector - South of Heaven - The Phoenix and more.

Fat Tire Freerides

Looking to add some mayhem to your riding experience during your visit to this year's Black Hills Fat Tire Festival? Do you have a fullface helmet, full set of pads, and set of wheels wrapped in DH tires sitting in your arsenal? If you answered yes to either of these questions, make sure to bring your big travel bike and get ready to blitz some of the area's gravity assisted riding. These trails offer enough rocks, drops, steeps, berms, gaps, and cherry pie to keep a smile on your face ten miles wide.

So bring your cameras and capture some great footage from rides leaving Founder's Park on Saturday and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. You will want to keep plenty of food and water on tap to enjoy a full day of shuttling and hike-a-biking in the Black Hills where you will be back in time to enjoy the social activities lined up for this year's festival.

IMPORTANT! - Due to the elevated level of riding and inherent risks associated with the technicality of these trail systems, full face helmets and full pads are strongly encouraged. Spare tubes and a patch kit on standby (and possibly a spare tire) can also save you from an early trip back to town. Advanced riding abilities are essential! Therefore, novice riders looking to make this their first outing should consider sitting this one out.